Malacanang investigates Quezon City for Illegal Termination of employees and consultants

qc 2016 bistek joy yellows

The Office of President Duterte thru the Office of Executive Secretary Medialdea, on July 5, 2019, endorsed for evaluation and appropriate action the complaints of several concerned employees of the Novaliches District Hospital, managed by the local government unit of Quezon City.

Fifteen COS (contract of service) employees and seven consultants were unceremoniously informed on July 1, 2019 that their contracts would no longer be renewed. July 1 was the first day of office of senators, representatives, governors, vice-governors, provincial board members, mayors, vice mayors and councilors. In Quezon City, Mayor Joy Belmonte assumed office and her appointed Novaliches District Hospital Medical Director, with the name of a certain Doctor Aldana, also on his first day to return to that position, promptly issued walking papers to the twenty-two. Said memorandum of the Medical Director was in direct conflict to the pronouncement of the new mayor that no contract of service would be terminated.

Analysis: The Office of the Mayor of Quezon City proclaimed that it has the sole prerogative of hiring and firing as far as city employees are concerned. If that is the case, then on whose authority did the Novaliches District Hospital Medical Director issue the termination memorandum? A grave abuse of authority/discretion case against the Medical Director is a legal option available to the aggrieved parties. Aside from that, how come it has taken weeks to start an investigation to the detriment of hospital patients and services? In the same span of time the City of Manila has progressed by leaps and bounds under the able leadership of new Mayor Isko Moreno. On the other hand, Quezon City is being left behind on the garbage clearing and road obstruction (illegally parked vehicles and vendors taking over sidewalks and streets) fronts.

 

QC Mayor making excuses for illegal use of sidewalks and garbage in the middle of the street

Mayor Joy Belmonte is rationalizing the illegal vendors occupying the sidewalks of NIA Road instead of ordering the clearing of the sidewalks so that people can use them. Take note that there is also garbage in the middle of the street.

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Joy Belmonte seeks win-win solution for motorists, vendors in QC

But promises not to block programs of the national government

Gabriel Pabico-Lalu / Inquirer

July 29, 2019

MMDA to look into possible ‘window hours’ for provincial buses on Edsa

Buses from provinces in Northern and Southern Luzon will soon be banned from plying Edsa as their terminals along Metro Manila’s busiest road will be closed to ease traffic congestion. (Photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines – Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has been considering various opinions in fixing her city’s road obstruction problems to arrive at a “win-win” situation between motorists and street vendors.

Belmonte bared this at a meeting of Metro Manila mayors at the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) office on Monday in reference to reports that vendors removed along NIA Road in Diliman had returned.

“Actually, I had already talked to those who returned to NIA Road,” Belmonte, speaking in Filipino, told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting. “They have places to live in, but they go out to make a living. So we’ll see. NIA Road is wide enough as it is.”

“The problem is they’ unsightly. They’re an eyesore,” she added. “So what I plan for them is to give them proper stalls, even if I have to give them myself, so they could sell in the area because I don’t think they are an obstruction given the wideness of the street.”

Last Thursday, July 25, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año ordered Metro Manila mayors to clear their streets of obstructions within 60 days, starting today, Monday, July 29.

Año issued the order on the instruction of President Rodrigo Duterte, who tasked the DILG with penalizing mayors who refuse to clear roads that cause heavy traffic.

But even with her own programs at hand, Belmonte said she would cooperate with the President and gave the assurance that she would not prevent the national government and other agencies from implementing their own programs.

Belmonte to QC dwellers: Exercise conscious efforts to conserve water

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte. (File photo by RYAN LEAGOGO / INQUIRER.net)

“But if the MMDA [Metropolitan Manila Development Authority] would tell me that I could not do one thing, we’d look for another solution,” she said. “The people are open to dialogue. The problem is that we have judged them already, that they would not understand. But when I talked to them, they said they understood.”

Belmonte also said that this formula would also apply to the impending ban of provincial buses along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa).

Several provincial bus terminals are located on both sides of EDSA, particularly in Cubao, near Quezon Avenue and Kamuning Avenue.

“As I said when I was given the notice, I would have all the terminals shut down. I can do that,” Belmonte said. “Well, there are some options that were presented — such as the point-to-point buses, which they said they would increase.”

“So I would like to continue dialoguing with the people so we could come up with sustainable solutions to the problems,” she added. “I’m a very participatory leader. But at the end of the day, I don’t want to be a hindrance to the programs of our President.”

She said that she would use this formula — even if she would draw flak from the media or other stakeholders.

“We will do this with the police… But you know, I wanted to try to do it first without the police,” she said. “We will do whatever we can. For me, the important thing is planning.”

“So to those criticizing me: You want me to act fast. But I’m a planner. I’m a strategist. The plan has to in order. We have to take baby steps every week to accomplish it in 60 days.”

/atm

QC Mayor umamin sa KAKUPARAN

Walang plataporma. Walang programa.

Katawatawa ang pahayag ni Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte sa pagsabi na hindi raw naman siya nagmamadali dahil mahaba naman ang termino niya para makagawa ng kabutihan para sa lungsod. Hindi niya yata nahalata na isang rason kung bakit nabisto na wala siyang nagawa ay sapagkat sa sandaling panahon na tatlong linggo, sangkatutak na ang naipatupad sa Lungsod ng Maynila. Habang si Manila Mayor Isko Moreno ay tumatanggap ng maraming pagpuri kaugnay ng paglinis ng mga kalsada mula sa nakabarang mga nagtitinda, ang Quezon City naman ay kulang sa pagkilos laban sa basura, nakaparadang sasakyan, maruming palengke at mga sagabal sa mga kalsada.

Maliwanag na walang programa ang bagong mayora sapagkat kung mayroon, bakit hindi niya isiniwalat sa madla para malaman ng lahat kung ano ang mga plano niya at kung saang larangan magkakaroon ng paglilinis o pagbabago.

SWS – Leni drops 14 points for 2nd Quarter 2019

SWS: Leni’s ratings fall from ‘very good’ to ‘moderate’
Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)

July 25, 2019

MANILA, Philippines — The net satisfaction rating of Vice President Leni Robredo dropped by 14 points in the second quarter of the year, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

Former speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also experienced a three-point drop in her net satisfaction score, while Senate President Vicente Sotto III’s and Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin’s scores hardly moved.

The nationwide survey was conducted from June 22 to 26, using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults, 18 years old and above.

Almost six in 10 or 57 percent of adult Filipinos expressed satisfaction with Robredo’s performance against 29 percent who said otherwise, for a net satisfaction score of +28, classified by SWS as “moderate.”

This was down from a “good” +42 (63 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied) in March 2019.

It stayed at moderate +14 in Metro Manila. Robredo’s rural net satisfaction declined from very good +50 to good +41.

Her urban net satisfaction dropped from good +30 to moderate +12.

The Vice President also posted double-digit declines in her net satisfaction ratings in all basic socio-demographics, except for the single-digit changes among class E (down from +50 to +42), 18-24 year olds (up slightly from +29 to +30) and college graduates (up from +6 to +13).

Sotto, meanwhile, has retained his “very good” net satisfaction rating, although down by a point from +61 (71 percent satisfied, 10 percent dissatisfied) to +60 (72 percent satisfied and 13 percent dissatisfied).

In Metro Manila, Sotto’s net satisfaction rating rose to +68 in June from +57 in March, both classified as very good.

It stayed very good in the Visayas, up from +60 to +63. His ratings also remained in very good territory in Mindanao, although down from +58 in March to +50 in June. It also stayed very good in the rest of Luzon, despite dropping from +65 +60.

Sotto’s net satisfaction score in rural areas dropped a point but was still very good from +61 in March to +60 in June.

His urban net satisfaction also stayed very good, although down slightly from +62 to +60.

SWS said the Senate President posted single-digit changes in his net satisfaction ratings across basic socio-demographics, except for the double-digit declines among the 25-34 year olds (from +65 to +52) and college graduates (from +51 to +40).

Arroyo registered a final net satisfaction rating of poor -20 (29 percent satisfied and 49 percent dissatisfied), down from the poor -17 (29 percent satisfied, 46 percent dissatisfied) in March.

Her net satisfaction score stayed poor in balance Luzon, down from -14 in March to -21 in June.

It stayed bad in Metro Manila, dipping to -43 from -39. However, it improved from poor -12 to neutral -9 in the Visayas.

It stayed poor in Mindanao, up slightly from -13 in March to -12 in June.

Urban net satisfaction with Arroyo dropped from poor -26 to bad -33.

Her rural net satisfaction stayed at poor -10 between March and June.

The former president recorded single-digit changes in her net satisfaction rating across basic socio-demographics, except for the double-digit changes among class E (up from -22 to -3), among non-elementary graduates (up from -15 to net zero), and among college graduates (down from -9 to -21).

In the case of Bersamin, his overall net satisfaction rating stayed at moderate +13 (37 percent satisfied and 24 percent dissatisfied) from +14 (34 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied) in March.

His net satisfaction score rose by two grades from poor -11 to moderate +13 in Metro Manila.

It went up to +21 from +16, both classified as moderate, in the Visayas.

It stayed moderate in balance Luzon, although down from +25 in March to +14 in June.

The Chief Justice’s net satisfaction rating fell from moderate +10 to neutral +6 in Mindanao.

Rural net satisfaction with Bersamin stayed moderate, down a point from +16 in March to +15 in June.

His net satisfaction score in urban areas also stayed moderate, down slightly from +12 in March to +11 in June.

SWS found single-digit changes in Bersamin’s net satisfaction rating across basic socio-demographics, except for the double-digit changes among the 18-24 year olds (down from +30 to +11), the 35-44 year olds (up from +10 to +29) and college graduates (down from +20 to +9).

The net satisfaction rating of the Senate stayed very good at +63 in June, up slightly from +62 in March.

The House of Representatives’ net satisfaction score hit +48 in June from +47 in March, classified as good. The figure was a new record-high.

The Supreme Court also obtained a new record-high net satisfaction rating of +54 in June from +50 in March, both considered as very good scores by the SWS.

The Cabinet’s net satisfaction rating rose from good +44 in March to very good +51 in June.

The SWS June 2019 poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points for national percentages.

 

Anyare? Pacman split decision win

Bagamat ang buong Pilipinas ay nagagalak sa pagkapanalo ng Pambansang Kamao, marami pa rin ang hindi makuhang maisip kung papaano natalo si Pacman sa pananaw ng isang hurado. Napatumba ni Senador Manny si Thurman sa first round at tinamaan ng sobrang sakit si Thurman sa round 10, so nangangahulugan na maski may lamang si Pacquiao sa dalawang rounds, lumalabas na talo siya doon sa maraming mga ibang rounds. Kung gagamitin natin ang lohika nuong huradong nagsabing talo si Pacquiao, malamang kung walang first round knockdown, baka naging patas o talo rin si Pacman sa dalawang huradong nagsabing panalo siya. Sa isang larawan tumilansik ang dugo ni Thurman at kung mga mukha lang nila ang pagbabasihan matapos ang laban, halatanghalata naman kung sino ang bugbog sarado.

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Manny Pacquiao beats Keith Thurman in split decision for welterweight crown

The 40-year-old set the tone by flooring Thurman in the first round with a straight right hand and won the 12-round bout on a split decision to become the oldest welterweight champion in history.
Pacquiao seemed to have the clear advantage Saturday but one ringside judge, Glenn Feldman, gave the 30-year-old American a 114-113 advantage.
Dave Moretti and Tim Cheatham, though, both scored it 115-112 to Pacquiao.
Thurman lost for the first time (29-1) while Pacquiao collected a 62nd victory (62-7-2) and said it wouldn’t be his last fight, either.
On Saturday, Pacquiao’s quick start rattled Thurman, who recovered in the middle rounds and even punished his opponent in the ninth.
Pacquiao, though, responded in the 10th round with blows to the body and Thurman couldn’t produce the big finish he realistically needed in the 12th.
“It was fun,” Pacquiao, a titlist in a remarkable eight different weight classes in his career, told the crowd. “My opponent is a good fighter and boxer. He was strong.
“I think he did his best, and I did my best. I think we made the fans happy tonight because it was a good fight.”
Thurman, slowed by hand and elbow injuries in recent years, said Pacquiao just had too much for him.
“I wish I had a little bit more output to go toe to toe,” he said. “My conditioning, my output was just behind Manny Pacquiao’s tonight.
“Tonight was a blessing and a lesson.”

Medical leave (gyne) for Davao City Mayor Inday Sara

Palace wishes Sara Duterte good health

By: Darryl John Esguerra – Reporter INQUIRER dot net
July 18, 2019

Palace wishes Sara Duterte good health

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Thursday hoped for Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s speedy recovery after the presidential daughter bared she is suffering from a medical condition that would keep her from attending the fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We can only pray for her safety and recovery from whatever illness that she is presently suffering. Kung meron mang sakit, we will have to pray for her kung ano mang medical condition,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing

Duterte-Carpio on Wednesday evening said she will skip he father’s fourth Sona on Monday, July 22, as she is currently on “special medical leave for 60 days.”

“It’s a gyne (gynecological) condition,” she told INQUIRER.net in a text message without elaborating. /jpv

 

Sedition case for Bikoy Videos – Leni, Bam, Risa, De Lima, Trillanes, clergy et al charged

PNP-CIDG files sedition case vs Robredo, 35 others over ‘Totoong Narcolist’ video

By: Tetch Torres-Tupas – Reporter INQUIRER dot net

July 18, 2019

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Thursday filed Sedition and other complaints against Vice President Leni Robredo and 35 other individuals, including incumbent and former senators and priests after they were tagged in the release of the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos.

“I have the honor to submit herewith and requesting appropriate action…the pertinent records of investigation relative to the criminal complaint for Sedition, inciting to Sedition, Cyber Liber, Libel, Estafa, Harboring a Criminal and Obstruction of Justice,” read the PNP-CIDG’s letter-complaint submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Likewise included in the complaint are former Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Archbishop Socrates Villegas and incumbent CBCP Vice President Archbishop Pablo Virgilio S. David, running priest Fr. Robert Reyes, Frs. Flaviano Villanueva, Albert E. Alejo, Bishops Honesto Ongtioco and Teodoro Bacani Jr.

Others named in the complaint are incumbent national president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Domingo Egon Cayosa, former IBP president Abdiel Dan Elijah Fajardo, human rights lawyer Atty. Theodore Te, Yolanda Villanueva Ong, former education secretary Armin A. Luistro, Boom Enriquez, Vicente Romano III, Danilo Songco, Joel Saracho, former police officer Eduardo Acierto, a certain Atty. Chito, Atty. Serafin Salvador and Carmelita Salvador.

‘Bikoy’ tales

Advincula appeared at the IBP office last May and admitted that he is the hooded narrator in the video.

The six-part video series, which was uploaded in various social media platforms linked the family of President Rodrigo Duterte and his close allies to the illegal drugs trade.

Advincula eventually recanted his testimony and said the video was part of a certain “Project Sodoma,” aimed at discrediting Duterte and destabilize the government.

The “Project”, supposedly planned as early as August 2018, likewise sought to allegedly discredit midterm election candidates of the administration-backed Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

By: Tetch Torres-Tupas – Reporter INQUIRER dot net

 

85% of Pinoys trust Rody – Pulse Asia

du30 vision

Helen Flores (The Philippine Star) July 18, 2019 

MANILA, Philippines — Eighty-five percent of Filipinos continued to express trust in President Duterte and approved of his performance, Pulse Asia said in its second quarter survey.

Duterte’s approval rating, however, slid by two percentage points from 87 percent in March 2019 to 85 percent in June 2019.

Those who disapproved of the President’s performance dropped a point from four percent to three percent.

The remaining 11 percent of Filipinos were undecided with regard to Duterte’s performance – up a point from 10 percent.

The survey was conducted on June 24-30, with 1,200 adults aged 18 and above nationwide as respondents.

On the other hand, those who don’t trust Duterte fell by a point to four percent. Indecision with regard to Filipinos’ trust in Duterte stayed at 11 percent.

“Presidential performance and trust ratings remain essentially unchanged between March and June 2019,” Pulse Asia said.

Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo obtained an approval rating of 55 percent, up six points from 49 percent in March.

Robredo’s disapproval rating fell from four percent to three percent. The number of undecided also went down from 29 percent to 21 percent.

Robredo’s trust rating also improved five points to 52 percent from 47 percent in March.

Distrust in her, however, rose from 23 percent to 26 percent. Indecision toward the Vice President’s trustworthiness was unchanged at 11 percent.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III got the biggest improvement in approval score from 65 percent to 77 percent.

Sotto’s disapproval rating fell a point to seven percent in the second quarter. Those who were undecided dropped from 27 percent to 16 percent.

Sotto’s trust rating also increased to 73 percent from 61 percent.

Distrust in him, however, rose by a point to seven percent, while the undecided dropped from 32 percent to 21 percent.

Then Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s approval rating rose four points to 26 percent in June.

Disapproval of Arroyo’s work declined from 51 percent to 47 percent, while the number of undecided rose to 27 percent from 26 percent.

Trust in the speaker also improved from 19 percent to 22 percent, while distrust in her fell from 54 percent to 49 percent.

Those who could not say whether or not they trust the former president increased by three points to 29 percent. – With Paolo Romero

 

HIV AIDS Philippines – Sa mga lalaking edad 15 – 24 mabilis ang pagkalat

Ang kabataan ang kinabukasan ng ating bayan pero sa ngayon maraming wala pa sa tamang edad sa pagboto (18 taong gulang) nakakakuha na ng malubhang sakit na dadalhin nila habang buhay. Anyare? Papaano nasapian ng grabeng sakuna ang ating mga lalaking kababayan? Lalake sa lalaking pagtatalik ang madalas na sanhi. Yung iba tumatanggap ng kabayaran para magbigay ng panangdalang aliw. Ang karampot na halaga ay nagdudulot ng habang buhay na sakit ng katawan at gastos. Bakit walang nagsisisigaw upang malaman ng maraming tao ang problemang ito?

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HIV/AIDS infection in the Philippines might be low but growing. The estimated incidence of HIV/AIDS in the country remains under 0.1% of the total population in 2015. The Philippines has one of the lowest rates of infection, yet has one of the fastest growing number of cases worldwide. The Philippines is one of seven countries with growth in number of cases of over 25%, from 2001 to 2009.

Cases are concentrated among men who have sex with men. HIV cases among men having sex with men multiplied over 10 times since 2010. HIV cases are getting younger.

The first case of HIV infection in the Philippines was reported in January 1984.

From Wikipedia
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Philippines posts 100 new HIV cases
Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)
July 15, 2019

MANILA, Philippines — At least a hundred more people have been tested positive for HIV or human immunodeficiency virus, which they acquired through paid sex, the Department of Health (DOH) reported over the weekend.

Data from the HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines showed there were 114 new HIV infections recorded in April as a result of “transactional sex.”

Of the figure, 98 percent or 112 of those who acquired the virus due to paid sex were males aged 17 to 62 years old.

All of the 52 cases of those who paid for sex and acquired HIV were males.

The DOH said 42 of those who accepted payment for sex were males and only one was female.

According to the DOH report, transactional sex accounted for 14 percent of the newly diagnosed cases in April.

People who engage in transactional sex are those who pay for sex, regularly accept payment for sex, or do both.

From January to April, there were 529 cases of people who acquired HIV after engaging in transactional sex.

The new cases brought to 6,596 the total number of people who tested positive for HIV after engaging in paid sex since December 2012.

Last week, the DOH issued the implementing rules and regulations of the new HIV and AIDS Policy Act, which is meant to effectively address the growing HIV epidemic in the country.

The DOH said 36 new HIV infections are recorded daily. Most of the cases belong to 15 to 24 age bracket.