NATIONWIDE ROUND-UP

DoE, ERC ordered to comment on petition vs open power market

THE Department of Energy (DoE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) have been ordered by the Supreme Court to file a comment on the petition of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), along with three other institutions, assailing the government’s retail competition and open access (RCOA) policies. — Kristine Joy V. Patag >> See full story on https://goo.gl/TbQ7PQ

195 cops test positive for drug use, mostly shabu

OUT of 165,000 police officers subjected to random drug testing, 195 tested positive, majority of whom were using methamphetamine, locally known as shabu, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory reported on Tuesday. — Jumaine Christene V. Doctolero >> See full story on https://goo.gl/dIzoMZ

Higher revenues from STL eyed with new scheme

HIGHER revenues from Small Town Lottery (STL) operators under the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) are expected starting Feb. 1 with the introduction of a new policy, according to Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II. — Kristine Joy V. Patag >> See full story on https://goo.gl/rvXkSq

Duterte gov’t issues protest note to China

MALACAÑANG on Tuesday said the Philippine government has issued note verbale to its Chinese counterpart to protest Beijing’s reported installation of a weapons system on its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea. “Aggressive and provocative diplomacy will bring us nowhere so we dealt with the issue formally,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella said in a statement, adding that the Duterte administration “staunchly supports all efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region.” He added, “The Philippines will continue to assert its sovereignty over disputed territory in the South China Sea while remaining consistent with the efforts of President [ Rodrigo R.] Duterte to revitalize long- standing ties with China.” — Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral

SC orders comments on Umali’s JBC petition

THE Supreme Court (SC) yesterday ordered the Judicial Bar and Council (JBC), the Office of the Solicitor- General, the Senate, and the House of Representatives to file their respective comments on Oriental Mindoro Rep. and JBC ex- officio member Reynaldo V. Umali’s petition of certiorari and mandamus seeking the reversal of the SC decision limiting the Congress representative to one vote in the JBC. Those impleaded in the case are directed to file a comment “within a non- extendible period of ten ( 10) days from notice.” Assailed in Mr. Umali’s petition is a 2012 decision that “struck down the practice of allowing two members of Congress to vote, each with a separate vote, in JBC deliberations as unconstitutional,” the SC PIO said. — Kristine Joy V. Patag

Duterte should prioritize passport validity measures — Recto

SENATOR Minority Leader Ralph G. Recto called on President Rodrigo R. Duterte to certify as a priority measure proposals that lengthen the validity of passports to ten from five years. “Passing a law extending the validity period of a Philippine passport from 5 to 10 years is ‘one low-hanging fruit’ Congress can pick, a move that will immediately benefit millions of Filipino travelers and migrant workers,” Mr. Recto said in a statement yesterday. He also cited that this year, the Department of Foreign Affairs is expected to collect P4.6 billion from processing approximately 15,000 passport applications a day. — Lucia Edna P. de Guzman

PDEA charges local officials over hog sale from shabu lab

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has filed a graft complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against several town officials of Magalang and Bacolor in Pampanga for selling more than 4,000 hogs seized from an alleged shabu (methamphetamine) laboratory. The respondents in the complaint filed by Wilkins M. Villanueva, regional director of the PDEA-National Capital Region, are: Magalang Mayor Maria Lourdes Paras-Lacson; Raissa L. Bayani, municipal treasurer; Adela B. Tanhueco, municipal assessor; Jesus Nathaniel Pili, municipal engineer; Ryan M. Miranda, business and permits licensing officer; Milagros D. Suing, municipal agriculturist; Marial S. Alfaro, barangay captain of San Ildefonso, Magalang; and Bacolor, Pampanga Mayor Jose Maria O. Hizon. The PDEA said they were not informed about the sale of the hogs that “will be used as part of the pieces of evidence against the seven Chinese nationals,” who were arrested during the laboratory raid. — Raynan F. Javil

Zubiri-Trillanes fight stalls plenary

“COOLER heads” prevailed in the end, but a fight between Senators Juan Miguel F. Zubiri and Antonio F. Trillanes IV stalled Senate proceedings yesterday for almost an hour. Mr. Trillanes, in a television interview yesterday morning, alleged that Senators Zubiri and Richard J. Gordon were “whitewashing” the probe on the bribery scandal of former Bureau of Immigration officials by moving it from the committee on civil service, which Mr. Trillanes chairs, to the committee on justice chaired by Mr. Gordon and where Mr. Zubiri is a member. Messrs. Trillanes and Zubiri had a heated verbal exchange during the plenary before being ushered to the Senate lounge to reconcile. “After a gentlemanly exchange with Sen. Trillanes and cooler heads prevailing... we agreed that I am not a part and privy to any whitewash as well as Senator Gordon.” — Lucia Edna P. de Guzman