PNP signs deal with Samsung for emergency app

THE PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) signed on Wednesday a memorandum of agreement with Samsung Electronics Philippines, Inc. to develop a mobile application that would allow users to contact the police easily during emergencies. Samsung 321, an application already embedded in Samsung devices, contains the emergency contact numbers and the directions to the nearest police station using global positioning system (GPS). “This is a platform for reporting crime. There are two functions. First you can call the police station and second you can navigate through this app, you can go to the nearest police station,” said Julius Arguson, Samsung product engineering and technical compliance head for IT and mobile. PNP Director for Information and Communications Technology Management Napoleon C. Taas, meanwhile, urged the public to use the application and help supply contact information that are not yet in Samsung 321’s database. At the same time, Mr. Taas stressed that other mobile applications previously launched by the police remain in effect. Samsung’s Minsu Chu, business unit director for IT and mobile, said this is their first collaboration with the government and are looking to expand to other public service agencies. — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

Amendment to anti-dynasty provision in youth law proposed

THE HOUSE minority bloc has filed a bill amending the antidynasty provision of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Act of 2015 under Republic Act 10742. The proposed amendment requires incumbent officials to voluntarily renounce their office one year ahead of the next SK elections in order for their youth relatives to qualify for candidacy. Section 10 of RA 10742 states that an SK official must not be related by affinity or second civil degree of consanguinity to any incumbent elected official in the national or local government within their locality. The provision, according to Rep. Alfredo A. Garbin, only applies to those related to government officials currently in office. “When an elected official resigns before the filing of the certificate of candidacy for Sangguniang Kabataan election, he ceases to be an incumbent and thus takes him out of the coverage of the anti-political dynasty,” states the bill’s explanatory note. The SK Reform Act is the first enabling legislation of the anti-dynasty provision in the 1987 Constitution.

TRAINING

MEANWHILE, the National Youth Commission reminded elected SK officials to get in touch with their Local Youth Development Officer or Local Government Operations Officer in their municipalities for the SK mandatory training (SKMT). The SKMT is scheduled to begin today, May 17, to May 26. It will consist of a one day orientation on governance, RA 10742, ethics, and budgeting, among other subjects. —