Monday, March 8, 2021
Calbayog City mayor, 2 aides killed in ambush
By Sarwell Meniano
Calbayog City Mayor Ronald Aquino and two of his bodyguards were killed in an ambush late Monday afternoon.
The victims were on board a white van and cruising through Laboyao Bridge in the city’s Lonoy village heading north when fired at by gunmen riding two cars at around 5:30 p.m.
Aquino's three bodyguards retaliated, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
The mayor and two of his security personnel died on the spot site while one bodyguard was brought by some residents to a nearby hospital.
One of the suspects also died, a sketchy police report said.
“Probers of Calbayog police station are now conducting an on-site investigation to determine the motive of the said incident,” the initial report sent to the local media by the Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office here said.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana, PNP spokesperson, in a statement, said PNP Chief, Gen. Debold Sinas, has directed Police Regional Office 8 director, Brig. Gen. Ronaldo de Jesus, to conduct a thorough investigation.
He said they would keep the public informed as soon as more details are gathered regarding the attack.
Aquino, who was on his third and last term as the city's chief executive, served as mayor since 2011 after then Mayor Reynaldo Uy was killed in a fiesta celebration in Hinabangan, Samar.
Calbayog City had witnessed a series of shooting incidents that targeted local government officials.
On Oct. 8, 2020, former City Councilor Jessie Jackson was shot dead in broad daylight while driving a motorcycle along the major highway.
The city, a commercial hub in the northwest part of Samar province, is about 172 kilometers north of Tacloban, the regional capital. (With a report from Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)
How Do You Measure Someone’s Worth?
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. Psalm 1:1-2, KJV
What is the true mark of a person? His age, his worth, his ideas, or his accomplishments? To the Eastern mind, a person is often measured by the length of his beard or the white of his hair. Thus wisdom in the Orient is synonymous with age. To the business person, worth is often considered to be the true mark of an individual. We say this person is worth a cool million, meaning that he is worth a million dollars or whatever currency you use. How the person made that money is not important. It may have been through manipulation, or dishonest and deceitful business practices, and when we stop and think about life we have to conclude that worth is not necessarily the true mark of a man.
The philosopher would suggest that a person’s ideas are his true mark. And who can underestimate the power of an idea. Victor Hugo, the French philosopher, recognized the great power of thought when he said, “Nothing in all the world is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.” Notice how the ideas of Karl Marx and Lenin changed the course of history! Would you say that a man’s ideas are his true mark?
The pragmatist would say, “Away with ideas! Away with the dreamer and the visionary!” He would say, “Show me what a man has done and I will show you his true mark.” The pragmatist is interested in accomplishment‑‑what has a person accomplished? Would you say that accomplishment is the true mark of a man?
How do you suppose God looks at a person? What measure does God use in determining the true mark of a person, his true greatness? I think we would all agree that in these days of greed, pressure and exploitation, surely God views life in a different perspective. What does God use for the true measure of a person?
Some time ago, when Richard Nixon was President of the United States, he stood before the coffin of Dwight David Eisenhower in the U.S. Capitol rotunda in Washington and said these words, “We find ourselves today thinking first not of his deeds but of his character. It was the character of the man‑‑not what he did but what he was.” I do not think that Nixon was trying to be theological, yet I believe he stressed a great biblical truth. In the sight of God the true mark of a man is his character‑‑his being‑‑not his accomplishments, his ideas, or his net worth.
Try these words for guidelines for living. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:1‑2, KJV).
God’s perspective is certainly a different perspective from ours. We are often caught in the trap of materialism and pragmatism. We put the emphasis on doing; God puts it on being. We put the emphasis on accomplishment; God puts it on character. Here is something to consider: What you are is far more important than what you will ever do, whether you are the president of the world’s largest bank or push a broom sweeping the streets in the smallest city. In the sight of God being is more important than doing.
Stop and view life in a different perspective, the perspective of eternity, and realize that being is more important than doing. What are you, anyway? A successful flop, worth thousands or even hundreds of thousands, or a humble laborer as the world sees you, yet a success in the eyes of God? What would you say is the real measure of a person? His accomplishments or his character? God is still seeking men and women of character who will stand and be counted.
Resource reading: Psalm 119:1-11.
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/how-do-you-measure-someones-worth/
'Yes' or 'No' votes to decide Palawan plebiscite result: Comelec
By Ferdinand Patinio
An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said the result of the Palawan plebiscite will not be based on the total number of voters who will participate in the referendum but on the number of "Yes" or "No" votes.
“We’re not looking at the number of those who will participate. That is not necessary for the validity of the result of the plebiscite,” he said in a virtual press conference.
Atty. Gloria Petallo, regional election director of Region 4-B (Mimaropa) said the plebiscite will be based on who will vote for “yes” or “no” during the March 13 poll.
“We expect for a 100 percent voting during plebiscite. If voter turnout is low, the plebiscite is still valid for as long as there are voters who will participate,” she said. “We will just look at who got the highest votes, the 'Yes' or 'No' votes.”
Petallo said past plebiscites drew only below 50 percent of registered voters.
“Historically, the voter turnout during plebiscite is not that high. Records will show that 47 percent is the highest number of voters during the plebiscite,” she said.
The province of Palawan has a total of 490,639 registered voters.
On March 13, the voters will decide whether to divide Palawan into three provinces.
The voters will be asked to write “Yes” or “Oo” if they favor the split and “No” or “Hindi” if they are not in favor on the question: “Pumapayag ka ba na hatiin ang probinsya ng Palawan sa tatlong probinsya na papangalanang: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental at Palawan del Sur alinsunod sa Batas Republika bilang 11259? (Are you in favor to divide Palawan into three provinces that will be named Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur according to Republic Act 11259?).
Regional Updates (03/08/21)
Wi-Fi access in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu
Wi-Fi hotspots were set up on Mar. 5 by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in the provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, the two southernmost islands in the country, as part of the government’s free internet access program. DICT said there are now over 8,000 connection points across all 81 provinces.
QualiMed Sta. Rosa first to receive COVAX-funded AstraZeneca doses outside Metro Manila
HEALTHCARE workers in the private sector have not been left behind by the government’s coronavirus vaccination program, with Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc.’s (AC Health) QualiMed Hospital Sta. Rosa getting 600 doses from the initial batch of delivered vaccines. In a statement on Monday, AC Health said QualiMed Hospital Sta. Rosa was the first hospital outside Metro Manila to receive doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which came from the global initiative for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines known as COVAX. “We are honored and privileged to have been included by the DOH (Department of Health) and IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) as first recipients outside of Metro Manila for the AstraZeneca vaccines, as well as some doses of the Sinovac vaccines,” AC Health President and Chief executive Officer Paolo Maximo F. Borromeo said. AC Health plans to set up some 20 vaccination sites nationwide to administer 1,000,000 doses by 2021. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte
Dividing Palawan: Comelec says no minimum voter turnout required for plebiscite result to be valid
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday reminded voters in Palawan that even a low turnout during the Mar. 13 plebiscite on dividing the province into three will not invalidate the result. Comelec Regional Election Director Gloria Ramos-Petallo, in an online forum hosted by the poll body, said plebiscites historically have lower voter turnout compared with national or local elections, but there is no minimum percentage required to make the result binding. “Our record will show 47% was the highest voter turnout during a plebiscite… we expect, hope, 100% voting, but if the turnout is low, it will still be valid as long as there will be voters and what we will look at is which one has more votes — yes or no,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino. The province, based on Comelec data, has 490,639 registered voters. The plebiscite is intended to ratify Republic Act No. 11259, signed into law on April 5, 2019, which divides the province into Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur. The localities will be divided into the following: Palawan del Norte — Coron, Culion, Busuanga, Linapacan, Taytay, and El Nido; Palawan Oriental — Roxas, Araceli, Dumaran, Cuyo, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Cagayancillo, and San Vicente; and Palawan del Sur — Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Rizal, Sofronio Española, Brooke’s Point, Bataraza, Balabac, and Kalayaan. Puerto Princesa City, currently the capital, will remain an independent local government and will be autonomous from provincial jurisdiction. The law’s proponents, represented by the Partidong Pagbabago ng Palawan, and opponents, represented by the One Palawan movement, discussed their respective positions during the forum. Palawan, an archipelago composed of a mainland with 12 towns and 11 island municipalities, is the country’s largest province in terms of land area at 17,030.75 sq. km. — MSJ
BFP modernization bill, pasado na sa Senado
Aprubado na sa huling pagbasa sa Senado ang panukalang batas na magsusulong sa modernisasyon ng Bureau of Fire Protection.
Dalawampu't tatlong senador ang sumang-ayon na ipasa ang Senate Bill No. 1832 o ang Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act na ipinanukala ni Senador Ronald Dela Rosa.
Ayon kay Dela Rosa, napapanahon ang pagpasa sa panukala dahil ipinagdiriwang ngayong Marso ang Fire Prevention Month.
Sa modernisasyon ng BFP, mas magagampanan umano ng mga bumbero ang tungkulin sa publiko.
Sa ilalim kasi ng panukala, pagkakalooban ang BFP ng mga modernong kagamitan, karagdagang tauhan, at mga kinakailangang training o pagsasanay.
Magiging daan din umano ang pagpasa sa panukala upang magkaroon ng kani-kaniyang firetruck at fire station ang bawat bayan sa bansa.
Sa tala ng BFP, sa 146 na lungsod at 1,488 na munisipalidad sa Pilipinas, tanging 1,368 lamang ang may sariling fire truck at fire station.
Iminungkani naman nina Senador Joel Villanueva at Pia Cayetano ang paggamit sa health human resources ng bansa tulad ng mga sumailalim na sa apat na taong pag-aaral ng nursing, sa emergency medical services na isa sa mga probisyon sa panukala.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/08/21/bfp-modernization-bill-pasado-na-sa-senado
Cignal, TV5 get boost after ABS-CBN taken off the air–MVP
PLDT Inc.’s media group saw a boost in 2020 after the Duterte administration and its allies in Congress crippled ABS-CBN’s flagship television business.
PLDT chair and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said their satellite TV company Cignal TV saw a “tsunami” of new subscribers following the closure of ABS-CBN subsidiary SkyCable Corp.’s service called SkyDirect last June 30.“Cignal had a very good year because, unfortunately, SkyDirect was closed and there was significant migration of SkyDirect subscribers that went over to the Cignal side,” Pangilinan said during a media briefing last week. He said Cignal added 1.3-1.4 million new subscribers “in the latter part of 2020.” This will boost revenues and profits starting this year, he said.
At the same time, Pangilinan said TV5 benefited from some of ABS-CBN’s popular programs after the company signed a blocktime deal with the Lopez-led network.
“The content of ABS-CBN that has so far been shown in TV5 has helped [ratings] a bit,” Pangilinan said.
ABS-CBN turned to leasing airtime from other companies after its free-to-air broadcasts were shut down on May 5 last year. The National Telecommunications Commission, which issued the cease and desist orders, cited the expiration of ABS-CBN and SkyCable’s franchises after repeated efforts at renewal languished in the House of Representatives.
ABS-CBN was once the country’s largest TV broadcast company, reaching tens of millions of viewers and listeners per day. SkyDirect was a home satellite TV service with about 1.5 million subscribers.
While ABS-CBN continues broadcasts mainly through its online channels and cable TV business, free-to-air advertisements provided most of its earnings. The company was forced to lay off nearly 5,000 employees, close down business operations and much of its regional media operations after Duterte’s allies in Congress finally voted to kill its bid for a new franchise last July 10.
It would keep GMA, PTV, TV5 and Net 25 are the sole TV network.
But for Multiply, was once the world's largest social media conglomerate corporation reaching tens of millions of blogs, notes, photos and videos per day. Multiply was a social networking site with about 18 million users.
President Duterte had threatened to block the renewal himself, saying the media giant failed to air some of his political advertisements during the 2016 elections. INQ
https://business.inquirer.net/319086/cignal-tv5-get-boost-after-abs-cbn-taken-off-the-air-mvp