by admin | Dec 31, 2016 | Photo Story
The Philippines, through President Rodrigo R. Duterte (center) and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Secretary
Ramon M. Lopez (3rd from right) reaffirm strong economic partnership with Singapore through increased collaboration in sectors such as food, engineering and architecture services, aircraft and MRO services, infrastructure, construction and public-private
partnership (PPP), shipbuilding, Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM), tourism, and startup sectors. With Singapore Business Federation (SBF) members during the recent presidential visit in December 2016, the two countries discussed
areas of collaboration in support of investment and entrepreneurship of Filipinos in Singapore and the continued efforts of forwarding the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in the region. In 2015, total Philippine exports to Singapore amounted
to $3.6 billion making it as the 5th largest export market of the country. With heightened collaboration, Philippines eyes expanded exports to Singapore in the coming period.
by admin | Dec 28, 2016 | Local News / Bohol Balita, Major Events
TAGBILARAN CITY, December 28 (PIA)–—The season of bonuses and extra cash is also the season for the frauds, and anti-crime authorities warn: always be aware of your credit card and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards transactions.
No less than National Bureau of Investigations Bohol executive Officer Atty Arcelito Albao issued the warning after the agency has allegedly tracked credit cards and ATM card fraud.
At the Provincial Peace and Order Council Meeting recently at the Conference Hall of the Governor’s Mansion, Atty Albao bared of the presence of card data skimming fraudsters in Bohol now.
The modus is for these people to work with tellers or point of sale swipe stations and transfer the data from the card to a remote server which copies the details of the account.
Or, a data skimming device is attached to an ATM machine card slot, and as soon as a card is inserted and the account holder keys in the personal identification number, the skimming device activates and duplicates the account information into a nearby computer.
The fraud does not happen right there and then, but takes a few more hours after the remote computer can create a duplicate bogus account and card which the fraudster uses to debit money, pay for online transactions and withdraw amounts from the cloned account.
Over this, former Tagbilaran City police chief Colonel George Vale advised customers and card holders: do not ever lose visual contact of your cards.
Earlier, a high end resort manager has raised a red-flag over debit transactions using spurious cards.
At a separate PPOC meeting, the manager narrated that somebody booked a room in their resort, but upon check-out, paid through swiping a card which apparently was bogus and it took time for them to validate the account.
When they found out the account as spurious, the customer has long gone leaving a trail of charges to be credited to a fake card that was stolen from somebody else’s account.
“It only takes a few seconds to transfer the account information,” Col. Vale confirmed.
Another modus which can stave off significant amount from a card is when an ATM machine appears to capture the card.
As this happens, a lookout is just nearby ready to get to the ATM machine as soon as the card owner moves out, sometimes to get to the bank office to complain.
What appears to be a captured card is an intended clog in the machine that when an account holder walks out to complain, another one takes over the ATM and withdraws the money.
In Cebu, police authorities have busted a syndicate using this modus and it reportedly included a bank guard who acts in collusion with the criminals by stalling complainants so the lookout can divest the “captured card” of the withdrawn cash.
Atty Albao added, when doing bank ATM transactions, make sure that a Closed Circuit Television Camera is nearby recording the proceedings.
He said, a fraudster is just nearby and getting his image in the camera would be a great help.
On this, Governor Edgar Chatto said the PPOC would be reiterating in an Executive Order the mandate for banks and department store cashier stations to put in CCTVs.
While this is happening, NBI warns: be wary. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Dec 28, 2016 | Headlines
We have said it before and now we think we need to stress it for the callous.
No, we see the re-entry of then Governor Rene Relampagos into the renaming of the Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project (BCRIP) as another political squid tactic to deprive the man of the honor.
The man, we shall call the late Congressman and Govenor Erico B. Aumentado.
You see, Aumentado worked amidst the maneuverings of Bohol’s politicians we would rather leave unnamed here.
If we can recall, it was under then Gov Rene Relampagos term that the BCRIP was inaugurated, himself relegated to the sidelines for reasons we might have already known today.
Even then Congressman Edgar Chatto was as civil but could not steal the luster from the man who would later be called the wonder-boy of Bohol for his mega projects bought here.
So we understand the animosity, albeit, a civil one with Gov Chatto and the Aumentados. The one with Cong. Relampagos, we leave it for you to see.
What is even more honorable for then Cong Erico Aumentado is to file a bill to rename the BCRIP in favor of President Carlos P. Garcia. He could not bring himself to lift his own chair to have it named unto himself.
So, history would say, Congresswoman and former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who worked pretty well in tandem with Aumentado, and who would then be called the biggest patron for Bohol, proposed another bill to rename the BCRIP into CPG Highway.
This should again ruffle the feathers of those local politicians who would cross hell or high water, if only to stop the CPG Highway or Circumferential Road for that name.
While Relampagos argued that no province wide recognition has been given to Garcia except for the island municipality sports complex and a city avenue.
For Macapagal-Arroyo, she said it is but rightful to name the strecth to the one who toiled for its completion, who pushed for large scale infrastructure projects including ports, the nautical highway project, Panglao Airport and mega dams.
If indeed naming the highway stretch to Garcia is honoring the man, then the deplorable state of the CPG Sports Complex and the eerie CPG Park betrays Relampagos and the SP members efforts to muddle the tug of war with politics.
In a radio survey and a staging debate in the social media, things have started to surface.
And the politics rearing its ugly head spin is not as stinging as the clear effort to downplay the Aumentado contribution to Bohol, because apart from CPG’s being Bohol’s most illustrious son, no other politician in Bohol can rightfully fit the bill Aumentado holds.
by admin | Dec 28, 2016 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
IBP President Atty. Ted Lagang said if the allegation that few lawyers and linked with drugs, is found to be a careless accusation, then they would not be taking the issue sitting down. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)
TAGBILARAN CITY, December 12 (PIA)–Following allegations of some lawyers’ links with drugs, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, (IBP) Bohol Chapter in a statement, assured they will not tolerate any member’s involvement in illegal drug trade.
Through a public statement posted in his facebook account, Bohol IBP President Atty. Teodoro Lagang on Tuesday evening stressed: If anyone in our ranks is proven to be involved in the illegal drug trade, then we will be the first to denounce him or her.
Hinting that the IBP as an organization has been smeared by the careless persecution, lawyers unite in saying they do not object the investigation and prosecution of members in its ranks so long as it is done in accordance with existing laws, rules, and legal processes.
“If a lawyer is involved in the illegal drug trade, then the consequences for such illegal activities will be the sole responsibility of that lawyer and it has nothing to do with his or her profession,” IBP said.
As its commitment to the fight against drugs, the IBP Bohol has been conducting seminars to law enforcement officers to enhance their legal knowledge and help them be more effective in the fight against illegal drugs.
“The IBP Bohol Chapter, through the LAELEP Program, has also been extending free legal assistance to our law enforcers who have cases filed against them in connection with the performance of their duties,” IBP said.
Through the Legal Assistance for Effective Law Enforcement Program (LAELEP), the IBP has also been extending free legal assistance to law enforcers who gain counter-suits while in the performance of their duties.
However, feeling slighted by the allegations, lawyers went on to say “It is disheartening that, as a group who vanguards the rule of law, we find ourselves needlessly victims of generalized persecution.
Taking the cudgels to clear the lawyers group against the implications, Atty. Lagang in his IBP statement also strongly denied the implication that Bohol lawyers, in general or as a whole, are involved in illegal drugs.
IBP reiterates: we do not only need to start the fight against illegal drugs, we need to win it but added, not by careless persecution.
In a telephone conversation later, Atty. Lagang hinted that many lawyers were furious about the news, some even contemplating on legal action.
It may be recalled that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) revealed during the recent Provincial peace and Order Meeting that about 3-5 lawyers are implicated in illegal drugs.
But the NBI, through executive officer Atty. Arcelito Albao did not name the suspects or elaborate on the method of the lawyer’s links with drugs.
In their statement, the IBP appears to be one in the idea that the lawyers’ defense of drug clients may be among the issues considered for the allegations.
There, IBP reiterates its duty to uphold the constitution, obey the laws of the land and promote respect for law and legal processes.
“It is also part of our duty to serve our clients with competence and diligence and to represent our client with zeal within the bounds of law,” the lawyers group asserted.
Saying a lawyer does not have the luxury of choosing his clients, the IBP head also reminded everyone, lawyers cannot be faulted for observing our duty to represent clients, whether accused of being involved in illegal drugs or other crimes.
Both sides of a case must always be represented in order for the legal system to work.
“However, if our institution as a whole shall be persecuted without any categorical and legal basis, then we cannot take the same sitting down,” IBP summed. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Dec 28, 2016 | Headlines, Kontra Droga, Local News / Bohol Balita, Police Reports
Col Lorenzo Batuan reported that Bohol police has accomplished over the target figure for bringing drug personalities to surrender, but still some police stations lag behind in the compliance of the drug war deliverables. (RAC/PIA-7/Bohol)
TAGBILARAN CITY, December 28 (PIA)–How they did it, Pilar Police Station topped the local accomplishments of Operation Plan Double Barrel Alpha, which started 50 days ago.
In its campaign beginning October 26 to December 15, Pilar Police Station accounted 209 illegal drugs personalities who surrendered and showed goodwill.
This is despite a police station target of only 51 drug characters, a report from Camp Dagohoy bared.
Bearing a card rating of 410 % Tokhang accomplishment, Pilar looks down upon the closest contender: Bilar.
Bilar on the other hand accomplished 280% with only 51 drug personalities targeted but accounting for 143 drug characters who surrendered after getting convinced that the President’s drug war is far from just getting a good impression.
After Bilar is Carmen Police Station which had 102 drug personalities on target and garnering a 262% accomplishment.
Carmen Police Station delivered 267 personalities neutralized by surrender, Police Superintendent Lorenzo Batuan shared.
After Carmen is Getafe which had 51 drug personalities for its target accomplishment.
Getafe Police station however walked the extra mile and arrested 7 drug personalities while causing the surrender of 117 more, to earn it the fourth top slot with 243% compliance accomplishment.
Running in fifth but not after scoring 211% accomplishment is Guindulman which had 215 drug personalities who surrendered after 50 days, the same report indicates.
On the other hand, among the least compliance accomplishment were Corella Police Station at 6% accounting only 3 of its 51 personalities in its target and Mabini Police Station with 13% getting only 13 of the 102 personalities in its list.
Next is Alicia Police Station with 7 of 51 persons in its list. This is 14% compliance accomplishment.
Sikatuna Police Station also delivered low with only 18% accomplishment allowing for the surrender of 9 personalities in its 51 name target list.
That same span of time too, Bohol Provincial Police Office counted 3,867 drug personalities in its monitoring list.
3,796 of these surrendered to police stations, 69 arrested and 2 were killed in these Tokhang operations.
For a target of 3,621 for the first 50 days, Camp Dagohoy attained a compliance accomplishment of 107%, according to Col Batuan during the PPOC. (rac/PIA-7/BOhol)
