Month: May 2024

A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill Thursday to reauthorize and update the 2004 North Korean Human Rights Act aimed at promoting rights and freedom in the reclusive state.

More than a year after its introduction, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs endorsed the bill, raising hopes for its congressional passage this year. It is led by Reps. Young Kim (R-CA) and Ami Bera (D-CA), the chairperson and the ranking member of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee, respectively.

First adopted in 2004, the legislation is updated and reauthorized periodically. It was extended in 2008, 2012 and 2018 with the last extension expiring in September 2022.

“(North Korean leader) Kim Jong-un oppresses the North Korean people through torture, imprisonment, starvation, and forced labor every single day. These gross human rights abuses cannot be tolerated,” Kim said in a release posted on Bera’s website.

“Holding authoritarian regimes accountable and supporting freedom-loving people trapped un
der their rule are top priorities of mine as chairwoman of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee,” she added.

Bera voiced expectations that the legislation will strengthen the United States’ commitment to promoting human rights in the North.

“North Korea’s oppressive regime continues to commit heinous human rights abuses against its own people, including arbitrary detention, forced disappearance, torture, and severe restrictions on freedom of religion and belief,” Bera was quoted as saying in the release.

The Senate version of the bill has been introduced by Senators Marco Rubio and Tim Kaine.

The bill calls for the promotion of human rights and humanitarian assistance for North Korean people and the increase in the flow of information not controlled by the regime in Pyongyang among other activities.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

MANILA: The proposed Nuclear Power Program in the municipality of Labrador, Pangasinan will not only solve the high cost of electricity but will clear issues in using nuclear energy, Senator Francis Tolentino said on Friday.

In a statement, Tolentino said controversial issues on the use of nuclear energy will be cleared once the said power plant functions.

He emphasized that nuclear power plants are proven safe and present long-term solutions to the energy crisis and high electricity rates burdening consumers.

‘Not only will the residents of Pangasinan benefit from these projects, but the entire country as well,” he said.

Tolentino has supported the Department of Science and Technology in locating nuclear materials in the waters off Labrador, which will be instrumental in advancing the nuclear power initiative.

He is the author of Senate Bill No.1194, which provides a comprehensive nuclear regulatory framework, and Senate Bill No. 2545 or An Act Governing Civil Liabilities and Compensation Claims for Nuc
lear Damage.

The two Senate bills lay down the foundation for safe nuclear energy development in the Philippines.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LEGAZPI CITY: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided almost PHP20 million worth of assistance to families affected by the El Niño phenomenon in three provinces of the Bicol Region for the past two weeks.

In an interview on Friday, Claudio Villareal Jr., DSWD-Bicol disaster response and management division chief, said they continue to send augmentation support to affected local government units (LGUs) through family food packs (FFPs).

“The El-Niño phenomenon being experienced in the region already caused agricultural damage and adverse effects in 31 towns and cities in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon and Masbate,” he said.

Villareal said 28,851 FFPs were distributed from April 20 to date in Albay, Camarines Sur, and Masbate, while Sorsogon will pick up the assistance from warehouses.

Each pack contains rice, corned beef, sardines, coffee, and cereal drinks, enough to feed a family of five for at least two days.

Villareal also said DSWD-Bicol has stockpiles and sta
ndby funds amounting to PHP208 million for augmentation and distribution.

“We continue coordinating with the LGUs that have not yet submitted their letter requests (for assistance). For those LGUs that have submitted their requests, ongoing validation and assessment are being conducted, ” he said.

Based on the Department of Agriculture-Bicol report, a total of 11,252 hectares of land planted with rice, corn, and high-value crops have been affected by the dry spell, equivalent to PHP532.8 million total production loss.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MALAYBALAY CITY: Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Ziaur-Rahman Alonto-Adiong has expressed support for civilian groups in asserting the West Philippine Sea (WPS) territories.

In a statement on Friday, Adiong said even ordinary citizens have bravely shown their nationalism by upholding the WPS as part of the Philippine territory.

“This shows that the ordinary civilian, especially the ordinary fisherfolk, supports this administration and the President in pushing for our rights,” he said.

Adiong said it is the civic duty of every Filipino who loves this country to support the administration’s push for our rights over the WPS, citing its rights based on the adjudicated Arbitral Tribunal favoring the Philippines.

Earlier this week, a fleet of primarily small boats under a civilian coalition, “Atin Ito,” traveled to deliver fuel and food packs to Filipino fisherfolk at the Bajo de Masinloc in the WPS area.

“We are moved by the actions of these ordinary Filipinos and wish them a safe journey,” Adiong said.

Mara
wi siege commemoration

Meanwhile, Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has expressed her solidarity in commemorating the seventh anniversary of the Marawi City siege on May 23.

“Seven years after the Battle of Marawi, we remember the lives lost, the sacrifices, and the monumental challenges faced during the harrowing ordeal. We honor the bravery of our soldiers, the perseverance of our displaced families, and the unwavering spirit of the Marawi people,” she said in a statement on Friday.

Pangandaman said the 2024 General Appropriations Act has allocated PHP1 billion for the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Fund to compensate for lost structures, personal properties, and families of those who perished during the conflict.

“Other development partners and local bodies, including a Special Committee on Marawi City Rehabilitation and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), have played crucial roles in recovery efforts,” she said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Department of Agriculture (DA) can assume the power to intervene in the local rice market if lawmakers have doubts about the National Food Authority (NFA), its OIC Administrator Larry Lacson said Friday.

This, after senators called on DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Larel Jr. to assume the task during a public hearing of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization on Tuesday.

“Naiiintindihan nating mabuti ‘yan kasi hindi naman namin pwedeng ipagkaila na may experiences in the past na mayroong mga nanamantala or nagkaroon ng kaunting kalokohan. So, kaya hindi natin sila masisisi (We understand that because we cannot deny that there were experiences in the past when people took advantage or were engaged in some mischief. So, we can’t blame them),” Lacson said during the Bagong Pilipinas public forum.

Giving the DA the authority will somehow give the government the ability to intervene in the local market in case there are unusual spikes in rice prices, he added.

“Sa ngayon kasi, tingin natin at ‘yun ang nangyayari, wala tayong magawa. Parang nakatali ang kamay ng gobyerno ‘pag may mga kundisyon na ganito, which is not really good for the whole country kasi prone ‘yun sa pananamantala (Because right now, we think that’s what’s happening and we can’t do anything. The government’s hands are tied when there are conditions like this, which is not really good for the whole country because it is prone to exploitation),” Lacson said.

The doubts from senators stemmed from the alleged anomalous sale of NFA rice to select traders at a low price, and without public bidding or authorization from the NFA Council.

Lacson said he is currently pushing for reforms within NFA and assured that he will do his best to eradicate corruption in the agency.

Source: Philippines News Agency