Asean Tribune

A major bloc in the House of Representatives affirmed its support for Speaker Martin Romualdez amid the chamber’s recent move to realign PHP1.23 billion in confidential funds in the proposed 2024 national budget to agencies in charge of protecting the Philippines’ territorial rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).”This decision showcases his prudent and thoughtful approach, echoing our commitment as representatives to listen and respond to the voices of our kababayan (countrymen),” Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. (PCFI) president Elizaldy Co said.The House bloc also expressed its appreciation to Romualdez for defending the institution and ensuring the “rightful representation” of 300 lawmakers as mandated by the Constitution.Co likewise pointed out that the House has obtained high approval ratings under the “guidance and inspiration” of Romualdez.”It is also imperative to underscore Speaker Romualdez’s dedication to defending and elevating the House of Representatives. The House has flourished unde
r his supervision, as shown in numerous metrics that reflect his strategic and resilient administration,” Co said.”Because of all these and more, the PCFI reaffirms its support for Speaker Romualdez’s continued leadership. We recognize and commend his experience and foresight in making judicious decisions that enable the House of Representatives to be in line with the aspirations of our people. Speaker Romualdez has undeniably placed our institution on the right side of history,” Co added.Co earlier said the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Office of the Vice President (OVP), and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will get “zero” confidential funds under the proposed spending plan for next year.He said the PHP1.23 billion worth of confidential funds will be reallocated to the following agencies: PHP300 million to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency; PHP100 million to the National Security Council; PH
P200 million to the Philippine Coast Guard for intelligence activities and ammunition; and PHP381.3 million to the Department of Transportation for the development or expansion of Pag-asa Island Airport.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Kim Tae Woo, a member of South Korean band g.o.d., was ordered to pay a fine of 5 million won (US$ 3,690) for using a private ambulance to avoid traffic congestion on his way to an event venue, judicial officials said Monday.

Kim, 42, hopped into the private ambulance in Goyang, north of Seoul, to get to an event venue in the Seongdong district in eastern Seoul in March 2018. An employee of the event’s organizing agency at the time had paid 300,000 won to the driver.

The prosecution filed a summary indictment with a fine of 5 million won against Kim on charges of violating the Emergency Medical Service Act in March this year.

In August, a court ordered Kim to pay a fine of 5 million won, which was confirmed on Oct. 5 as he did not request a trial.

Kim apologized for using a private ambulance.

“It is my fault, without excuses,” Kim said in a statement released by his management agency. “I am deeply reflecting (on my actions), and I will make sure such incidents don’t happen again.”

The reason Kim’s c
ase came to light after five years is that the Incheon District Court recently sentenced the ambulance driver to 18 months in prison and a fine of 2 million won. The driver had a track record of being penalized five times for drunk driving and three times for driving without a driver’s license since 2007.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

Senator Christiopher Lawrence Go on Monday assured he will support the allocation of enough funds for the Department of Health’s (DOH) comprehensive five-year plan aimed at addressing mental health issues in the country.He said the newly launched 2024-2028 Philippine Council for Mental Health Strategic Framework is also being endorsed by the World Health Organization Special Initiative for Mental Health.”Mental health is an integral component of holistic health. We need to treat it with the same level of attention, importance and care as physical health,’ Go, chair of the Committee on Health and Demography, said in a statement.”We cannot overlook mental health, especially during these challenging times. Many Filipinos are grappling with mental health issues, and it is crucial that we allocate sufficient funds for these programs,’ he added.The framework, he said, prioritizes enhanced guidance and referral systems for patients; establishes an internal oversight board for mental health matters; and educates
media organizations on responsible reporting in the context of mental health.He noted that the DOH budget has been reduced by over PHP10 billion compared to the 2023 budget.”We need to restore and allocate funds for various programs, including those focused on mental health. I endorse additional funding for the DOH and urge collective action to invest more in health care,” Go saidGo has also been pushing for the passage of his proposed Senate Bill No. 1786, which seeks to mandate public higher education institutions to establish Mental Health Offices on their campuses.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Police are investigating 75 cases of suspected collusion between private academies and high school teachers who served as test makers for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) and mock CSAT exams, the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) said Monday.

The 75 cases include 15 cases reported by the Ministry of Education, a KNPA official said in a media briefing, noting investigations into other cases were launched after the police received their own intelligence or individuals filed complaints.

The ministry said last month that 24 teachers were caught selling exam questions to private academies, either before or after serving as test makers for the CSAT and mock CSAT exams, in violation of the current laws. It then filed criminal complaints against four of the teachers on charges of obstruction of business and asked for an investigation into 22 of them on suspicion of violating anti-graft laws. The ministry also requested an investigation of 21 private education companies suspected of buying exam ques
tions from the teachers. All CSAT test makers are obliged by law to keep all test-related information confidential.

The KNPA official said six of the 75 cases are classified as cartels, and the rest can be described as cases of “administrative irregularities.” The official added that the number of suspects is far bigger than the number of cases under investigation.

In a related move, police investigators raided a renowned private academy in southern Seoul last Wednesday to secure evidence on its alleged collusion with teachers.

The latest crackdown on suspicious collusion between public and private educators came as part of the government’s efforts to reduce private education expenses through a fair CSAT and by eliminating extremely difficult questions from the test.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

The House of Representatives (HOR) on Monday announced that it has fully restored its official website a day after the cyber incident.House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said comprehensive measures had been made to enhance the website’s security to meet the “highest standards of cybersecurity”.”We are pleased to announce that the official website of the House of Representatives is now fully restored and operational,” Velasco said.He noted that the investigation into the “unauthorized access” is ongoing in coordination with relevant law enforcement agencies.”Our aim is to identify and prosecute those responsible for this breach to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.Velasco said the House remains committed to promote transparency and open communication, adding that the chamber’s digital platforms have been “fortified” to prevent similar incidents in the future.”We encourage everyone to visit the website for updates and official statements from the House of Representatives. Rest assured, the safety
and security of our digital resources remain a top priority,” he said.The HOR website can be accessed through https://www.congress.gov.ph/On Sunday, the home page of the HOR website showed an image of a meme captioned ‘you’ve been hacked’ uploaded by a person or group who called themselves 3musketeerz.The DICT said the cybersecurity breach is being investigated by the Philippine National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-PH).Once CERT-PH completes its investigation, it said the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and law enforcement agencies will conduct ‘threat actor attribution and case build-up’ to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LS Cable and System Ltd., South Korea’s leading wire and cable maker, said Monday it has won a 113 billion-won (US$83.4 million) high-voltage cable project from Singapore.

Under the order, LS Cable will be responsible for the cable supply and installation for Singapore’s Energy Market Authority.

LS Cable said it will provide cable products with 230 kilovolts and higher capacities, while LS Cable and System Asia, the company’s Vietnamese subsidiary, will supply those with 66 kV and lower capacities.

Source: Yonhap News Agency