THE Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) yesterday filed graft charges against suspended Porac, Pampanga Mayor Jaime Capil and nine other local officials before the National Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with the illegal operation of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in the municipality.

Aside from Capil, included in the complaint are Vice Mayor Francis Laurence Tamayo, Business permit and Licensing Office chief Emerald Salonga Vital, and Sangguniang Bayan members Rafael Canlapan, John Nuevy Venzon, Rohner Buan, Michelle Santos, Hilario DC Dimalanta, Essel Joy David and Addrian Carreon.

San Fernando City Assistant Prosecutor Jose Teodoro Leonardo Santos said the local officials were charged after it was discovered that POGO hub Lucky South 99 was able to obtain a business permit from the local government for 2022 to 2023 despite having problems with their documents, such as the application forms submitted being blank.

“Pag tiningnan yung forms blangko blangko pero naproseso. Ang primary purpose ng Lucky South 99 ay outsourcing at hindi POGO, so labag ito sa kanyang primary at secondary purposes (When you check the forms, there was nothing on them, they were blank. The primary purpose of Lucky South 99 was outsourcing and not POGO, so there was a violation in their primary and secondary purposes),” Santos said after the filing.

He said Capil and the other respondents neglected their duties when they approved the application even with all the infirmities in the documents.

Santos said they are also looking at filing additional cases, such as trafficking in person. “There is an ongoing case build up, case conference with our partners in the law enforcement agencies,” he said.

Trafficking in person is a non-bailable offense.

Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and Bulacan Provincial Prosecutor Ramoncito Ocampo echoed Santos’ statement that more cases could follow.

“We are still crafting and evaluating the evidence presented and hopefully, next week we can come up with the third set of cases as far as the Porac POGO is concerned,” Ocampo said.

He said the PAOCC and the CIDG are closely working on the evaluation of the evidence.

The PAOCC and the CIDG previously filed trafficking in person cases against Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, the authorized representative of Lucky South 99.

Last week, the Office of the Ombudsman suspended Capil and other officials of Porac for six months based on the complaint filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government for failure to do their duty when they allowed the continuous operation of Lucky South 99 in their locality.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros yesterday said Malacañang should provide the PAOCC with additional “human resources” to shut down all POGOs in the country.

Hontiveros made the statement after PAOCC said officials and employees of raided or closed POGO facilities have now shifted to underground operations, defying the directive of President Marcos Jr. for a complete stoppage of their operations.

“Dapat mas lalo mapalakas ang task force na sumusugpo sa mga POGO. The President’s policy directive must have teeth (The task force running after these POGOs must be strengthened. The President’s policy directive must have teeth),” Hontiveros said.

She also called on law enforcement agencies which detain high-value POGO suspects to be always on alert since “I know they are using all the tactics at their disposal to get you to yield to their wishes.”

“Huwag magpalinlang at magpagamit (Don’t allow yourselves to be fooled and used),” she said.

Former Senator Panfilo Lacson said the public should help authorities locate POGO hubs which are still operating.

“Mas maganda kung meron kayong info, ipagbigay alam ninyo sa authorities para maging mahigpit ang pag-monitor and operate against underground POGOs (It is better that if you have information, relay them to the authorities so they can monitor and operate against underground POGOs),” Lacson said in a media forum in Quezon City.

He also urged law enforcers to heighten their intelligence gathering so they can stop POGO operations.

POGO IN CEBU

PNP-CIDG operatives arrested 38 Chinese nationals during a raid of an alleged offshore gaming hub in Cebu on Tuesday, the CIDG said in a statement yesterday.

It said the suspects who are currently under the custody of the local police are facing charges for violation of Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

CIDG operatives, augmented by personnel from other police units, swopped down at the POGO hub in Barangay Saavedra in Moalboal town at 5:24 a.m. last Tuesday.

“Thirty-eight individuals, all Chinese nationals, were apprehended during the operation,” the CIDG said, without identifying the suspects.

Last October 9, police operatives also arrested a similar number of foreign nationals, believed to be mostly Chinese, during a raid of a POGO hub in the same barangay.

The operation, conducted by virtue of a search warrant, was launched in line with the CIDG’s flagship operation “Oplan Olea (other law enforcement activities).”

Seized during the Tuesday raid were “extensive amount of forensic evidence,” including 30 computers, 212 assorted cellphones, four laptops, routers, modems, chargers, cords, cable wires, landline phones, and keyboards.

Also seized were four sports utility vehicles and two vans.

“We assure the public that your CIDG will continue to perform its duty to ensure safety in the communities,” said CIDG director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III.

“We remain ready in going after criminals, regardless of their nationalities, because we want you (public) to be safe,” added Torre.

PAOCC executive director Gilbert Cruz earlier said there are at least 100 POGO hubs still operating in the country despite the order given by the President last July totally banning POGO in the country. — With Raymond Africa and Victor Reyes

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will visit Malaysia and Thailand this week to strengthen the country’s diplomatic and economic ties with its two neighbors.

Manalo will be in Kuala Lumpur today, Thursday, upon the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart, Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan, for the 8th Philippines-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) between the two countries.

The 8th JCM, according to Manalo’s office, will provide a valuable opportunity to review the progress of bilateral cooperation since the last JCM was conducted in Manila in 2011.

“During the JCM, the Secretary and the Foreign Minister will discuss matters of mutual interest to both countries and the Southeast Asian region,” the DFA said, adding he will also be attending a diplomatic reception hosted by the Philippine Embassy to celebrate the 60 years of bilateral relations of both countries.

The reconvening of the JCM, according to the DFA, is an operationalization of one of the commitments discussed between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last year.

On October 18, Manalo will undertake his first official visit to Thailand upon the invitation of his Thai counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa.

During the visit, the two will hold a bilateral meeting and co-chair the Ministerial Meeting of the 6th Philippines-Thailand Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation, a bilateral mechanism established on 24 March 1992 to facilitate cooperation and consultation between Manila and Bangkok on a wide array of issues of bilateral and regional concern.

The Philippines and Thailand are also commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.

Manalo’s visit to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok comes on the heels of the conclusion of the ASEAN Summit and Related Summit in Laos where Marcos said a majority of the bloc’s members supported Manila’s stance regarding China’s aggressive activities in the South China Sea.

EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday touted the accomplishments of the department as he neared his 100-day mark on the job but acknowledged that more needed to be done to ensure the delivery of quality basic education in the country.

In a speech before the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Angara provided a rundown of the DepEd’s accomplishments and progress with him at the helm.

“We are reaching our 100 days. I have to tell you we are already low on our red urgent tags,” Angara told the gathering.

“I remind my team that there are no quick, easy answers for a system of this scale. Policies, though long-awaited, remain a work in progress. Nothing is final. Everything will be up for feedback,” he added.

The long-time legislator was appointed by President Marcos Jr to replace Vice President Sara Duterte after she resigned from the Cabinet.

Angara said he and his team prioritized the basics, namely, making the curriculum flexible, gearing up early for international assessments, and raising teachers’ allowances and benefits, among others.

“This includes a curriculum that ensures functional literacy and numeracy, a disciplined plan for local and international assessments and the Senior High School’s full promise of employability,” he said.

“As for our resources, we don’t aim for abundance. We just want them on time. I’m grateful that some of the best technocrats and reformists have joined my team to make this happen,” he added.

Angara said the DepEd will fulfill the President’s marching orders to “secure the basics and make the students ready for work.”

To ensure the welfare of the teachers, Angara said the department is making fiscal room to provide them an additional allowance.

“What we can’t put money on, we are making up for it in benefits. This includes additional service credits and leaves. We’re reviewing our teacher development plan,” he said, adding that teachers need to have the dignity of career promotion and progression.

Angara earlier said there would be “curriculum stability” under his watch while “dramatic actions” would be taken to address the perennial classroom shortage in the country.

“We want to have curriculum stability. They said every time there is a new DepEd Secretary, there is also a new curriculum. But I have no plans to change the curriculum,” Angara said.

“We just want to work from what’s already there, so we will continue the piloting of the Matatag curriculum for Grades 1, 4, and 7 for this year,” he added.

The Matatag curriculum targets the “decongestion” of the current curriculum to improve the quality of basic education in the country.

Among the revisions in the K to 10 program include reducing the number of competencies and greater emphasis on the development of foundational skills such as literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills from Kinder to Grade 3 learners.

The current curriculum has seven competencies, namely, Mother Tongue, Filipino, English, Mathematics, Araling Panlipunan, MAPEH, and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao.

Under the Matatag curriculum there will only be five competencies, namely, Language, Reading and Literacy, Mathematics, Makabansa, and GMRC.

Angara also promised dramatic actions to address the classroom shortage, which he said stands at around 159,000 nationwide.

During the Senate hearing on the DepEd budget for 2024, the department said it would need at least P397 billion to address the current classroom backlogs. Each classroom costs around P2 million.

FRESH APPEAL

Angara also issued a fresh appeal to the private sector to help solve the crisis in basic education in the country.

He said that even if the department is running on a budget of more than P700 billion, it is still not enough to address critical shortages since most of the funding goes to pay the salaries and allowances of more than 900,000 public school teachers nationwide.

He added that efforts of the DepEd to address these shortages on its own are not enough, adding any help would be a welcome development.

“This remains a massive system. We come to events like this to welcome more partners. The outpouring of support has been heartening. My team sometimes jokes: Under new management, it’s nice to hear, but it’s nicer to sign more partnerships,” he said.

“The private sector has always been our accountability partner. In a cycle of leadership changes, they help ensure that programs continue. Time and time again you have believed that DepEd is not one giant island. This system is only as good as the bridges that we build together,” he added.

Angara said he needs the help of the private sector to help deliver more than two million laptops to schools in rural areas, to energize 2,001 schools that do not have electricity yet, and build the 8,000 Last Mile Schools in far-flung areas.

Latest data shows the department only has one computer for every 30 teachers nationwide while the student-to-computer ratio stands at 1:9.

“If you could build a few classrooms there, our students wouldn’t have to cross rivers to attend classes,” he added.

He said the private sector can also provide technical expertise and technology to DepEd and assist in providing education to 300,000 differently-abled students.

“DepEd faces unique challenges as the largest bureaucracy. But with your support, we can transform this massive system into a force for positive change. I hope you join me not just in my first 100 days, but also in hundreds more to come. DepEd may be the largest, but with partners like you, certainly, we are not the loneliest,” he added. 

THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has dismissed 20 personnel while 70 others have been suspended due to various infractions since 2022 as part of the agency’s effort to cleanse its ranks, Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said yesterday.

Catapang said 10 others were ordered to pay fines, while 19 more were issued letters of reprimand during the same period.

“The cases of those disciplined personnel range from gross neglect of duty, misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, serious dishonesty, grave misconduct, neglect of duty, and insubordination,” he said.

The sanctions, he said, proves the agency’s commitment and firm stand to clean up its ranks and uphold integrity and accountability within the BuCor.

“This is a clear message that we will not tolerate any misconduct and inefficiencies in our organization while we will reward with promotion those who will uphold our ethical standard to ensure effective and fair delivery of public services,” Catapang said.

He warned BuCor officials and employees that he would not hesitate to take actions against those who will violate the agency’s rules and regulations.

The BuCor is tasked with securing more than 50,000 inmates detained at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City, the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan, the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City, and the Leyte Regional Prison in Abuyog, Southern Leyte.

The agency has been beset by controversies in the past, including the alleged special treatment accorded to some prisoners and the conduct of illegal activities by inmates and their custodians.

In 2022, then BuCor chief Gerald Bantag and his deputy, Ricardo Zulueta, were implicated in the killing of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa in Las Pinas.

They were charged with orchestrating the killing of Bilibid inmate Jun Villamor, the alleged middleman who contacted the hitman to kill Lapid.

Catapang said while the agency is cleansing its ranks of misfits, 95 officers and rank-in-file personnel have been promoted since 2022.

SUPREME Court Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa yesterday underscored the need for mediation as an alternative mode of dispute resolution to decongest court dockets.

Caguioa made the call in his keynote address at the 6th ASEAN Mediation Association Conference which the High Court is hosting at Shangri-La The Fort in Taguig City.

“For its part, the judiciary has also taken significant steps in affirming the distinct value of alternative modes of dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration, in the efforts to prevent the unnecessary clogging of court dockets and the consequent bogging down of the administration of justice,” Caguioa said before an audience of mediators, arbitrators, adjudicators, dispute resolution experts, lawyers and members of the academe.

Mediation is defined by the National Center for Mediation as a process where a third neutral party, or the mediator, facilitates the negotiation between parties or disputants to resolve a conflict or case.

Alternative dispute resolution, on the other hand, refers to procedures used to address or resolve disputes without court adjudication.

In his speech, Caguioa also mentioned the cooperation between the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc (PDRC). and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) which will enable PCA meetings and hearings to be held at the PDRC’s facilities in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, as well as PDRC meetings and hearings at the PCA premises in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.

It was the PCA in Netherlands that the Philippines brought its arbitral case in 2013 against China, challenging the latter’s expansive claim in the South China Sea, including the parts claimed by Manila as its own and renamed West Philippine Sea. The PCA ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2016.

“This is a most welcome development that promotes the Philippines as a preferred arbitral forum, aids in savings in terms of resources, as well as helps in the building of capacities of local arbitration institutions and practitioners,” Caguioa said.

He noted the 2021 ruling of the SC in the case of Global Medical Center of Laguna v. Ross Systems International wherein the magistrates empowered and enabled the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC) to “address issues related to the settlement of technical construction disputes.”

Caguioa said mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution could even be used to resolve conflict among nation-states.

“We cannot forget that mediation and other forms of dispute resolution have the power to transform the brute force of conflicts into pliable situation that are brought to heel by reason, compromise, and mutual empathy,” he said.

Philippine Judicial Academy Chancellor Rosmari Carandang echoed Caguioa’s remarks and said that mediation reflects the desire of parties in a dispute or case to settle it in harmony.

“In mediation, we find a way to not only resolve disputes, but also to strengthen the bond of cooperation, respect and understanding among people, communities and nations,” Carandang said.

She likewise stressed the need for innovative approaches to mediation and alternative dispute resolution to ensure justice systems remain accessible, efficient, and equitable.

She also highlighted key areas such as family mediation, cross-cultural justice, environmental disputes, and the integration of artificial intelligence, stressing the transformative power of mediation, which she said, “reflects humanity’s collective desire for harmony in a world where conflicts are inevitable.”

The event’s guest of honor was First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, a lawyer by profession, who underscored the conference’s significance in advancing the Philippine judiciary’s goals of making justice more accessible through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

THE Justice Department said the 20 percent discount and VAT exemptions on food purchases from restaurants should apply to persons with disabilities even if it’s a group purchase as long as it is for their exclusive use.

This was expressed in a legal opinion dated October 8 by the DOJ, through Assistant Secretary Randolph Pascasio, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Undersecretary for Legal Services and Liaison Cluster.

“It is clear that under RA 10754, PWDs shall be entitled to 20% discount and VAT exemption on their food purchases from restaurants as long as it is for their exclusive use, enjoyment or availment,” the DOJ said.

The ruling was issued in response to the query of National Council on Disability Affairs Executive Director Glenda Relova over the implementation of the 20 percent discount and VAT exemption for the purchases of PWDs.

Section 6, Rule IV of the IRR of the law provides that the discount and tax exemption covers goods and services from all establishments.

To prevent abuse, the provision said the food orders should be limited only to the consumption of the concerned PWD.

“While the above-mentioned relevant existing laws, IRR and guidelines may be silent on how the 20 percent discount and VAT exemption will be applied on food purchases which are ideally for group sharing, we would like to emphasize the word ‘exclusive’ as the determining factor to be considered thereon,” the DOJ added.

The DOJ further explained this, saying that in the purchase of a group meal which is ideally for food sharing, if it can be clearly determined that it was for the exclusive use, enjoyment or availment of only one person who is a PWD, the 20 percent discount and VAT exemption should apply to the total amount of the food purchased.

Meanwhile, as to the purchase of group meals made online, phone calls or text, the guiding principle is Memorandum Circular No. 71-2022 issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

The circular, according to the DOJ, stated that “On the purchase of group meals, the basis of the 20 percent discount for a Senior Citizen and Person with Disability shall be on the amount corresponding to the combination of the most expensive and biggest single-serving meal with a beverage served in a quick service restaurant, is deemed flexible and is adjusted accordingly by food establishments to estimate a single food purchase for the said senior citizen or PWD.

THE Supreme Court (SC) has declared that contract of service (COS) or job order (JO) workers hired by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and thus, are not considered government employees.

Pagcor is a government-owned or -controlled corporation governed by Presidential Decree No. 1869, as amended by Republic Act No. 9487, or the Pagcor Charter.

The June 19, 2024 ruling of the High Court’s First Division stemmed from a case filed by Mark Abadilla and several others who were hired by the state gaming corporation in various positions, such as cook, waiter, purchaser, pantry aide, food attendant, steward, dishwasher, kitchen supervisor, and busboy, among others.

Abadilla’s group said that they worked for the agency’s hotel business at the Goldenfield complex in Bacolod City for a period ranging from one to 17 years.

They said that each of them had a contract with Pagcor supposedly for a fixed term but which the agency occasionally renewed.

However, they said that when Pagcor closed its hotel business at the Goldenfield complex and transferred to L’Fisher Hotel, also in Bacolod City, the agency did not renew their individual contracts, prompting their group to lodge an illegal dismissal complaint before the CSC Regional Office-VI, arguing that they are regular employees entitled to security of tenure.

The CSCRO-VI dismissed their complaint for lack of jurisdiction, saying that they were job order workers and not government employees based on their contracts.

Abadilla’s group re-filed the case with CSCRO-VI, which elevated it as an appeal to the CSC main office.

While the case was pending with the CSC, Pagcor issued a memorandum that effectively terminated the services of Abadilla’s group.

The CSC later upheld the Pagcor order

The Court of Appeals subsequently affirmed the order, reiterating the CSCRO-VI finding that that Abadilla and his fellow workers were not regular Pagcor employees and thus, are not under CSC’s jurisdiction.

The SC upheld the appellate court’s ruling.

In affirming the CA’s decision, the SC, through Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, held that COS or JO workers like Abadilla’s group are not considered as government employees covered by the CSC law, rules, and regulations.

It said that while the workers’ individual contracts included a statement that they shall strictly observe “civil service laws, rules and regulations,” this does not automatically make them government employees.

It noted the nature of their functions in Pagcor’s hotel and restaurant business, such as cooks, waiters, stewards, busboy, and their organizational ranking, compensation level, and employment contracts.

The magistrates explained that under CSC Memorandum Circular No. 40-98, COS and JO workers are hired for only a short duration not exceeding six months.

They said that such workers cover lump sum work or services where no employee-employer relationship exists and that, while covered by the Commission on Audit, these workers do not enjoy the benefits given to government employees.

It added that their exclusion is likewise stated under CSC-COA-Department of Budget and Management Joint Circular No. 1.

“The Court finds that Abadilla et al are contract of service and job order workers. Consequently, the CA did not gravely abuse its discretion in ruling that Abadilla et al are not regular employees under the civil service and are, thus, not under the jurisdiction of the CSC,” the SC said.

“In fact, the contract of employment issued by Pagcor to Abadilla et al is indeed a contract of service or job order that complied with CSC Memorandum Circular No.40-98 and CSC Resolution No. 020790,” it added.

In its decision, the SC also reminded Pagcor and all similar agencies that “while their authority to contract services is recognized under civil service rules, such hiring authority should not be used to mistreat or otherwise mismanage contract of service or job order workers.”

Concurring with the ruling are Associate Justices Rodil Zalameda, Jose Midas Marquez and Ricardo Rosario.

THE Alliance of Concerned Teachers and Teachers Dignity Coalition yesterday expressed dismay over the new policy discontinuing the use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3, saying it may affect the delivery of quality basic education in the country.

ACT Chairperson Vladimir Quetua said Republic Act No. 12027, which amends Sections 4 and 5 of RA 10533 otherwise known as the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013” provides that the medium of instruction shall revert to Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English, may “further detract” from the government’s effort to resolve the decline in the quality of basic education in the country.

The law also provides that regional languages shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction.

It lapsed into law last Saturday without the signature of President Marcos Jr.

Quetua said the use of the mother tongue is very important in developing “foundational literacy skills” among Kindergarten and elementary students since they are in the beginning stage of education and are more comfortable using their mother tongue or native language. He said doing away with it as provided for under RA 12027 would affect their learning ability.

“The development of foundational literacy skills should be ensured in the primary grades. However, the new law discontinuing the use of the mother tongue as medium of instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3 runs counter to this objective,” Quetua said.

“The teaching of Mother Tongue as a subject is foundational in developing literacy skills as learners can learn to read and write the easiest with the language that they use and most understand. Mother Tongue also enhances the awareness and appreciation of learners of their cultural identity, and preserves and nurtures our own culture,” he added.

Quetua also cited the lack of education or instructional materials from DepEd in the mother tongue and the national language as another barrier to addressing the quality of basic education.

“If we want to facilitate and expedite the learning and understanding of our learners, then the government should enhance the use of our mother tongue and our national language of Filipino in basic education,” he said.

The Teachers Dignity Coalition, through its national chairperson, Benjo Basas, echoed the same concern, saying that students should learn in the first few years of their schooling using their mother tongue.

“There is no denying that the implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education has problems but many of these problems can be resolved if only the government has allocated enough budget and if the DepEd and other agencies have fulfilled their obligations,” Basas said.

Basas said these problems cannot be addressed by doing away with the use of the mother tongue.

“Pero ang ginawang solusyon ay inalis ang programa sa halip na isaayos ang pagpapatupad nito (But doing away with the program is not the solution, instead of ironing out its implementation),” Basas added.

The new law will take effect on October 27, or 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general curriculum.

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday said the syndicate that recruited Filipino women who ended up becoming surrogate mothers is using Thailand as a jump-off point before the women are brought to their final destinations.

A surrogate mother is one who agrees to become pregnant and give birth to a child for another person. A surrogacy arrangement us usually done when pregnancy is medically impossible or too risky for the intended mother.

DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said this was the information provided by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

“Yung report sa amin ng mga BI, ng mga IO sa BI, na ‘yung bansa na pupuntahan nila, tuwing nai-iniintercept sila, ay kadalasan sa Thailand (The report provided to us by the BI, by the immigration officers of BI, is that it is Thailand that serves as the jumping off point of many of their interceptions),”Ty told the “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” media forum.

“Kadalasan maghahanap sila ng visa-free countries na pupuntahan at pagkatapos doon ay lilipat doon sa bansa kung saan nangyayari ‘yung surrogacy (They look for visa-free countries and from there, they will transfer the victim to other countries where the surrogacy takes place),” he said.

Ty, who is the undersecretary-in-charge of the DOJ-led Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, said this is also the case of the 20 Filipino women who were rescued by authorities in Cambodia last September 23.

“Doon sa kaso ng 20 Filipina sa Cambodia sila lumipat na mas malapit sa Thailand (In the case of the 20 Filipina in Cambodia, they also used Thailand),” Ty added.

Meanwhile, Ty said the IACAT is working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh to convince local authorities not to file criminal complaints against the Filipina.

Surrogacy is banned in Cambodia under its Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation law.

But Ty said the DOJ said the 20 should be considered as trafficking victims.

“Ang embahada natin sa Cambodia ay nakikiusap sa pamahalaan ng Cambodia na kung pwede hindi naman mangyari ito. Para sa atin dito sa DOJ ang surrogacy na nangyayari dito ay isang uri ng human trafficking

(Our embassy in Cambodia is talking with the Cambodian government not to file criminal charges against them. For us in the DOJ, surrogacy is considered as another form of human trafficking),” he said.

He added that these women, often driven by economic hardship, are coerced into surrogacy agreements under false pretenses and inadequate legal protection.

Last Friday, DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said surrogacy is a form of modern-day slavery and exploitation.

“We are closely investigating these incidents to determine whether these women can be classified as victims of human trafficking,” Remulla said of the 20 women rescued in Cambodia.

Under Philippine law, trafficking of persons includes the recruitment, transportation, or harboring of persons by means of force, fraud, or deception for the purpose of exploitation.

The use of vulnerable women in surrogate arrangements for financial gain, particularly when they are coerced or misled, falls squarely under this definition, Remulla added.

In a related development, Ty disclosed that immigration authorities intercepted last Friday two Filipino women who were recruited by human traffickers before they can board a flight abroad.

He said the two could probably be the latest would-be-victim of the surrogacy scheme.

“Noong Biyernes meron na naman tayong bagong nasalba na dalawang Pilipina sa airport at ‘yung kanilang trafficker, ‘yung lalaki na kasama nila ay humarap na sa inquest proceedings dito sa DOJ (Last Friday, we were able to save two Filipina in the airport while their male companion who is the trafficker already underwent inquest proceedings here at the DOJ),” he said.

The official said the information they got showed the traffickers offered from P500, 000 to P1 million to their victims.

“Ang lumalabas inalok s’ya ng kalahating milyon o isang milyong piso upang maging surrogate at ‘yung mga taong nagsubok mag traffic sa kanya ay sa kasalukuyang may hinaharap na kaso (The victim was offered from half a million to one million pesos if they accepted to become surrogate mother. The person behind the trafficking is already facing charges),” Ty added.

CEMETERIES in Manila will be open to the public from October 30 to November 3 from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the observance of All Saint’s Day or “Undas.”

An advisory released by the city government of Manila also said that no vehicles will be allowed to enter the cemeteries during the period while burials and cremations will be temporarily suspended.

“Cleaning, repairs, and painting inside the cemetery are only allowed until Saturday, October 26, 2024,” the advisory said, adding no vendors will also be allowed inside cemeteries during the period.

It added that parents or guardians are allowed to bring children but they must obtain a tag from the Manila Department of Social Welfare and Development for easy identification.

The city government also said no private or political groups will be allowed to hold events to “ensure a solemn commemoration of All Souls Days.”

It also reminded the public of the items prohibited inside cemeteries, namely, firearms and all kinds of sharp objects such as knives, cutters, spatulas, alcohol or any kind of intoxicating drinks, pets such as dogs, cats, etc., guitars and loud sound systems, cigarettes and lighters, as well as flammable materials such as alcohol or thinner.