by admin | Mar 27, 2025 | crime, news, politics, politics and government, politics and law
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa encouraged ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, who is presently held at The Hague in the Netherlands, to stay resilient and continue battling as he approaches his 80th birthday on March 28, this coming Friday.
Dela Rosa, who is seeking another term and has been a long-time supporter of Duterte, mentioned that he plans to reach out to the ex-president on his birthday to convey his backing.
“Sa kanya lang po masasabi ko: Lahat ng mga hamon na ito ngayon, tatapusin natin yan. Tatapos talaga ito. Wala namang forever dito sa mundo. Lahat ng bagay ay pansamantalang lamang. Kaya siguro panatilihing matatag kami, patuloy ang pakikipagsapalaran, at huwag magsuko,” ani ang miyembro ng kapulis.
(I wish to convey to him that together we can surmount all these obstacles. We shall prevail over this situation. No circumstance on Earth lasts forever; everything is fleeting. Hence, let us remain resilient, continue our struggle, and never yield.)
“Huwag niyang ipinabaya ang pagsibak ng digmaan. Digmaan lamang dahil… ang malaking bahagi ng populasyon ng mga Pilipino, pati na rin yung iba na wala sa bansa o partikular sa ubanging bahaging ng buong universo ay naroon at kasama-samahan siya habang nanunuod para sana’y mapabalik niya ang sarili rito sa Pilipinas,” dagdag pa niya.
(Do not surrender in your struggle. Continue fighting as most Filipinos, including those residing abroad, empathize with him and wish for his return to the Philippines.)
The Filipino national police force, known as the PNP, has been
preparing
For the safety of the birthday rally for Duterte in Davao del Norte on Friday.
As per PDP Laban, they plan to organize gatherings and processions across different regions of the Philippines as well as in multiple international locations to mark President Duterte’s 80th birthday celebration.
On March 11, authorities helped the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) serve an arrest warrant issued by the ICC against Duterte related to his bloody anti-drug campaign, which has been labeled as crimes against humanity.
Following his detention, Duterte was taken to The Hague in the Netherlands.
On March 13 (in Philippine time), Duterte arrived at the Hague Penitentiary Institution, also known as the Scheveningen Prison, where he will remain detained pending his trial.
The scheduled date for the next hearing regarding the verification of the accusations is September 23, 2025.
—RF, GMA Integrated News
This article
Bato during Duterte’s 80th birthday: ‘Always ready’
was originally published in
GMA News Online
.
by admin | Mar 27, 2025 | elections, government regulations, politics, politics and government, politics and law
As the 45-day local campaign period began, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) issued a warning about potential disqualification for both national and local candidates who provide aid (ayuda) without obtaining appropriate approval from the election commission.
“Whenever you use ayuda or distribute ayuda without exemptions from Comelec, it could either be vote-buying or an abuse of resources. We will immediately disqualify such cases right away, with no ifs and buts,” said Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia to reporters on Thursday.
(National and local candidates who will distribute ayuda without proper exemptions will be immediately disqualified, no buts and what ifs.)
“Due process should be followed, yes, but we shouldn’t dwell on that aspect since the Supreme Court has affirmed the power of the Commission on Elections,” stated Garcia.
(Due process will be followed, however, the Supreme Court has upheld our authority to proceed with this action.)
The campaign period for local bettors is scheduled to start from Friday, March 28 through May 10. For the national campaigns, they will run from February 11 till May 10, 2025.
Campaigning will not be allowed on April 17 (Maundy Thursday), April 18 (Good Friday), May 11 (the day before Election Day), and May 12 (Election Day).
Last week, the electoral commission granted exemptions to certain social welfare initiatives under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) from the election expenditure restrictions for Eleksyon 2025. This includes approximately ₱12 billion worth of assistance.
Tulong para sa Programang Pagpapabuti ng Kitas
(AKAP) financing. This additional amount comes atop the P882 million initially sought by the DSWD back in January.
Garcia cautioned politicians and candidates about this reminder:
The DSWD directives for implementing AKAP
which involves banning them from being present along with related items when distributing financial aid.
“Let’s not compromise what our fellow citizens deserve as aid. It wouldn’t be fair for them to be denied help because of your mistakes… No politician or candidate should interfere during the distribution of assistance, and hopefully, our social workers will not sacrifice their professionalism when dealing with this situation,” the election official further stated.
(We must not jeopardize the support that the public requires. It would be unjust for them to be unable to obtain assistance due to the misdeeds of the candidates. Neither politicians nor candidates will be permitted at the time of AKAP distribution.)
According to Section 261 (v) (1) of the Omnibus Election Code, public officials, employees—including those from barangays and government-owned or controlled corporations—are barred from allocating, distributing, or using public money for infrastructure initiatives during the period starting 45 days prior to a regular election and ending 30 days before a special election. This restriction does not apply to maintaining current or finished public works projects, carrying out contracted work via open bidding processes, or responding to emergencies with urgent repairs.
According to Comelec Resolution No. 11060, a certificate of exemption must be obtained for carrying out initiatives and schemes related to social welfare projects and services during the period when public spending is restricted, which spans from March 28 to May 11, 2025.
In December 2024, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) approved the appeal made by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to exclude certain initiatives from the expenditure prohibition. Additionally, it provided exemptions for 48 infrastructure endeavors prior to the May midterm elections.
Similarly, the Comelec declared that it will prohibit the dissemination of various types of financial aid (ayuda) ten days before the May elections, including the contentious one.
AKAP
.
— RSJ, GMA Network News
To access additional information and updates about the Eleksyon 2025, check out
GMA News Online’s Eleksyon 2025 microsite
.
This article
Comelec cautions against disqualifications for candidates giving aid without exception.
was originally published in
GMA News Online
.
by admin | Mar 25, 2025 | foreign policy, international relations, politics, politics and government, ukraine politics
Giorgia Meloni’s main allies in the ruling coalition are causing her problems due to their differing stances on the Ukraine conflict and how the European Union should respond, which has become more pronounced recently.
Antonio Tajani from Forza Italia (European People’s Party), along with Matteo Salvini from The League (Patriots for Europe), act as deputies under Meloni. They serve, respectively, as the ministers of foreign affairs and transportation.
However, they have frequently clashed over significant foreign policy matters: providing military support to Ukraine, the European Union’s initiative for rearming, and interactions with the U.S. administration led by President Donald Trump.
“Tajani is facing issues due to his connections with the US; he ought to allow us to assist him,” stated Claudio Durigon, the League’s deputy secretary.
told
The newspaper La Repubblica on Sunday.
Following a 15-minute telephone conversation between League head Salvini and US Deputy President JD Vance on Friday, which was described as being “marked by great harmony” according to a statement from the League, this occurred.
Tajani hit back,
saying
That “foreign policy is handled by the prime minister and foreign minister,” characterizing the call as a “personal initiative” by Salvini.
“Populist parties alter their stance daily. Those who often yell tend to matter and wield power insignificantly,” he remarked, aiming his jibe at Durigon.
The Italian
press
reported that Tajani discussed the matter with Meloni, voicing his discontent over The League’s criticisms and hinting that the disagreements might result in a governmental crisis.
The Italian government’s stances do not blend well.
Forza Italia keeps a strong pro-Europe position, strongly backing military assistance to Ukraine, and commending the European Commission’s strategy for rearming.
rebranded
As part of Readiness 2030, and even pushing for the establishment of an EU military force in the future.
“We support peace, however, it needs to be equitable…Europe undoubtedly has to be present at the table because European Union has enforced sanctions against Russia,” Tajani stated to reporters regarding Donald Trump’s peace proposal following the concluding EPP gathering in Brussels.
In contrast, The League has always stood as one of the most vocal opponents of the EU’s approach to supporting Ukraine. They have also commended Trump for his attempts to facilitate a peace agreement with Russia, irrespective of any compromises Kiev might have had to agree to.
This matches his strong critique of EU Foreign Policy Chief Kajas Kallas. “If she had her way, we would already be at war,” said Salvini, adding, “She should join the front line herself.”
said
prior to the recent EU summit.
Ursula von der Leyen and her defense strategy have faced criticism as well. “Rearming Europe is not how peace can be achieved,” said Salvini.
declared
during a conference.
Italy’s administration brings together a pro-EU European People’s Party affiliate with a Eurosceptic member of the Patriots for Europe alliance, an alignment that hasn’t succeeded in Germany, Poland, Hungary, and most lately in Austria.
“It’s evident that our party, EPP, holds distinct views compared to the Patriots since we support European unity. Nonetheless, this doesn’t stop our political groups from discovering common ground at the country level,” noted esteemed Forza Italia MEP Salvatore De Meo in an interview with Euronews.
He thinks that Salvini’s conversation with Vance won’t lead to significant harm, yet he emphasized that foreign policy ought to be shaped exclusively by Tajani and Meloni.
“I hope that the Italian government will gradually move towards our stance: establishing a genuine defense framework within the European Union by moving beyond nationalism,” he stated.
Differences in policies regarding EU matters are testing the resilience of Italy’s governing alliance. So far, Meloni has skillfully navigated the contrasting views of her smaller coalition allies. She maintains a steadfastly supportive stance towards Ukraine but has ruled out sending Italian forces into combat zones as part of any security assurances should a peace agreement be reached.
She has also
stopped short
In support of French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative for increased European Union strategic independence, the emphasis was placed on Europe’s necessity to uphold a robust transatlantic partnership.
Her political tightrope walk probably mirrors the unclear development of her own Brothers of Italy party, which has transformed from a radical, post-fascist group pushing for Italy’s departure from the EU to a more conservative faction generally supporting EU membership.
In the upcoming months, these European-leaning credentials might face scrutiny, potentially positioning Meloni more firmly alongside one of the factions within her contentious coalition allies.
by admin | Mar 25, 2025 | highways, infrastructure, politics and government, roads, transportation
Proposals for a £9 billion road tunnel connecting Kent and Essex have officially received governmental approval.
The much-discussed Lower Thames Crossing, featuring a 14.5-mile roadway with a 2.6-mile tunnel under the River Thames, received development consent from Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander on Tuesday morning, as stated by the Planning Inspectorate.
The work on the project has been continuing since 2009, having consumed more than £1 billion of public funds. The efforts have faced numerous delays and controversies from start to finish.
The objective of the Lower Thames Crossing project is to ease the congestion at the Dartford Crossing by developing a new motorway-standard route.
This connection between the A2 and M2 in Kent with the A13 and M25 in Essex would occur through what could become Britain’s longest road tunnel.
It is anticipated that this could almost double road capacity across the Thames east of
London
.
National Highways said the government is ‘currently exploring private finance options for the project’.
The construction might begin next year, with the anticipation of the new road opening in the early 2030s.
This route aims to ease traffic on the orbital M25, connecting with it close to South Ockenden in Essex. Additionally, it will link up with the M2 near Rochester in Kent.
Matt Palmer, who serves as the national highways executive director for the Lower Thames Crossing project, referred to it as “one of the most significant infrastructure initiatives in the United Kingdom.”
He said: ‘It will unlock growth with quicker, safer and more reliable journeys, and redraw the blueprint for building major projects in a net-zero future by scaling up the use of low-carbon construction, and leaving a legacy of green spaces, green skills.
‘Ours plans were crafted based on input from the local community and then fine-tuned through thorough scrutiny conducted by impartial specialists.’
Mr Palmer stated that National Highways is dedicated to ‘collaborating with our neighbors’ to construct the crossing in a manner that provides them ‘chances to work and acquire new abilities while minimizing negative effects.’
“We are prepared for immediate action and have secured our delivery partners. Today’s decision enables us to collaborate with the government on securing funds and begin thorough planning, which will allow us to commence construction at the earliest opportunity,” he stated.
David Wells, CEO of the trade association Logistics UK, stated that the announcement came as welcome news for businesses nationwide “held back by bottlenecks when navigating the Thames,” he commented positively.
‘The industry stands unified in its support for this crucial trade route,’ stated Mr Wells.
Jim Dickson, the Labour Member of Parliament for Dartford, stated that his constituency has been plagued by ‘constant traffic jams’ due to former administrations ‘avoiding’ the choice regarding the Lower Thames Crossing.
“This choice will unleash economic expansion throughout the nation and at last provide a resolution to the traffic turmoil confronted by my constituents every day,” he stated.
The Thurrock Council in Essex has persistently objected to the initiative, highlighting adverse effects on economics, society, and the environment. However, the head of Dartford Borough Council in Kent supports the plan.
Local activists from the Thames Crossing Action Group assert it would be ‘extremely damaging and detrimental,’ and an unnecessary expenditure of funds.
Read more
by admin | Mar 25, 2025 | economics, government, government regulations, laws and regulations, politics and government
-
Budget plan tackles ‘unequal’ credit card fees
-
FURTHER READING: Federal Budget 2025 live coverage: One group of Australians not benefiting from Albo’s spending spree
The Albanese government has indicated the cessation of debit card surcharges, though they have not gone as far as prohibiting the practice entirely.
The 2025 Federal Budget presented on Tuesday evening targeted the unjust fees imposed on Australians as a result of their preferred payment methods.
‘The Government is tackling unjustified high credit card fees to secure a better bargain for customers during transactions,’ as stated in the Budget summary.
‘The administration is ready to
ban debit card surcharges,
Subject to additional efforts by the Reserve Bank of Australia and measures to guarantee that both small enterprises and consumers can enjoy the advantages of reduced-cost transactions.
There was no indication provided about when these additional charges would be prohibited.
Good news continued for bank patrons as per the latest Budget, where the administration has implemented measures to curb the tendency of banks shutting down in rural regions, albeit on a temporary basis.
The announcement stated that they have obtained pledges from leading financial institutions to keep more than 800 of their outlets operational in rural and distant areas of Australia up till at least July 31, 2027.
The banking industry has also committed to increasing its investments in Australia Post’s Bank@Post service, thereby ‘offering more assurance and options for bank customers across approximately 1,800 rural and distant areas’.
Last month, an Australian fed up with paying bank card fees and weekend surcharges wrote a 55-page letter to the Albanese government, asserting that these charges are often unlawful.
This followed the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)
solicited inputs from the public last year as part of its examination into merchant card payment fees and surcharging
.
Over 100 entries were submitted — with 79 being disclosed publicly and 22 kept private — however, a missive penned by an individual named McLean Roche caught attention due to its extensive length, meticulous research, and intense indignation towards additional charges.
The Australian not only alleged that illegal and unfair practices were occurring repeatedly with tap-and-go fees; they also asserted that they possessed evidence of this through images of receipts and charge descriptions.
An instance that Roche provided within the filing was about ‘hosting a substantial family gathering during Sunday brunch, only to face an unexpected $101 additional charge – turning a $675 ‘fee’ into $776 because of such extra costs.’
This reflects the situation in Australia where there is rampant unchecked sur charging, a significant portion of which is unlawful.
inflationary
— this is what consumers encounter daily,” they asserted.
An additional element included in the submission was a
Qantas
receipt for airfare charges made with an eftpos card showed a supposed additional fee of $4.53, but Qantas actually levied a charge of $14.60 – representing a 69% hike.
Roche asserted that the airline insisted the booking was properly subjected to a 1.03 percent credit card surcharge, which covered their expenses related to handling the transaction. The company clarified that ‘least cost routing’ was not employed because this method does not apply when using credit cards.
Roche also highlighted numerous other occasions where they were enraged, such as ‘a sandwich with an additional 16.2 percent fee – which includes a 1.2 percent card processing charge for using a debit card, along with a 15 percent weekend surcharge.’
A different receipt included a caption stating that the ‘3.55 percent eCommerce payment surcharge is incorrect and unlawful.’
Other unspecified allegations of illegality involved a ’10 percent levy on takeaway orders,’ a ‘fixed charge of 1.5 percent,’ an additional payment surcharge coupled with a ‘daily fee,’ and a ‘2 percent retail surcharge.’
As stated by the RBA, ‘merchants possess the authority to impose a surcharge on card transactions; however, this charge must not exceed the cost incurred by the merchant for accepting that particular card during the transaction.’
Various payment options and distinct card issuers come with differing fees.
In 2023, the RBA stated that the average expense for a debit-card transaction stood at approximately 0.4 percent, whereas a credit card transaction came out to be roughly 0.8 percent, and a charge card transaction amounted to about 1.3 percent.
Roche’s assertion that the additional charges are unlawful seems to originate from the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, which prohibits stores from imposing overly high fees for credit card transactions.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) possesses the authority to probe into and implement enforcement measures in instances where excessive surcharging may be occurring.
Roche stated in the filing that ‘It’s a significant concern that both the RBA and ACCC have not measured the extent and financial impact of all surcharges, along with various forms of exorbitant fees.’
As per their claims, illegal extra fees have cost Australians over $2 billion in total.
This assertion is supported by a report from last November that discovered that
Australians have spent billions of dollars on unlawful charges for governmental services.
for at least twenty years.
The problem was revealed following the discovery by the NSW government that since 2016, approximately 92 million transactions incurred unlawful merchant fees totaling $144 million.
triggering a review by the Albanese Government of federal payments
.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher stated that starting from January 1, 2025, the government will introduce legislation to prevent merchants from imposing debit card surcharges passed on by the Australian Taxation Office and Services Australia.
‘This new law will grant the finance minister authority to swiftly and effectively modify Commonwealth surcharging regulations, including preventing Commonwealth entities from imposing debit card surcharges,’ she stated.
Nevertheless, the controversial additional fees imposed during weekends and public holidays at numerous eateries fall under the purview of the ACCC to examine individually.
According to legal firm
Freedman and Gopalan
‘, adding an extra fee during weekends or public holidays is entirely permissible, provided the customer is informed’.”
There is no restriction on how high this additional charge can go. It needs to be clearly shown on the menu and should not be any smaller than the tiniest font used elsewhere on the menu.
The ACCC also tackled this concern, stating that ‘restaurants, cafes, and bistros which impose an additional fee on specific days are not required to present you with a distinct menu or pricing sheet, nor must they include the extra charge within a separate price column.’
Nevertheless, the menu should incorporate the phrase ‘a surcharge of [percentage] applies on [the specific day or days],’ with this statement being highlighted equally visibly as the highest-priced item on the menu.
Read more
by admin | Mar 25, 2025 | budgets, fiscal policy, government, news, politics and government
Rachel Reeves
Is anticipated to unveil several billion pounds in expenditure reductions during her Spring Statement on Wednesday as she rushes to find ways to save money.
The Chancellor plans to tighten the budget for certain government departments as she aims to address a significant deficit in public funds.
At her
Budget
In October, Ms Reeves set aside nearly £10 billion as ‘buffer room’ in accordance with her fiscal guidelines.
However, fresh data from the Office for Budget Responsibility indicate that these gains have now vanished due to slow economic expansion and increasing lending expenses.
The Chancellor has already managed the implementation of cuts amounting to £5 billion from the increasing UK welfare budget, which involves restricting eligibility for disability benefits.
She has also been required to approve plans for slashing Britain’s foreign aid budget.
aid budget
, in order to finance an escalation in defense expenditure to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027.
However, additional reductions are anticipated later this week, as Ms Reeves has ruled out any further ‘tax and spend’ policies following her £40 billion series of tax increases last October.
Data from public spending for the previous fiscal year indicates that a significant portion of tax money went towards social benefits, government retirement funds, and financing the National Health Service.
For instance, an individual earning approximately £37,000 per year in the United Kingdom would anticipate that about £1,920 of their taxes go towards welfare, £1,592 goes to the NHS, and roughly £1,013 funds state pensions.
Use our interactive tool below to check where your own taxes go…
Mrs. Reeves is already aiming at welfare as part of her effort to achieve savings, following Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall’s announcement of proposals to tighten benefit conditions the previous week.
In the period of 2023-24, the government continued to allocate more funds towards debt interest payments compared to spending on education.
In the previous fiscal year, police and transportation were also significant spending categories. Moreover, billions of pounds were allocated to environmental initiatives, housing projects, as well as libraries, museums, and sports facilities.
The UK continues to make contributions to the EU under the terms of the Brexit agreement, and even though these payments have been reduced multiple times recently, £7.2 billion was still allocated for international assistance.
Given that Labour MPs are already displeased with the reductions in welfare and foreign aid, Ms. Reeves must proceed cautiously as she contemplates additional financial restrictions.
The Chancellor has confirmed that she will make reductions in the budget for Whitehall before presenting her Spring Statement, particularly focusing on cutting costs associated with running government departments.
She has detailed strategies to reduce civil service operational expenses by 15 percent by the end of the decade. Additionally, the Treasury is anticipated to introduce a fresh initiative against tax evasion.
Ms Reeves stated that Whitehall officials will be requested to identify savings of over £2 billion from administrative expenses, which would probably result in approximately 10,000 job losses.
However, trade unions have cautioned that the number might actually be closer to 50,000. Additionally, the Treasury is believed to require much larger cuts to achieve their financial goals due to declining growth projections.
The gap in the public funds might reach up to £15 billion, even after revealing plans to reduce benefit spending by £5 billion.
Even though budgets are anticipated to increase in actual value over the next few years, unprotected sectors will face reductions.
It has been asserted that the reduction in expenditures will amount to an average of 4.7 percent across most sectors, although the specific figures won’t be disclosed until the spending review scheduled for June.
Read more
