No Facebook ban for now after cooperation with gov’t – Palace
Metro Manila, Philippines – Malacañang on Thursday, Aug. 27, said there is no move to ban Facebook for now after the social media platform showed cooperation with the government in taking down violent content and false information. The clarification came two days after the Palace said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was open to proposals to ban Facebook and other online platforms if they failed to address content that could threaten public safety or harm young people. Palace press officer Claire Castro said the government received updated information that Facebook has been responding to requests for content removal. “Noong Martes po ay nasabi po natin dahil ito din po ang nakita ng CICC at ng DICT. Ngunit makalipas ng dalawang araw ay binigyan po tayo ng impormasyon na ang Facebook – particular ang Facebook ay tumutugon naman daw po sa mga dapat na gawin especially sa mabilisang pag-takedown ng mga fake…
Marcos receives PLM’s highest honorary degree
Metro Manila, Philippines- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. received an honorary doctor of laws from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) on Thursday, Aug. 27, the highest honorary degree conferred by the university. The Doctor of Laws, honoris causa was awarded to Marcos during the university’s 58th commencement exercises at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. “Today, I stand before you, humbled as the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila confers upon me the degree of doctor of laws, honoris causa – its highest honorary degree,” Marcos said. “I receive this honor with gratitude, mindful of the responsibility that comes with it,” he added. Marcos said the recognition reflects a shared belief between his administration and PLM in the importance of education as a pathway to opportunity, progress and nation-building. “And that, more than any degree or title bestowed today, is the standard to which I hold myself,” Marcos…
Shooter’s father, security personnel charged over Ateneo de Zamboanga shooting
Metro Manila, Philippines – The Philippine National Police filed complaints for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and physical injury against the father of the Ateneo de Zamboanga shooter and a member of the school’s security personnel over the Aug. 18 shooting. The crime killed two students, including the shooter himself. Another learner survived a gunshot wound, while 22 others were injured. The father, a Customs police officer, was the registered firearm owner of the weapon used in the crime, the Department of Justice said on Thursday, Aug. 27. The shooter brought a 9mm and a caliber .40 with him, which he took from his father’s vehicle when they arrived inside the school premises. The weapons were left in the car inside a bag. Police did not disclose details about the security personnel but noted that lapses in entry and exit screening contributed to the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Security camera…
DMW seeks PhilHealth board seat to represent OFWs
Metro Manila, Philippines – The Department of Migrant Workers wants representation on the PhilHealth board, saying overseas Filipino workers should have a voice in the state health insurer because they are required to contribute to the fund. DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac raised the proposal during the department’s budget deliberations as lawmakers questioned how the government covers the medical expenses of OFWs. Cacdac said PhilHealth coverage is mandatory for migrant workers under existing law, but the DMW currently does not sit on the board of the state health insurer. “PhilHealth is mandatory. It’s prescribed by law,” Cacdac said on Wednesday, Aug. 26. “We are not a member of the PhilHealth board, but we will make a proposal to amend the PhilHealth law,” he added. Cacdac noted that the Department of Labor and Employment previously represented migrant workers on the PhilHealth board before the creation of the DMW. “So it would…
Nearly 1,500 missing in Nepal and China after devastating Himalayan flash flood
Thrishuli, Nepal and Beijing, China – Nearly 1,500 people including almost 800 foreigners are missing across Nepal and China’s Tibet, authorities said on Thursday, after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a Himalayan river, sending catastrophic flash floods through towns and valleys. Rescuers in Nepal used helicopters to search for survivors and drop emergency supplies to thousands cut off after Wednesday’s disaster swept a rugged mountainous region thronged by trekkers and pilgrims linking Lhasa in Tibet with Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu. Police said they expected the death toll to rise beyond 165. “This will go up, as we have resumed the search and more bodies are expected to be recovered,” police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle told Reuters. Almost 500 foreigners were among 826 people missing in Nepal, police and tourism officials said. Among the missing tourists from more than two dozen countries, 177 were from India, 63 were from the United States, 34 from…
