Migrants oppose 15% SSS contribution for 2025

 

Unifil-Migrante protesting against the higher SSS contributions in 2018

Militant organizations, including United Filipinos-Migrante Hong Kong, have slammed the increase to 15% of monthly premium contributions to the Social Security System of Filipino workers in the private sector, including those who are abroad.

In line with Republic Act (RA) No 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018 passed under the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the premium contributions were raised to 12% of the workers’ monthly salary in 2019 (from the previous 11%), and would gradually increase, reaching 15% by 2025.

The total monthly premium is supposed to be shared by employers and employees, but OFWs who have been categorized as self-employed, are required to shoulder the total amount. This would mean a monthly contribution of P5,280 for each, if their salary is beyond the P35,000 ceiling set under the SSS charter.

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In practice, however, those who are overseas are not compelled to pay – at least, for now – the adjusted monthly premiums, so most still pay the lowest contribution of P960 per month. But since this pegs the OFWs’ monthly salary at only Php8,000, the benefits that will accrue to the member would also be minimal.

Unifil-Migrante, as well as its affiliate party-list group Bayan Muna, have slammed the higher contribution rate, calling it an additional burden to workers already struggling with multiple price increases at the start of 2024.

Former Bayan Muna party-list representative Carlos Zarate had harsher words for the mandated increase, calling it “sadistic” and “savage” during a Facebook live interview by Migrante Hong Kong last Thursday.

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Zarate said that unfortunately the amended SSS charter had already passed into law, so the only legal way to stop its further implementation is by way of legislative amendment.

But what makes the higher contribution fees even more unconscionable, according to him, is SSS’ act of passing on its failure to collect billions of pesos from employers who failed to pay their share of the premiums, or remit the money they had already collected from their employees, to members.

Zarate said the uncollected employers’ share of membership premiums amount to more than Php86 billion, while the unremitted employees’ contributions total Php92.4 billion.

On top of these, he said SSS has failed to collect a total of Php84.55 billion in loans.

Even if only  a portion of these amounts is collected, SSS could very well meet its target of raising Php51.5 billion this year, he said.

Zarate also hit out at the fat salaries and allowances paid by SSS to its top brass, which often put them among the highest paid officials in government-owned and controlled corporations.

Another former Bayan Muna Congressman, Neri Colmenares, slammed the failure of SSS to pay an additional P1,000 in monthly pension to senior citizens, which was ordered by former President Duterte in 2016.

"Ang kapal ng mukha ng SSS na magtaas ng contribution rate habang hindi pa nga naibibigay ang pangakong dagdag-pensyon. Para sa SSS board, mas mahalaga pa ang fund life ng SSS at ang matataas nilang sahod at perks kaysa sa buhay ng mga miyembro nito na pinanggagalingan naman ng pondo ng ahensya,” said Colmenares, who authored the Php2,000 pension increase.

(The nerve of SSS to raise the contribution rate when it has failed to pay the promised additional pension. For the SSS board members, the fund life of SSS and their high salaries and perks are more important than the lives of members from where the agency’s fund comes from).

Colmenares called for the immediate suspension of the new SSS contribution rates, citing the agency’s failure to improve the efficiency of its collection.

 

 

PNP to investigate VP Duterte's slay threats vs President Marcos

 

Still shot of VP Duterte as she made the threat Friday

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil has ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to investigate Vice President Sara Duterte’s remarks about killing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The PNP said it recognizes the grave nature of Duterte’s statement last night, in which she spoke of  contracting an assassin to kill the President, his wife Lisa and cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, in case she died.

Earlier, Duterte also said that she had imagined beheading Marcos after their relationship had become toxic.

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Malacanang earlier said  it considered the  VP’s statement that she had hired someone to kill the President and his wife and cousin “an active threat.”

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin immediately referred the matter to the Presidential Securty Command for immediate action.

 “Any threat to the life of the President must always be taken seriously, more so that this threat has been publicly revealed in clear and certain terms,” the statement added.

Separately, Senate President Francis Escudero called on Duterte to seek help “so she can regain calm and composure, and properly discharge her duties as Vice President.”

Escudero said Duterte’s recent remarks  were deeply concerning as they were inappropriate for an official occupying the second highest office in the country.

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He urged those close to her to advise her against making “these indecorous and possibly criminal statements in public” as they do not benefit her, her office or the country.

The moves followed Duterte’s profanity-laden remarks at an online press conference she held jointly with her chief of staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez, who was earlier cited in contempt by the House during a hearing into the alleged misuse of funds by the Office of the Vice President.

“I have talked to a person. I said, if I get killed, go kill BBM (Marcos), (first lady) Liza Araneta, and (Speaker) Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke,” Duterte said, in between cursing the three. “I said, do not stop until you kill them, and then he said yes.”

She was responding to an online commenter urging her to stay safe, after she announced her intention of staying at the lower chamber of Congress overnight to be with her chief aide.

Lopez is shown being moved to St Luke's by Duterte and her supporters

Lopez was supposed to be kept at the House detention facility until the next hearing on Monday, but Duterte’s insistence on staying with her  prompted an order to keep the detainee at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong instead.

This set off  a flurry of activities, with Lopez being moved to the Veteran’s Hospital, then to St. Luke’s, after complaining of a panic attack.

Earlier today, Lopez was moved back to Veteran’s Hospital on orders of the House, despite her attempt to resist the transfer by sobbing loudly while clinging on to Duterte , and asking for her help.

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Quiboloy detained at Camp Crame after forced surrender

 

Quiboloy's photo is from Children's Joy Foundation, Inc., which he founded

Controversial Filipino preacher Apollo Quiboloy has been taken into custody after yielding to authorities’ demand for him to surrender within 24 hours, according to the Philippine National Police.

Quiboloy, who face charges of sexual abuse and human trafficking, reportedly surrendered in his sprawling complex in Davao city on Sunday along with four followers.

They were immediately flown  to Manila where they are now locked up in a heavily guarded facility at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, according to a police spokesperson.

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Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos earlier announced on Facebook that Quiboloy had been  caught but did not give details.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said at a news briefing that the five accused had their mug shots and fingerprints taken before they were detained.

“The Philippine National Police gave an ultimatum for them to surrender, otherwise, we would raid a particular building, where we’ve been barred from entering,” Fajardo said.

Quiboloy, who proclaimed himself as “owner of the universe” and “appointed son of god”, was forced to surrender after 2,000 police officers armed with an arrest warrant against him, laid siege on his sprawling lair two weeks ago.

The 74-year-old religious leader who is also on the FBI’s “most wanted” list in the United States on separate charges of sex trafficking and bulk cash smuggling, has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

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He was charged by the US Justice Department in 2021 with sex trafficking of girls and women between the ages of 12 and 25 to work as personal assistants, or “pastorals”, who were allegedly required to have sex with him.

Quiboloy, a long-time friend and supporter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, also backed the candidacy of the incumbent, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

He went into hiding earlier this year after a Philippine court ordered his arrest and several others on charges of child and sexual abuse and human trafficking.

The Philippine Senate issued a separate arrest order against Quiboloy for refusing to appear in committee hearings that were looking into the criminal allegations against him.

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It’s a double gold for Caloy and the Philippines at Paris Olympics

 

It's an unprecedented second gold for Caloy, and a source of pride and joy for the country

As the announcer put it, the first gold was a dream, the second was a fairy tale.

Surmounting big odds, 24-year-old Carlos Edriel Yulo won another gold medal for the Philippines at the Paris Olympic 2024 for the second day in a row, dominating the men’s vault final late on Sunday night. He secured his slot in the finals after placing sixth in the qualifying round.

Yulo won his first gold in the men’s floor exercise only the previous night.

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His back-to-back victory raised the country’s gold medal haul in the Olympics from the one won by weightlifter Hidylin Diaz in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, to three practically overnight.

 I owe this to the One above, says Caloy

Yulo also has the distinction of being the first Filipino to win multiple golds in the world’s premier sports meet. 

His first vault was a picture of power, grace and artistry, earning for himself a score of 15.433, the highest given in the competition.

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A slightly imperfect landing caused his score in his second vault to dip a bit, giving him a score of 14.800, but it was still enough to earn him the top place on the podium, with an average score of 15.116.

The Philippine flag was raised and the national anthem played
 for only the 3rd time in Olympic history

Armenia’s Artur Davtyan who won the silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics, again took the second slot after finishing his routine with an average score of 14.966. Britain’s Harry Hepworth, whose score of 14.949 initially put him in the lead, took bronze.

The Philippines is now assured of four medals in the Paris Olympics, with female boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas each assured of at least a bronze medal after their winning bouts also on Sunday.

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This ties up the number of medals won by the Philippines in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), and boosted its haul highlighted by Yulo’s two gold wins.

Since it began taking part in the Olympics in 1924, the Philippines has won a total of 15 medals, eight of which were from the two immediate past quadrennial games.  

After winning his first gold medal, Yulo was assured of huge rewards from both the Philippine government and various private enterprises.

Under a law passed in 2015, an Olympic gold medalist is to be rewarded with a “financial incentive” of P10 million, while the House of Representatives has pledged to give an additional P3 million.

The athlete will also receive an Olympic Gold Medal of Valor from the Philippine Sports Commission, as well as a house and lot. In addition, a private developer has pledged to give him a condominium unit, like what Hidylin Diaz received after her win three years ago.

What is unclear if the rewards will be doubled now that Yulo has won two gold medals.

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Carlos Yulo wins gold for the Philippines in Paris Olympics

 

Yulo screams for joy after his winning score was announced (GMA News photo)

Carlos Edriel Yulo delivered the Philippines’ first gold medal in the Olympic Games Paris 2024, and the second ever in the Olympic games.

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Yulo, 24, clinched the gold in the final of the men’s artistic gymnastics floor exercise final at Bercy Arena on Saturday, Manila time.

Here's a  link to his golden moment at the Olympics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54mDfHpJax0&t=2s

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He scored an impressive  15.000 points in a near-flawless performance, sufficient for him to win the top slot, ahead of Israel’s Artem Goldopyat (14.966) and Britain’s Jake Jarman (14.933). 

Following the announcement of his score, Yulo roared and pumped up his fists, certain he came out on top.

Medal standings in the gymnastics' event that gave the gold to Yulo, and the Philippines

Yulo became the second Filipino to ever win a gold medal in the Olympics, after weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz brought one home from the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

He delivered an almost impeccable performance that showcased his signature high-flying tumbles and intricate spins. 

The routine’s difficulty level, combined with his exceptional execution, secured him the top spot on the podium, and paved the way for the Philippine national anthem to be played for only a second time in Olympic history.

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Yulo will have a chance to bring home another gold for the Philippines when he competes in the vault apparatus competition tomorrow, Sunday.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, two fencing athletes brought home the gold from the Paris Olympics, Vivian Kong and Edgar Cheung Ka-long, who defended the first gold he won at the Tokyo Olympics.

Swimming champion Siobhan Haughey won two bronze medals, one in the 100m and another in the 200m freestyle events, to add to the two silvers she won in Tokyo. She now stands as the winningest Olympic athlete in Hong Kong's history.

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Tech glitch causes mass shutdowns at airports, companies worldwide

Manual flight announcements and check-ins at HK Airport (RTHK photo)

Online operations of big companies, including airlines and airports all over the world, ground to a halt, or at least went back to manual, today after an update on security software that protects their Windows-based computers from cyber attacks caused widespread shutdowns.

A live blog by the New York Times noted that the shutdowns was “a stunning example of the fragile dependence the global economy has on certain software and the cascading effect it can have when things go wrong.”

“This is not a security incident or cyberattack,” the Times quoted George Kurtz, chief executive of CrowdStrike. “The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed.”

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But experts said going back to normal could take time.

The first indications of the crisis – caused by a malfunctioning update in the CrowdStrike cybersecurity software -- were felt by the public at airports, where most flights were delayed and many passengers were unable to board their planes on schedule.

Hong Kong International Airport, Sydney Airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Denver International Airport, and Manchester Airport in Britain saw long lines in their departure areas.

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In the Philippines, Cebu Pacific said in an advisory that it was experiencing technical issues, which “requires us to handle affected processes manually, potentially causing delays.”

“This is a developing situation,” it said.

Chaos at NAIA: Cebu Pacific and AirAsia say they were affected

In contrast, Philippine Airlines appeared unaffected as its website was left untouched by the tech glitch. 

In its website, AirAsia said it was affected by the global IT issue, “affecting reservations for AirAsia and other airlines’ flights on our platform.”

It added: “Other services such as flight check-in, Flight + Hotel bookings, AirAsia Points issuance and redemption and duty-free are unavailable at the moment. We appreciate your patience as we work to resolve this issue promptly.”

The worldwide glitch was caused by a failed security update for Windows-based computers

The disruption was not limited to airlines, with news reports citing banks, supermarkets and media companies as among the businesses reporting the outages. Even emergency 911 lines in multiple states in the US were affected.

The Times also reported that at least three major U.S. airlines -- American, United and Delta -- grounded all flights, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

In Japan, even McDonald’s temporarily closed 30 percent of its stores and limited operations at others because of malfunctioning cash registers. 

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Macau policewoman and boyfriend arrested over death of FDH

Macau police lead suspects away (Macau Daily Times photo)

Macau police have disclosed the arrest of a female police officer and her boyfriend, for allegedly detaining their foreign domestic helper and tormenting her for hours, forcing her to jump from a bathroom window on April 29.

A report in the Macau Daily Times earlier Friday, July 12, said the 36-year-old policewoman and her 34-year-old boyfriend who works as a tour guide, were being held on charges of unlawful detention, grave coercion and improper confiscation of documents.

Police investigators said the officer has been suspended from duty and a criminal investigation and disciplinary procedures have been initiated.

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The police said the incident which took place in the Areia Preta area started when the couple suspected that their helper had stolen MOP60,000 in red packets from them. When the helper returned home, the two interrogated her from 11pm to 2am the next day.

Under hours of relentless questioning the helper admitted the alleged theft. The couple then confiscated the helper’s passport and mobile phone to prevent her from leaving. They also tied up her hands with transparent tape and resumed their interrogation for three more hours, demanding she tell them how to solve the issue.

The victim managed to take refuge in the bathroom where she attempted to cut herself free with scissors but she was restrained.

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At around 8am, the maid once again fled to the bathroom, locked the door and jumped off the window.

A forensic examination did not find any signs of assault on the deceased, and the couple told investigators the maid had jumped to her death after her theft of the $60,000 in lai see money was uncovered.

But further investigation revealed what had really taken place before the helper jumped to her death.

The chief investigator said at a news conference that the hours of interrogation and other means used by the couple to put pressure on the helper had forced her to commit suicide.

Under Article 238 of Macau’s Criminal Procedure Act, private individuals are prohibited from taking the law into their hands and unlawfully detaining suspects.  

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Internet voting by Filipinos overseas almost done deal, says Comelec

Lines like this will be a thing of the past once overseas voting via internet is allowed next year

The Commission on Elections has taken a step closer to allowing millions of Filipinos abroad to cast their ballots through the internet for next year’s mid-term election in the Philippines, with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with various agencies to boost voter registration and turnout.

Comelec Chairman George M. Garcia said he signed the MOA Monday, along with representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), Rotary International District 3810, and the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (Amosup).

Part of the agreement is based on the expectation that internet voting, which was approved by the Comelec en banc last year, will not be opposed by lawmakers who may have reservations about a system that could lead to massive fraud, and endanger the sanctity of the ballot

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Comelec maintains that it has the power to implement internet voting under Republic Act (RA) 9369 or the Automated Election System Act, but some Senators have argued that an enabling act is necessary to get it done.

Garcia said they agreed to implement internet voting next year as the third mode of overseas voting, apart from in-person or by mail, to make it more convenient for Filipinos abroad, especially the seafarers, to cast their votes.

Under the plan, registered Filipino voters may register their digital devices such as their mobile phones, tablet, or laptops so they can cast their votes through a Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) or touch screen scheme.

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This was also announced by Undersecretary Jesus Gary Domingo during his recent briefing to the Filipino community in Hong Kong on Mar. 17, as head of the Overseas Voting Secretariat at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“We’re almost there,” said USec Domingo, but cautioned that the measure could still face opposition from lawmakers.

He said OFW Party List Rep. Marissa del Mar-Magsino who authored the bill expanding the modes of voting for overseas Filipinos, has assured them of her support, but overseas Filipinos could help by urging their local leaders to also give it a push.

“Our target is to have it in place by the 2025 election,” said Domingo, who added that internet voting will make things a lot easier and more convenient for overseas voters.

“Internet voting will make whatever limitations you have a thing of  the past,” he added.

USec Domingo (in black barong) with Filcom leaders during the OV briefing on Mar 17

In Hong Kong, that includes waiting in line for hours to get to the voting precincts at Bayanihan Centre, especially during Sundays, when about 4,000 people cast their votes.

Domingo also said that the technology that will allow internet voting is still being developed, but the ultimate goal is to allow voters to use not just computer laptops and tablets, but also their mobile phones.

Meanwhile, Garcia said that with the landmark shift to internet voting, they hope to boost the number of Filipino voters abroad to three million, which is still just a fraction of the number of those eligible to vote.

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“There are about 10 to 15 million Filipinos abroad, but we are sad that only 1.697 million of them have registered to vote for the 2022 elections,” Garcia said.

Of the registered voters abroad, 600,000 have already been deactivated, and only another 600,000 or 40.5 percent of the remaining active voters have cast their ballots.

“Now that we announced the internet voting with your help, we hope to increase the number of voters abroad,” he said.

Comelec plans to step up its information campaign to get more overseas Filipinos to register and vote before the Sept 30, 2024 deadline for voter registration.

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