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July 24, 2023 6:46 AM

A 37-year-old male suspect, was armed with three knives, when he was arrested.

(Nairobi) - Malian armed forces and foreign fighters apparently from the Russia-linked Wagner Group have summarily executed and forcibly disappeared several dozen civilians in Mali's central region since December 2022, Human Rights Watch said today. They also destroyed and looted civilian property and allegedly tortured detainees in an army camp.

On June 16, 2023, M

(Goma) - Militia fighters killed at least 46 civilians, half of them children, and pillaged and burned a displaced people's camp on June 12, 2023, in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern Ituri province, Human Rights Watch said today. The Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Cooperative pour le developpement du Congo, CODECO), a predominantly

(Nairobi) - Ethiopian authorities should immediately release seven Oromo opposition figures arbitrarily detained for around three years purely for their political role, Human Rights Watch said today. These cases underscore the urgent need for Ethiopia's government to reform the country's justice system.

Oromia police have held seven senior members of the oppositio

July 24, 2023 6:25 AM

Ms Kiri Allan was being charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest.

China kicked off construction of the Pinglu Canal in August, and it is hoped that the waterway can facilitate trade with Southeast Asian nations, but concerns have been raised about the demand and environmental impact of the project.

THE Cebu City Government will conduct an investigation on the P1.3 billion drainage project that has yet to be implemented until now.

City Administrator Collin Rosell said the City Government may take several options on the pending project, including withdrawing the advance payment made in 2021, imposing penalties, or completing the project as soon as possible.

The Commission on Audit (COA), in its 2022 audit report, flagged the City for making an advance payment of P199.323 million for the project, which state auditors deemed excessive because the contractor had failed to implement it as of the end of 2022.

City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo, during the press conference on Friday, July 21, 2023, said the transaction was made during the time of the late mayor Edgardo Labella, and the contract was signed by former city administrator Floro Casas Jr.

Rosell, in an interview on Sunday, July 23, said they will conduct an investigation to find out what’s causing the delay, and hold accountable the people behind it.

“(Let’s) put people responsible, bisan pa’g (even if) subjected to penalty or punishment, if that is called by the people under our existing law, then let it be,” said Rosell. “If you are dealing with the government, just make sure you deliver what you are tasked to do kay kung wala na sya (otherwise) it will entail civil, criminal, administrative liability.”

Rosell said the City will exhaust all available legal remedies concerning the project, considering payment has already been released.

According to the February 2020 report of SunStar Cebu, the P1.3 billion drainage project aims to solve the flooding problems in the city’s southern barangays.

The project was supposed to be implemented in the second quarter of 2020, with the first phase starting at the Mambaling Flyover and ending at the Sto. Tomas Villanueva Church in Barangay Pardo.

The second phase, which was supposed to be constructed simultaneously with the first phase, would start on Leon Kilat St. near Elizabeth Mall and end in Barangay Ermita.

The drainage project was based on the 2017 drainage master plan prepared by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

In an interview on News+One with Pachico A. Seares on SunStar Cebu, Casas defended himself, saying Labella had authorized him to sign disbursement vouchers, payrolls, purchase requests, and such other official documents related to them.

Casas, in a report of SunStar Cebu in 2021, said the late mayor issued a memorandum in 2019 delegating him the authority. The memorandum was also confirmed by the City Council by passing a resolution, he said.

The City Council resolution was approved on July 9, 2019, saying it decided to “delegate and grant authority” for Casas to sign vouchers, payrolls and other official documents “for the exigency of the services and to provide the best public service for the constituents of the City of Cebu.”

A LABOR leader said that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has failed to fulfill his obligations and commitments since stepping into Malacañang a year ago.

Teodorico “Teddy” Navea of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino Cebu, on Saturday, July 22, 2023, described Marcos as a “puppet of the rich” and as anti-people for not prioritizing the needs of the masses, particularly in addressing skyrocketing prices of basic commodities due to inflation.

However, a local business leader believes it is too early to judge the President.

President Marcos will deliver his second State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 24.

According to Navea, Marcos is a servant of billionaires.

“In the first place, it was evident when he won he met with the tycoons about a day or two after winning [the elections]. His promises will remain promises, including the P20 per kilo rice promise,” he said.

On the eve of the presidential elections last May 9, 2022, photos of Marcos celebrating at a party with some tycoons in the country also went viral after images surfaced on the internet.

No change

“For us, he really failed. That is why we will be raising our voices on Monday during Sona, and our general line that we want to convey is that Marcos is no different from his predecessor,” Navea said.

He said Marcos is mum on issues such as endo contractualization and low pay of workers despite the high prices of commodities.

Endo contractualization, according to Wikipedia, refers to the short-term employment practice in the country, “which involves companies giving workers temporary employment that lasts them less than six months and then terminating their employment just short of being regularized in order to skirt on the fees which come with regularization.”

He said Marcos, just like former President Rodrigo Duterte, has no plans of ending the practice anytime soon.

Call

Navea said he wants the President to talk about real solutions to real problems during his Sona.

He said his group and other progressive groups will stage a rally on Monday to urge the President to fulfill his campaign promise to lower the price of rice to P20 per kilo.

“Our goal is P20 rice [per kilo]. We are not there yet, but we are doing everything,” Marcos said in Tagalog during a public engagement in Pampanga last July 17.

SunStar Cebu has asked the Department of Agriculture 7 about the President’s directives to achieve his promise, but has yet to receive a reply. Marcos is the concurrent Agriculture Secretary.

Navea also urged the President to address inflation, which is hurting many Filipinos.

He said the government has so far provided only “band-aid” solutions by giving “ayuda,” or small-time assistance.

Salary increase

Navea also hit the administration for not implementing a wage recovery hike.

While acknowledging the P40 wage increase recently implemented in Metro Manila, he said that this was not enough to raise a family.

“The workers in Manila are complaining because P40 is too small. How about here in Cebu? There is no wage increase yet,” he said.

Meanwhile, a member of the business sector would like to hear how the Marcos administration would bring down inflation and invite investment.

“It’s really too early to make an assessment of any president’s administration on the first year. However, we would like to hear the administration’s strategy on bringing and keeping inflation with in the target range of two to four percent. If successful, we can expect to see interest rates adjusted to more investment-encouraging levels,” Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Kelie Ko said in a text message to SunStar Cebu on Sunday, July 23.

Ko said he hopes that current administration will also address issues in the agriculture sector, as this dictate the success of the nation’s food security.

“We appreciate most of the appointments of the President, especially his economic team. By bringing in competent people who already have served various administrations, this lessens the learning curve and they should hit the ground running,” he said. “Overall, we can feel the sense of optimism in the business sector and we are hopeful that our country can really catch up with the rest of our Asian neighbors in terms of economic and human development.”

SEVERAL charges may be filed against the administrators of the Facebook page “Cebu Updates,” including cyberlibel and usurpation of property, a Cebu City official said.

The Cebu City Government is looking for the people behind the Facebook page of Cebu Updates, which used to be the official Facebook page of the Cebu City Public Information Office (PIO).

City Administrator Collin Rosell, in an interview on Sunday, July 23, 2023, said that once the City identifies the people behind the Facebook page, they will be charged with civil, administrative and criminal liabilities.

Rosell emphasized that if it is proven that the Facebook page is owned by the City, they will take necessary actions to recover and protect its property.

“They have taken advantage of it. They can easily create it (Facebook page). Why use government property?” Rosell said in a mix of Cebuano and English.

On Saturday, July 22, Cebu Updates posted a statement following the warning of the City officials that charges may be filed against the administrators of the page.

“Cebu Updates is here to keep you informed about everything happening in our beloved city. Our main objective is to provide you with accurate and up-to-date information about the events, developments, and most importantly, the actions of our city’s leaders,” read a portion of its statement.

The statement also carries its message to Mayor Michael Rama. The group said that its intention is not to tarnish anyone’s image but “to promote a better Cebu for everyone.”

Cebu Updates has 236,000 likes and 311,000 followers, while the current official Facebook page of the Cebu City Public Information Office, Cebu City. News & Information, has 35,000 likes and more than 62,000 followers.

Cebu Updates identifies itself as a nongovernmental organization with an address at the North Reclamation Area.

THE Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the contract price of Phase 4 of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) construction, saying it is overblown by more than P62 million.

The contract price was supposed to be P845.12 million, but the actual cost ballooned to P907 million.

This was due to errors in overhead, contingencies and miscellaneous (OCM), profit mark-up, and the use of a 12 percent value added tax (VAT) rate.

The Department of Public Works and Highways’ Department Order 197, series of 2016 in relation to the Manual of Procedures for the Procurement of Infrastructure Projects Volume 3 (MPPIP) states that the VAT component should be five percent of the sum of the estimated direct cost (EDC), OCM and profit mark-up.

The state auditor said certain items, including non-civil work items, should not be subject to OCM and profit mark-up. These include mobilization and demobilization, provision of service vehicles, permits and clearances, field/laboratory office and living quarters, furnishing of furniture, laboratory equipment, survey equipment and consumables, assistance to engineers, photographs, health and safety, traffic management, environmental compliance and communication equipment, according to MPPIP guidelines.

But a review of the approved budget for the contract of the City and the bid proposal of the winning contractor showed that some of the items above were subject to OCM and profit mark-up.

The City Government awarded the contract for Phase 4 of the project to M.E. Sicat Construction Inc. (joint venture with Avecs Corp.) on April 6, 2022.

The auditor stated that the City’s review of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) shows that mobilization and demobilization, amounting to P672,807.36, were subject to both OCM and profit mark-up. The contractors’ review shows that engineer’s facilities, office supplies and equipment under OCM amounted to P3.312 million, permits, bonds and licenses under both OCM and Profit amounted to P640,000, and construction safety and health under OCM amounted to P653,176.31.

According to the COA, the guidelines state that the tax base for the VAT component should be the sum of the EDC, OCM, and profit mark-up. If the tax base is overstated due to an overstatement of both OCM and profit mark-up computation, the corresponding VAT will also be overstated.

The City’s computation of ABC showed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,734,025.23 and a profit mark-up of P59,3843,249.53, with a total cost before VAT of P873,309,256.39. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,467,956.63, the total cost would be P916,777,213.02.

However, the COA’s audit revealed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,061,217.87 and a profit mark-up of P59,170,442.17, with a total cost before VAT of P871,963,641.67. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,402,964.17, the total cost would be P915,366,605.84.

The audit revealed that the City’s OCM and profit mark-up were both overstated by P672,807.36 and the total cost before VAT was overstated by P1,345,614.72. After applying the five percent VAT rate amounting to P64,992.46, the overstatement amount reached P1,410,607.18.

Moreover, the state auditor found that the contractors mistakenly used a 12 percent VAT rate instead of the mandated five percent. As a result, the COA discovered that the contractors’ bid price was inflated by P62,642,909.06.

According to the contractors’ calculations of bid price, the EDC was P699,917,760.38, the OCM was P55,294,505 and the profit mark-up was P55,294,505. This resulted in a total cost before VAT of P810,506,770.38. With a 12 percent VAT rate of P97,260,812.45, the total cost came to P907,767,582.83.

However, the audit revealed an EDC of P699,917,760.38, an OCM of P50,689,328.69 and a profit mark-up of P54,654,505 with a total cost before VAT of P805,261,594.07. With a five percent VAT rate only amounting to P39,863,079.70, the total cost would be P845,124,673.77.

This showed that the OCM was overstated by P4,605,176.31 and the profit mark-up by P640,000, resulting in a total cost before VAT of P5,245,176.31. The total overstatement between 12 and five percent of VAT is P57,397,732.75.

The total overstatement is P62,642,909.06, between the amounts of P845,124,673.77 and P907,767,582.83.

COA noted that the excess in the bid price of P62,642,909.06, which could be attributed to the excessive cost estimates in deriving the project ABC and the failure of the City to prescribe the use of the five percent VAT rate, is disadvantageous to the City Government.

The state auditor also found that the City had applied a 12 percent VAT rate to the computation of about 13 other projects.

COA, in the audit report, said that no written reply was received from the CCMC management. However, during the exit conference, the latter agreed with both the audit observations and recommendations.

Aware of the contract termination of Phase 4 of the CCMC construction, COA recommended that management take into account the impact of the shortcomings when finalizing the contract settlement.

The state auditor also recommended that the mayor instruct the Department of Engineering and Public Works to follow the DPWH’s guidelines when preparing the ABC for future infrastructure projects, including the accurate calculation of the VAT, OCM, and Profit mark-up components, to prevent inflated cost estimates that could put the government at a disadvantage. / AML

THE Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the contract price of Phase 4 of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) construction, saying it is overblown by more than P62 million.

The contract price was supposed to be P845.12 million, but the actual cost ballooned to P907 million.

This was due to errors in overhead, contingencies and miscellaneous (OCM), profit mark-up, and the use of a 12 percent value added tax (VAT) rate.

The Department of Public Works and Highways’ Department Order 197, series of 2016 in relation to the Manual of Procedures for the Procurement of Infrastructure Projects Volume 3 (MPPIP) states that the VAT component should be five percent of the sum of the estimated direct cost (EDC), OCM and profit mark-up.

The state auditor said certain items, including non-civil work items, should not be subject to OCM and profit mark-up. These include mobilization and demobilization, provision of service vehicles, permits and clearances, field/laboratory office and living quarters, furnishing of furniture, laboratory equipment, survey equipment and consumables, assistance to engineers, photographs, health and safety, traffic management, environmental compliance and communication equipment, according to MPPIP guidelines.

But a review of the approved budget for the contract of the City and the bid proposal of the winning contractor showed that some of the items above were subject to OCM and profit mark-up.

The City Government awarded the contract for Phase 4 of the project to M.E. Sicat Construction Inc. (joint venture with Avecs Corp.) on April 6, 2022.

The auditor stated that the City’s review of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) shows that mobilization and demobilization, amounting to P672,807.36, were subject to both OCM and profit mark-up. The contractors’ review shows that engineer’s facilities, office supplies and equipment under OCM amounted to P3.312 million, permits, bonds and licenses under both OCM and Profit amounted to P640,000, and construction safety and health under OCM amounted to P653,176.31.

According to the COA, the guidelines state that the tax base for the VAT component should be the sum of the EDC, OCM, and profit mark-up. If the tax base is overstated due to an overstatement of both OCM and profit mark-up computation, the corresponding VAT will also be overstated.

The City’s computation of ABC showed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,734,025.23 and a profit mark-up of P59,3843,249.53, with a total cost before VAT of P873,309,256.39. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,467,956.63, the total cost would be P916,777,213.02.

However, the COA’s audit revealed an EDC of P755,731,981.63, an OCM of P57,061,217.87 and a profit mark-up of P59,170,442.17, with a total cost before VAT of P871,963,641.67. With a five percent VAT rate amounting to P43,402,964.17, the total cost would be P915,366,605.84.

The audit revealed that the City’s OCM and profit mark-up were both overstated by P672,807.36 and the total cost before VAT was overstated by P1,345,614.72. After applying the five percent VAT rate amounting to P64,992.46, the overstatement amount reached P1,410,607.18.

Moreover, the state auditor found that the contractors mistakenly used a 12 percent VAT rate instead of the mandated five percent. As a result, the COA discovered that the contractors’ bid price was inflated by P62,642,909.06.

According to the contractors’ calculations of bid price, the EDC was P699,917,760.38, the OCM was P55,294,505 and the profit mark-up was P55,294,505. This resulted in a total cost before VAT of P810,506,770.38. With a 12 percent VAT rate of P97,260,812.45, the total cost came to P907,767,582.83.

However, the audit revealed an EDC of P699,917,760.38, an OCM of P50,689,328.69 and a profit mark-up of P54,654,505 with a total cost before VAT of P805,261,594.07. With a five percent VAT rate only amounting to P39,863,079.70, the total cost would be P845,124,673.77.

This showed that the OCM was overstated by P4,605,176.31 and the profit mark-up by P640,000, resulting in a total cost before VAT of P5,245,176.31. The total overstatement between 12 and five percent of VAT is P57,397,732.75.

The total overstatement is P62,642,909.06, between the amounts of P845,124,673.77 and P907,767,582.83.

COA noted that the excess in the bid price of P62,642,909.06, which could be attributed to the excessive cost estimates in deriving the project ABC and the failure of the City to prescribe the use of the five percent VAT rate, is disadvantageous to the City Government.

The state auditor also found that the City had applied a 12 percent VAT rate to the computation of about 13 other projects.

COA, in the audit report, said that no written reply was received from the CCMC management. However, during the exit conference, the latter agreed with both the audit observations and recommendations.

Aware of the contract termination of Phase 4 of the CCMC construction, COA recommended that management take into account the impact of the shortcomings when finalizing the contract settlement.

The state auditor also recommended that the mayor instruct the Department of Engineering and Public Works to follow the DPWH’s guidelines when preparing the ABC for future infrastructure projects, including the accurate calculation of the VAT, OCM, and Profit mark-up components, to prevent inflated cost estimates that could put the government at a disadvantage.

SEVENTY-EIGHT employees of Bogo City Hall in northern Cebu who were not able to finish the basic education curriculum have received their diploma through the Alternative Learning System (ALS) offered by the local government unit (LGU).

According to the City Government, Bogo is the first LGU in Cebu Province that is offering the ALS program to its employees who were not able to finish their basic education studies, and the graduates are the first batch of the program.

ALS is a parallel learning system in the country that provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction. It is an alternative or substitute when someone does not have access to formal education through the school system. Ten months of schooling must be completed by students.

According to the data sent by the Bogo City Information Office, the 78 graduates came from 10 offices and departments at the city hall: the City Veterinarian’s Office, City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), City Market Administrator’s Office, Bogo City Central Terminal, City Human Resource and Management Office, City Administrator’s Office, Bogo Traffic Management Office (BTMO), General Services Office, City Council Secretary’s Office and the City of Bogo Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team.

Of the total number of employees who graduated through ALS, 35 of them graduated from the elementary level, while 43 graduated from the high school level.

The commencement exercises took place on Friday, July 21, 2023, at the new City Hall in the New Business District in Barangay Cayang, where graduates wore their togas and were joined by their relatives to celebrate the occasion.

Oldest graduate

The Bogo City Information Office told SunStar Cebu on Sunday, July 23, that the age of the graduates ranged from 20 to 63 years old.

Alberto Balaod and Luisa Amoroto, both from Barangay La Paz, and Carlito Cuizon, from Barangay Guadalupe, are the oldest graduates. They are all 63.

Balaod and Amoroto were former scavengers but were employed by the Cenro to become waste sorters at the city’s dumpsite in 2017.

Cuizon has been working at the BTMO for the past 20 years.

Accessible education

In a statement, Bogo City said that the program is intended to give a second shot at education to the disadvantaged but deserving employees.

“This aims to provide a better tomorrow for the beneficiaries despite poverty. There is no limit to age and state of life to achieve the dream of succeeding in school,” it said.

The City revealed that during schooling, the employees enrolled in ALS should attend the classes once a week. In the case of those working at the dumpsite, for example, the ALS teachers themselves visit them to conduct the classes.

The employees, when attending their ALS classes, are excused from a day at work but are still paid. They were also given free school supplies by the City Government.

A TOTAL of 529 elementary and high school students in Danao City, northern Cebu graduated from the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program on Wednesday, July 19, 2022.

The graduates received their ALS certificates of completion during the graduation exercises and Moving Up Ceremony 2023 at the Danao City Civic Center.

The ALS program, implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd), aims to support out-of-school youth and adults who have not completed basic education in acquiring essential knowledge and skills through a flexible learning system.

Danao City Mayor Thomas Mark “Mix” Durano graced the ceremony. He congratulated the graduates for their academic achievement. Durano was joined by Danao City Schools Division Superintendent Roseller Gelig and DepEd Danao City teachers and officials.

“We are very proud of you and your success today, and we hope that what you have learned will be instrumental in shaping the future of our city,” Durano said in Cebuano.

He also expressed his gratitude to DepEd for continuously implementing the ALS program, which provides his constituents with other forms of access to formal education.

Durano added that the high number of graduates in this year’s ALS highlights the success and effectiveness of the program in the city.

July 24, 2023 5:00 AM

To boost its support among Malay voters, PM Anwar’s ruling coalition badly needs to wrest Kedah back.

July 24, 2023 5:00 AM

Used car sales in Asean and their related products and services are expected to exceed US$224 billion in 2023.

Police responded to a two vehicle crash at the intersection of Scotland Street and Ferry Road, Roxburgh.

The crash was reported around 12:40pm.

One person was transported to hospital by helicopter in a moderate to serious condition.

The Serious Crash unit have been advised. 

The road is blocked and there are diversions in place on State Highway 8 at Hawick Street and Liddle Street.

Mo

Azerbaijan's government is sounding more and more positive about the U.S.- and EU-brokered negotiations with Armenia and increasingly negative about Russia's mediation efforts. 

Those talks are taking place on a separate track, not coordinated with the Western mediators. Russia maintains a 2,000-strong peacekeeping contingent in Azerbaijan's Armenian-populated Nagorno-K

A viral video of an attack on two women in Manipur is encouraging other survivors to speak out.

The Move Forward Party failed in two efforts to have its leader Pita Limjaroenrat confirmed as PM, largely because he failed to woo enough votes from senators.

Emergency services responded to a one vehicle crash involving a truck on State Highway 3, near Croydon Road.

The crash was reported around 3:30am.

One person was transported to hospital in a moderate condition.

The road is closed in both directions and there are diversions in place.

Police advise motorists to allow extra time for travel.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre.
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