Categories
Politics

SOLON LAUDS NEW STATUTORY RAPE LAW

A lawmaker at the House of Representatives lauded the signing into law of a measure that raises the minimum age of sexual consent from 12 to 16, describing it as “a major step forward” toward justice and equality. Agusan del Norte Representative Lawrence Fortun said the new law not only increases the age for determining […]

Categories
Politics

IBC FRANCHISE RENEWAL GETS HOUSE PANEL OK

The House Committee on Legislative Franchises approved the measure renewing the franchise for another 25 years of the state-owned television network Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC). Albay Representative Joey Salceda, the principal author and sponsor of House Bill No. 5404, said the state TV’s franchise extension would help provide a stronger role for an expanded IBC […]

Categories
Politics

LAW FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS’ BENEFITS PUSHED

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte has backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s release of P1.185 billion for the special risk allowance (SRA) of medical frontliners as a measure to recognize the sacrifices made by them in the fight against the lingering pandemic and urged lawmakers to do their part by writing a law that would institutionalize such […]

Categories
Politics

VILLAFUERTE TO CONGRESS: HELP FIGHT CYBERCRIMES

Camarines Sur Representative LRay Villafuerte is urging the Congress to act swiftly on a measure passed by a House committee that is meant to add more teeth to the efforts of regulatory agencies to combat cybercrimes by penalizing social engineering schemes, commonly known as “phishing,”  that lead to illegal financial activities.  Villafuerte said the committee-approved consolidated […]

Categories
Politics

BILL RAISING STATUTORY RAPE AGE GETS BICAM OK

The Senate and the House of Representatives had its bicameral conference committee meeting on Senate Bill No. 2332 and House Bill No. 7836, amending the Revised Penal Code to raise the age for determining statutory rape. From the previous twelve years old, the bill now revises it to be below sixteen years of age. “No […]

Categories
Government

DENR BACKS TAMARAW CONSERVATION BILL IN CONGRESS

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu has expressed his strong support for a bill seeking to conserve the critically endangered Tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis). Cimatu issued the statement following calls for the passage of House Bill (HB) 8299 or the proposed Tamaraw Conservation Management Act in response to the pressing need to […]

Categories
Politics

VILLAFUERTE TO CONGRESS: OK E-GOVERNANCE BILL NOW

Owing to the emergence of more transmissible COVID-19 variants that could necessitate more lockdowns, Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte said Congress could help the national government fast-track its digital transformation by approving the e-governance law, which will facilitate contactless transactions and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of basic services.  Villafuerte noted that his proposed e-governance law, […]

Categories
Politics

SENATE URGED TO OK BILL ON PRIVATE SCHOOL TAX RATE

Camarines Sur Representative LRay Villafuerte is urging the Senate to act quickly to rescue  private schools  by passing before the adjournment of this congressional session on September 30 a bill that would permanently correct the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)’s flawed interpretation of a tax code provision increasing the corporate income  tax (CIT) rate on […]

Categories
Politics

CONGRESS URGED TO OK BILLS FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS

With sufficient funding for all additional benefits of healthcare workers apparently still an uncertainty, Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte said that the long-term solution to guarantee such extra remuneration for  medical frontliners is for Congress to pass new legislation providing them with hazard pay plus substantial increases in the current rates of their overtime pay and […]

Categories
Politics

BIGGER SHARE FOR FEEDING PROGRAM IN 2022 URGED

A group of educators has called on Congress to raise the funding for the country’s feeding program. This, as the funding for the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) had been slashed by around 2.7 billion compared to this year’s allocation in the proposed 2022 budget of the Department of Education. Abante expressed bemusement at the decrease […]