Malacañang to sign UNESCO for protection and promotion of cultural diversity needed-Legarda

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 20, 2011-Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities and a staunch advocate of the preservation of cultural heritage urged Malacañang to sign the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions that is much needed in the country where its entry clearly showed the urgency and political commitment for action by the international community.

“In 2005, the Convention was adopted and entered into force as early as 2007 where it was a legally-binding international agreement that recognized the importance of traditional knowledge, knowledge systems of indigenous peoples and its positive contribution to sustainable development and it also encouraged artists, cultural professionals, practitioners and citizens worldwide to create, produce, disseminate and enjoy a broad range of cultural goods, services and activities,” she said, adding that the Philippines should follow suit and make cultural preservation with 116 state parties today as one of the country’s priorities.

Legarda said that we have been missing out the opportunity to access the International Fund for Cultural Diversity by not being a state party on the convention, a fund which could have supported activities geared towards the strengthening of institutional infrastructure and cultural industries, mapping of our cultural communities, funding for research and education, and the preservation of our dying art forms, among others where it was created for the promotion of sustainable development and poverty reduction in developing and least developed countries through the emergence of a dynamic cultural sector.

The Senator said that UNESCO recognizes that culture can no longer be a by-product of development, but rather the mainstream for sustainable development.

During the 1st call for applications launched in March 2010, thirty-one projects out of 250 requests for funding by state parties and international NGOs have been approved by the Convention’s Intergovernmental Committee; thus, to protect Philippine contemporary art as well as the customs, handicrafts, and way of life of the more than 110 ethno-linguistic groups all over the country, the Senator believes that Malacañang will merit favorable action on the said convention. (Jason de Asis)

Proper ICT usage useful in emergency situations says Angara

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 20, 2011-Senator Edgardo J. Angara, chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology remarked that Information Communication Technology (ICT) proper usage in the increasing usefulness of social networking sites and other modern forms of communication are useful during emergency situations where the communication lines serve as lifelines for emergency response.

In today’s wake up call for all the disasters that hits the different part of the world, the Senator furthered that ICT over the past decade have given us so many ways to keep in contact with each other and the rest of the world where he cited online people finders for those still missing in disaster-stricken areas, continuous news feeds in Twitter and Facebook from news outfits, as well as emergency hotlines that are created to facilitate cross-country communication for our OFWs.

“There are also relief organizations which set up information pages with links to online maps, local emergency numbers, and a list of donation options for those who want to give monetary aid,” Angara cited.

“However, to help Japan and other affected areas people should also be wary of false websites asking for donations. They use the name of known charity organizations and ask internet users to deposit money into fake accounts,” he furthered.

Angara warned the public that these scammers try to take advantage of gullible internet users who are eager to help in whatever way possible. “They would lose their hard-earned money, plus there is also an added risk of identity theft if they submit personal information,” he added.

Angara who authored Senate bill 52 otherwise known as Cybercrime prevention act have heavy penalties for internet fraud and identity theft where it is now pending in the Senate and for discussion at the plenary. (Jason de Asis)

Beneficiary barangays lauded Balikatan 2011 projects

CAMP AQUINO, Tarlac City, March 19, 2011-Villager beneficiaries of five barangays in Central Luzon lauded the Army, Air Force and Navy engineering units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and United States components of Balikatan 2011 in the ongoing construction of two (2) room-two school buildings in Babancal Elementary School, Candelaria, Zambales;   Pundakit Elementary School, San Antonio,  Zambales;  Angel C. Manglicmot Elementary School, Barangay Angeles, San Antonio, Zambales;  Lubigan Elementary School, San Jose, Tarlac; and Pedro L. Quines Elementary School, Mayantoc, Tarlac which is expected to be completed on April 14 or 15, 2011.

They also conducted free medical, dental and veterinary services to the residents of Barangay Babancal in Candelaria, Zambales; Barangay San Miguel, Angeles and Pundakit, all in San Antonio, Zambales; Barangay Tariji, Tarlac City; and Barangay Mangahan, Mayantoc, Tarlac where the school grounds of respective villages are the sites agreed upon for the humanitarian mission. Other activities designed to enhance community relations are also included in the Balikatan schedule.

Lieutenant Colonel Rosendo D. Armas, spokesperson of the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) said that to enhance readiness and interoperability between the Philippines and US militaries, this is now the 27^th in the series of bilateral exercises conducted every year in the country for the purpose of strengthening our defense relationship with the United States.

Earlier, a groundbreaking ceremony was witnessed by the local and school officials in the site projects. (Jason de Asis)

Phl-Japanese government P594-M upgrade of Aurora hospital launched

BALER, Aurora, March 18, 2011-The Philippines and Japanese governments have launched the P594-million upgrading project of the Aurora Memorial Hospital in this capital town aimed at fortifying the medical referral system and the qualitative improvement of medical services in the province through Japan International Cooperation Agency, amidst the devastation caused by a killer earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The grant-in aid project was launched following recent ground-breaking ceremonies at the AMH’s 3.8-hectare project site in Barangay Reserva here where Senator Edgardo J. Angara, who initiated the project with Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo and Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura on the said hospital upgrading.

The project would also facilitate as a general hospital playing a central role in the local health referral system included aside from improving of the AMH’s infrastructure and equipment.

Aside from Katsura, the ground-breaking rites were witnessed by JICA Chief Representative Norio Matsuda, Japanese Embassy First Secretary Takeshi Sakata and Health Secretary Enrique Ona among others.

The hospital upgrade was funded through a P509-million grant from the Japanese government and P85-million in counterpart funding from the provincial government and projected to be completed in December 2011.

“The common goal of the Japanese and Philippine governments is to prioritize human development projects in the province,” Angara said, who donated the land for the new building, saying that the project is through Japan’s generosity that’s why the AMH will be one of the most advanced in the region in terms of equipment and facilities.

Angara furthered that the Japanese government has gone beyond the usual land grants or donations for the basic structure, they have instead chosen to build a fully equipped hospital in our humble but deserving municipality, adding that among the structures to be put up in the project site are administration, emergency and operation and delivery buildings, 50-bed capacity ward buildings, service building, and ancillary buildings such as the guardhouse, mortuary and others.

Angara said that the 70-year-old memorial hospital will also be provided with state-of-the-art equipment such as dental, physical therapy and radiology equipment such as general x-ray system, automatic x-ray film processor and ultrasound machine for general examination; laboratory equipment (hematology analyzer and autopsy table), central supply and sterilization room equipment and equipment for the ward such as infant warmer and mechanical ventilator.

It also includes other equipment like four defibrillators, anesthesia apparatus with vaporizer, operating tables and EENT.

The AMH would be able to confine 800 more patients per anum without transferring them to other provinces and will lessen the financial burden on the part of the families with the upgraded facilities.

It would also increase by nearly twice the total patient-days confined from the present 7,700 patient-days to 13,000 patient-days.

The improved facilities would also enhance the hospital’s examination and medical care capacities, especially in surgery and obstetrics and gynecology departments and the quality of medical services. In the process, the AMH would also be used as the training institution for the midwifery and nursing students from the University of the Philippines School of Health Sciences in the province.

Prior to the launching of the hospital upgrading project, the AMH is functioning only as a small hospital covering the central towns of the province. The present 25-bed capacity hospital’s license was even lowered from Level 2 to Level 1 when the Department of Health clamped down on hospitals without a trained surgeon and an anesthesiologist.

This prompted the provincial government represented by Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo to seek assistance from the Japanese government which, in response, conducted a preparatory survey in January 2009 and dispatched a basic design team in June of that same year.

On March 15, 2010, the Exchange of Notes was signed in Manila by then-Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Katsura.

Angara, who authored the law that created PhilHealth and the Child Health Insurance Program, said that the project would enable Aurora not only to be removed from the list of poorest provinces of the country but go a step further by becoming a role model for rural development through the cooperation of local, national and international agencies. (Jason de Asis)

Manila next venue for global conference of parliamentarians

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 17, 2011-In line with the Aquino administration's current flagship program of anti-corruption, Senator Edgardo J. Angara said that the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) has chosen Manila as the venue of its next global conference in February 2013.

Angara, who is the founding president of Southeast Asian Parliamentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC) is the only Asian representative who presides over a session of the 4th Global Conference of Parliamentarians Against Corruption held on Saturday in the Mexican capital.

The Philippine Senate and the Southeast Asian Parliamentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC) will jointly host this biennial global gathering which will be attended by over 500 members of parliament from 50 countries worldwide.

GOPAC is the only parliamentary network with the singular focus on combating corruption. There are currently over 900 members of GOPAC, representing over 90 countries in all the regions of the world.

Dr. Nasser Al Sane of Kuwait was re-elected president of GOPAC while Senator Edgardo J. Angara was elected vice president.

In 2005, Angara was the driving force behind the establishment of SEAPAC and is a member of the Executive Board of the Ottawa, Canada-based GOPAC.

The Senator said that to achieving good governance and fighting corruption can be strengthened by building networks among institutions, saying that the key ingredient is International cooperation. “Just as corruption transcends borders, so too must we fight it on a transnational level,” he said.

Angara led the passage of major anti-corruption laws including the Government E-Procurement Law and creation of the Office of the Ombudsman in the Philippines where he pushes for the Political Party and Campaign Finance Reform bill that will transform political parties into public institutions and maintain transparency activities. (Jason de Asis)

Senator Edgardo J. Angara presides over a session of the 4th Global Conference of Parliamentarians Against Corruption held on Saturday in the Mexican capital. With him are fellow members of Parliament (L-R) Senator Ricardo Garcia Camacho of Mexico, Dr. Nasser Al Sane of Kuwait, John Williams and Roy Cullen of Canada, and Christiane Vienne of Belgium. (Jason de Asis)

Text messages that sparks reign of terror in the Phl under investigation

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 16, 2011-Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., chair of the public service urged the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to exert all efforts to identify the source that sparked reign of terror in the spread of the malicious text messages that caused panic to the public where the Senate asked why the NTC cannot effectively address to identify such kind of malicious text messages that spread all over the Philippines.

“It was a hoax intended to put the citizenry in panic and bad light,” Revilla said, adding that he advised the public not to believe in rumor mongers and gossips regarding the meltdown at Fukuyama or some other places in Japan, and on the radiation threatening to affect other places like the Philippines.

He furthered that the NTC informed the Senate that they do not have the capability to specifically identify the people doing this counterproductive rumor-mongering and what they can do is merely deactivate the SIM cards used because they do not have a database showing to whom the SIM cards are issued, at least for prepaid SIM cards.

“Babalik tayo sa usapin ng SIM card registration na tinatalakay at pinag-aaralan ngayon ng Senado sa pamamagitan ng Senate Committee on Public Services na aking pinamumunuan,” Revilla said.

He said that there is a need to strike a balance between privacy and public interest issues where he personally believes that these people must be held accountable, adding that we must empower our agencies particularly the NTC.

Revilla urged the public to exercise caution when receiving text communications from unknown senders for the meantime.

Meanwhile, Senator Pia S. Cayetano, chairs of health and demography committee also advised the public not to panic over hoax text messages circulating this week spreading rumors that deadly radiation from earthquake-stricken nuclear plants in Japan had already reached Philippine territory and is directly threatening the health and safety of the Filipinos.

“These are purely baseless information that radiation and acid rain allegedly caused by the nuclear plant incidents in Japan that reached the country; thus the people should remain calm and vigilant by staying abreast of news developments,” Cayetano said, advising the public to refer to the proper authorities like the Department of Health (DOH), DOST, PAG-ASA, and the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) which regularly reported through media if there is an information received in doubts.

“Let us use instant messaging technology to share useful information only and not to contribute to social anxiety by forwarding unscientific and baseless rumors,” she said.

Relative to this, Justice Secretary Laila de Lima directed the National Bureau of Investigation to identify the culprit as soon as possible in the spreading of prank text messages. “The source of the text messages could be held liable for committing crimes against public order under Article 155, Chapter 5 of the Revised Penal Code,” de Lima said, saying that we should not underestimate the consequences of false texts and false alarms and can have injurious consequences and therefore must be taken seriously. “Actions must be taken seriously,” she furthered.

Earlier, a reign of terror spread to the public in the country regarding the radiation meltdown in Japan and circulating advised to the people that they should stay indoors and to wear raincoats if they go outdoors and apply Betadine liquid in their neck to fight radiation.

The said hoax was clarified by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) that there is no immediate danger in the country and advised the public not to believe in these rumors spreading like wildfire through text messages, emails, internet and other means of communication.

The DOST also advised the public to stop forwarding messages so as not to sow panic among the people, saying that the DOST is committed to bring accurate, reliable, and timely information regarding the Fukushima event and its possible effect to the Philippines. (Jason de Asis)

Legarda lauded the Senate 3rd reading approval of Phl-Japan Agreement on technical cooperation

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 16, 2011-Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations lauded the approval of the Senate on third reading regarding the Philippine-Japan Agreement on Technical Cooperation (ATC) where she reported that this would bring multitude of benefits to the country.

“The government has limited resources toward promoting sustainable development where we had a myriad concerns and endless economic challenges,” she said, adding that Japan is the Philippines top source of official development assistance (ODA) which finances the country where it accounted for 36% or about US$3.46 billion of the total loan commitments in 2009.

Japan ODA is a technical cooperation aimed to support the country’s development through (1) training programs in Japan; (2) the dispatch of technical cooperation experts to the Philippines to impart technical knowledge and skills to various agencies; (3) provision of equipment and materials; and (4) the conduct of development studies.

Japan is the instrument that reduces administrative burdens and helps synergize the technical assistance in the country where the magnitude and extent of Japan’s technical cooperation projects over the years underscored the importance of the Agreement on Technical Cooperation with them.

The Agreement will replace the redundant process of having to periodically exchange Note Verbales for each and every Technical Cooperation Project between Japan and the Philippines where it contains the provisions on tax exemptions, immunities, and privileges of Japanese experts dispatched here in the Philippines.

On the basis of a duly-established framework for cooperation development, it is a partnership, donor and recipient countries need to cooperate where the ATC lends emphasis in our role to the recipient country like the Philippines that is charged with directing our development agenda and assuming responsibilities as well; thus, this measure signals an even stronger and meaningful cooperation with Japan. (Jason de Asis)

NIA assured Pantabangan Dam can withstand Intensity 10 quake

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, March 16, 2011-The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) assured yesterday that the country’s largest dam that supplies irrigation to over 100,000 hectares of farmlands in Central Luzon, can withstand a powerful earthquake even one that is stronger than the Intensity 9 tremor that triggered a tsunami in Japan.

NIA administrator Antonio Nangel said that the giant Pantabangan Dam which was the first single largest infrastructure ever accomplished by the government can survive in an Intensity 10 earthquake.

Nangel said that the Pantabangan Dam which is an earthen dam was so designed and constructed to withstand powerful earthquakes.

“It was sturdily built. And since it is an earth dam, it has flexibility so we see no problem. In fact, it can survive even an Intensity 10 earthquake,” he said.

Nangel came up with the assurance after some quarters raised fears some of the country’s dams might not be able to survive powerful tremors similar, if not powerful, to the one that hit Japan which killed thousands of people.

Nangel was once operations manager of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems, the country’s largest national irrigation system which administratively supervised the operations of the Pantabangan Dam.

The dam was built in 1971 by an all-Filipino consortium of engineers and completed in August 1974, 17 months ahead of schedule at a cost of P800 million at that time, including $34 million loan from the World Bank. The structure is located at the center of the Carranglan, Pantabangan and Pampanga Rivers.

The dam consists of two zoned-earth filled dams – the main dam and the Aya Dam. Its 8,420-hectare reservoir area has a water storage capacity of 1.75 billion cubic meters for irrigation and power generation. Its watershed area covers 90,900 hectares.

Aside from irrigation, the dam also provides flood control, water supply for domestic and industrial purposes, fish conservation and tourism.

Nangel said that to illustrate its readiness to survive a powerful earthquake, the dam withstood the July 16, 1990 killer quake with no damage to its reservoir area and other structures. “Even if there was a faultline in Digdig (in nearby Carranglan), there was never any ill effects on the operations of the Pantabangan Dam back then,” he said.

The 1990 tremor, listed at Intensity 7.7 in the open-ended Richster Scale, however, considerably affected the natural flow in the downstream portions of the Pantabangan Dam at the Digdig and Talavera rivers, considerably reducing the service area of the Talavera River Irrigation System from 6,000 hectares to only 500 hectares.

Nangel said the UPRIIS’ dam and reservoir division, led by engineer Fred Tuquero, is supervising the maintenance and upkeep of the dam to ensure its structural soundness and safety as well as monitor and regulate the release of water from its reservoir. (Jason de Asis)

Casiguran police sergeant raps two complaints at the Ombudsman and trial Court

CASIGURAN, Aurora, March 16, 2011-A Casiguran police sergeant is now facing formal complaint before the office of the ombudsman and Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Atty. Juliet M. Isidro Reyes.

The complainant was Salvador Tesorero, 35 years old and a resident of barangay Bianoan in this town who filed the charges to Atty. Reyes against SPO1 Danilo Mendoza who was assigned in a PNP checkpoint at the said barangay.

The complainant stated in his affidavit that last November 1, 2010 Sergeant Mendoza was allegedly drunk when the mauling incident happened. Suspect used rattan (yantok) and thereby batted him on his feet, eyes and in the different parts of the body while Rico Puno, 26 years old was tied by handcuff more or less 11:30 pm to 12 midnight who was the star witness of the police abuses.

Tesorero stated that he was injured and could not walk after the incident where he immediately went to the nearest hospital for medical check-up.

An administrative case-Grave Misconduct and Less Serious Physical Injuries- were filed at the Ombudsman and PAO while the suspect Mendoza was asked to answer the complaints charged against the police.

The authorities said that Mendoza is in floating status facing the charges and once proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt he will be in prison for not less than 6 years aside from the administrative and/or criminal case he is facing and the culprit must prove that he is innocent in the case filed against him. (Arnel Turzar, DZJO FM, CMN-Baler, Aurora)

Consultation on the proposed postponement of ARMM 2011 election needed

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 15, 2011-Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr., chairman of the Senate committee on local government, urged Malacanang to establish first the true sentiments of the villagers living at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on the proposed postponement of the scheduled elections in 2011 where he said that a consultation should be conducted first in the areas of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Marawi City.

Marcos reminded the Palace officials that the deferment of the August 8, 2011 elections in the ARMM should first clearly establish the true sentiments of the people of ARMM regarding the Palace's bill seeking to postpone elections to 2013 and appointing Officers-in-charge (OIC's) in the interim.

The Senator emphasized that the administration must avoid being seen as imposing their own demands particularly in a region whose acronym begins with the word 'autonomous' making the proposed postponement and subsequent appointments of OIC's an irony if not an outright affront to what is core to the charter itself, adding that the 'autonomy' status of that region must give due respect to in the deliberations regarding the elections scheduled for August of this year.

Prior to this, Marcos advised the government’s plan to appoint OICs who shall sit in the meantime until the synchronized elections in 2013 and the postponement of the ARMM August elections this year saying that it is complicated to be understood by the citizenry.

In the view that barangay officials had to have a fresh mandate from the people, Marcos said that the Palace had last year just rejected calls for the postponement of the barangay elections; thus, it was logical that ARMM elections should also be allowed to proceed so that the brothers and sisters in ARMM could freely choose their leaders.

He said that local officials told him that the ARMM villagers would not recognize officials who were just appointed that would cause a great deal of confusion and might deteriorate into a complete political chaos in the place, explaining that appointing officials violates the principle of the mandates of public officials who are supposed to be elected.

Marcos believed that the best way to cleanse political mess is election, an honest, straightforward and clean election then we can be guaranteed that those who will sit in power shall in fact have been chosen by their own constituency. (Jason de Asis)

Disaster preparedness needed in the country

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 15, 2011-Senator Edgardo J. Angara Yesterday expressed his concern over the disaster preparedness of the Philippines resulting to more than 2,000 dead from the massive 8.9 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last Friday where it set off tsunami alerts in 53 different areas in the Pacific, including the Eastern seaboard of the Philippines and the people living near the coastlines were evacuated to higher ground until the risk of being hit by a tsunami passed.

Angara said that the Philippines is fortunate to have not been severely affected by this catastrophe which crippled Japan despite all their measures to safeguard the people and the infrastructure.

“What if we are not so lucky next time,” Angara asked, saying that the Philippines is not nearly as prepared facing such kind of disaster where the “Natural Disaster Hotspots: A Global Risk Analysis”, a joint study by the Columbia University’s Earth Institute and the World Bank Hazard Management Unit reported that the Philippines is a high-risk area in drought, earthquakes, floods, landslides, storms, and volcano eruptions as the primary indicators combined with mortality and economic loss to establish the risk level for a particular region.

“It was no surprise that the Philippines was classified like that, since we have seen our fair share of calamities and natural disasters which seem to happen more frequently in recent years,” Angara said, saying that the country was hitstruck more than two dozen typhoons a year which rank high in the storm, floods and landslide categories where our archipelago is also part of the Ring of Fire in the Pacific area with several active volcanoes scattered throughout the country.

“The country is among the top 20 worldwide when it comes to emergency loans due to catastrophe,” Angara added, where he believes that there is a need to become more proactive at this point in time and have to establish preventive measures instead of waiting for the next natural disaster that hit the country then scrambling for the right response.

“Knowledge and better preparation facing the disaster will lead the citizenry to lessen casualty,” he said.

Meanwhile, there are more than 80 thousand villagers who were retrieved for radiation threat 20 kilometer exclusion zone away from the Fukushima nuclear power plants for their safety, following the explosion in the place which resulted to 11 casualty and 1 critical in Japan. (Jason de Asis)

Senate approves two bills for 2011 career executive system act and decriminalizing vagrancy

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 15, 2011-The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading the two bills for career executive system act (CASA) of 2011 and bill decriminalizing vagrancy.

Senate bill number 2671 otherwise known as CASA is designed for effective, efficient and responsible administration of government officials and seek to strengthen the bureaucracy by professionalizing the ranks of government managers and executives.

           

Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, who authored the bill along with Senator Bong Revilla said that the passage of the measure would help minimize political appointments and ensure that all government officials are eligible under the Civil Service Law.

Trillanes furthered that this measure will ensure that our civil servants will follow the principles of merit and fitness in the government and will insulate the Career Executive System and Career Executive Service Board (CESB) from political interference and encourage the professionalization of our government managers and executives.

“CESB is a policy-making body responsible for the development, training and administration of civil managers and executives and was formed to create a continuing pool of well-selected development-oriented career administrators,” Trillanes said, adding that it will be transferred to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) from the wings of the Office of the President, a step seen to curb political accommodations under the bill.

With the CSC being the central personnel agency of the government, the Senator explained that the bill will provide harmonization to the policies, rules and regulations pertaining to government personnel, saying that the legislation would also ensure that civil service officials will be prescribed a fixed tour of duty of three years during which they cannot be transferred to other offices or positions without consent of the CSC.

                       

“The civil servant serves as the government backbone,” Trillanes said, stressing that to install a system which would ensure merit and fitness among our government employees regardless of rank is required.

Meanwhile, the bill decriminalizing vagrancy, a proposal Trillanes co-sponsored with five other senators was also put forward to remove vagrancy as a criminal offense in the Revised Penal Code because it has become a common excuse for law enforcers to detain, arrest or bring to the police station any person the police don’t have sufficient reasons to arrest or those with no specific crime to charged with under Senate bill number 2726 which authored by Senator Chiz Escudero, chairman of the committee on justice and human rights. (Jason de Asis)