The Mindanao Daily Mirror THE NATION MDM P6 SUNday | MARCH 10, 2019 MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday thumbed down the idea of legalizing marijuana in the country, including its possible use for medicinal purposes. “You must remember that heroin, cocaine, and the derivatives are products of opium poppy plant. So matagal masyado magtama, if at all. Talagang mabuang (It takes time to be absorbed, if at all. You get crazy). Plant ‘yan eh (That’s a plant). Marijuana. They are cultivated,” Duterte said in his speech at the campaign rally of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Laban ng Bayan (PDP- Laban) in Victorias City, Negros Occidental. Duterte said considering marijuana as a medicinal drug equates to condoning wrongdoings. “I am ignorant of that kind of research, I must admit. And I do not read it and I do not intend to legalize it. Ayaw ko (I do not want to). Gawain mo lang excuse ‘yan eh (Legalization would be used as an excuse). Magtatanim ka ng iyo. Sabihin mo, ‘Medicinal man kaya ‘to (People might cultivate it and say it is for medicinal purposes),” he said. The President said drug traders can use this measure as an excuse to continue their illegal businesses. “Sabihin medicinal. Lahat na lang mag- medicinal na (They say it’s medicinal. Suddenly, everything will become medicinal). That would be an excuse. Hindi ako pumayag (I did not agree). Not in my time. Not in my time. Some other president, maybe,” he said. PNA SAKADAS IN BUKIDNON. Under the scorching heat of the sun, workers carry loads of sugarcane stalks onto a truck in Lantapan town, Bukidnon for transport to a sugar mill. MINDANEWS PHOTO BY FROILAN GALLARDO Duterte thumbs down marijuana legalization MANILA -- Insisting that he resigned from his post, former general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Alexander Balutan on Saturday took to social media to explain his stepping out of the agency. In a post on Facebook, Balutan said he initially briefed all PCSO employees when he assumed office in 2016 that he will resign from office if somebody from Congress asks him to do something he cannot stomach. “I did not ask for this position, PRRD (President Rodrigo R. Duterte) retired me early from (the) Marines to help him run his administration,” he added. A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983, Balutan drew controversy over the PCSO’s lavish Christmas party in 2017, costing P6 million. He insisted that he did his job well and the rest was history. “In silence, I did and I excelled. I did not ask anything from the President in return,” he added. “Career for me is just temporary but character is (for a) lifetime, even beyond grave,” Balutan said on his FB post. On Friday,Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo announced that the President has fired Balutan as general manager of the PCSO for corruption. “The Palace confirms that President Duterte has terminated the services of PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan on his present post due to serious allegations of corruption,” Panelo said in a statement. He did not mention the particular offense Balutan had supposedly committed, which prompted Duterte to remove him from his post. PNA Axed PCSO chief breaks silence MANILA -- Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday urged the government to build up cases against politicians allegedly involved in illegal drugs as he cited several consequences in releasing the so-called “narco-list”. In a radio interview, Lacson said unveiling the political figures on the list would give them a chance to take a backseat and lie low, which would give authorities a more difficult time in their surveillance and process of building up cases. “What’s worse is, those on the list, especially with real drug links, would stop for a while and be more careful. So the police and PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] would have a difficult time in the surveillance because those [narco-politicians] would be more conscious that they are being monitored since there is an intel report that they are involved,” he said. Lacson noted that if the police kept the information to themselves, they could build up a case, gather evidence and witnesses, and file the appropriate charges in court. He also warned against the release of the narco-list, especially if not validated, as it would be a means to shame these officials, and could eventually serve as death warrants for them. “Secondly, you are shaming them. Thirdly, they could be killed by some eager beaver who wants to set things right. For example, like what happened in the past, Governor Espino was wrongly named. That was already retracted, but what about those who were wrongfully included in the list but were never corrected?” Lacson said. He also stressed that wiretapped information from foreign sources linking Filipinos to crimes, such as illegal drugs, is a violation of Philippine law and the State’s policy to protect its citizens. He contested Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra’s reported pronouncement that if the wiretapped conversation came from a country where wiretapping is not illegal, it “may be passed on to the Philippine government and considered admissible in Philippine courts.” “Mr. Secretary, possession of wiretapped material is also an offense,” Lacson said in a post on his Twitter account. PNA Lacson urges gov’t to build up cases vs ‘narco-politicians’ MANILA -- The embassies of Austria and Sweden in Manila on Friday vowed to assist the Philippines in its campaign to end violence against women (VAW) through a series of activities this year. Last November, the Sweden embassy launched the “Respeto Naman” campaign against gender-based violence, which was followed by the ongoing “Don’t Tell Me How To Dress” movement, an exhibit of clothes worn by rape and VAW victims displayed in malls in Manila. “We found that the response was so strong that we want to extend it. We’re now looking at bringing it nationwide not only in Manila,” Sweden Ambassador Harald Fries said, referring to the exhibit displayed at the Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City “I’m looking at a one-year campaign with the message of stop violence against women and girls,” he added. While not part of the “Respeto Naman” campaign and the “Don’t Tell Me How To Dress” movement, the Austrian embassy in Manila said its activities geared toward raising awareness on gender equality and fighting VAW are continuous. “Austria is not part of this project but fight against VAW is one of the thematic priorities of the Austrian Foreign Ministry. We are very active here in the embassy in awareness raising campaigns to end VAW,” Austrian Ambassador Bita Rasoulian told reporters on the sides of the International Women’s Day Summit 2019 in Taguig City. “This year, we have an expert on human trafficking from Austria and she met with immigration authorities and the National Bureau of Investigation and with all those who can help fight VAW and human trafficking,” she added. Rasoulian stressed the need to continue conducting dialogues and campaigns to address the root of gender inequality, which is one of the reasons behind VAW. “There is so many different perceptions of gender, we have to address that. Women talk gender, whereas men often do not, they don’t even see that there is inequality among men and women,” she said. “Legislation alone cannot do the job, we have to change the mindset, we have to change the heart, we have to see what the core problem is-- that the traditional gender stereotypes have existed for so long. We have to educate the women, yes, and we have to educate the men the same way we have to work with the women,” she said. PNA Austria, Sweden vow ‘active’ campaigns vs VAW in PH
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The Mindanao Daily Mirror
THE NATION MDM
P6 SUNday | MARCH 10, 2019
MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday thumbed down the idea of legalizing marijuana in the country, including its possible use for medicinal purposes.
“You must remember that heroin, cocaine, and the derivatives are products of opium poppy plant. So matagal masyado magtama, if at all. Talagang mabuang (It takes time to be absorbed, if at all. You get crazy).
Plant ‘yan eh (That’s a plant). Marijuana. They are cultivated,” Duterte said in his speech at the campaign rally of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Victorias City, Negros Occidental.
Duterte said considering marijuana as a medicinal drug equates to condoning wrongdoings.
“I am ignorant of that
kind of research, I must admit. And I do not read it and I do not intend to legalize it. Ayaw ko (I do not want to). Gawain mo lang excuse ‘yan eh (Legalization would be used as an excuse). Magtatanim ka ng iyo. Sabihin mo, ‘Medicinal man kaya ‘to (People might cultivate it and say it is for medicinal purposes),” he said.
The President said
drug traders can use this measure as an excuse to continue their illegal businesses.
“Sabihin medicinal. Lahat na lang mag-medicinal na (They say it’s medicinal. Suddenly, everything will become medicinal). That would be an excuse. Hindi ako pumayag (I did not agree). Not in my time. Not in my time. Some other president, maybe,” he said. PNA
SAKADAS IN BUKIDNON. Under the scorching heat of the sun, workers carry loads of sugarcane stalks onto a truck in Lantapan town, Bukidnon for transport to a sugar mill. MINDANEWS PHOTO BY FROILAN GALLARDO
Duterte thumbs downmarijuana legalization
MANILA -- Insisting that he resigned from his post, former general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Alexander Balutan on Saturday took to social media to explain his stepping out of the agency.
In a post on Facebook, Balutan said he initially briefed all PCSO employees when he assumed office in 2016 that he will resign from office if somebody from
Congress asks him to do something he cannot stomach.
“I did not ask for this position, PRRD (President Rodrigo R. Duterte) retired me early from (the) Marines to help him run his administration,” he added.
A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983, Balutan drew controversy over the PCSO’s lavish Christmas party in 2017, costing P6 million.
He insisted that he did his job well and the rest was history.
“In silence, I did and I excelled. I did not ask anything from the President in return,” he added.
“Career for me is just temporary but character is (for a) lifetime, even beyond grave,” Balutan said on his FB post.
On Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo announced that the President has fired Balutan as general
manager of the PCSO for corruption.
“The Palace confirms that President Duterte has terminated the services of PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan on his present post due to serious allegations of corruption,” Panelo said in a statement.
He did not mention the particular offense Balutan had supposedly committed, which prompted Duterte to remove him from his post. PNA
Axed PCSO chiefbreaks silence
MANILA -- Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday urged the government to build up cases against politicians allegedly involved in illegal drugs as he cited several consequences in releasing the so-called “narco-list”.
In a radio interview, Lacson said unveiling the political figures on the list would give them a chance to take a backseat and lie low, which would give authorities a more difficult time in their surveillance and process of building up cases.
“What’s worse is, those on the list, especially with real drug links, would stop for a while and be more careful. So the police and PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] would have a difficult time in the surveillance because those [narco-politicians] would be more conscious that they are being monitored since there is an intel report that they are involved,” he said.
Lacson noted that if the police kept the information to themselves, they could build up a case, gather evidence and witnesses, and file the appropriate charges in court.
He also warned against the release of the narco-list, especially if not validated,
as it would be a means to shame these officials, and could eventually serve as death warrants for them.
“Secondly, you are shaming them. Thirdly, they could be killed by some eager beaver who wants to set things right. For example, like what happened in the past, Governor Espino was wrongly named. That was already retracted, but what about those who were wrongfully included in the list but were never corrected?” Lacson said.
He also stressed that wiretapped information from foreign sources linking Filipinos to crimes, such as illegal drugs, is a violation of Philippine law and the State’s policy to protect its citizens.
He contested Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra’s reported pronouncement that if the wiretapped conversation came from a country where wiretapping is not illegal, it “may be passed on to the Philippine government and considered admissible in Philippine courts.”
“Mr. Secretary, possession of wiretapped material is also an offense,” Lacson said in a post on his Twitter account. PNA
Lacson urges gov’t to build up cases vs ‘narco-politicians’
MANILA -- The embassies of Austria and Sweden in Manila on Friday vowed to assist the Philippines in its campaign to end violence against women (VAW) through a series of activities this year.
Last November, the Sweden embassy launched the “Respeto Naman” campaign against gender-based violence, which was followed by the ongoing “Don’t Tell Me How To Dress” movement, an exhibit of clothes worn by rape and VAW victims displayed in malls in Manila.
“We found that the response was so strong that we want to extend it. We’re now looking at bringing it nationwide not only in Manila,” Sweden Ambassador Harald Fries said, referring to the exhibit displayed at the Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City
“I’m looking at a one-year campaign with the message of stop violence against women and girls,” he added.
While not part of the “Respeto Naman” campaign and the “Don’t Tell Me How To Dress” movement, the Austrian embassy in Manila said its activities geared toward raising awareness on gender equality and fighting VAW are continuous.
“Austria is not part of this project but fight against VAW is one of the thematic priorities of the Austrian
Foreign Ministry. We are very active here in the embassy in awareness raising campaigns to end VAW,” Austrian Ambassador Bita Rasoulian told reporters on the sides of the International Women’s Day Summit 2019 in Taguig City.
“This year, we have an expert on human trafficking from Austria and she met with immigration authorities and the National Bureau of Investigation and with all those who can help fight VAW and human trafficking,” she added.
Rasoulian stressed the need to continue conducting dialogues and campaigns to address the root of gender inequality, which is one of the reasons behind VAW.
“There is so many different perceptions of gender, we have to address that. Women talk gender, whereas men often do not, they don’t even see that there is inequality among men and women,” she said.
“Legislation alone cannot do the job, we have to change the mindset, we have to change the heart, we have to see what the core problem is-- that the traditional gender stereotypes have existed for so long. We have to educate the women, yes, and we have to educate the men the same way we have to work with the women,” she said. PNA
Austria, Sweden vow ‘active’campaigns vs VAW in PH
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