By Chito Chavez

In the midst of mounting complaints, 10 buses which started Thursday will be deployed at the North Avenue and Quezon Avenue Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 stations during rush hours to provide the commuters with other viable options.

(DOTr / MANILA BULLETIN)

These buses will serve MRT-3 passengers from 6:30 am to 9am and 6pm to 7pm bound to Shaw Blvd in Mandaluyong City and Ayala Avenue in Makati City.

The fixed fare for each passenger is pegged at P15.

The Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) deployed fewer trains due to maintenance issues, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.

“Ibinaba sa 15 ang bilang ng mga tren na pinapatakbo araw-araw kapag ‘peak hours’ upang mabigyang daan ang mas mabusising pagmementina ng mga bagon na hindi na maayos ang kondisyon,” the DOTr statement read.

Bombarded by massive criticism which sometimes reached the level of hate messages, the DOTR begged for understanding, citing maintenance issues from the previous provider, Busan Universal Rail, Inc. (BURI) caused the deployment of fewer trains.

The DOTr in an earlier message said it understood the plight and hardships of the commuters daily at the MRT 3 but reiterated its call for the public’s patience as the agency waits for progress.

The DOTr expects the first batch of MRT 3 spare parts to arrive this month.

When the spare parts arrive, the DOTr assured that it would gradually increase the number of working trains and make glitches less frequent during travel, especially during rush hours.

In 2017, the MRT line reported over 500 glitches which were up from about 400 the previous year.

Meanwhile, a team of more than 50 railway experts and engineers from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will start on Thursday the due diligence and system audit of MRT-3.

The DOTr said the system audit is necessary to determine what rehabilitation and restoration works needed on the MRT3 system.

“We obviously need all the help we can get and we are very grateful that the Japanese Government answered our call for assistance to rehabilitate and restore the MRT-3 system,” said OIC Undersecretary for Railways T.J. Batan.

The system audit by JICA is separate from the ongoing Independent Audit and Assessment by TUV Rheinland, an ISO 17020 and ISO 17065 certified and IFIA member certifier (International Federation of Inspection Agencies) for the entire MRT-3 system, including the 48 train cars from CRRC Dalian.

The TUV Rheinland audit commenced on Jan. 3, 2018 and will run for three months. (Chito A. Chavez)

By Emmie V. Abadilla

Governments the world over, from the Philippines to the United States, are not prepared to fight hackers, cybersecurity expert Marc Goodman declared Wednesday, during the PilipinasCon 2018, a Forum on Cybersecurity and the Internet of Things at the Enderun Colleges in Taguig City.

Elections worldwide are being hacked by those who want to cling to power and these incidents have skyrocketed because of automation, according to Goodman, author of the best-selling book Future Crimes, founder of Future Crimes Institute, and chairman of Policy, Law and Ethics at Silicon Valley’s Singularity University.

At the Def Con, the world’s longest running and largest underground hacking conference, he said, “They were able to break into 25 different vote counting machines remotely and directly – which means that every single counting device is hackable.”

In the Philippines, the susceptibility of its elections to hacking was established when Filipino hackers committed the biggest government data breach in history in April, 2016, one month after the national elections.

“The Commission on Elections was taken over by the Philippine group of Anonymous to show how hackable the elections were. Over 55 million voter’s data were leaked, 200,000 emails leaked, 2.3 million passport details leaked, and 15.7 million fingerprints are now available in the dark web. That was the largest government data breach in the world so far and it was carried out by a 23-year-old Filipino,” Goodman said.

The US is also facing a hacking controversy with respect to its elections, with the intelligence community concluding that the Russian government had interfered in its elections through propaganda. “We are faced with hacking our democracy with the intelligence community concluding with a high degree of certainty that (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin interfered with our elections by propaganda and manipulating social media,” he said.

For everyone, the biggest challenge is that governments are still not well-equipped to cope with ever advancing cyber criminals.

“I think governments around the world will struggle on this more and more because people in power use everything available to fight their enemies and protect themselves from being removed from power,” he said.

Worse, hacking is going to get more sophisticated because of the exponential growth of technology.

Governments like that of the Philippines are not well prepared to cope with such growth in cybercrime.

“Cybercrime has been growing dramatically but our governments’ means to counteract them are on plateau,” Goodman said. Hence, the need for vigilance in fighting hackers.

He called on Filipinos to take a more active part in making the election system more transparent and hold government officials in charge of the elections accountable for violations in the system.

“Democracy is always a good idea and we should protect it by holding our leaders accountable. Citizen activism is key and I encourage you to come together and be vigorous in your pursuit to fight irregularities that threaten your democracy,” he said.

Cybercrime is expected to cost international businesses $2 trillion by 2019, Goodman said. “It is growing exponentially but our defenses are not and that’s what we need to fix.”

“We need to invest in trustworthy machines and implement a cybersecurity plan to back up our system, he reiterated. “We have to think like hackers in order to protect ourselves and hold a cybersecurity fire drill so we will know what to do when we are under threat.”

Tags: Commission on Elections, cybersecurity expert, Enderun Colleges, Future Crimes, Future Crimes Institute, government data breach, National Elections, Philippines

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Congratulations to the latest batch of licensed architects!

Bishop Socrates Villegas INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

ANGELES CITY—Archbishop Socrates Villegas has called on parents and educators to help the youth develop critical thinking to distinguish the fake news from the legitimate ones on social media.

“You do not just allow others to make a judgment on your behalf because there is no substitute to a conscience that is enlightened and then a conscience that is making its own discernment,” he told a national conference of the Association of Catholic Universities of the Philippines (Acup) at the Holy Angel University here on Wednesday.

“They don’t even have to be Christians. If you see evil, you should not keep quiet. You should call evil, evil. You should call it wrong because it is wrong and offer an alternative which is right, which is what it is to be human, and what it is to be Christian,” he said.

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Villegas, head of Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan and past president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, also said the Christian message is “essentially confrontational” as he encouraged youth leaders and educators to defy evil.

He gave the advice to conference delegates who gathered here to reflect on the “Amoris Laetitia” (The Joy of Life), the apostolic exhortation on the family.

“We are not afraid to shake up principles, beliefs, paradigms and viewpoints that are essentially and evidently contrary to the Gospel values,” Villegas said.

“Cowardly companions are not allowed. We are not war freaks. We are not troublemakers but we should not offer consolation without challenging and confronting evil.”

He reminded Acup members that Christ rebelled against the wrongs committed in his time.

Family life and education, he said, should be both an “encounter” and an “accompaniment” with Christ.

“The accompaniment that the Pope offers in Amoris is [one] that confronts evil, [while] at the same challenges you to be better. Accompaniment is not a see-no-evil, speak-no-evil thing. It is rather confronting evil,” he said.

In an interview, Villegas said young people are immersed in “so many values that are contrary to the Gospel and to authentic values.”

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He said: “Amoris Laetitia is not about sex. It has been misunderstood. It has been misinterpreted and this is sad.” Amoris is “not a lighthouse but a torch that walks with the people,” he added. /jpv

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However, there is no assurance that the PDP-Laban Federalism Institute model would be the one adopted by Congress, as both the Senate and House are proposing their own versions

PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Noy Morcoso / INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Expect anti-illegal drug operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to wear body cameras by the middle of the year when the acquisition of the devices is complete.

PNP chief Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa has ordered the allocation of P334-million for the purchase of body-worn cameras for local drug enforcement units by June.

Dela Rosa tasked PNP directorate for logistics Director Jose Victor Ramos to fast track the purchase of body cameras for anti-narcotics operatives and ensure transparency in their operations.

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The body-worn cameras would ideally be connected to a system where there would be a live feed in the drug enforcement units’ respective operations centers so their commanders would be able to monitor their movements.

“We are really fast tracking the process. We are not dilly-dallying because the longer we do not have those (body-worn cameras), the more uneasy our critics. We want to let the critics feel they are being considered for everyone’s good,” the PNP chief said.

He clarified that the procurement of body cameras was not prioritized in the 2017 annual procurement plan in favor of the equipment needed for anti-crime and counter-terrorism operations.

Among last year’s procurement priorities were mission-essential equipment for mobility, fire power, communications and investigation to boost police operations against crime and terrorism.

The PNP chief said that the procurement last year of 48 K9 units, composed of Belgian Malinois and Labrador breeds that are currently undergoing training at the PNP kennel in Alfonso, Cavite, was prompted by “the need for enhanced target-hardening efforts amid threats posed by foreign-inspired local terrorist movements.”

Each K9 unit costs P545,000, including the training of both the dog and its handler and maintenance.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday’s blessing and presentation of newly procured equipment at the National Capital Region Police Office, Dela Rosa explained that body-worn cameras were not priority last year.

“Maybe to critics, body-worn cameras are priority. They are really looking for holes in our operations. Our priority was dogs because of the threat of ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), terrorism, many lives will be lost. Our airports will be in danger if our Avsegroup (Aviation Security Group) does not have bomb-sniffing dogs,” he remarked in mixed Filipino and English.

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He added, “you cannot prevent a bomb from exploding with body-worn cameras but you can prevent it with bomb-sniffing dogs.” /jpv

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MANILA, Philippines — Only a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the courts can stop President Duterte from carrying out his suspension of Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made this clear in the face of what the Palace considers as defiance by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and a possible circumvention of a Supreme Court (SC) ruling raised by its spokesman Theodore Te.

In a press briefing in Baguio City, Roque said the President would enforce the suspension order as “chief implementer of the law.”

“There is only one sitting President in this country and he will implement the law,” Roque said.

When reminded of a prevailing jurisprudence stemming from a 2014 SC decision on the case of deputy ombudsman for the military and other law enforcement offices Emilio Gonzales III, Roque insisted that Carandang could always question his suspension before the high court.

In a 2014 ruling, the SC said the President has no power to discipline the deputy ombudsman. Of the appointed officials in the Office of the Ombudsman, only the special prosecutor is covered by the President’s power to discipline, the ruling added.

Asked if Malacañang would follow the high court ruling, Roque replied: “That’s the call of the deputy ombudsman. If they think that ruling is basis for him not to be suspended, go get a TRO; without a TRO, we will implement the law.”

The Office of the President slapped a 90-day suspension on Carandang for his supposedly disclosing false information about the bank transactions of Duterte and his family.

Carandang, who was investigating allegations that Duterte has undeclared wealth, was charged with grave misconduct and grave dishonesty for misuse of confidential information and disclosing false information.

The suspension order stemmed from a complaint by lawyers Manolito Luna and Elijio Mallari, who alleged that Carandang had falsely claimed getting the bank records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

Morales said on Wednesday she would not implement the suspension order as doing otherwise would be “patently unconstitutional.”

The SC spokesman distributed copies of the 2014 ruling to the media last Wednesday, apparently in an effort to dispute Malacañang’s position on the suspension.

Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said the ombudsman’s refusal to implement the suspension order could become a basis for another impeachment case against her. He said any malicious or deliberate attempt to defy the order could constitute a betrayal of public trust.

“What is clear is we observed due process. We gave the overall deputy ombudsman 10 days to file his answer. If he doesn’t file his answer, we will proceed to make a decision on the complaint against him,” Roque said.

He also denied that there is an impasse over the suspension order and chided the opposition for supposedly exploiting the issue to criticize the Duterte administration.

“What do we expect from the opposition? They cannot find anything to criticize so they are making issues out of anything,” he said. “Let’s just say to the opposition that they had the same view that the President has the power to discipline all unimpeachable officers.”

Roque was referring to former president Benigno Aquino III’s move to dismiss Gonzales in 2011 over the Manila hostage crisis in August 2010. The SC later reinstated Gonzales in 2012.

SC help sought

For Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Francis Escudero, the SC should step in to resolve the impasse and avoid a constitutional crisis.

“Malacañang can file a petition for mandamus with the Supreme Court to compel Ombudsman Morales to implement the suspension of Deputy Ombudsman Carandang if it believes that the President can suspend Carandang,” Drilon said.

“Or, Ombudsman Morales and Carandang can file a petition in the Supreme Court to set aside Malacañang’s suspension order, and seek a TRO, on the ground it is contrary to the SC ruling in the Gonzales case, which voided the power of the President to discipline the deputy ombudsman,” he added.

Escudero said the two sides should stop flexing their muscles in public and just bring the issue before the SC, which is the “final arbiter.”

He said the SC could always review the 2014 ruling on the case of Gonzales and even overturn this.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said Morales was right about her decision to defy “what is clearly an illegal and unconstitutional order by Duterte and his minions to suspend ODO Carandang.”

“Duterte is wrong here, no matter how you look at this. Apart from the ombudsman and her deputies being independent, under our Constitution, he is suspending the person who is investigating him on his ill-gotten wealth, that is clearly obstruction of justice,” Trillanes said.

Sen. Leila de Lima, for her part, called on the public to support Morales. “As Malacañang’s arrogance on this issue is only expected, I call on the people to stand behind the ombudsman in the coming days,” she said.

“The ombudsman and the Supreme Court should not be the ones adjusting to Malacañang. It is the President who should be acting in accordance with the Constitution and the law. Of course, that is asking too much of this government,” De Lima said.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate also exhorted Panelo and other Palace officials not to force Morales into enforcing the suspension order.

“As head of an independent constitutional body, the ombudsman should not be forced to do it just because of the presumptive belief by Palace advisers that the Supreme Court will reverse itself anyway in the future,” Zarate, who is also a lawyer, said.

Other congressmen denounced Malacañang’s suspension of Carandang.

“He did not release any document to the public or expose substantial portions of the supposed bank records of President Duterte for him to be charged by the office of the executive secretary. Thus, the charges of grave misconduct and dishonesty against him are ill founded,” Rep. Gary Alejano of Magdalo said.

He said the Palace action “is a clear case of intimidation of an independent body in order to cover the tracks of the President.”

Rep. Antonio Tinio of Alliance of Concerned Teachers said Malacañang “is deliberately violating existing jurisprudence by issuing a suspension order against the deputy ombudsman.”

For his part, Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin said Carandang’s suspension “shows the hypocrisy of Malacañang in fighting corruption when its occupant becomes the subject of an investigation.”

Meanwhile, Civil Service Commission (CSC) assistant commissioner for legal concerns Ariel Ronquillo urged Morales to first implement the suspension order before questioning its constitutionality before the proper court.

Ronquillo said Morales’ defiance of the suspension order might put her entire office in a bad light and might set a precedent for other agencies and constitutional bodies. – Marvin Sy, Elizabeth Marcelo, Jess Diaz