Most of Metro Manila are submerged in floodwaters for the second straight day on Sunday, August 12, 2018, as heavy rains induced by the southwest monsoon continue. Residents of Provident Villlage in Marikina relive the nightmare of Tropical Storm “Ondoy” in 2009 as water from Marikina River overflows. And while its water level may have gone down, the river is still being monitored as thousands of residents stay in evacuation centers. Meanwhile, trash collectors clean up the coast of Manila Bay on Roxas Boulevard in Manila. PHOTOS FROM RUSSELL PALMA, NETIZENS NICOLE CUA AND ABET BORBON REYES, MARIKINA PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

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SEOUL:The two Koreas opened high-level talks Monday to prepare for a possible summit in Pyongyang between the South’s President Moon Jae-in and the North’s leader Kim Jong Un, as the diplomatic thaw on the peninsula builds.

The exact date and location of what would be their third meeting have yet to be decided, but at their historic first summit in Panmunjom in April they agreed Moon would visit Kim in the North Korean capital during the autumn.

Monday’s high-level talks, taking place on the northern side of the truce village in the Demilitarized Zone, were proposed by the North last week as it lashed out at Washington for pushing ahead with sanctions.

“As the Pyongyang meeting of the leaders of the north and south is being discussed, I think talking about the issue will provide answers to the wishes of the people,” the North’s chief delegate Ri Son Gwon said in his opening statement.

Using a proverb describing a very intimate friend to refer to inter-Korean ties, Ri added: “We have opened an era where we are advancing hand in hand rather than standing in each other’s way.”

Despite the rapprochement, international sanctions against the North for its nuclear and missile programmes have kept economic cooperation between the two Koreas from taking off, while little progress has been made on the key issue of Pyongyang’s denuclearisation.

South Korea’s Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, leading the delegation from Seoul, said it was important that the two Koreas keep “the same mind”.

“Many issues will be raised (at the meeting), but I think any problem can be resolved with that mindset,” Cho added.

Rapid rapprochement

The two Koreas have informally agreed the summit will take place in Pyongyang late this month or at the beginning of September, Yonhap News Agency reported Monday, without citing a source.

Cho addressed the possibility of Pyongyang raising the issue of sanctions to the South, and said: “We will explain our position to the North.”

The rapid rapprochement between the two neighbours that began this year paved the way for a landmark meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June.

Cross-border exchanges between the two Koreas have significantly increased since then, with the neighbours planning to hold reunions for war-separated families next week for the first time in three years.

But although Trump touted his summit with Kim as a historic breakthrough, the nuclear-armed North has since criticised Washington for its “gangster-like” demands of complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament.

Meanwhile the US has urged the international community to maintain tough sanctions on the isolated regime — Seoul has caught three South Korean firms importing coal and iron from the North last year in violation of the measures.

Analysts say Moon could try to act as a mediator between the US and North Korea, having salvaged the Singapore meeting when Trump abruptly cancelled it.

If the third Moon-Kim summit takes place, the two are also expected to focus on hammering out a consensus on officially ending the 1950-53 Korean War, which concluded with an armistice instead of a peace treaty. AFP

AFP/CC

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The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 282 out of 326 passed the Mining Engineer Licensure Examination given by the Board of Mining Engineering in Manila, Baguio and Davao this August 2018. 

NOTHING FOLLOWS———————-

The successful examinees who garnered the ten (10) highest places in the
August 2018 Mining Engineer Licensure Examination are the following:

NOTHING FOLLOWS————————————–

The post 282 passed the Mining Engineer Licensure exams appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

Roll of Successful Examinees in the MINING ENGINEER LICENSURE EXAMINATION Held on AUGUST 7, 2018 & FF. DAYS Released on AUGUST 10, 2018

Seq. No. N a m e

1 ABALLE, CHAMBELLE NIEVE LANTICSE
2 ABENOJA, MERVIN KAY PIACOS
3 ABESTANO, CRIS ANTHONY CAVITE
4 ABESTANO, CRISTILETO ARAL
5 ACABAL, ANTONIO JR SALVADOR
6 ACILO, EDGARDO PAQUEO
7 ACILO, EDMARK JOSEPH CURADA
8 AGRIPA, SANTIAGO JR BUEMIA
9 ALAMO, NICOLAS PASAPORTE
10 ALARCON, LIZ NICOLE PERALTA
11 ALBACITE, FRENT NOVEE TAN
12 ALBAYALDE, JOSE CAMILO TENERIFE
13 ALCAREZ, CARLA DALE BIADNES
14 ALCE, SATURNINO JR CABAJES
15 ALDON, MARIEL SERRANO
16 ALINAO, PETER III BASTIAN
17 ALIWANAG, CHARLES LEWIS PALULAY
18 ALVAREZ, ARVIN NICOLE CAYETANO
19 ALVINEZ, JESS PATRICK CLAVERIAS
20 AMBONI, CHEN-AY FAN-ANG
21 AMOGAN, DALTON JAMES RIMANDO
22 AMOR, COLEEN JANN MONJE
23 ANDE, PHILIPPE JORDAN PARICA
24 ANDRES, KRISTIAN PEFANCO
25 AQUINO, HERMINIO II ANDRADA
26 AQUINO, MARKY ANGELO VILLANUEVA
27 ARIAS, AXEL ROSE VILLASAN
28 ARREZA, EVAMAY GRUMEZ
29 ARROZ, ALRICH MAR VALDEVIEZO
30 ASETRE, JOMARI MUYCO
31 ATAMOSA, MARY AN MONDOÑEDO
32 AUSTRIA, EDWARD KENNETH GALINGAN
33 AVANCEÑA, FRANCES ANN RAZO
34 AVISADO, CHRISTINE JOY MAMAYSON
35 AYNERA, NEIL ADRIAN SALOMON
36 BACOTOT, POLL PARKER KEEN ENTERINA
37 BADOLATO, HONEY LYN WONGLOY
38 BAEZA, MA JASMIN LATIGAY
39 BALATBAT, ARSENDREU ABLANG
40 BALIN, JUSTINE CALLO
41 BALLAYOG, JOSHUA ALICMAS
42 BANAWA, GIOVANNI SOLIBA
43 BANDOC, ASHLEY BRETT CABRADILLA
44 BANTA, JYRA RANCEL CORTADO
45 BARBACAL, HANNA GRACE LUCERO
46 BASATAN, JOSELLE BOLIDE
47 BAYANGAN, KARLO JOHN CUTIB
48 BELLEN, DANILYN BALIZA
49 BELLEZA, JOLINA LLABAN
50 BENDOY, BENNIX GEORGE ROYO
51 BENEDICTO, PATRIZIA SECUYA
52 BERGONIO, MA HERSHEY LOPEZ
53 BERMUDEZ, CZARINA VIANCA ALBERTO
54 BETITO, JOHN KENNETH EDOLOVERIO
55 BIAGTAN, SHAIRA ROSE RODRIGUEZ
56 BIKOTKOT, JOEY PALANDITO
57 BORCELIS, MA ANGELICA BULAWAN
58 BOSI, ELINITO JOHN GONZALES
59 BOSOEN, ARVIN GASPAR
60 BOU, JAY VENCENT CORPUZ
61 BRONIO, RENAN NAPOLES
62 BRUSOLA, TERRENCE OSCAR YANZON
63 BUENCONSEJO, MA KAREN ONRUBIA
64 BUHAWE, QUINNE MARIE TULOD
65 BULAWIN, ELIAFLOR BAYHON
66 CAAMIÑO, ADRIAN KEITH RAPIRAP
67 CABANLIG, FRANCESCA VALERIE TANGONAN
68 CAGAOAN, JERICK ESMAN
69 CALPITO, JOE PRIS CASTRO
70 CAMEROS, RUTCHEL JALA
71 CAPUCHINO, MIKEE LEENE GUINGAB
72 CAPUNONG, RAFFY
73 CARACUT, MARK ALDREN NALAM
74 CASAIS, MARCKLON BELGA
75 CASANOVA, JESUS JUVANIE PIODO
76 CASTAÑOS, PATRICK JOSEPH BUMATAY
77 CASTILLO, MARIREN RAMOS
78 CATAN, DEAN MARK LABANON
79 CAWALING, VYIEL GERALD LEDESMA
80 CAÑEDA, KRISTHYL MAE VEGA
81 CHAMOLLOG, KEZIAH COBSILEN
82 CHAN, JAQUELINE WASHIMOC
83 CHAN, KENNETH DAVEBRUNE RED GERIANE
84 CHIU, CLEMENT MESAGRANDE
85 CIUDADANO, CLARK KENT BERNARDO
86 COLLAMAR, JUVI NEIL JAVIER
87 CONCHA, KENNETH ALEXIS SUAYBAGUIO
88 COQUILLA, CHRISTINE MAE ABIGAEL GEOCALLO
89 CORTEZ, LOVELY PIEDAD
90 CUYUGAN, PAUL JUSTINE LUIZ MATILDO
91 DALIS, IRISH GOMOWAD
92 DALLORAN, APRIL MAE CALAYAG
93 DAMALI, DWIGHT ARNOLD MACASAET
94 DANCALAN, SHANE DANIELLE LICTAO
95 DAPETILLA, CHARLES ALMEDILLA
96 DAQUIPIL, IAN MELGAR GENERAO
97 DASEP, LUER JAMES ORDANEZ
98 DAVID, JENNIFER ROSARIO
99 DAYONDON, JOYCE VILLANUEVA
100 DE GUZMAN, HOMER ROMERO
101 DE JESUS, JOSHUA MATTHEW NANINI
102 DE LEON, LANZ NATHANIEL SAQUIDO
103 DE LOS REYES, BENY JUNE LAYMA
104 DE SALES, LOUANNE GRACE
105 DEGAY, NATHAN JOSEPH ABANCE
106 DIAZ, ANSELLE EDRIAN MONTECLARO
107 DISO, JOYCE NICOLE BARLIS
108 DONIEGO, PRINCESS TOLENTINO
109 EBUENG, RIO JOCELLE ALQUEZA
110 EMIA, PATRICE EVE MARIE PATAGAN
111 ENGCOY, ANGIELICA ARIOSTE
112 ENTERA, ELIZTHAR DIETO
113 ERCILLO, IREN MAE PARAS
114 ESGUERRA, JEREMIAH ANDREW MANALANG
115 ESPARES, SHEEN TIMBAL
116 ESPINOSA, FAYE YEEDA ACURAM
117 ESTONACTOC, EUNICE SURAT
118 ESTONILO, ARRIANE FAITH ALINGAY
119 ESTONILO, DEN MARC NATAVIO
120 EVANGELISTA, KARLO ANGELO NAVARRO
121 FAGYAN, FLYNN OSTING
122 FERNANDEZ, LAURENCE MARIE
123 FERNANDEZ, MARK ERIKSON SANTOS
124 FLORES, CLARENCE JHOY YLARDE
125 FLORES, FITZGERALD NAVARRETE
126 FRANCIA, ALYSSA JOYCE BANDOLA
127 FRANCISCO, DONNADEE ALLENE MAULLON
128 FRANCO, FRANZ LOUIE DUNGO
129 FUENTES, ARVIN JOHN TACULOD
130 GADGAD, JASPER DWIGHT AUSTIN
131 GALANG, MARIA ALESSANDRA MAGALAD
132 GALAP, NORBERT MARIANO
133 GAMBOA, MARVIN ABUEL
134 GARCIA, APRIL BAUDIVIR ESTOMATA
135 GARCIA, JUDIE ANNE OPEÑA
136 GARCIA, JULIUS VINCENT PADRE
137 GARILAO, VINCE NICOLE DACLAN
138 GASULAS, KRISTEL INTANO
139 GERONIMO, JASPER QUIAMBAO
140 GERONIMO, JEFFREY QUIAMBAO
141 GO, JELIAN
142 GO, MA SHEILA ELANO
143 GOMEYAC, KAISER TELIAKEN
144 GOMEZ, MARK ANGELO TANALGO
145 GRANADA, CHRISTOPHER DERRAMAS
146 HAYAGAN, LUCIA KRISTINE GUIANAN
147 HINAYON, ALWYN DAVE GENERALE
148 HUMIDING, KASSIE LUNAG
149 INFANTE, GABRIEL ROSALDO
150 INSAURIGA, VICENTE JANIOLA
151 JACOBA, DAISY PAGAPONG
152 JUSTOL, MARK LOURENCE ROLUNA
153 KAPITBAHAY, FRANCES PAOLO BESA
154 LABASAN, ELLIJAH SIA
155 LABASO, SAMMY NAVARRO
156 LABASTIDA, PAULEEN BEA MURO
157 LAGBAS, ALEX BARRAMEDA
158 LAMENTA, OGINA ALINCHAWANG
159 LANZADERAS, JAKE FORONES
160 LAPUZ, MARY LUCHILLE GERAT
161 LAS DUCE, JANELA DAMAULAO
162 LAYAG, ELIJAH RIMANDO
163 LENDIO, FARAH MAE ELUMBA
164 LICYAYO, KEVIN PAY-AN
165 LITERATO, CALVIN JAY MAGHINAY
166 LLANES, CAMILLE MAYOR
167 LLENA, LOUIS JOHN YGUINTO
168 LOMIBAO, JOSHUA CANILLO
169 LOPENA, DONNA KAITH BUSACO
170 LORIA, VENANCIO JR NASOL
171 LOZARES, LORENZO MOLINA
172 LUCIANO, EXCELACE BABE HUNT
173 LUCILLA, JESSA VERGARA
174 LUDOC, DOMENIC ALIÑO
175 LUGAO, ROWANNE DANGANGAO
176 LUMANGCAS, CHRIST LEOMAR CUATON
177 MAATA, NEIL PRONES
178 MABALOT, LLOYD JULIEN DE VERA
179 MACALINO, EREN JAN AGARAO
180 MACALISANG, SARAH LEE ENDERES
181 MACASINAG, JAMICA MARIE BUEMIA
182 MACULA, BERNAFE AÑORA
183 MADRIDANO, CHECLET MAE MACALAGUING
184 MAGLINTE, FRANCIS DWIGHT TEMARIO
185 MAHINAY, IAN GLENN BAGONGON
186 MALINAO, AGNES
187 MALINAO, ANFERNEE LANGAM
188 MANALANG, KIMBERLY RUTH ANDOT
189 MANANAY, JORYL
190 MANGIO, HENRY PAUL AUSTRIA
191 MANUEL, DENMARK CONSTANTINO
192 MANZANARES, KIMLLOYD YACO
193 MARINDUQUE, MARK EDRIAN PORLONGA
194 MARTIN, GENE MAELENCE ASIA
195 MATBA, YLAM SHALEV DELA TORRE
196 MATIAS, PATRICK HERMAN SANCHEZ
197 MEDALLE, JANICA MICHELLE ESPINA
198 MIGULLAS, HANS NICHOL DUNQUE
199 MINGUITO, DANIEL RIVERA
200 MIRABUENO, ALLEN LAWRENCE HUGO
201 MOLAG, FRINZEL OWAY
202 MOLINA, BRIAN BERDIN
203 MORALES, JELLA JAMIS
204 MORCOSO, JOVY BERCASIO
205 MORGA, JOHN RHEY LUNA
206 MORON, JARED ADORNADO
207 MOSENDE, KRISTINA LIBRA DIGAL
208 MOSUELA, CHERISH BUEN
209 MOYO, MARIA NILA BALETE
210 MUHYANG, GENEVA MAY CUARESMA
211 NACIDO, KIMBERLY ESTEVEZ
212 NALDOZA, MIERBERT WED MALOOY
213 NATIVIDAD, ROBBYMELAILEEN PASCO
214 OBLIGAR, JESSELENE MALLAPRE
215 ORDOÑA, AGATHXA MAE LUCILA
216 OTGALON, JORDAN CABLIN
217 PAGAYAWAN, SHAIRA MAE PAMAT
218 PALCOTILO, ABEGAIL ROBLE
219 PARAMIO, JERELL VICTOR BALIGAD
220 PAREL, LAUDEMHIR JAN MAISOG
221 PASTRANA, SEAN FRANCIS TIAMZON
222 PATACSIL, DARYL SHEEN DANGLA
223 PERNIA, LUIGI CASTRO
224 PISTOLA, AZRA BALASBAS
225 POLIGRATES, KENNETH LANCETAS
226 PORTES, JENEFER OBLIGADO
227 QUILANG, RONALD DAGAS
228 QUIMSON, ELJAN GENNESIS SANDE
229 RAYMUNDO, ERIKA SUSZANE PIEDAD
230 RAYO, JOHN PATRICK CRUZ
231 RODRIGUEZ, LORD DARRELL DON CALAMBA
232 ROMANO, NATHALIE TAN
233 RONAN, RONALD NICOLAS
234 ROSAGARAN, ASTERIA NEPATAN
235 ROSIT, RHEL DOMINIC ACIDILLO
236 RUPERTO, REZZLE JOY COSALAN
237 SABAC, ALGIN MICHAEL GUIÑARES
238 SALDIA, JAYPEE FLORES
239 SANCHEZ, CARLO JR BARON
240 SANCHEZ, JANE STEPHANIE SANTIAGO
241 SANDOVAL, LOUIE GEE GELAY
242 SANNAD, GRECIAN CALABIAS
243 SANTOS, JADE MARK LEAL
244 SANTOS, MATT CEDRIC OCAMPO
245 SAYAM, SAM ARVY LLORERA
246 SECULA, ALGEN
247 SEPADA, MARY CAMILLE GEONZON
248 SEPARA, KRIST JAN NIÑO JIMENEZ
249 SIBAYAN, BRYAN SHANE TACLAWAN
250 SILAGAN, DARLIE ABDON
251 SIMEON, SYREV ALIMAN
252 SOBREMONTE, JASON IVAN TIMBAL
253 SOLPICO, DOROTHY JOYCE BUENO
254 SOTTO, NICOLE ANN RONMAE LAUREL
255 SULTAN, RASHID LUMANCAS
256 SURPOSA, KEVIN NICO VIDAL
257 SUYU, JAY-MARK JALALUDDIN
258 TACULOD, RIZZA JANE EJARA
259 TADIFA, EDNA MARIE REPE
260 TAKAYENG, ALLAN FARANSI
261 TALLION, RODANTE SAGMAYAO
262 TAN, DENNIS ROLDAN ELACION
263 TAN, JACQUELINE MAE LIMSUI
264 TAWAO, CARL VINCENT ULAO
265 TAYABAN, ANGELICA BANUGAN
266 TEOPIS, ROANLY BRIONES
267 TIDADUL, SHEEN MICHAEL KING AKUT
268 TIMPAC, LAWRENCE JR ABEN
269 TOLENTINO, JE’AN VAN INGEMAR YAP
270 TORINO, JORDEN ENCABO
271 TORREGOSA, RANDYLE CHRISTIAN GERAT
272 URIARTE, JULIUS JR BANGAHON
273 VENGUA, DON ANGELO SANTOS
274 VENGUA, JOY-GRACE ESMIN
275 VERCIDE, VINREY CALIMPUSAN
276 VILLAMOR, CHARLESTON RUBIAS
277 VILLANUEVA, JOVEN ESTOMATA
278 VILLARMIA, JUDITO JR VERGARA
279 VITANGCOL, FELIX JOSE MACAHILIG
280 WINES, REA IVY DAGOC
281 YAMBA, ADAME UBAGAN
282 YLAYA, JAYVAN LESTER VACALARES
NOTHING FOLLOWS———————-

Manila, Philippines
AUGUST 10, 2018

RECOMMENDING APPROVAL:

CORNELIO Q. CASIDO
Chairman
Board of Mining Engineering

APPROVED:

TEOFILO S. PILANDO, JR.
Chairman

The post MINING ENGINEER LICENSURE EXAMINATION Held on AUGUST 7, 2018 appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

PERFORMANCE OF SCHOOLS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

The performance of schools in the August 2018 Mining Engineer Licensure Examination in alphabetical order as per R.A. 8981 otherwise known as PRC Modernization Act of 2000 Section 7(m) “To monitor the performance of schools in licensure examinations and publish the results thereof in a newspaper of national circulation” is as follows:

Any discrepancy in the report is not intentional on the part of the Commission, but rather due to miscoding of school codes by the examinees themselves. Concerned schools may write the Commission for correction.

The post #LOOK PRC UPDATES appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

SEOUL: North and South Korea agreed on Monday to hold a summit in Pyongyang in September after high-level talks in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula.

The two sides “agreed at the meeting to hold a South-North summit in Pyongyang in September as planned,” the joint statement said, without giving a precise date.

A trip by the South’s President Moon Jae-in to the North’s capital would be the first such visit for more than a decade, as the diplomatic thaw on and around the peninsula builds.

But despite the rapprochement, international sanctions against the North for its nuclear and missile programs have kept economic cooperation between the two Koreas from taking off, while little progress has been made on the key issue of Pyongyang’s denuclearization.

“The September summit can be viewed as North Korea’s strategy to find a breakthrough in its stalled talks with the US,” said Asan Institute of Policy Studies analyst Go Myong-hyun.

“For South Korea, President Moon wants to improve inter-Korean ties but that’s hard without progress in US-North Korea talks,” he told Agence France-Presse.

At the historic first summit between Moon and the North’s leader Kim Jong Un in Panmunjom in April they agreed the South’s president would visit Pyongyang during the autumn.

The first South Korean president to go to the North’s capital was Kim Dae-jung, who met the current leader’s father and predecessor Kim Jong Il in 2000 and later won the Nobel Peace Prize, in part for his efforts at inter-Korean reconciliation.

This screen grab from the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) taken on April 27, 2018 shows North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un (left) and South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in shaking hands at the Military Demarcation Line that divides their countries at Panmunjom.
AFP PHOTO / KOREAN BROADCASTING SYSTEM 

Pyongyang saw a second inter-Korean summit in 2007, when Roh Moo-hyun also met Kim Jong Il.

But relations subsequently soured as the North accelerated its pursuit of nuclear weapons and the South elected conservative governments.

Monday’s high-level talks, taking place on the northern side of the truce village in the Demilitarized Zone, were proposed by the North last week as it lashed out at Washington for pushing ahead with sanctions.

Afterwards the North’s chief delegate Ri Son Gwon said the meeting had gone well and the date for the summit was “ready”, but they had not announced it as “reporting would be more fun when reporters are curious.”

Earlier he used a proverb describing a very intimate friend to refer to inter-Korean ties, saying: “We have opened an era where we are advancing hand in hand rather than standing in each other’s way.”

South Korea’s Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, leading the delegation from Seoul, said in his opening statement it was important that the two Koreas keep “the same mind”, adding: “Any problem can be resolved with that mindset.”

Rapid rapprochement

The rapid rapprochement between the two neighbors began this year ahead of the Winter Olympics in the South and paved the way for a landmark meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June.

Cross-border exchanges between the two Koreas have significantly increased since then, with the neighbors planning to hold reunions for war-separated families next week for the first time in three years.

But although Trump touted his summit with Kim as a historic breakthrough, the nuclear-armed North has since criticized Washington for its “gangster-like” demands of complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament.

Meanwhile the US has urged the international community to maintain tough sanctions on the isolated regime—Seoul has caught three South Korean firms importing coal and iron from the North last year in violation of the measures.

Experts say Moon could try to act as a mediator between the US and North Korea, having salvaged the Singapore meeting when Trump abruptly cancelled it.

“They are trying to send a message externally that the North-South dialogue momentum has been established and that it will be maintained regardless of the outcome of US-North Korea talks,” said analyst Go.

“Whether that is true is in doubt but they are trying to indirectly pressure the US, especially on sanctions, by showing an improvement in North-South ties and that peace has been established between them.”

Moon and Kim agreed at their summit in April to officially declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War, which concluded with an armistice instead of a peace treaty, by the end of the year.

But Harry Harris, the US ambassador to South Korea, said Monday it was too soon for such a declaration, Yonhap reported.

“It’s too early for that even as we seek improvement in relations between the North and the South and between the North and the United States,” Harris said, adding the allies share the “same goal” of the “final, fully verified denuclearization” of the peninsula. AFP

AFP/CC

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PHNOM PENH: Cambodian authorities seized nearly 100 kilograms of ecstasy hidden in pet food shipments from Germany, police said Monday, after charging a Chinese national in connection with the record haul.

The suspect, identified as Yao Zeye, was arrested on August 7 after coming to the Phnom Penh central post office to pick up the boxes, said National Anti-Drugs Authority deputy secretary-general Mok Chito.

In total 98 kilograms of MDMA pills—better known as ecstasy—were discovered in the shipment, which was intended for distribution locally and in Vietnam.

“This is the biggest bust of ecstasy” in Cambodia, Chito told Agence France-Presse, adding that one pill of the party drug sold for between $20 and $80 and the total haul was worth “millions” of dollars.

Yao Zeye was charged over the weekend with drug trafficking and faces up to life imprisonment if convicted, as police look into possible accomplices.

Cambodia has taken a hard line on drugs in recent years in response to smugglers turning to the country as a transit point, particularly for heroin and methampetamine.

Heavy sentences are passed down for drug trafficking, with hundreds arrested including senior officials and foreigners.

In June a court jailed a Belgian man for life after he was found guilty of smuggling a kilogram of cocaine into the kingdom through a suitcase.

The same month authorities in a separate case seized 120 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine smuggled in from Laos.

The kingdom has also cracked down on safrole oil, an ingredient in cosmetics that can be used as a precursor in making ecstasy.

The oil is derived from the rare M’rea Prov Phnom tree in Cambodia’s protected forests and production of it was banned in 2007. AFP

AFP/CC

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PRICES of petroleum products will increase again on Tuesday after last week’s marginal price cuts.

Prices of diesel and gasoline will rise by 25 centavos per liter and 15 centavos per liter, respectively. No adjustment will be made in the price of kerosene.

Companies that announced pump price adjustments include Caltex, Flying V, Phoenix Petroleum, Pilipinas Shell, and Seaoil.

Last week, prices of diesel and gasoline decreased by 10 centavos per liter while the price of kerosene went down by 25 centavos per liter. JORDEENE B. LAGARE

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MADRID: More than 250 people have been injured, five of them seriously, after part of a wooden promenade collapsed at a music festival in Spain, local officials said on Monday.

The seafront platform, which was 30 meters (98 feet) long by 10 meters wide, was packed with people watching a rap artist in the northwestern city of Vigo when it suddenly collapsed just before midnight on Sunday, Vigo mayor Abel Caballero told reporters at the scene.

“The causes have yet to be determined. Everything indicates that no one is trapped underneath,” he added.

Witnesses told Spanish media that people struggled to scramble for safety from under the debris of the structure.

A total of 266 people were injured, five of them seriously with broken bones requiring hospitalisation, the regional health minister in the northwestern region of Galicia, Jesus Vazquez Almuina, told local radio.

“These are provisional figures, patients are still being evaluated. At the moment 266 patients have been treated, the vast majority are light injuries for bruises. There are five hospitalizations, mainly broken bones and some head injuries,” he said.

The promenade collapse happened as Mallorcan rap artist Rels B was performing as part of the two-day O Marisquino festival in Vigo, a city of around 300,000 people. AFP

AFP/CC

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Simona Halep of Romania holds up the trophy during the post game ceremony after defeating Sloane Stephens 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 in the final on day seven of the Rogers Cup at IGA Stadium on August 12, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. AFP PHOTO

PARIS: Simona Halep strengthened her position as women’s world number one following her latest tournament triumph, according to the WTA rankings released Monday.

The 26-year-old from Romania leads her nearest rival, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, by a margin of more than 1,000 points following her win on Sunday in Montreal.

The French Open champion beat world number three Sloane Stephens 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-4 in a gruelling 2hr 41min battle.

Latest WTA ranking:

1. Simona Halep (ROM) 8061 pts
2. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 6135
3. Sloane Stephens (USA) 5727
4. Angelique Kerber (GER) 5255
5. Caroline Garcia (FRA) 4680 (+1)
6. Petra Kvitová (CZE) 4550 (+2)
7. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 4470 (-2)
8. Karolína Plísková (CZE) 4395 (+1)
9. Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP) 4345 (-2)
10. Julia Görges (GER) 3905
11. Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 3787
12. Darya Kasatkina (RUS) 3525
13. Madison Keys (USA) 3127
14. Elise Mertens (BEL) 2960 (+1)
15. Venus Williams (USA) 2901 (-1)
16. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 2770
17. Kiki Bertens (NED) 2420 (+1)
18. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 2250 (+1)
19. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 2245 (-2)
20. Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROU) 2068

AFP

AFP/CC

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CHICAGO: Singer Aretha Franklin, a multiple Grammy award-winner star whose legacy stretches back decades, is gravely ill and surrounded by relatives, a reporter and family friend wrote on his website on Monday.

The 76 year-old “Queen of Soul” Franklin, known for hits such as “Respect” (1967) and “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968), “is gravely ill in Detroit. The family is asking for prayers and privacy,” wrote Roger Friedman on the Showbiz 411 website.

Franklin, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, last performed in November 2017 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation in New York. Her final public performance was in Philadelphia in August 2017.

“It was a miraculous show as Aretha was already then fighting exhaustion and dehydration,” Friedman wrote, describing the Philadelphia performance.

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin PHOTO FROM ARETHAFRANKLIN.NET

Throughout her lengthy career Franklin accumulated 18 Grammy awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement.

Franklin’s hits include “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” (1968), “Day Dreaming” (1972), “Jump to It” (1982), “Freeway of Love” (1985), and “A Rose Is Still A Rose,” (1998).

In 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“I Knew You Were Waiting for Me,” a duet she sang with the late British singer George Michael, was one of her Grammy-winning hits.

In 2005 Franklin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest award for an American civilian—by then-president George W. Bush.

And in January 2009 Franklin sang at Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration. AFP

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A former Australian archbishop convicted of concealing abuse by a notorious pedophile priest in the 1970s was confronted by enraged victims outside a courthouse Tuesday after a judge spared him jail and ordered he serve his sentence at home.

Philip Wilson became one of the highest-ranked church officials convicted of covering up child sex abuse when he was found guilty in May of concealing crimes by priest Jim Fletcher in the Hunter region of New South Wales state.

The Newcastle Local Court sentenced the 67-year-old to 12 months’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of six months, but also ordered that he be assessed to serve it in home detention.

Wilson had since been on bail and on Tuesday magistrate Robert Stone decided he will not need to spend time behind bars, with his age and prior good record taken into account.

But he will have to wear a tracking device while serving his sentence.

Wilson said nothing as he left the court, where he was mobbed by abuse survivors and members of the media.

Peter Gogarty, one of Fletcher’s victims, asked Wilson to apologize, but the cleric stayed silent.

“Any words for me, Philip? Philip will you say sorry for what you have done to me and other child sex abuse survivors?,” he yelled. “Philip, please, something … one word of contrition.”

One of Wilson’s supporters asked Gogarty why he did not come forward 40 years ago.

A fuming Gogarty called him “a pig, a typical Catholic”, to which the Wilson aide replied: “I don’t have time for rubbish like you, mate.”

Another Fletcher victim Daniel Feenan also criticized Wilson for failing to say sorry.

“I’d like to see him show some type of remorse and I’d like to see him apologise,” he told the Newcastle Herald.

In our prayers
Wilson resigned as Archbishop of Adelaide last month soon after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on the Vatican to sack him. He remains an ordained bishop but has no official role.

He has long denied the charges and initially resisted calls to quit pending an appeal against his conviction.

Stone found him guilty of concealing a serious indictable offence of another person, concluding his primary motive was to protect the church.

During sentencing Stone added that “there is no remorse or contrition showed by the offender.”

Wilson’s conviction comes amid a host of accusations that the Catholic Church ignored and covered up child abuse in Australia, charges that have also plagued other countries.

There was no dispute during the trial that Fletcher, who is now dead, sexually abused an altar boy, with the hearing focused on whether Wilson, then a junior priest, was told about it.

In a brief statement, Bishop Greg O’Kelly, who is running the Adelaide archdiocese until a new archbishop is appointed, said Wilson was “in his prayers as he formally commences this stage in his life, while also remembering the victims and survivors of abuse in the Church.”

Wilson served as a priest in New South Wales before Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Wollongong in 1996. Five years later he became the Archbishop of Adelaide. AFP

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THE water level in Marikina River went down to 14.3 meters from 14.9 meters on Tuesday, prompting the city government to lift all alerts.

It reached 20.6 meters at the height of the downpour on Saturday night, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents in surrounding villages.

Despite the improved situation in the river, however, a total of 15,025 individuals remain in various evacuation centers as of 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

There are 533 individuals evacuated at the Leodegario Victorino School ; 40 individuals at Kalumpang Elementary School ; 10 individuals at the San Roque Elementary School ; 3,805 individuals at the Malanday Elementary School ; 558 individuals at the Sto. Nino Elementary School ; 122 individuals at the Marikina Elementary School ; 816 individuals at the Bulelak Gym ; 231 individuals at the Sampaguita Gym ; 14 individuals at the Sta. Elena Chapel ; 220 individuals at the Aglipay Church ; 194 individuals at the Jesus Dela Pena ; 1,883 individuals at the Concepcion Integrated School ; 2,897 individuals at the H. Bautista Elementary School ; 2,690 individuals at the Nangka Elementary School ; 161 individuals at the Nangka Gym ; 803 individuals at the Filipinas Gym; 48 individuals at the Marikina High School.

Mayor Marcelino Teodoro declared a state of calamity to facilitate the rehabilitation of the city, one of the hardest hit by the floods resulting from the heavy rains induced by the southwest monsoon. ATHENA LUCASAN

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PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde ordered the dismissal of several police officials for facilitating and approving applications for firearm licenses despite incomplete and questionable supporting documents and for selling weapons, some of which “unwittingly” have fallen into the hands of communist insurgents.

Albayalde’s directive was based on the dismissal order of the Office of the Ombudsman against:

1. Chief Supt. Regino Catiis of the PNP Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development;
2. Supt. Nelson Bautista of the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit;
3. Supt. Ricky Sumalde of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group;
4. Chief Insp. Ricardo Zapata Jr. of Philippine National Police-Central Luzon;
5. Sr. Supt. Jojo Acierto, Civil Security Group;
6. SPO1 Randy Madiam De Sesto, Civil Security Group;
7. Sol Bargan, a non-uniformed personnel;
8. Nora Pirote, non-uniformed personnel;
9. Chief Supt. Raul Delfin Petrasanat (retired);
10. Chief Supt. Allan Parreno (retired)

The order also said that the retired officials would be fined equivalent to one-year worth of their salaries.

SPO1 Eric Domasig Tan, who dismissed before this order, was meted the same penalty as that which was given to the retired officials.

The active police officers who face dismissal will not receive their benefits from the PNP.

“The Office of the Ombudsman has an order of dismissing them and we have to implement them and issued their orders of dismissal already,” Albayalde said in a mix of Filipino and English.

He said Tan, who was facing double dismissal, was for the two cases, which had the same penalty.

According to the records of the Ombudsman, the concerned officers accepted license applications for the procurement of 1,400 AK-47s from August 2011 to April 2013 even if their requirements were deemed incomplete.

The Ombudsman also found out that P52-million worth of 1,004 Russian-made AK-47 were sold to New People’s Army rebels from 2011 to 2013 with the “unwitting assistance” of some PNP officials. ROY NARRA

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LONDON: A “number of pedestrians” were injured when a car crashed into barriers outside Britain’s Houses of Parliament on Tuesday, with armed police swooping in to arrest the driver, Scotland Yard said.

“The male driver of the car was detained by officers at the scene,” the police statement said. “A number of pedestrians have been injured.”

Police did not say if they suspected terrorism, calling it only a “collision.”

Armed police immediately surrounded the silver car after it crashed at 7.37am (06:37 GMT), pointing guns at the driver as he was removed from the vehicle, according to footage posted on Twitter.

Later images showed police holding the man, dressed in jeans and a black puffer jacket, in handcuffs as roads around parliament were sealed off.

Westminster was the scene of a terror attack last year, when Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old British convert to Islam, drove a car at pedestrians on a bridge over the River Thames, before fatally stabbing a policeman on guard outside parliament.

The attack left five people dead and around 50 injured, and only ended when police shot Masood dead. AFP

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FORMER Tourism secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo on Tuesday admitted that she was “not aware” that her brothers were behind the company that negotiated a P60-million tourism ad contract with the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and that they were the hosts of the program where the ad appeared on state-run PTV-4.

Teo made the admission before the Senate blue ribbon committee that was investigating the alleged anomalous deal between the government and the Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. (BMUI), which produces “Kilos Pronto” hosted by Ben and Erwin Tulfo.

The entire advertising deal was P120 million, which was supposed to be paid in four tranches to BMUI. The Commission on Audit (CoA) said the Department of Tourism (DOT) released P114 million, P89 million of which went to Kilos Pronto while the rest served as PTV-4 earnings.

Asked by Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4^th whether she was aware that under the Constitution, she was prohibited from entering into any business deals with her brothers because of conflict of interest, Teo said, “They did not tell me. I didn’t know. If I knew it I would not have signed the contract.”

Trillanes warned that the Tulfos, including Teo, face plunder charges for their alleged involvement in the anomaly.

In a prepared statement, Teo said that during her watch, the DOT implemented projects within the bounds of the law. “Specifically I maintained the DOT ad placement with PTV-4 have gone through proper channels.”

“To set the record straight this was what happened. On Jan. 16, 2017 Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar wrote me a letter asking to partner with DOT to market tourism thru the PTV-4 network. This is in line with the request of Chief Executive (President Rodrigo Duterte) to support the government station,” Teo said.

On Feb. 6, 2017, PTV programming group head, Ramon del Rosario, according to Dino Antonio Apolonio, president and general manager of PTV-4, proposed to DOT to formalize the partnership. A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between Teo and Apolonio on March 15, 2017. A copy of the MOA was received by DOT-COA on April 20.

“Hence, with confidence we can say there was nothing illegal in the said contract. It is a government to government contract within the executive department. And the payments were paid directly to PTV 4,” Teo said.  BERNADETTE TAMAYO

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LOS ANGELES: Taiwan’s president has given a speech in the United States—the first time in 15 years that a leader of the island has spoken publicly on American soil—in a move likely to anger Beijing.

During a stopover en route to Paraguay, Tsai Ing-wen, whose government refuses to endorse Beijing’s view that Taiwan is part of China, vowed to defend democratic values.

“We will keep our pledge that we are willing to jointly promote regional stability and peace under the principles of national interests, freedom and democracy,” she said on Monday.

China views Taiwan as part of its own territory—to be reunified by force if necessary— even though the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war.

Beijing is always swift to condemn any move that could be interpreted as de facto diplomatic recognition of the government in Taipei and has stepped up pressure on Taiwan since Tsai, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), came to power in 2016.

This photograph by Taiwan agency CNA Photo taken on August 12, 2018 shows Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaking during her visit to Los Angeles, California during a stopover en route to allies Paraguay and Belize. AFP PHOTO / CNA PHOTO

Tsai made her speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, whose namesake she praised for his contribution to Taiwan-US relations, including a commitment not to pressure Taipei to negotiate with Beijing.

Her transit in Los Angeles was the most high profile since former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian’s 2003 stopover in New York, where he accepted a human rights award and delivered several public speeches.

Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei in 1979, but it remains the island’s biggest arms supplier and most important unofficial ally.

Ties have warmed further since Donald Trump came to power, and were further bolstered by the passage this week of the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a commitment to military support of Taiwan.

Last month, the US sent two warships into the Taiwan Strait. That followed a string of military drills staged by Beijing around the island.

Chinese state newspaper Global Times accused the US and Taiwan of “shady dealings,” warning that the mainland was capable of giving the Taiwanese authorities “a drastic punishment.”

Tsai’s trip to Paraguay comes as Taiwan seeks to firm up ties with its dwindling band of diplomatic allies, whose number fell to 18 after Burkina Faso and the Dominican Republic switched recognition to Beijing in May.

Under pressure from Beijing, a growing number of international airlines and companies have also edited their websites to refer to the territory as “Taiwan, China” or “Chinese Taipei.” AFP

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SYDNEY: Tech companies could face fines of up to Aus$10 million (US$7.3 million) if they fail to hand over customer information or data to Australian police under tough cyber laws unveiled Tuesday.

The government is updating its communication laws to compel local and international providers to co-operate with law enforcement agencies, saying criminals were using technology, including encryption, to hide their activities.

The legislation, first canvassed by Canberra last year, will take into account privacy concerns by “expressly” preventing the weakening of encryption or the introduction of so-called backdoors, Cyber Security Minister Angus Taylor said.

Taylor said over the past year, some 200 operations involving serious criminal and terrorism-related investigations were negatively impacted by the current laws.

“We know that more than 90 percent of data lawfully intercepted by the Australian Federal Police now uses some form of encryption,” he added in a statement.

“We must ensure our laws reflect the rapid take-up of secure online communications by those who seek to do us harm.”

The laws have been developed in consultation with the tech and communications industries and Taylor stressed that the government did not want to “break the encryption systems” of companies.

“The [law enforcement]agencies are convinced we can get the balance right here,” he told broadcaster ABC.

“We are only asking them to do what they are capable of doing. We are not asking them to create vulnerabilities in their systems that will reduce the security because we know we need high levels of security in our communications.”

The type of help that could be requested by Canberra will include asking a provider to remove electronic protections, concealing covert operations by government agencies, and helping with access to devices or services.

If companies did not comply with the requests, they face fines of up to Aus$10 million, while individuals could be hit with penalties of up to Aus$50,000. The requests can be challenged in court.

The draft legislation expands the obligations to assist investigators from domestic telecom businesses to encompass foreign companies, including any communications providers operating in Australia.

This could cover social media giants such as Facebook, WhatsApp and gaming platforms with chat facilities.

The Digital Industry Group (DIGI), which represents tech firms including Facebook, Google, Twitter and Oath in Australia, said the providers were already working with police to respond to requests within existing laws and their terms of service.

DIGI managing director Nicole Buskiewicz called for “constructive dialogue” with Canberra over the adoption of surveillance laws that respect privacy and freedom of expression. AFP

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CUSTOMS Commissioner Isidro Lapeña and an official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) clashed over whether the four magnetic lifters that were seized in Cavite contained illegal drugs or not.

Lapeña, former PDEA chief, said that there was no evidence that the four containers had “shabu” but could not say what it contained.

Lapeña appeared before the House of Representatives that was investigating the entry of P6.8 billion worth of alleged shabu into the country last week. PDEA operatives that raided a warehouse in Cavite found four empty magnetic lifters where K-9 units managed to sniff traces of the illegal substance also known as methamphetamine hydrochloride.

Responding to questions by Rep. Romero Quimbo of Markina, Lapeña maintained that the seized Cavite shipment did not contain illegal drugs even after PDEA cited that the empty cylinders were similar to those that were seized at the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) and which contained P3.4 billion worth of shabu.

“If it talks like a duck, walks like a duck, it must be a duck. If those containers did not have drugs, then what it is then?” Quimbo asked.

Lapeña replied: “I cannot tell your honor, I cannot tell you something I do not know.”

Quimbo found Lapeña’s response unacceptable.

“We cannot accept that [statement]that it is not drugs without any basis, especially that you are disputing the agency that you used to serve,” said Quimbo.

PDEA Deputy Director General Ruel Lasala stood firm on the findings of the agency.

“The K9 dogs, which smelled those containers in MICT were are same K9 dogs that were used in Cavite. The K9 dogs sat down — an indication that they smelled illegal drugs. The shabu was so wrapped in plastic aluminum foil in both MICT and Cavite. The wrapper even had an asbestos material so as to prevent any granule of it from dropping,” LaSala said.

“Both had same color, yellow. And both had same nature of holes. They have the same consignee and broker. Based on all indications, they [content of cylinders in Cavite]are illegal drugs,” LaSala said.

Lapeña replaced Nicanor Faeldon after P6.4 billion worth of shabu were smuggled into the country from China under his watch. LLANESCA PANTI

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HEAVIER traffic may greet motorists in the coming days as Manila Water Co. Inc. will be resuming major leak repair works on portions of Epifanio de los Santos Ave. (EDSA)-Shaw Boulevard.

On Monday, Manila Water postponed the pipelaying and interconnection activity of its water line along EDSA Southbound service road near corner Shaw Blvd. Because of inclement weather and the continued threat of flooding.

But in its latest advisory on Tuesday, Manila Water said the repair works would be done from 7 p.m. of August 16 to 9 a.m. of August 17.

“This will result to temporary water service interruption affecting around 466,000 population in 93,237 households, commercial and business establishments in 33 barangay in Mandaluyong City, San Juan City, Pasig City and Quezon City,” it added.

Below is the list of affected areas:

• Mandaluyong City: Wack-Wack, Mauway, Addition Hills, Highway Hills, Malamig, Buwayang Bato, Barangka Ilaya, Barangka Itaas, Barangka Ibaba, Barangka Drive, Plainview, Pleasant Hills, and Hulo
• San Juan City: Greenhills, Addition Hills, Little Baguio, Pasadena, Corazon De Jesus, and West Crame
• Pasig City: Ugong, Oranbo, Pineda, Bagong Ilog, Kapitolyo, and San Antonio
• Quezon City: Kaunlaran, Bagong Lipunan, Horseshoe, Valencia, Immaculate Conception, San Martin de Porres, Ugong Norte, and Pinagkaisahan

Manila Water is advising residents in affected areas to store enough water to supply their needs during the interruption period.

For the traffic scheme, the rightmost southbound lane of the EDSA service road is currently closed to traffic. Vehicles turning right to Shaw Blvd. from EDSA can temporarily pass through Star Mall.

Sta. Mesa-bound vehicles passing along Shaw Blvd. crossing EDSA will take the middle lane as the rightmost lane will be closed to traffic during the activity from 11 p.m. of August 16 to 4 p.m. of August 17. JORDEENEN LAGARE

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