MANILA: The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said it is determined to take action against the supposed cyanide fishing in the Bajo de Masinloc also known as Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS)

In a statement, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said his office supports and will implement President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to protect the WPS.

“Under the leadership of President Marcos Jr., the Philippines will not tolerate any actions that harm our environment or deprive Filipino people of their right to its use and beauty,’ Secretary Remulla said.

Remulla said the DOJ will also support agencies gathering pieces of evidence and building a legal case against those behind the harmful practice.

The department is also involved in the country’s ongoing legal action against China over the grounding of its Coast Guard vessels near Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal, resulting in significant damage to the area’s fragile coral ecosystem.

Remulla said his agency initiated its study in
to legal remedies by gathering evidence and collaborating with Philippine marine scientists to quantify the environmental and economic damage inflicted.

The justice chief also sought the advice of international law experts to explore legal strategies and forums.

‘The impact on these coral reefs is devastating. These ecosystems are vital not only for marine biodiversity but also for the livelihoods of Filipino fisherfolk. We are committed to ensuring proper accountability for such acts,’ Remulla added.

Source: Philippines News Agency

ISTANBUL: Amazon.com Inc. will replace Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), S and P Dow Jones Indices announced Tuesday.

“Reflecting the evolving nature of the American economy, this change will increase consumer retail exposure as well as other business areas in the DJIA,” S and P Dow Jones Indices said in a statement.

In addition, Uber Technologies Inc. will replace JetBlue Airways Corp. in the Dow Jones Transportation Average.

“This change will help the index gain exposure to the ride-sharing industry,” the statement said, noting that ‘the index change was prompted by JetBlue’s low weight in the index of less than one-half of one percentage point caused by its low share price.”

The Dow Jones Transportation Average is a price-weighted index, as very low-priced stocks have an immaterial impact on the index, the statement added.

Source: Philippines News Agency

ISTANBUL: The Japanese government issued a stern warning Tuesday to the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) after a leak of contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, according to media reports.

Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister Ken Saito stressed the importance of safety during the decommissioning process.

“Even a single mistake could result in a loss of trust from the local community and society,’ Saito said as quoted by Nikkei Asia.

The warning follows a Feb. 7 leak of 5.5 tons of water containing radioactive materials which was attributed to worker error.

TEPCO claims the leak posed no danger to workers or the environment, but doubts remain about the company’s ability to safely manage decommissioning.

That was after another safety violation last year where workers were exposed to radioactive waste in October, raising concerns about TEPCO’s commitment to safe practices.

The Japanese government and TEPCO face ongoing challenges in balancing decommissioning efforts wit
h environmental and public safety concerns.

Japan began releasing treated radioactive wastewater from the plant last August, triggering a strong reaction from China and opposition parties in South Korea and the Solomon Islands.

As the debate surrounding the water release continues, ensuring transparency and upholding strict safety protocols remain the top priorities.

Beijing banned seafood imports from Japan after Tokyo went ahead with its plans to release the water. The plant has more than 1 million tons of treated wastewater to release in a 30-year process.

Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu stressed Tuesday the importance of Tokyo managing nuclear-contaminated wastewater ‘in a responsible manner” during a meeting with the Japanese Ambassador in Beijing, Kenji Kanasugi.

He urged Japan to collaborate in establishing a robust ‘international monitoring” system involving ‘neighboring countries and other stakeholders.”

The Fukushima plant was forced to shut down after facing the lar
gest nuclear accident since 1986 in Chernobyl following an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LAOAG CITY: Farmers from this city and the towns of Vintar, Bacarra, Solsona, Currimao, Pinili, Badoc, and Banna on Wednesday received at least five water pumps per city or municipality to help address the impact of the El Niño phenomenon.

The provisions are part of the Ilocos Norte Provincial Agriculture Office’s measures to help farmers reeling from the impact of the dry spell, which, to date, has reportedly affected around 341 hectares of farmlands and has an estimated damage of around PHP12.2 million.

‘A provincewide validation is ongoing as we have received reports on drought damages in some parts of Laoag, Bacarra, Dingras, Nueva Era, and Pasuquin,’ provincial agriculturist Maria Teresa Bacnat said in a media interview on Wednesday.

Citing initial reports, Bacnat said most of the damaged crops include rice and high-value crops which are planted in rain-fed areas.

Earlier, some 100 farmers from Vintar town received an initial fuel subsidy amounting to PHP3,000 each

Because of the prevailing drought,
the provincial agriculture office also warned about the possible infestation of insects such as the brown plant hopper and bacterial leaf blight that can easily multiply.

Experts said farmers may consider using appropriate copper-based insecticide if the damage can still be managed.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena won the men’s elite gold medal in the Memorial Josip Gasparac, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze category event, in Osijek, Croatia on Tuesday.

The world’s No. 2 registered 5.83 meters on his first attempt to beat Pedro Buarto of Portugal (5.73m) and Olen Tray Oates of the United States (5.61m).

Obiena moved the bar up to 5.93m but failed in three attempts. He easily cleared the bar at 5.51m and made two attempts at 5.73m.

Buarto made two attempts to achieve his best performance. He tried to clear 5.83m but failed thrice.

After clearing 5.41m on his second try, Oates set the bar at 5.61m which he cleared in one attempt. He was unsuccessful in clearing 5.73m in three attempts.

Obiena has qualified for Paris for his second Olympic appearance after the 2020 Tokyo Games where he made it to the final but failed to reach the podium.

He joined the exclusive six-meter club in pole vault with a golden performance in the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway last year
, setting new Asian and national records after erasing the 5.94m he established in winning the bronze medal at the World Athletics Championship in 2022.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Bulacan: The Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) on Tuesday launched its latest anti-criminality program which will serve as an alarm scheme for business establishments that are enrolled with the system.

In a statement on Wednesday, PRO3 chief Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo Jr. said the main goal of the “Quick Dial Quick Response” initiative is to establish a direct link between business owners and the local police.

Businessmen who would need assistance just have to dial the dedicated cellular phone number of the police station and even without any conversation, this would trigger the quick deployment of a police response team to their area.

Hidalgo said the project is also designed to enhance the efficiency of quick law enforcement operations within Central Luzon’s area of responsibility (AOR) and integrates the contact information of police stations for quick access of the enrolled business entities.

“The project ‘Quick Dial Quick Response’ would capitalize on the power of modern technology. This innovative initia
tive leverages cellular phone’s all key dialing capabilities to facilitate emergency calls that would prompt police response to address crime and public safety emergencies,” he said.

In case of crime incidents, Hidalgo said that upon receiving the call, the police station, without answering, will immediately dispatch police officers to the location of the business establishment, expediting the response to emergencies such as robberies, hold-ups and others that necessitate police action.

Source: Philippines News Agency