DOJ files cases against the Dengvaxia misuse
For our special presentation tonight on “Straight from the Sky” we bring you the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund). It is actually our first time in 19 years to talk about this institution. Our dear friend, Vice President Rio Teves, will give us a thorough explanation of how the Pag-IBIG Fund has developed in the last 42 years of its existence.
We all know that the Pag-IBIG Fund is a Philippine government-owned and controlled corporation under the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development responsible for the administration of the national savings program and affordable shelter financing for Filipinos employed by local and foreign-based employers as well as voluntary and self-employed members. It offers its members short-term loans and access to housing programs. What I learned from this interview is that the Pag-IBIG Fund has become like a commercial bank, giving out higher rates on your investments than commercial banks.
So watch this very open interview with Rio Teves about the Pag-IBIG Fund on our talk show tonight on SkyCable’s channel 53 at 8 p.m. with replays on Wednesday and Saturday same time and channel. We also have replays on MyTV’s channel 30 at 9 p.m. Monday and at 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.
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Today is the 83rd Cebu City Charter Day which means it is a holiday in Cebu City today. Usually Charter Day in Cebu City means that people who have done a lot of things in Cebu City are given proper recognition. The problem with that is, more often than not, this recognition is given not because of a service that a certain individual gives to the City of Cebu, but because it is pleasing to the Mayor of Cebu City. So even if you have served your time in Cebu City, but the mayor does not like you, chances are good that you will never be recognized. I should know because it happened to me. No, I won’t elaborate as it is already in the past.
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With the Philippine economy still going strong despite the global brakes that COVID-19 has put on our tourism industry, I was quite surprised to learn that the Japanese carmaker Honda is closing down its manufacturing plant in Laguna. To be totally honest about it, I didn’t even know that Honda cars were assembled in the Philippines. All the time, I thought that the Hondas sold here came from Thailand.
In an official statement announced last Saturday, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. said that the Japanese brand considered how it would optimize its production in Asia and Oceania, which eventually led to the decision to close down the Laguna plant. The closure will leave 387 workers without a job next month, according to local automotive website Visor. They will reportedly be given generous separation packages.
I didn’t know that the Honda manufacturing plant began its operations in 1992. It currently locally produces two models for Honda, the BR-V, and the Honda City. However, Honda sales have been on a decline for at least two years in a row now as shown by industry data. Thankfully, I already sold my Honda City, so in a way this news report doesn’t affect me.
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Last Friday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that state prosecutors found probable cause to charge Rep. Janette Garin of Iloilo’s 1st District and nine others, including officials of the Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and Sanofi Pasteur Inc. for reckless imprudence resulting to homicide. Wow! Finally the DOJ has moved. This was still in 2016.
The prosecution also found that those accused did not fully inform, and obtain the consent of those who were vaccinated and their families of the “nature and risks” of Dengvaxia. There was also no physical examination or health assessment before the inoculation of the vaccine. The DOJ also said that state prosecutors indicted the president of Sanofi Pasteur for violating the Consumer Act of the Philippines "for manufacturing the Dengvaxia vaccine which poses certain risks to seronegatives, or to those who have not previously contracted the Dengue disease." What can we say? These people should be thrown in jail for the things they did!
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