Philippine NBI recommend filing Criminal Charges Against PCG who defend the Philippine Territory ; killing Taiwanese Poacher

NBI Recommend filing Criminal Charges to Philippine Coast Guard that shoot dead Taiwanese poacher to the Philippines territory. Philippine Coast Guard slam the NBI's recommendation as they are just doing their job per order to defend the Philippine territory. The shooting incident occurred 79.2km Island of Luzon in the Philippine territory and 316.8km from Taiwan. Photo from INQUIRER

A Philippine government's investigating body has recommended the filing of criminal charges against several members of the Philippine Coast Guard for the death of a Taiwanese fisherman off northern Luzon in the Philippine Sea on May 9.

In a report sent to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) identified the Philippine Coast Guard personnel who fired their guns on the Taiwanese fishing vessel, the Guan Ta Hsin 28, including the person whose bullet fatally killed Hung Shih chen, the Inquirer quoted an unnamed source as saying.

"The shooter was identified through a cross-match between the slug recovered from Hung's body during autopsy and the signature of the coast guard's M14 rifle," the source explained, adding that Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has received just a "thin report" because the annexes have yet to be forwarded to her.

The NBI has not specified if the coast guards would be charged with murder or homicide because of unresolved debates over the Philippine Coast Guard using "superior strength versus the Taiwanese fishermen," and that the killing of the Taiwanese fisherman was "not premeditated," said the source.

The Philippine Coast Guard said the shooting targeted the engine of the Taiwanese fishing boat to stop it from trying to ram the coast guard's vessel.

The shooting incident occurred 79.2km off island of Luzon in the Philippine territory and 316.8km from Taiwan, the source said. It was earlier identified as the Balintang Channel off northern Luzon.

The report has been forwarded to President Benigno Aquino, said Justice Secretary de Lima who refused to give more details. The presidential palace has not made an official statement regarding the matter.

The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), the de facto embassy of the Philippines in Taiwan, including the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), the de facto embassy of Taiwan in Manila have not confirmed receiving copies of the report.

The family of the Taiwanese fishermen has already filed murder charges against the Philippine Coast Guard in Pingtung County District Attorney's Office in southern Taiwan.

Two investigating bodies from the Philippines and Taiwan held parallel probes on the incident last week.

Taiwan demanded an official apology from the Philippine government, but rejected President Aquino's apology when he said the killing was not intentional.

Taiwan also demanded compensation for Hung's family and punishment for those who shot him.

Taiwan also froze new jobs for Filipino workers in Taiwan; suspended tourist travel to the Philippines; and temporarily ended trade and cultural exchanges with the Philippines.

With reports sources from BBC News, Gulf News and Philippine Daily Inquirer

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President Aquino Call all Filipinos to Unite & lay down one's life to defend the country from threats of the sovereignty and security

115th Philippine Independence Day 2013. With the cooling down of nationalism in the Philippines President Aquino calls all Filipinos to Unite & lay down one's life to defend the country from threats of the sovereignty and security.

Aquino on Independence Day: Follow Bonifacio

It's Independence Day, and President Benigno Aquino gives this annual ritual a twist. Unlike presidents before him, Aquino takes the celebration to the shrine of a hero for the poor.

For the first time, President Benigno Aquino leads the 115th Independence Day rites at Liwasang Bonifacio.

It's a shrine devoted to Andres Bonifacio, the hero who led the armed revolution against Spain.

The Palace says it's a recognition of Bonifacio's role in history. The country marks Bonifacio's 150th birth anniversary this year.

Watch the video here http://bit.ly/19uryDT

Aquino says Filipinos should follow Bonifacio's example. He calls for courage and love of neighbor.

BENIGNO AQUINO III, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: Maliwanag po ang pahiwatig ng kanyang tindig: Karangalan ang magtaya ng buhay para sa bayan; taas-noo nating maipagmamalaki ang mga naiambag natin para sa kalayaan. Kasabay nito, tila mapanghamon din ang titig ni Bonifacio: Ikaw, Pilipino, ano na ang nagawa mo para sa iyong bandila at kapwa? (It's clear in his posture: It's honor to lay down one's life for the country; we take pride in our contributions to promote our freedom. At the same time, Bonifacio's gaze poses a challenge: You, Filipino, what have you done for your flag and your neighbor?)

Aquino says this in the face of protests over government services.

In Tutuban, Bonifacio's birthplace, militant groups denounce Philippine independence as fake. They downplay the government's economic gains.

A day before this, the National Statistics Office reports more Filipinos are jobless in April compared to the same period last year. This, despite a stellar 7.8 percent growth in the country's economy.

PATERNO ESMAQUEL, REPORTING: One hundred and fifty years ago, Andres Bonifacio fought to uplift the plight of the masses. But the same issues hound the poor to this day, posing a challenge for the Philippine government.

Aquino says ending poverty is everyone's responsibility.

BENIGNO AQUINO III, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: Huwag sana tayong maghintay pa ng tatlondaang taon, o ng tatlong dekada, o kahit ng tatlong taon, bago tayo magpasyang magbuklod para maging malaya tayo mula sa gutom, kahirapan, o anumang banta sa ating soberenya't seguridad. Hindi tama na mapahaba pa ang pagtitiis ng mga Pilipino ni isang minuto. (Let us not wait for 300 years, or 3 decades or even 3 years before we come together in order to free ourselves from hunger, poverty or whatever threats to our sovereignty and security. It is not right to prolong the suffering of Filipinos by another minute.)

Today, Independence Day, Bonifacio, the hero of the masses, shines above other heroes from that era – a fitting symbolism for Aquino, whose stellar economic numbers have yet to trickle down to the working man.

Paterno Esmaquel, Rappler, Manila.

With report from – Rappler.com

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China scared other bidders and dominates again in ₱3.76-billion Philippine MRT Rail Bids for Expansion

For the expansion of the Metro Railway Transit, the Department of Transportation and Communications announced the ₱3.76-billion financial proposal of China's Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. CNR Group satisfied the eligibility requirements during the opening of its offer late Tuesday.  A Metro Rail Transit (MRT) train is seen Manila on October 31, 2010. AFP PHOTO/NOEL CELIS (Rappler.com)

China's dominance in the world for Engineering Design and Construction (EPC) projects has been proven not only in the Philippines but almost all part of Africa and Latin America.

With the Bidding SOP; winning bidders would be awarded to the lowest bidder, China led that system as the Government will give more incentives to any Chinese firms who win any bidding for foreign projects such as tax exemption for the income of such project and even the Chinese government sometimes will shoulder the loses of any private firm just to win the project and to offer the lowest bid.

For every EPC project that invites Chinese firm to join the bidding, most Europeans, Koreans and Japanese firms will usually back out as proven for so many EPC projects Chinese firm would really win with their lowest bid and government's backup.

According to most Korean company, if Chinese will join bidding for EPC projects, they could just be wasting money to join the bidding because China would really dominates and the same thing happened in the Philippines' Bid for MRT project which other bidder back out after knowing that Chinese firm is invited to join the bidding.

How to invite bidders without driving away the other participants?

If the Bidding SOP; winning bidders would be awarded only to the lowest bidder, then the world would expect that China will dominates but if the system would change into the lowest "Quality" bidder, then it could invite other firm as many firms are more experienced in doing EPC project than china. Requiring at least 20 years of experience in such project would surely disqualify Chinese firm to join the bidding.

Other reasons also matters under the table issues.

Only Chinese firm left in bidding for MRT expansion

The DOTC is now evaluating a single proposal by a lone bidder Chinese manufacturer for the ₱3.77-billion expansion of the Metro Railway Transit's capacity through the addition of more trains after another firm was disqualified and three would-be bidders did not submit bids at all.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) announced that the P3.76-billion financial proposal of China's Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. CNR Group satisfied the eligibility requirements during the opening of its offer late Tuesday.

DoTC's bids and awards committee did not open the proposal of the Chinese firm CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co. Ltd., whose submission lacked certain technical requirements.

CSR Zhuzhou was to file a motion for reconsideration or MR, DoTC undersecretary for legal Jose Perpetuo Lotilla told reporters after the opening of the proposal. He said the plan was for the DoTC to "resolve the MR as soon as possible"

In light of its compliance with the DoTC's requirements, Dalian Locomotive's proposal will now be evaluated by the agency. If it passes this process, the company will be awarded the project, Lotilla said.

"There were only two bidders but we just opened one. It's not as good for government," Lotilla noted.

He also declined to comment on how long the evaluation process would take, given the technical nature of the project.

"This is a highly technical bid. We are talking about train systems. So there is a technical proposal, and that is subject to post-qualification," Lotilla said.

The transportation department pushed for the bidding after it dropped a plan to acquire second-hand trains from a Spanish manufacturer.

"We looked at our options for purchasing some of the coaches from Metro de Madrid, but it turns out that this would not have significantly improved the  timeframe we are working on," DoTC spokesperson Michael Sagcal said in a separate statement. "So we decided to continue with the ongoing procurement of new trains instead.  This should also result in lower maintenance costs."

Through the capacity expansion, DoTC will add 48 train cars to MRT 3, which runs 16.9 kilometers on EDSA from North Avenue to Taft Avenue and serves an estimated 600,000 passengers a day, well above its designed capacity of 350,000, the transportation department said.

The elevated MRT 3 train service has a fleet of 73 train cars, serving passengers at supposedly three-minute intervals. DoTC said the addition of new cars will cut the waiting time to 2.5-minute intervals.

With report from INQUIRER

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