Donald Trump branded FILIPINOS as TERRORISTS - Should be Blocked from Entering Americas

Donald Trump branded FILIPINOS as TERRORISTS – Should be blocked from Entering Americas. Photo: The Washington Times

Schatz Slams Trump On Philippines

The GOP presidential nominee says immigration should be restricted from the Philippines and other countries. Not so fast, says Schatz.

Campaigning in Maine on Thursday, Donald Trump called for restrictions on immigrants from the Philippines and other countries with high rates of terrorism — and earned a rebuke from Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz in the process.

“Hillary Clinton wants to have them come in by the hundreds of thousands — just remember,” Trump was reported as saying by the Washington Post. “This has nothing to do with politics, folks. This is a whole different level. This has to do with pure, raw stupidity. OK?”

The comments did not get past Schatz, perhaps in part because the largest single ethnic group in Hawaii is Filipino, comprising more than one-fourth of the state population. He fired back with a statement decrying Trump’s “reckless rhetoric,” which he said “further proves he is unfit to lead our country.”

“For generations, Filipinos have made the United States their home,” said Schatz. “It is their vibrant culture, hard work and strong values that have enriched our communities and made this country great, not the ignorant, racist bigotry of Donald Trump.”

The Philippines are a major trading partner for Hawaii, and Filipino-Americans have long been among the Aloha State’s most visible citizens, among them former Gov. Ben Cayetano and singer Bruno Mars.

The Philippines weren’t the only country that came under criticism from Trump on Thursday. He also called out Iraq, Morocco, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Uzbekistan.

Trump’s erratic, often outrageous remarks on multiple topics over the past week, coming on the heels of what has been widely rated as a strong Democratic National Convention, have led to sizable and expanding polling leads for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

National polls released Thursday by NBC/Wall Street Journal and McClatchy/Marist put her in the lead by nine and 15 points, respectively, while polls from the battleground states of Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan gave her similarly large leads.- CIVIL BEAT

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₱1.1-M contraband seized: Priests, DOJ promotes Prostitution to Bilibid DRUG LORDS and among the Protectors

PNP-Special Action Force troopers have taken over security posts at the New Bilibid Prison while its personnel undergo prison management training. photo: PhilSTAR

Ex-DOJ execs, religious workers being probed for links in illegal activities at NBP

Former officials of the Department of Justice and religious workers stationed at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa are being investigated over their alleged involvement in illegal activities at the national penitentiary.

In a media briefing on Friday, DOJ Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre II said he is also mulling forming a fact-finding group to probe the two DOJ officials reportedly receiving money from drug lords at the NBP in exchange for "protection."

He also received reports of religious personnel helping in sneaking in contraband and prostitutes at the national penitentiary.

Aguirre said he thinks it is illegal to let inmates run a "community" inside the penitentiary, adding that the DOJ would be "contemplating" on removing these communities.

Aguirre said he would consider his leadership "a failure" if they would not be able to rid the NBP of illegal activities.

SAF takeover: ₱1.1-M contraband seized at Bilibid

The Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) personnel have confiscated a total of P1.1 million worth of prohibited items at the New Bilibid Prison since taking over its security posts, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said on Friday.

From July 20 to July 26, the SAF personnel have seized P612,999 in cash, 80 bladed weapons, 12 ice picks, a caliber 38 pistol, six improvised shotguns, 152 mobile phones, 62 phone charges, six sachets of suspected shabu, one plastic of suspected marijuana and 48 television sets in its search operations at the NBP.

Aguirre said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is now studying the possible liabilities of the persons responsible for the proliferation of prohibited items inside the prison.

"Once we have determined their violations, you have our word that we will pursue them, to borrow the words of President (Rodrigo) Duterte, relentlessly. The hammer shall fall and it shall fall mightily. There will be no sacred cows. This is just the first barrage of our war on drugs," Aguirre said at a televised press briefing.

Aguirre noted that the prohibited items might have come from visitors of the inmates who have been allowed to go inside prison cells.

The SAF troopers have been strictly implementing the rules of the prison which temporarily stopped the bringing of prohibited items inside the prison, according to Aguirre.

However, some inmates have been discrediting the SAF, claiming the troopers have been abusing the inmates by physically hurting them, which Aguirre declared as "misinformation."

The Justice secretary stressed that the agency will pursue the president's mandate of waging a war on drugs, criminality and corruption.

"We shall marshal all the powers and the resources at our disposal to eradicate these problems. We will give no quarters nor chance for these evils to find a place to grow. It is high time that we take the fight to them," Aguirre said.

Meanwhile, the personnel of the NBP are undergoing prison management to enhance their competence, Aquirre said.

The DOJ aims to reorient personnel of the NBP as part of its program to eradicate drug-related activities inside the prison.

"Our foremost objective is not only to curb but to totally eradicate all drug-related activities at the National Bilibid Prison. If we succeed, we will strike a major blow in the drug trade in the country and that is indeed a big leap in our war on drugs," the Justice chief said. – Sources: —KG, GMA News / philSTAR

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FREE 911 Service Philippines; Globe telecom would Charge ₱12.50 per minute

911 emergency hotline available to public starting August 1

In times of emergencies, most people are unaware of what number to call for help.  But come August 1, 911 will officially be the national emergency hotline.

This is one of President Rodrigo Duterte's measures to fight crime and corruption in three to six months.

Officials said the implementation of the new hotline was derived from Davao City's Central 911. The city's emergency hotline provides medical, fire, rescue, police assistance as well as K-9 units.

"By August within a month, the Cebu 911 center will be made operational. I think there are other LGUs (local government units) that will be putting up their own command center[s]," National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarios said.

According to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the 911 nationwide hotline will connect the caller to emergency, rescue, police, or fire services.

All calls to 911 will also be rerouted to the existing Patrol 117 program.

Talks are underway as to what else will be added.

"Later on kasama na dito yung mga CCTV na magmomonitor ng mga public places," DILG Undersecretary Jesus Hinlo Jr. said. [CCTVs which can monitor public places will be included later on.]

Hinlo added, one does not have to dial an area code and 911 will be implemented for the entire country. But changes will be implemented gradually.

"May transition phase po. Pag nagdial po kayo ng 117… papasok pa din po sa emergency [hotline]." [There's a transition phase. If you dial 117, the call will still enter the emergency hotline.]

Senator Richard Gordon, who is also the Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, said it takes about eight minutes to arrive on the scene, depending on how far they are.

According to Gordon, the organization receives two to four calls per day from 117.

Davao City medical responders said they should be deployed to the site of the emergency in less than 59 seconds.

Authorities admit, with the new hotline comes some challenges like traffic and prank callers. Gordon said legislators would review if there's a need to pass a bill to impose penalties on prank callers.

Officials, meantime, are appealing to the public not to make prank calls as this would deprive others who are really in need of immediate attention.

Telecommunications and digital services provider PLDT, together with subsidiaries Smart and ePLDT, said they shall fully cooperate with the government for a nationwide emergency hotline, 911.

While Globe Telecom said they would charge  regular rate of ₱7.50 per minute plus ₱5 per call to the hotline.

Telecommunications companies, however, are asking for patience as they put "more improvements" within the year.

They also requested the President to issue a new Executive Order transferring the authority of the current Patrol "117" Commission to a new legal entity to handle the "911" system. – CNN Philippines

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