Nationwide round-up (01/18/21)
January 18, 2021 | 7:24 pm
Ombudsman clears Acosta on anti-dengue vaccination funds case
THE Ombudsman has dismissed the charges against Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida V. Acosta and other officials on the alleged misuse of public funds related to the controversy on the government’s anti-dengue vaccination program.
The Ombudsman said there was no sufficient evidence against the PAO officials to pursue graft charges and grave misconduct in relation to the Dengvaxia controversy.
“(T)he criminal and administrative complaints against respondents are hereby dismissed, for insufficiency of evidence,” the Ombudsman said.
The resolution was dated October 23, 2019 but only released to the public on January 14.
More Filipinos come home
MORE than 300,000 migrant Filipino workers have come home amid a coronavirus pandemic that has sickened 72.7 million people and killed 1.6 million worldwide, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
A total of 13,537 Filipinos arrived last week, the highest weekly count since DFA started the repatriation program in February, the agency said in a statement on Sunday night.
It facilitated 59 flights to bring home 319 distressed Filipinos from Dammam and Saudi Arabia; 11 who got stranded in Malaysia; nine undocumented workers in China; two seafarers in the Bahamas; and another in Australia.
Eight medical repatriates from France, Japan, Austria, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and the United States also came home. Three were from Qatar, Egypt and Syria, who may have been victims of human trafficking.
BusinessWorld
December 11, 2020 | 12:03 am
THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) reminded foreign nationals to make their annual appearance before the agency starting in January.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said in a statement that the annual registration of foreigners is required by the Alien Registration Act of 1950, covering those holding immigrant and non-immigrant visas and those holding alien certificate of registration identity cards. The law requires such aliens to report in person to the bureau within the first 60 days of the year.
“Thus, the 2021 annual reporting period of aliens will be held on Jan. 1 up to March 1,” according to the statement.
Mr. Morente told foreigners to use the online appointment system, adding that the bureau will not allow walk-ins.