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SEOUL, South Korea — US Vice President Kamala Harris toured South Korea’s heavily fortified border with the nuclear-armed North on Thursday, part of a trip aimed at strengthening the security alliance with Seoul.

The Philippines is currently facing a shortage of healthcare workers, particularly of nurses, the Department of Health (DOH) bared on Thursday, Sept. 29

The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Republic Act No. 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act were formally signed on Thursday, Sept. 29.

TABUK CITY — A male visitor ended up locked up in jail after he was caught trying to smuggle out shabu inside Tabuk City District Jail on Wednesday, Sept. 28.

Some 100 relatives of deceased residents in Valenzuela City received financial aid for burial expenses from the office of District 1 Rep. Rexlon “Rex” Gatchalian at the REX Serbisyo Center, Valenzuela Trade Center in the city on Thursday, Sept. 29.

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday, September 29, said Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Prospero “Popoy” De Vera III should explain the issue surrounding the alleged “ghost scholars” before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and not before the media.

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA) – Two soldiers were killed while three suspects were arrested as authorities dismantled a drug den in two separate anti-drug operations in Basilan.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has launched a mobile police outpost as part of the crime-prevention measures through immediate police response.

ZAMBOANGA CITY – A suspected drug pusher escaped police custody after his arrest before dawn here Tuesday, Sept. 27.

The Cebu Pacific (CEB) has operated a passenger flight powered by fuel with reduced carbon emissions, the first Philippine carrier to incorporate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

“You can count on us.”

CAMP OLIVAS, City of San Fernando, Pampanga – Two notorious drug pushers were arrested by authorities in separate buy-bust operations in Central Luzon on Thursday, Sept. 29.

One of the alleged “favored” suppliers of the Department of Education (DepEd) was able to corner close to P6-billion in contracts for the agency’s information and communications technology (ICT) requirements.
The matter was disclosed by Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Thursday, September 29 during the continuation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into the questionable P2.4-billion laptop procurement deal between the DepEd and the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service (DBM-PS).
Estrada noted how Advance Solutions Inc. (ASI) was awarded DepEd contracts several times, with the total amount of these deals totaling “close to P6 billion” since 2015.
Along with a few other “favored” suppliers, he said ASI should be investigated by the Commission on Audit (COA). However, no probe has been conducted regarding the issue, the senator lamented.
“Ang sa akin lang, bakit masyadong pinapaboran ng DepEd ang ASI at yung iba pa. Dahil kayo lang, iilan lang kayong suppliers ang favored ng DepEd (For me, I just find it suspicious that the DepEd highly favored ASI and other suppliers. DepEd had a limited number of favored suppliers),” Estrada told DepEd officials during the hearing.
“Marami namang puedeng mga suppliers dyan na competent enough na makapag-supply pero bakit kayo lagi (There are other suppliers that are competent enough to supply, but why are they always the ones being favored)?” he further pointed out, saying the practice smacks of “favoritism.”
DepEd’s ICT services director Abram Abanil confirmed during the hearing that ASI was awarded contracts by the Department “multiple times.” As far as he knows, Abanil told Estrada that these contracts awarded to ASI go far back in 2015.
But Abanil denied having any knowledge of the amount involved since he was not the director for DepEd’s ICT Services in the past when ASI bagged the contracts.
Abanil said his office cannot conduct an investigation into these contracts because they are composed mostly of engineers and ICT specialists, with no lawyers capable of undertaking the investigation.
He said it should be the DepEd’s legal service or internal audit service that should be the proper entity to conduct an investigation into the questionable contracts.
COA Supervising Auditor for the DepEd Job Aguirre Jr., meanwhile, made a commitment to undertake a review of the said contracts in question.
“We will look into that. Puede naman po naming balikan yan (we can conduct a review on those documents),” Aguirre said.
Estrada then requested Aguirre to submit an investigation report on this concern and submit it to the Senate blue ribbon panel.
A representative of the ASI, however, defended the company from Estrada’s allegations saying that the firm had actively participated in the DepEd’s bidding processes and had been awarded contracts since 2013.