Medical marijuana

Aprubado na ng House Committee on Dangerous Drugs at House Committee on Health ang panukalang
batas sa paggamit ng marijuana bilang gamot sa mga malulubhang sakit gaya ng kanser, insomnia,
epilepsy at iba pa. Ayon kay Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers at chairman ng House Committee
on Dangerous Drugs, pinagtibay na ng kanyang komite at committee on Health ang panukalang batas sa
paggamit ng medical marijuana.

Sinabi ni Barbers, na kapag naging batas na ang panukala, magiging eskslusibo lamang ito bilang gamot at
hindi para sa recreational purposes. Magkakaroon ng preskripsiyon ng doktor at hindi basta-basta mabibili
sa mga botika ang gamot.

Ayon pa kay Barbers, ang sobrang preskripsiyon ng medical marijuana ay may mabigat na kaparusahan:
pagkakulong ng anim na taon at multang P500,000 hanggang P1 milyon.

Marami na ang nagpanukala ng medical marijuana. Ilang taon na ang nakararaan, inihain ni Isabela Rep.
Tonypet Albano ang House Bill 279 (Medical Compassion Cannabis subalit hindi naaprubahan. Layunin din
ng panukalang batas na gamitin ang marijuana laban sa mga malulubhang sakit.

Noong 2014, inihain din ni dating Isabela Rep. Rodito Albano (kapatid ni Tonypet) ang House Bill 4477
(Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act). Sa panukala, ang marijuana ay para sa medical purposes
at hindi puwedeng gamitin para sa recreation purposes. Hindi rin puwedeng ibenta kung saan-saan ang
marijuana at hindi rin puwedeng itanim sa bakuran ang halaman.

Hindi naaprubahan ang panukala ni Albano sapagkat tinutulan nang maraming sector kabilang ang
Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) at Department of Health (DOH). Ayon sa DOH,
kailangan pa nila nang sapat na ebidensiya para masabing nakagagamot ang marijuana. Wala pa raw
nakapagpapatunay na nakagagamot ng sakit ang marijuana particular ang epilepsy.

Ang panukala ni Barbers sa medical marijuana ay marami pang pagdadaanan bago maging batas. Maaring
matulad din ito sa iba pang panukala sapagkat maraming tutol. Bukod sa DOH, nagpahayag din noon ang
Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) na mapanganib ito at baka abusuhin kapag naging batas.

Sabi ng DOH wala pa namang matibay na ebidensiya na nakakagamot nga ang medical marijuana. Ganito
rin ang sinasabi ng iba pang mga eksperto. Kung ganito ang sinasabi laban sa marijuana, mas makabubuti
kung magharap ng mga matitibay na ebidensiya ang mga mambabatas na nakagagamot nga ito.

Kailangang matiyak ang bisa ng marijuana bilang gamot sapagkat kung hindi, baka maabuso at magbigay
lamang ng panibagong problema sa bansa. Malala ang drug problem sa bansa at hindi na dapat
madagdagan pa.

Safety nets in place for medical cannabis

According to House committee on dangerous drugs chair and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the proposed bill mandates the removal of THC or delta-9-
tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive ingredient in the marijuana plant that can cause addiction.
 STAR / File

MANILA, Philippines — A bill in the House of Representatives that allows marijuana or cannabis for medical purposes will
incorporate safety nets to prevent aggravating the country’s problems on drug abuse.

According to House committee on dangerous drugs chair and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the proposed bill
mandates the removal of THC or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive ingredient in the marijuana plant that can
cause addiction.

THC makes people feel euphoric when they smoke marijuana or eat food laced with it.

“If you remove the THC, what is left is the cannabidiol or the CBD. That is not addictive. It’s actually the part that has therapeutic
effect,” Barbers noted in a radio interview.

Barbers added that the bill provides that cannabis can be used “only by patients with debilitating and non-debilitating illnesses as
determined by medical practitioners.”

“The bill has limitations, because the accredited physician will only be allowed to prescribe what is allowable for the illness of the
patient,” Barbers said.

“Its use in other forms will remain illegal and is punishable under the law… What we have approved is the use of cannabis in
pharmaceutical form only. It could be in tablet or capsule forms or other forms with pharmaceutical grade,” he added.

Some doctors who took part in the committee hearings have proposed that medical cannabis in injection or dextrose forms be
allowed as there are patients who are into such treatment protocols.

“The basic general guidelines is in pharmaceutical forms … We don’t want cannabis to be used for recreational purposes just like
what happened in Thailand and other European countries,” he claimed.

The lawmaker also said the proposed bill imposes requirements on the medical practitioners who could prescribe or use medical
cannabis.

“Not all medical practitioners will be given accreditation, as they would need training, clearances, and comply with other
requirements that won’t be easy to secure,” he added.

Doctors will have to undergo training and then they have to get permits from the Medical Cannabis Office (MCO), which the law
shall mandate to create in order to oversee the use of medical cannabis in the country.

Barbers added that pharmaceutical firms will also have to secure permits from the MCO, which will be under the Department of
Health, if they want to sell medical cannabis.

Likewise, the bill seeks to penalize those found faking illness or prescriptions to secure cannabis with imprisonment of six months
up to six years, and/or a fine ranging from P500,000 to P1 million.

The DOH currently allows the medical use of cannabis under a compassionate special permit or CSP.

Once the proposed bill becomes a law, Barbers said the issuance of a CSP will no longer be needed. — Delon Porcalla
Cybercrime, alarming na pinatututukan sa PNP
RESPONDE - Gus Abelgas - Pang-masa

February 7, 2024 | 12:00am

Maging si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. marahil ay naaalarma na rin sa pagtaas ng cybercrime
sa bansa kaya nga mahigpit niya itong pinatututukan sa Philippine National Police (PNP).

Sa kanyang kautusan nais ng Pangulo na palakasin at pagbutihin ang cybersecurity system sa

bansa para ito malabanan.

Sa panig naman ng kapulisan, sinabi PNP Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. na bagama’t bumaba
ng nasa 10 porsiyento ang krimen sa bansa, may pangangailangan talaga na matutukan ang
cybercrime at ang love scams na tumaas noong last quarter ng 2023.Ang love scams naman ay
inaasahang tataas pa lalo ngayong buwan ng Pebrero.

Magkakaroon rin ng National Cybercrime Training Institute kung saan maaring sanayin ang
kapulisan sa cybercrime. Special investigators ang kakailangan dito. Ika nga iba na ang may alam
sa ganitong uri ng krimen at kung paano ito malulutas o matutugis ang mga nasasangkot.

Ayon kay PNP-Cybercrime Group Response Unit Chief PCol. Jay Guillermo, nasa 68.98 % o
katumbas na 19,472 insidente ang itinaas ng mga kaso ng cybercrime kumpara sa 11,523 noong
2022.
Nangangahulugan ito na 53 kaso ng cybercrime kada araw ang naitala noong nakalipas na taon.

Karamihan sa nasabing mga kaso ay online scams na nairekord sa 14,030 nitong 2023 na mas
mataas ng 7, 208 insidente kumpara noong 2022.

Nasa 121 namang kaso ng sextortion ang nairekord noong nagdaang taon na tumaas ng 10 % sa
naitalang 110 insidente.

Kabilang sa iba pang mga kaso ng cybercrimes ay online threats, identity theft, data interference ,
computer-related fraud, love scam, cyber libel at mga karahasan laban sa mga kababaihan at mga
bata.

Nakatakdang magtatag ang PNP ng Cybersecurity Desks sa lahat ng mga himpilan ng pulisya sa
buong bansa na pangangasiwaan ng dalawang mga piling imbestigador sa cybercrime.

Una nang inatasan ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang PNP na palakasin ang paglaban
kontra cybercrimes.
DepEd to dedicate Fridays to reading starting 2024

Cristina Chi - Philstar.com

November 21, 2023 | 12:58pm

Grade 7 students of Araullo High School along United Nations Avenue in Manila line up during school opening dry run.
The STAR / Edd Gumban

MANILA, Philippines — All schools will be required to hold whole-day reading programs every Friday starting January
as part of the Department of Education’s newest initiative to boost students’ literacy, Vice President and Education
Secretary Sara Duterte announced on Tuesday.

The DepEd secretary said that the department’s curriculum and teaching strand is currently crafting a policy that will
guide schools in implementing “catch-up Fridays” beginning January 12.

“This means that on Fridays, our sole focus will be on teaching children to read,” said Duterte, who made the
announcement during DepEd’s culminating activity for the National Reading Month.

Under the “catch-up Fridays” program, students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 will spend the day reading age-
appropriate materials “based on their interest” and will be asked to write essays, book reviews and other similar
outputs.

Duterte said that the weekly catch-up program will focus particularly on reading but may also include subjects in peace
education, health and values education.

Students who already know how to read will take lessons to improve their critical thinking and analysis, while students
capable of critical thinking and analysis “will be asked to write books and essays,” she said.

“We need one day where we will focus on bringing students up to speed on their lessons. We can’t just keep doing the
same things but nothing is changing or improving with our learners,” Duterte added.

9 out of 10 can’t read

Literacy — or the ability to read and write — is the most basic skill that students need to learn nearly all of their
lessons in school, and anecdotes have shown that poor reading comprehension affects nearly all other subject areas.
The literacy rate of students in the Philippines is one of the lowest in the world, which the pandemic made even worse.
According to the World Bank in 2022, 90% of Filipino children aged 10 struggled to read simple texts. This figure
significantly increased from 70% in 2019.
Filipino students also performed the worst in terms of reading comprehension among all participating countries in the
2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Duterte reiterated that the DepEd does not expect improved scores in PISA 2022, the results of which will be released
two weeks from now.

“We have already been through two PISAs and the scores of the students have not yet improved. This means we
need to innovate and do something else,” Duterte said.

She explained that with Fridays exclusively devoted to reading lessons, DepEd’s curriculum and teaching strand has
been asked to “find a way” to fit all the regular classes in just four days or from Monday to Thursday.

The DepEd chief said that the official policy for “catch-up Fridays” will be released in December.
Philippines ranks 115th in corruption index
The Philippines scored 34 out of 100 in the 2023 CPI released this week, up from 33 in the 2022 report, but still below the global average of 43.
Philstar.com / File Photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines improved its score by a notch but “remains on the lower end of the spectrum”
among Asia-Pacific countries in the latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of Berlin-based organization
Transparency International.

The Philippines scored 34 out of 100 in the 2023 CPI released this week, up from 33 in the 2022 report, but still below
the global average of 43.

It ranked 115th out of the 180 countries and territories on the list, up from 116th. Countries are scored based on
perceived levels of public sector corruption, with 0 being “highly corrupt” to 100 being “very clean.”

Transparency International said “each country’s score is a combination of at least three data sources drawn from 13
different corruption surveys and assessments.”

“These data sources are collected by a variety of reputable institutions, including the World Bank and the World
Economic Forum,” it added.

?Among those measured were various manifestations and policies regarding corruption, including bribery, diversion of
public funds, use of public office for private gain without facing consequences, inability of governments to contain
corruption and excessive red tape.

Other measures included nepotistic appointments in the civil service, laws on disclosure of finances and potential
conflicts of interest, legal protection for people who report cases of bribery and corruption, state capture by narrow
vested interests and access to information on public affairs and government activities.

“The global trend of weakening justice systems is reducing accountability for public officials, which allows corruption to
thrive,” the report read.

“Both authoritarian and democratic leaders are undermining justice. This is increasing impunity for corruption, and
even encouraging it by eliminating consequences for criminals,” it added.?

Based on the 2023 report, over two-thirds of countries scored below 50 out of 100, “which strongly indicates that they
have serious corruption problems.”

“The global average is stuck at only 43, while the vast majority of countries have made no progress or declined in the
last decade,” it added.

The Philippines’ score barely moved over the years. Its latest score – 34 – is similar to its score in the 2012 report,
when it was first included in the CPI. Its highest was 38, in 2014, when it ranked 85th out of 175. Its ranking has since
slipped: 95th in 2015 (with a score of 35), 101st in 2016 (35) and 111th in 2017 (34).

It improved to 99th in 2018 (36), then dropped again to 113th in 2019 (34), 115th (34) in 2020, 117th in 2021 (33) and
116th in 2022 (33).

The Philippines was also included in the “significant decliners” list among Asia-Pacific countries in the 2021 and 2022
reports.

Like in the 2022 report, Denmark still topped the latest list with a score of 90, followed by Finland (87), New Zealand
(85), Norway (84), Singapore (83), Sweden (82), Switzerland (82), Netherlands (79), Germany (78) and Luxembourg
(78).?Somalia, which obtained a score of 11, was still at the bottom of the list, followed by Venezuela (13), Syria (13),
South Sudan (13), Yemen (16), North Korea (17), Nicaragua (17), Haiti (17), Equatorial Guinea (17), Turkmenistan
(18) and Libya (18).

Among Southeast Asian nations, Singapore was followed by Malaysia at 57th (with a score of 50), Timor-Leste at 70th
(43), Vietnam at 83rd (41), Thailand at 108th (35), Indonesia and Philippines at 115th (34), Laos at 136th (28),
Cambodia at 158th (22) and Myanmar at 162nd (20).
EDITORYAL - Nananatili pa rin ang corrupt
tion sa Pilipinas
Pang-masa
February 5, 2024 | 12:00am
Walang pagbabago at patuloy na namamayani ang corruption sa Pilipinas. Sa latest
Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ng Berlin-based organization Transparency
International, nasa No. 115 ang Pilipinas out of 180 bansa. Ang mga bansa ay
iniiskoran base sa level ng public sector corruption, kung saan ang “0” ang “pinaka-
corrupt” at “100” ang “pinakamalinis”. Ang Pilipinas ay may iskor na 34 out of 100.
Noong 2022, ang iskor ng Pilipinas ay 33. Ang Denmark ang pinakamalinis, na
sinundan ng Finland, New Zealand, Norway at Singapore. Pinaka-corrupt naman ang
Somalia, Venezuela, Syria, South Sudan, at Yemen. Ang data sources ay kinulekta ng
mga mapagkakatiwalaang institusyon kabilang ang World Bank at World Economic
Forum.

Baba-taas ang ranggo ng Pilipinas sa Corruption Index. Kahit bali-baliktarin, corruption

pa rin ang pinag-uusapan dito at malayo pa ang Pilipinas para makaabot sa mas
mataas na ranggo. Hindi nakakatuwang pag-usapan ang ukol sa corruption.

Bagama’t nasa ika-115 na puwesto, napanatili naman ng Pilipinas ang mababang

score nito sa 34 out of 100. Noong 2018 nasa ika-99 na puwesto ang Pilipinas; 2019 ay
ika-113; 2020 ay ika-115; at 2021, ika-117.

Masyadong malayo pa ang tatahakin ng bansa bago maabot ang mataas na antas na
walang bahid ng corruption. Sa kasalukuyan, maraming tanggapan ng pamahalaan ang
batbat ng katiwalian. Maraming nagpapasasa sa pera ng taumbayan. Maraming
“buwaya” na walang kabusugan.

Kamakailan lang, apat na abogado ng Bureau of Immigration ang sinibak sa puwesto

dahil sa pag-iisyu ng working visas sa mga dayuhan na bogus naman ang mga
kompanya. Malaking pera ang kapalit sa pag-iisyu ng visas.

Patuloy din naman ang korapsiyon sa Bureau of Customs kung saan walang patlang
ang pasok ng smuggled products kabilang ang bigas, sibuyas at iba pang produktong
agrikultura.

Sa Abril ay bayaran na naman ng buwis, tiyak marami na namang opisyal at kawani ng

BIR ang mamamantikaan ang nguso dahil sa gagawing pag-hokus-pokus sa income
tax at iba pang bayarin.

Sa LTO, patuloy din naman ang mga katiwalian na tila hindi na maputul-putol. Sa
kasalukuyan, lisensiyang papel ang iniisyu ng LTO sa mamamayan dahil sa kakapusan
ng plastic. At ang PNP, talamak pa rin ang mga pulis na nangongotong at may mga
nagre-recycle pa ng droga para kumamal ng pera. Sa kabila na itinaas na ang suweldo
at benepisyo ng mga pulis, patuloy pa rin sa kanilang kabuktutan.