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Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Alert: ‘Urgent need’ to scale up search and rescue in the Mediterranean
[Daily article] August 20: George Tucker (politician)
George Tucker (August 20, 1775 – April 10, 1861) was an American
lawyer, politician, author, and educator. He wrote the first in-depth
biography of Thomas Jefferson, the first fictional account of colonial
life in Virginia, and the four-volume History of the United States.
Despite a social life which had been profligate, and at times even
scandalous, at age 50 he was named Professor of Moral Philosophy at
Jefferson's newly founded University of Virginia and served in that
post for twenty years. A son of the first mayor of Hamilton, Bermuda, he
immigrated to Virginia at age 20, was educated at the College of
William and Mary, and was admitted to the bar. He was elected in 1816 to
the Virginia House of Delegates, then served in the United States House
of Representatives from 1819 to 1825. In 1827 he wrote A Voyage to the
Moon, one of America's earliest works of science fiction. He also
produced diverse compositions on slavery, suffrage, morality,
intracoastal navigation, wages, and banking.
lawyer, politician, author, and educator. He wrote the first in-depth
biography of Thomas Jefferson, the first fictional account of colonial
life in Virginia, and the four-volume History of the United States.
Despite a social life which had been profligate, and at times even
scandalous, at age 50 he was named Professor of Moral Philosophy at
Jefferson's newly founded University of Virginia and served in that
post for twenty years. A son of the first mayor of Hamilton, Bermuda, he
immigrated to Virginia at age 20, was educated at the College of
William and Mary, and was admitted to the bar. He was elected in 1816 to
the Virginia House of Delegates, then served in the United States House
of Representatives from 1819 to 1825. In 1827 he wrote A Voyage to the
Moon, one of America's earliest works of science fiction. He also
produced diverse compositions on slavery, suffrage, morality,
intracoastal navigation, wages, and banking.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tucker_%28politician%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1882:
The 1812 Overture by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
debuted in Moscow, conducted by Ippolit Al'tani.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1812_Overture>
1920:
The American Professional Football Association, a predecessor
of the National Football League, was founded.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League>
1950:
Korean War: United Nations forces repelled an attempt by North
Korea to capture the city of Taegu.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Taegu>
2008:
Spanair Flight 5022 crashed just after take-off from Madrid's
Barajas Airport, killing 154 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanair_Flight_5022>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
gamin:
(dated, also attributively) A homeless boy; a male street urchin; also
(more generally), a cheeky, street-smart boy.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gamin>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
To see a promising solution to a dilemma and then just leave it
to questionable development at its own pace without trying to aid its
implementation would seem a dereliction.
--Roger Wolcott Sperry
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Roger_Wolcott_Sperry>
_______________________________________________
Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list.
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https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/daily-article-l
Questions or comments? Contact dal-feedback@wikimedia.org
Daily Wrap
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Senators press suspension of more PhilHealth officials. Inquirer Newsletter. August 20, 2020
| No images? Click here   CALM AND COLLECTED Mary Lorraine Pingol, a Medicard Philippines nurse, did not even take off her backpack as she helped a homeless woman give birth to a baby girl on a sidewalk in Makati City on Tuesday morning, in this cell phone photo taken by a member of the Barangay Bangkal Fire Emergency Rescue Disaster Support staff. RegionsVirus stalks quake survivors in MasbateThe local government of earthquake-hit Cataingan town, Masbate province, is begging for help, its coffers depleted after months of spending for health and security needs during the pandemic. The mayor also aired concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus as thousands of displaced residents were forced to stay in evacuation centers. Malacañang has assured Masbate that aid was coming. —STORY BY INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net/regions MetroMetro curfew: Trade groups air appealWith Metro Manila back under general community quarantine, a uniform curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. will be enforced, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Wednesday. But some business groups hoped the curfew hours would still be adjusted, particularly for companies that operate at night and for workers who go home to the provinces daily. —STORY BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA AND ROY STEPHEN C. CANIVEL Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net/metro NewsJolo shooting about AFP-PNP ‘distrust’The killing of four Army intelligence officers by nine policemen in Jolo, Sulu, on June 29 may have been caused by the military’s distrust of police officers who have relatives in the Abu Sayyaf bandit group and policemen who suspect some military officials of having links to the illegal drug trade, senators said during an inquiry into the incident on Wednesday. —STORY BY MELVIN GASCON AND NESTOR CORRALES Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net Newsletter / Join usHas this been forwarded by a friend? Subscribe now to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Newsletter and get your latest news and important updates on COVID-19 and the enhanced community quarantine. Banner storySenators press suspension of more PhilHealth officialsBy Marlon Ramos The Senate on Wednesday urged President Duterte to suspend Philippine Health Insurance Corp. President Ricardo Morales and other top officials of the state insurance company embroiled in corruption charges to allow investigators to access official documents. The senators unanimously approved Resolution No. 502 authored by Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri calling for the preventive suspension of the senior PhilHealth officials after the National Bureau of Investigation and the Commission on Audit (COA) had run into obstacles in trying to obtain official documents from the state insurer. Zubiri said suspending the top officials would help the NBI and the COA “secure the pertinent records they need in order to perform their duties and properly investigate the alleged corruption.” “Allowing these PhilHealth officials to remain in office may give them time to tamper with, conceal or destroy important records, and further hamper the investigations of the NBI, the COA, the Ombudsman and other investigative bodies conducting investigations on PhilHealth,” read a portion of Zubiri’s resolution. “PhilHealth’s unwillingness to cooperate … could qualify as obstruction of justice … PhilHealth’s refusal or delay in the submission of pertinent documents and refusal to grant full access to its record system to (COA) is a blatant violation of the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines,” it added. Ombudsman’s orders A digital copy of a document shared with reporters by Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, former health secretary, showed that the suspension was served in two separate orders. Mr. Duterte later appointed Ferrer as assistant secretary at the Department of Health, but a highly placed source at the Office of the Ombudsman said the former PhilHealth chief would still be suspended. The others who were suspended were former interim President Celestina Ma. Jude dela Serna, former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ruben John A. Basa, Senior Vice President for management services Dennis S. Mas, Vice President for corporate affairs and spokesperson Shirley B. Domingo, and Senior Vice President for legal Rodolfo Del Rosario Jr. Also suspended were Senior Vice President for health finance policy Israel Pargas, acting Senior Manager for operations Leila Tuazon, Vice President for quality assurance group Clementine A. Bautista, former Group Vice President Angelito Grande, former Head Executive Assistant Raul Dominic Badilla, Eugenio G. Donatos II and Lawrence Mijares. Zubiri lauded Martires’ action, telling the Inquirer that it was “great news” and “a small victory in our fight against corruption in the government’s health insurance agency.” Sotto surprised Limsiaco and Aragona were linked by whistleblowers to the allegedly anomalous use of the P30-billion interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) fund and the botched and allegedly overpriced P2.1-billion information technology project. Sotto also said he terminated the Senate’s investigation after three hearings as senators had enough of the “carousel of lies” and “changing statements” from the PhilHealth officials. “Enough is enough,” he said. Sen. Francis Pangilinan said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who chairs the PhilHealth board, should have also been suspended by the Ombudsman “unless the (suspension) order refers to other cases and not to the IRM controversy.” Sen. Grace Poe expressed confidence that there were competent and efficient officials “outside of the usual pool of recycled appointees” who may replace those who would be suspended. Malversation She likened the PhilHealth situation to a growing cancer that Duque did not remove. She said that “leaves us with one prescription: To save the patient, we must dismiss the doctor.” Pangilinan and other senators also said Duque’s admission that PhilHealth cash advances to dialysis centers and maternity clinics were illegal should prompt the state insurer to demand a refund. The money should be given to hospitals to benefit COVID-19 patients, the intended IRM beneficiaries, Pangilinan said. Sen. Panfilo Lacson said that by law, the officials who were responsible for diverting the money from IRM could be penalized with “reclusion perpetua,” or 30 years in prison. The former national police chief, who grilled Duque during the Senate hearing on Tuesday, said Morales and Limsiaco should be charged with malversation of public funds for authorizing the release of P231 million from the IRM to health facilities that did not have a single COVID-19 case. Sen. Sonny Angara said PhilHealth should order the immediate liquidation of IRM disbursements “to ensure public funds are protected and possibly an audit of the releases and the use of such funds.” Sen. Joel Villanueva said the officials who facilitated the swift release of IRM funds to dialysis clinics should be “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” —WITH A REPORT FROM PATRICIA DENISE M. CHIU Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net EditorialMollycoddling a terroristThe Duterte administration relentlessly pursued the passage of the problematic Anti-Terrorism Act, despite grave concerns from human rights activists and law groups. Per Malacañang's spin, it clearly demonstrated the government’s "serious commitment to stamp out terrorism, which has long plagued the country and has caused unimaginable grief and horror" to Filipinos. And yet, when faced with an actual terrorist—Abduljihad "Indang" Susukan, subcommander of the small but violent Abu Sayyaf and a man facing multiple charges for kidnapping, illegal detention, murder, and attempted murder—what did the Duterte administration do? Lay out the red carpet and act all cuddly. Read full story: opinion.inquirer.net |
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