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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015622

South Korean entrepreneur Do Kwon was a rising star of the global digital asset market when his company Terraform Labs launched the cryptocurrencies UST and luna three years ago.

His fame peaked last month when the price of luna skyrocketed to over US$119, becoming the first Korean digital coin to crack the top 10 cryptocurrencies with the highest market capitalisation in the world.

He was quickly dubbed the “Korean Elon Musk” for his early success as well as outspoken Twitter comments. Kwon has mocked others as “poor” multiple times for criticising his crypto creations on Twitter.

In July, British economist Frances Coppola tweeted that self-correction mechanisms relying on financial incentives, like Kwon’s tokens, inevitably fail when investors panic and rush for the exit.

Kwon replied: “I don’t debate the poor on Twitter, and sorry I don’t have any change on me for her at the moment.”

The 30-year-old computer engineer-turned-CEO, however, now finds himself under siege from angry investors and market regulators, after over $37 billion vanished from the market caps of two Korean-made cryptocurrencies – terraUSD, also known as UST and its sister token luna – in the course of a week.

According to cryptocurrency data platform CoinGecko, the total market cap of terraUSD and luna hit $3 billion as of 5pm on Monday, down 92.5 per cent from $40 billion on May 9.

TerraUSD, a so-called “stablecoin” designed to maintain a one-to-one peg with the US dollar through a set of algorithms, was trading at $0.14 as of 5pm on Monday.

The two cryptocurrencies work like this: if the price of UST falls below $1, investors can deposit UST at Terraform Labs and receive $1 worth of luna to earn profits of up to 20 per cent in return. The volume of UST distributed is thereby reduced to allow the price to rise back to $1.

Kwon seemed to have unwittingly foreshadowed his cryptocurrencies’ downfall earlier this month, saying that 95 per cent of crypto start-ups are “going to die”.

“There’s also entertainment in watching companies die, too,” he gloated in an interview with chess streamer Alexandra Botez.

The collapse of the two linked cryptocurrencies began just days later on May 9, as the price of UST fell below $1 amid worsening global crypto market sentiment and its struggling flagship, bitcoin.

The tumbling price of UST led to rushed sell-offs of luna, creating a “death spiral” that threatens to wipe out the faith of investors altogether.

Kwon tweeted an apology on Saturday, saying he was “heartbroken about the pain” caused by his invention.

“I’m sure our community will form consensus around the best path forward for itself, and find a way to rise again,” he added, referring to his revival plan posted on terra’s agora website.

He proposed resetting the network ownership of the cryptocurrencies to 1 billion tokens, to be redistributed among UST and luna holders as well as the community pool.

Billy Markus, co-creator of dogecoin, denounced Kwon, tweeting that the Korean CEO should “stop trying to bring in new victims” and leave the crypto industry forever.

Having graduated from Daewon Foreign Language High School, one of the most prestigious schools in South Korea, Kwon received a bachelor’s in computer science at Stanford University in June 2015. He worked as an engineer at Apple and Microsoft. Kwon founded telecommunications company Anyfi in 2016 and served as its CEO for almost two years before launching Terraform Labs in 2018.

Meanwhile, Korean crypto exchanges including Bithumb and Upbit have announced they are delisting luna to prevent further selloffs.

Although Korean financial authorities on Sunday launched emergency checks to monitor the cryptocurrency crash, they have no legal grounds for action other than warning crypto investors.

For the stock market, authorities can legally open investigations on suspicious changes in the share price of a certain company and supervise it. But currently, there are no such laws for the Korean crypto market.

The collapse of UST and luna boosted debate on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s pledge to enact a basic digital assets law so financial authorities could oversee the crypto market and protect investors.

“We still have a long way to go as related parties – such as government ministries and lawmakers at the National Assembly – must talk about what will be included in the law,” an official at the Financial Services Commission said.

Kan Hyeong-woo

The Korean Herald

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Published : May 17, 2022

By : The Korea Herald

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015612

The 15th edition of the World Forestry Congress, the world’s largest gathering on forests, ended with delegates signing a joint declaration calling on enhanced cooperation across the world.

The Korea Forest Service said the latest edition of the WFC, which was held at Coex in Seoul between May 3-6, both online and offline, invited a total of some 15,000 people from 164 different countries, becoming the largest in the history of the congress.

Participants of the WFC this year adopted the Seoul Forest Declaration, identifying priority agendas that not just the forestry sector, but also stakeholders and institutions in different fields, should follow to build a green, healthy and resilient environment, the KFS said.

The WFC has also drawn significant agreements and discussions, envisioning healthy forests amid mounting threats from the climate crisis, it added.

With the declaration, delegates reached a consensus that forest protection can help restore the Earth’s environmental balance and countries around the globe should therefore increase their cooperation on forests.

“We must now scale up political will and increase financial and technical investments. The Declaration will add to the sense of urgency to accelerate action, strengthen partnerships and enhance cross-sectoral collaboration,” said Maria Helena Semedo, the deputy director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in a statement.
 

The declaration, in detail, says that investment in forest and landscape restoration needs to triple by 2030 to meet internationally agreed commitments and targets on restoring degraded land.

In addition, the advent of a revolutionary financial solution that can support the restoration and preservation of forests is also required, the declaration reads. 
 

The world, particularly the construction sector, should also use more sustainably sourced wood, to protect the environment, the declaration said.

Introducing data-based analytics to forest management is needed as well, to enable evidence-based forest and landscape decision-making, according to the declaration.

The declaration also stresses that the forestry sector, stakeholders, and government bodies should try to minimize damages to forests, which can greatly benefit human health, amid ongoing threats from COVID-19 and potential danger from future pandemics.

The KFS said the latest edition of the WFC allowed the world to recognize the huge potential of forests to help achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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The KFS also expressed hopes that the declaration and new ideas that came out during the congress could help the world to join forces to increase forest health and climate resilience.

During the congress, ministerial-level officials met together and agreed that the countries should make more investments in forest management. They particularly agreed on using more sustainably sourced wood, which could help them achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions.

Throughout the event, the KFS also shared the country’s history of forest management and related policies with the experts and government officials from other countries, through special events such as the Forest Fire Forum and the Peace Forestry Initiative high-level meetings.

The KFS noted that the events allowed it to solidify Korea’s position as one of the world’s leading nations in forestry.

The KFS also held meetings with government officials of 20 different countries to share ideas on forest management and discuss potential partnerships, according to the KFS.

The KFS expects South Korea would be able to facilitate new partnerships with foreign governments in the future, through which the country will share its forest management policies, related know-how and technologies.

New partnerships with international organizations have been also made.

South Korea and the FAO launched the Assuring the Future of Forests with Integrated Risk Management mechanism, a global platform dedicated to strengthening countries’ capacities to implement integrated fire management.

South Korea and the United Nations Environment Programme also announced that they are developing the Sustaining an Abundance of Forest Ecosystems, an initiative for restoring damaged forests and securing biodiversity around the globe.

With the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries, South Korea agreed to look into new opportunities to promote REDD+, a platform dedicated to encouraging countries to contribute to climate change mitigation efforts by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Businesses also joined the congress to share their recent efforts in the preservation and sustainable management of forests. A total of 87 teams from companies and institutions joined a special exhibition to share their visions and products relating to the forestry sector.

During the congress, SK Group unveiled its environmental, social and governance goals. SK Forest, the forestry business arm of the business group, held an exhibition introducing the company’s recent efforts in forest management and carbon reduction.

SK E&S has also signed a three-way agreement with the East Timor government and SK Forest, through which they aim to introduce forest development projects and reduce carbon emissions.

Korea Aerospace Industries, South Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer, also held an exhibition, featuring Surion-affiliated forest helicopters, along with other technologies that can be used in forest management.

Korea Forest Service Minister Choi Byeong-am said the latest WFC in Seoul has helped the country to step up its presence in the forestry sector.

Choi added that the country will expand its partnerships on forests while continuing its efforts in forest protection.


 

Published : May 16, 2022

By : The Korea Herald

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015611

Asean countries have agreed to mutually recognise Covid-19 vaccination certificates to facilitate seamless and safe cross-border travel, says the Malaysian Health Ministry.

Malaysian Deputy Health Minister II Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said this was agreed upon at the Asean Health ministers meeting held in Bali, Indonesia on May 14.

He said Malaysia is also ready to work with members of the regional bloc to mutually recognise the Covid-19 vaccination certificates to ensure a healthy and safe regional development and well-being of the people.

“The recognition will be carried out with the Asean universal verification mechanism or other mechanisms, which were developed based on the World Health Organisation’s technical specification.

“This is to ease Covid-19 vaccination certificate verification issued by each Asean country,” Aaron Ago said in a statement on Sunday.

He said Malaysia also appreciates Indonesia’s efforts to lead the development of the Asean universal verification mechanism.

He added that the system has the potential to support Asean member states, which have yet to have a Covid-19 vaccination verification system.

“It is important to ease the reopening of borders and expedite the recovery process of Asean from Covid-19,” said Aaron Ago.

In the same session, Malaysia also expressed its support for the Asean Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED), which is a centre of excellence and regional hub to strengthen Asean’s regional capabilities to prepare, prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies and emerging diseases.

He had also touched on efforts to strengthen the resilience of the healthcare system and the post-pandemic recovery including the use of digital technology to ensure continued access to healthcare services such as virtual clinics and online appointments.

Malaysia will also leverage the Asean healthcare sector platform to increase genomic sequencing capacity and to exchange technical and clinical information related to Covid-19.

He added that Malaysia would also lead the project for strengthening laboratory capacity on Covid-19 bio genomics for Asean countries.

This focuses on technical aspects of whole-genome sequencing for Covid-19, detection of mutation, building phylogenetic tree Covid- 19, analysing genomes and stepping up the Covid-19 surveillance system.

“It is hoped that this initiative will steer Asean in the recovery from Covid-19,” he said.

Aaron added that the direction for healthcare collaboration was also discussed at the meeting, in line with the theme “Charting Asean-US Future Collaboration Towards Strengthening Health Systems for Public Health Emergencies”.

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Published : May 16, 2022

By : The Star

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015609

Check out what’s hot in the region on May 16 as The Nation puts together headlines from members of Asia News Network (ANN). Click to read more:

Crisis Sri Lanka
Be patient, I will gradually turn the ailing economy around: PM 

-The Island ( Sri Lanka )
https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015597

Defense Cambodia
Cambodia issues defense white paper – first in 16 years – and stamp out rumours of Chinese military presence 

-Phnom Penh Post
https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015595

Military Japan
Japan, Britain to jointly develop ASDF’s successor to F-2 fighter jet 

-The Japan News
https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015594

Vaccine Asean
Covid-19: Asean countries agree to mutually recognise vaccination certs 

-The Star ( Malaysia )

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015611

Forestry
Largest-ever World Forestry Congress calls for stronger cooperation

-Korea Herald

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015612

Asia News Network: The Nation (Thailand), The Korea Herald, The Straits Times (Singapore), China Daily, Jakarta Post, The Star and Sin Chew Daily (Malaysia), The Statesman (India), Philippine Daily Inquirer, Yomiuri Shimbun and The Japan News, Gogo Mongolia, Dawn (Pakistan), The Island (Sri Lanka), Kuensel (Bhutan), Kathmandu Post (Nepal), Daily Star (Bangladesh), Eleven Media (Myanmar), the Phnom Penh Post and Rasmei Kampuchea (Cambodia), The Borneo Bulletin (Brunei), Vietnam News, and Vientiane Times (Laos).
 

Published : May 16, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015597

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said on Saturday that he will gradually turn around the difficult situation faced by the population and ensure that people can feed themselves three times a day.

He said this in response to a question posed by the BBC about whether he has a timeline for turning around the country’s ailing economy, acute shortages and queues snaking down the roads for fuel, gas, milk powder etc.

“Whenever I functioned as prime minister of the country, I always ensured that people were able to have three meals a day,” Wickremasinghe, who returned as PM for the sixth time, said. “So, I want to end this era of queues and shortages and create an environment where they can go back to their normal way of living.”

When asked if he would get parliamentary support to do this, he said: “I will have the approval of parliament to engage in the work that needs to be done. Some will support and some others will oppose it, but I am looking to get the support of everyone to achieve this objective urgently.”

When asked whether he could get on well with the president to execute his plans, he said: “I will do my part. I will act to restore the economy. I will help preserve the rights of the people. We have agreed that GotaGoHome should continue to exist. Now we are discussing the facilities we should give these youths to promote their cause. There’s another group which clamours ‘Ranil go home’. I’m a man who was born in Colombo, and this is my home, and I have no place else to go,” he said.

Responding to the violent protests on May 9, in which an MP was killed and properties of the ruling party, he said: “I have told the IGP to take necessary action. I will follow up on the progress made in the investigations.”

As for international support, he said: “I met with several ambassadors. I have a good rapport with them. So let’s see what can be done. We need to have discussions with the IMF as well. If we can get our macroeconomy in good shape and convey the message to the world that we are acting with proper fiscal discipline, other friendly countries will also step forward to help us.

“I am going to change many of the policies of the Rajapaksa government,” he said.

“The next few weeks will turn out to be the most difficult period for us. Today the voice of the youth has emerged because of the issues they face. GotaGoGama is a symbol of that.

“We will preserve that site through the functioning of a committee and we should provide it with the facilities it needs. These youths should administer that site, not the government. We have to support it. They have sent me eight proposals and I would like to discuss them with them. We have to transform things by listening to them.”

Asked what he had to say to the internal community, he said: “We need your support to get back on our feet. We need your financial assistance for a year. The funds we receive from you, we will certainly repay.”

In his message to the public on Vesak Day, Wickremesinghe said: “As conveyed in Buddha’s preaching to the rulers of Licchavi Kingdom, Sri Lankans should also gather and take decisions in unity to come out of this crisis that has befallen the country.”

The Island

Asia News Network

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Published : May 16, 2022

By : The Island

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015595

Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence has issued a new Defence White Paper – the third such plan since 2000 – as it continues to defend itself against US accusations of a Chinese military presence at Ream Naval Base in the Gulf of Thailand.

The paper details the long-term strategy to modernise the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), including the contentious Ream Naval Base in Preah Sihanouk province.

In the preface of the 80-page white paper released on May 12, Prime Minister Hun Sen said: “Building [our] defence foundation is the top priority, which the RCAF must fulfil to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia. The armed forces are formed by the people. Thus, the relationship between the people and the armed forces is crucial in bolstering the defence foundation for our nation.”

The paper outlined the government’s defence vision for the next decade, with a focus on capacity development, modernisation of the armed forces and enhancement of international cooperation. It said the capacity of the armed forces “should not be forced to remain in a deteriorated condition”.

About Ream Naval Base, the white paper said the modernisation of the base is an integral part of the Royal Cambodian Navy’s capacity building plan. The US has recently accused Cambodia of allowing a Chinese military presence in the base.

“Ream Naval Base modernisation is essential to [upholding] the sovereign rights of Cambodia to serve its interests and security of the region. This modernisation aims to effectively manage and control Cambodia’s maritime domain and fully [join] with other countries in safeguarding peace and strengthening stability and security in the region,” the white paper said.

“This modernisation does not threaten any particular nation in the region, while Cambodia does not permit any foreign military base on its sovereign territory.”

Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, said that currently, “nearly all” countries are strengthening their military due to multiple threats posed by regional and international issues and that the modernisation of the defence sector is necessary because all nations must have a strong defensive foundation.

This required reform and modernisation in weaponry, armed forces and assigning of military duties, he said, and was to be done in conjunction with the betterment of other factors that strengthen a nation, such as human resources, economy, trade and foreign policy.

Asia News Network: The Nation (Thailand), The Korea Herald, The Straits Times (Singapore), China Daily, Jakarta Post, The Star and Sin Chew Daily (Malaysia), The Statesman (India), Philippine Daily Inquirer, Yomiuri Shimbun and The Japan News, Gogo Mongolia, Dawn (Pakistan), The Island (Sri Lanka), Kuensel (Bhutan), Kathmandu Post (Nepal), Daily Star (Bangladesh), Eleven Media (Myanmar), the Phnom Penh Post and Rasmei Kampuchea (Cambodia), The Borneo Bulletin (Brunei), Vietnam News, and Vientiane Times (Laos).
 

Published : May 16, 2022

By : The Phnom Penh Post

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015594

The Japanese and British governments are moving towards joint development of a successor to the F-2 fighter jet of Japan’s Air Self-Defence Force (ASDF).

The two governments are in the final coordination stage of the project, in which key components for the new fighter jet will be jointly developed British defence and aerospace firm BAE Systems, according to multiple government sources.

The engine will be developed jointly with Britain’s Rolls-Royce. US defence contractor Lockheed Martin will also take a limited role.

Tokyo will decide on the overall aspects of the project by the end of the year, the sources said.

The government intends to introduce the fighter jet in the mid-2030s when the F-2 jet will be phased out of service. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will play the lead role in designing the fuselage and developing the systems.

Regarding the engine, the Japanese and UK defence ministries have already reached an agreement to conduct empirical research ahead of joint development by major Japanese heavy machinery manufacturers IHI Corp and Rolls-Royce.

The two ministries will begin talks soon on the specific components for which BAE will be responsible, such as missile systems.

Britain is currently proceeding with the development of its next fighter jet, the Tempest, with the involvement of BAE. With the overlap of the development of the next-generation fighter jets, the countries are expected to pursue streamlining of common areas.

The Japanese government looked into receiving technical support from Lockheed Martin, developer of the F-35 stealth fighter jet, but coordination faced numerous hurdles. This included the massive amount of confidential information involved, as well as high costs and maintenance of the jets after deployment.

As such, Lockheed Martin’s involvement in the project will likely be limited to the development of functions dealing with interoperability, such as communications with US aircraft.

The ASDF’s future vision calls for a line-up of three mainstay fighters — the revamped F-15, the F-35, and the new fighter jet. The F-15 is positioned as a fourth-generation aircraft and the F-35 is a fifth-generation aircraft with a stealth function.

The successor to the F-2 fighter jet will be equipped with stealth function, as well as the ability to continue operations even if hit by electromagnetic interference.

At the current stage, Japanese fourth- and fifth-generation fighters number about 300, far less than the approximately 1,000 deployed by China. It is expected that about 90 fighters to succeed in the F-2 will be deployed.

Asia News Network: The Nation (Thailand), The Korea Herald, The Straits Times (Singapore), China Daily, Jakarta Post, The Star and Sin Chew Daily (Malaysia), The Statesman (India), Philippine Daily Inquirer, Yomiuri Shimbun and The Japan News, Gogo Mongolia, Dawn (Pakistan), The Island (Sri Lanka), Kuensel (Bhutan), Kathmandu Post (Nepal), Daily Star (Bangladesh), Eleven Media (Myanmar), the Phnom Penh Post and Rasmei Kampuchea (Cambodia), The Borneo Bulletin (Brunei), Vietnam News, and Vientiane Times (Laos).
 

Published : May 16, 2022

By : The Japan News

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015585

Human resource shortages plague the tourism industry even as tourism, transport and other services are resuming, Ho Chi Minh City authorities said.

The lack of human resources is a global problem for the tourism industry, and Vietnam is no exception, Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, deputy director of the city Department of Tourism, said.

It has been a longstanding issue in HCM City and was only exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, she told a workshop on May 13.

Around 80 per cent of workers were laid off or moved to other industries during two years of pandemic restrictions, creating a huge worker shortage, she said.

The city is a leader in training people in tourism specialities, and has 24 universities, 20 colleges and 19 vocational schools, according to Hieu.

More than 12,000 people graduate from them every year, meeting around 60 per cent of demand, she said.

As of mid-April, 454 travel operators and 342 hotels remained in business in the city, 1,341 fewer than in 2020, she said.

Tourism authorities are stepping up efforts to address the shortage, she added.

Nguyen Quy Phuong, chief of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism’s travel department, said the pandemic had affected the economy, and tourism was the worst hit.

A large number of workers in the tourism sector sought work elsewhere, worsening the shortages, he said.

Travel demand was expected to bounce back sharply as localities were focusing on efforts to stimulate domestic travel, he said.

Vietnam has fully reopened to international tourists since mid-March, he said.

Around 41,000 visitors came to Vietnam in the first month since its reopening, he said.

“There are promising signs for tourism recovery and growth this year. It is vital to invest in human resources in the long run with a focus on digital transformation and Industry 4.0.”

Viet Nam News

Asia News Network

Asia News Network: The Nation (Thailand), The Korea Herald, The Straits Times (Singapore), China Daily, Jakarta Post, The Star and Sin Chew Daily (Malaysia), The Statesman (India), Philippine Daily Inquirer, Yomiuri Shimbun and The Japan News, Gogo Mongolia, Dawn (Pakistan), The Island (Sri Lanka), Kuensel (Bhutan), Kathmandu Post (Nepal), Daily Star (Bangladesh), Eleven Media (Myanmar), the Phnom Penh Post and Rasmei Kampuchea (Cambodia), The Borneo Bulletin (Brunei), Vietnam News, and Vientiane Times (Laos).
 

Published : May 15, 2022

By : Vietnam News

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015582

A South Korean volunteer fighter in Ukraine was allegedly wounded in a reconnaissance mission, his YouTube channel said on Sunday.

Rhee Keun “recently incurred injuries while leading a special reconnaissance mission behind enemy lines. He has been transferred to a military hospital”, the English-language update posted on the YouTube channel ROKSEAL read.

The post did not provide any further details on Rhee’s condition.

The Navy SEAL-turned-YouTuber left for Ukraine in March to join the war against Russia in violation of a South Korean government ban.

His illegal entry to Ukraine has spurred speculation and rumours ranging from his death in Ukraine to his stay at a cosy hotel near the country’s border with Poland and allegations that he is only interested in shooting his YouTube videos there.

Last week, Rhee said he was fighting against Russian soldiers on the frontline, rejecting various rumours surrounding him.

South Korea has banned its nationals from travelling to all regions of Ukraine since mid-February amid safety concerns. Those who enter the country without approval can face up to a year in prison or a maximum fine of 10 million won (US$8,150) under the law.

The former Korean Navy Underwater Demolition Team military instructor rose to fame in South Korea after portraying a training instructor on his YouTube show “Fake Men”. He later appeared on various entertainment shows on major TV networks.

The Korea Herald

Asia News Network

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Published : May 15, 2022

By : The Korea Herald

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40015583

For two straight days after the presidential elections, many popular mobile phone brands were sold out as residents from the towns of Tagbina, Barobo and Lianga in neighbouring Surigao del Sur province went into a shopping frenzy.

Agusan del Sur, The Philippines – They practically stormed the three malls on Tuesday and Wednesday, openly joking about their windfall from the vote-buying spree involving some politicians running for congressional and provincial posts.

A salesman at a mobile phone store said his shop had sold at least 180 units of Vivo and realme brands in the two days following the polls.

He said many other mobile phone stalls in the mall also experienced brisk sales until the items ran out.

Most of the brands in demand cost between 6,000 and 7,000 pesos (3,900 and 4,600 baht) per unit.

‘Drizzle’

Apart from mobile phone stores, other commercial establishments including restaurants were crowded on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Toto Banas, the owner of a meat store, said his supplies were sold out by noon.

According to Macario Angelia, a resident of Lianga, rival camps in his province were buying votes at 2,500 to 3,500 pesos per voter.

He said more cash went around as Election Day was approaching, with some candidates handing out an extra 500 peso note, also called “tili-tili” or “drizzle” to each voter.

One candidate in this town gave out 1,200 pesos in four batches, which voters jokingly called doses, the first two being primary and the last two being booster doses.

Another candidate gave out 1,000 pesos each to voters.

Cause-oriented groups monitoring the elections said this was the first time that votes were bought with such amounts.

Waiting in line

In Zamboanga del Sur, voters were offered 3,000 to 5,000 pesos in exchange for voting an entire local slate from governor to municipal or city councillors.

The distribution began on Saturday, two days before Election Day.

Many put up with about five hours of waiting in line for their “ulan-ulan” from one camp, and then they would queue in another political camp the next day.

But police in the provincial capital of Pagadian City thwarted a vote-buying operation on Election Day itself, seizing 50,000 pesos in cash in a raid at the Pavilion Building of the provincial government in Barangay Dao.

According to their report, the 50 1,000 peso bills confiscated by the police came with sample ballots of re-runner Governor Victor Yu and his local slate. But nobody was arrested in the raid as the people inside the building fled when the police arrived.

On the eve of Election Day, police in Dumingag town, also in Zamboanga del Sur, raided a health centre in Barangay Dulop, arrested two women and confiscated bundles of envelopes which contained cash amounting to 1.93 million pesos.

Major Mark Gerome Nebria, Dumingag police chief, said each envelope had 2,500 pesos in cash. Also seized from the suspects was a list of voters with their precinct numbers.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Published : May 15, 2022