JULY 27-30, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 58 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages
Duterte stops all PCSO gaming activities Cites corruption within office by DARRLY JOHN
ESGUERRA
Inquirer.net
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered all gaming activities including lotto stopped due to alleged “massive corruption” in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). In a video message posted by Malacañang on Facebook, Duterte lamented how courts supposedly got into corruption by issuing injunctions to stop the government from going after the perpetrators of fraudulent activities. “I have today ordered the clo-
sure, the stoppage of all gaming schemes or whatever nature however done that got the franchises to do so from the PCSO. The ground is massive corruption involving all…pati the courts who repeatedly issued injunctions to paralyze government and to allow corruption to thrive,” Duterte said in the video posted late Friday night, July 26. Duterte’s order includes PCSO’s Lotto, Small Town Lottery (STL) and Peryahan ng Bayan. “Pending investigation, lahat ho ng laro ng lotto, STL, Peryahan ng
Bayan, or whatever nature, there’s one that ‘yung (that) gambling machine, Keno, I said all gaming activities. ‘Yung (that) gambling, that got the franchise from (the) government through PCSO, are, as of today, suspended or terminated because of massive corruption,” he said. The president ordered Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde and the military to arrest anyone who would continue to operate beginINFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM. President Rodrigo Duterte drives through the Candon City Bypass Road in Ilocos Sur during its inauguration ning Saturday, July 27. “I am ordering the PNP, PNP on Thursday, July 25. The P717-million project aims to decongest Candon City’s commercial center and propping up economic activity in Malacañang photo by Simeon Celi u PAGE A2 the region.
SWS: Fewer Filipinos expect economy, quality of life to improve
USA
DATELINE Presidential hopefuls Sanders, Yang join ethnic media to discuss immigration, health care and the economy FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
DURING the first Democratic debate earlier this month, a handful of the candidates shared their stances and policies related to a variety of issues, including guaranteeing free college education, legalizing marijuana and combating the restrictive immigration policies laid out by the Trump administration. It was the first official face-off among the candidates, and though specific plans vary among the candidates, there is a percolation of further left-wing, progressive policies being adopted by historically moderate candidates. For example, four years ago discussions on free public education would have been deemed far too radical to work, but it is now a salient issue supported by a growing number of, not just presidential candidates, but Democrats in Washington and in public ofu PAGE A3
Fil-Am mail bomber Cesar Sayoc was obsessed with Trump and mentally ill, say new court filings THE Filipino American man who pled guilty for mailing explosives to high-profile Democrats and President Donald Trump’s critics suffered from mental illness and had a years-long obsession with Trump, his lawyers claim. In a 39-page sentencing memo to U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff of the Southern District of New York, attorneys for 57-year-old Cesar Sayoc pointed to a troubled childhood, isolation, and steroid addiction as having played a role in his obsession and ultimately mailing the explosives. “In this darkness, Mr. Sayoc found light in Donald J. Trump,” wrote defense attorney Sarah Baumgartel in the memo, adding that the infatuation with Trump initially started off u PAGE A4
by AJPRESS
Thousands of job seekers troop to a job and business fair in Quezon City Hall. PNA file photo by Avito C. Dalan
A SOCIAL Weather Stations survey released Thursday, July 25 said fewer Filipinos expect their lives and the Philippine economy to improve in the next 12 months. According to the survey, which was conducted from June 22 to 26, the net personal optimists score in the second quarter fell to +42 — a number five points lower than the
+47 recorded in the first quarter. SWS noted that the decrease was influenced by the two-point increase in Metro Manila (from +42 to +44 ) combined with declines in Balance Luzon (from +52 to +42), Mindanao (from +47 to +46) and the steady number in the Visayas (+37). On a similar note, the survey found that fewer Filipinos believed their lives improved, with the June net gainers score of “very high” +13 being four points lower u PAGE A5
Duterte calls for death by hanging as an execution method by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night, July 25 said he prefers using ropes to execute criminals instead of bullets, following his call earlier this week to reinstate the death penalty. Hanging is a cheaper alternative to execute criminals instead of employing a firing squad or using lethal injection, the president said. During his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) earlier this week on Monday, July 22, Duterte urged Congress to revive the death penalty on crimes related to il-
legal drugs and plunder. Malacañang said it supports the death penalty by hanging or through lethal injection as methods of execution for crimes committed under the influence of drugs and plunder. PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde expressed his support for the revival of the death penalty and said he wanted lethal injection as the method of execution for criminals — a preference that goes against Vice President Leni Robredo listens as President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his State of the the wishes of his predecessor Sen. Ronald Nation Address on Monday, July 22. Also in photo are former Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Malacañang photo by Simeon Celi dela Rosa who wanted firing squad as the Joseph Estrada. execution method. He said those who traffic kilos of illegal u PAGE A5
Jollibee stock prices drop after LA-based Coffee Bean acquisition by AJPRESS STOCK prices for Philippine food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) dropped 8 percent this week, following the announcement that it will acquire the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for $350 million. Investors were unimpressed with Jollibee’s purchase of the Los Angeles-based coffee company as its stock price closed at P251 on Wednesday, July 24. The following day, shares were down 4.38 percent to P240, extending losses from the decline at the close of u PAGE A2
Robredo, 35 others summoned by DOJ for sedition charges by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
THE Philippine Department of Justice on Friday, July 26 has sent out subpoenas for Vice President Leni Robredo and 35 others in connection to the “Bikoy” narco list videos. DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra said in a statement the preliminary investigation will be set on August 9 at 10 a.m. This comes after the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on July 18 filed a complaint alleging incitement to sedition, libel, cyber libel, and obstruction of justice against Robredo, opposition Senators A Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf store in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, which is Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiamong the 1,189 outlets it has worldwide. Inquirer.net photo veros, former Senators Antonio
Trillanes IV and Bam Aquino, as well as priests, bishops, lawyers, and Liberal Party staff and allies. The complaint is based on the statements of Peter Joemel Advincula, allegedly the “Bikoy” in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos who accused Robredo and several other opposition personalities of being involved in the supposed plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte. PNP chief General Oscar Albayalde initially dismissed Advincula as an “information peddler” for making allegations against Duterte and his family and allies. Later, the PNP held a press conference for Advincula where he recanted his previous allegations and claimed he was following a “script” made by the opposition. u PAGE A2