VOL. XXXI • NO. 63 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph
Filipinos approve of his work— Pulse Asia By Sandy Araneta MOST or 78 percent of Filipinos approve of the work done by President Rodrigo Duterte, Pulse Asia Research said Monday, citing the results of its March 2017 Ulat ng Bayan Survey. In the latest survey period, Duterte was followed by Vice President Leni Robredo with 58 percent, and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III with 55 percent. The quarterly survey tracks the performance and trust ratings of the top five government officials. “Three of the leading officials of the national government score majority approval and trust ratings in March 2017; public opinion about these officials’ work and trustworthiness remains virtually constant between December 2016 and March 2017,” said Pulse Asia. House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno showed very little change in the Next page
SALUTE TO OFWS.
President Rodrigo Duterte, acknowledging the sacrifices made by Overseas Filipino Workers for their families and their contributions to the Philippine economy, announces on his arrival Monday from his visit to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar that he will implement more programs for the benefit of OFWs. Malacañang Photo
Duterte tops Time readers’ 2017 poll By Sandy Araneta
P
RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has won a spot in TIME Magazine’s annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people, after he received the most number of votes in an online poll that asked readers who should be on the list.
TIME did not say how many people voted, but said Duterte received five percent of the total “yes” votes in the poll, which closed Sunday night. Since taking office in June, Duterte has waged an aggressive war on drugs that has resulted in the death of more than 8,000 people. Closely following Duterte in the TIME 100 poll were Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Pope Francis, Bill Gates and
Mark Zuckerberg — all of whom received three percent of the total “yes” votes. US Senator Bernie Sanders won the reader poll in 2016 while Russian President Vladimir Putin took the lead in 2015. The official TIME 100 list, which is selected by TIME’s editors, will be announced on April 20. Malacañang welcomed the results and recognition of Duterte. Next page
Bongbong’s protest vs Leni forges ahead CASE ROLLS. Former senator Ferdinand Marcos II is greeted by supporters on his arrival Monday at the Supreme Court to pay P36 million—in two installments—for his election protest against Vice President Leni Robredo. Norman Cruz
4.4 quake 20 foreigners remain ASG hostages jolts Ilocos, By Florante S. Solmerin Cagayan LAOAG CITY―A magnitude-4.4 earthquake rattled the residents of Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte at 7:28 a.m. Monday, state seismologists said. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake was tectonic in origin with a depth of 33 kilometers, and its epicenter was 45 kilometers northwest of Pagudpud. Intensity II was felt in neighboring Claveria town in Cagayan and Intensity I in Laoag City. Phivolcs said there were no aftershocks or damage. Thomas Orbos, acting chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority, said alertness and the role of barangay officials and community leaders would be a big help in lessening the number of casualties in the event “The Big One” struck Metro Manila. “The barangay chairmen should have an inventory of doctors in their area, and they should have a list of available items for survival,” Orbos said. He made the statement a few days after the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council convened and discussed readiness measures Next page
THE Abu Sayyaf still holds 27 captives—20 foreigners and seven Filipinos—after beheading a boat captain last week, a spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Brig. Gen. Restituto
Padilla, said Monday. “The foreigners are Indonesians and Malaysians and a Dutchman,” Padilla said. On April 13, Noel Besconde, captain of the seized FB Ramona, was beheaded by the group of a certain ASG sub-leader Sad-
jawaan in Barangay Tugas, Patikul, Sulu, military officials said. “Mr. Besconde was murdered by his ASG captors because he was reportedly ill and impeded their movement to evade the operating units that are hunting them,” Next page
By Rey E. Requejo FORMER senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. turned over a check for P36 million to the Supreme Court on Monday as partial payment for the expenses that will be incurred to retrieve ballot boxes and poll documents from disputed precincts nationwide in his election protest against Vice President Leni Robredo. The Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, has required Marcos to pay a total of P66.2 million for the retrieval
of the election materials and to conduct a recount of the votes for the vice presidential race, which Marcos lost to Robredo by a slim margin of 263,473 votes. Robredo, who has filed a counter-complaint against Marcos in some precincts, has been ordered to pay P15.7 million. Marcos’s check, issued by the Metrobank branch in Taguig City, was received by the Court’s Cash Division. The PET, composed of all 15 Next page
Pump prices rise by 65c; demand up
Worker’s pay loses 15% value
By Alena Mae S. Flores
By Vito Barcelo THE value of an ordinary worker’s pay has dipped by 15 percent due to the 23-centavo increase in the cost of power, the labor group Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said Monday. The group said 23 percent of an ordinary worker’s pay goes to his monthly power bill. “Since January this year, the average household has shelled out P1,324 to P1,420 a month out of a minimum-wage earner’s monthly P9,464 real wage value,” the ALU-TUCP said. “In 2010, 11 percent of a workers’ real monthly wage went to electricity consumption.” Next page
PAY HIKE. Employees from the different government agencies who are members of the militant group COURAGE hold a united forum at the National Food Authority to join what they call a big protest on May 1 as they seek out a P16,000 increase they said the government had not given them. Manny Palmero
THE oil companies raised pump prices by as much as P0.65 per liter effective Tuesday to reflect the movement of world oil prices. They raised the price of diesel by P0.65 per liter, kerosene by P0.60 per liter and gasoline by P0.45 per liter. Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, PTT Philippines, Eastern Petroleum, Seaoil Philippines and Flying V said the price adjustments will take effect at 6 a.m. World oil prices during the first week of April were affected by strong demand and the United States’ missile attack on Syria. The Energy department said Syria had limited oil production but its location in the Middle Next page