Lacson: Sabotage vs Faeldon SENATOR Panfilo Lacson said Sunday he will file charges of graft and economic sabotage against former Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon this week. In an interview on radio dzBB, Lacson said Faeldon violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016. “He was the commissioner and he was
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the one who asked that the smuggled rice be released,” Lacson said in Filipino. Lacson said he was confident Faeldon would be the first person convicted for economic sabotage under the AntiAgricultural Smuggling Act authored by Senator Cynthia Villar. “This is a new law,” Lacson said. Next page
Troops retake Marawi bridge, seal terror path By Bill Casas THE Palace on Sunday lauded government troops for retaking the Masiu Bridge, which they said was significant in ending the rebellion in Marawi City. “Control of the Masiu Bridge is a significant development in our goal of ending the rebellion in Marawi,” said Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella in a statement. Masiu Bridge is closest to Lake Lanao and is a possible escape route of the remaining terrorist rebels still holed up in the main battle area in Marawi City, Abella said. “Government troops are now in the final push and despite the enemy’s continued resistance, our recent suc-
cesses would hopefully lead to the eventual liberation of the entire city and pave the way back to normalcy,” Abella said. Generals leading the fight against local terror groups in Marawi City crossed the remaining critical bridges in the battle area Sunday morning, Sept. 24, to mark a “significant progress” in the battle area. “At 10 a.m. today, Sept. 24, 2017, Major Generals Rolando Bautista and Danilo Pamonag, commander of the Joint Task Force Marawi and commander of the Joint Special Operations Task Force Trident, respectively, crossed for the first time since the start of the Marawi siege, the Bayabao Bridge and the Masiu
IN CONTROL. Government troops led by commanders of the Joint Task Force Marawi and Task Force Trident Major General Rolando Bautista and Major General Danilo Pamonag, respectively, along with Task Force Ranaw’s Col. Romeo Brawner, take over from Maute terrorists the Masui Bridge on Sunday Sept. 24, 2017. They were met on the other end of the bridge by Marines Brigadier General Melquiades Ordiales. Mark Navales
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Frat blocks probe
GRIEVING PARENTS.
Parents of hazing victim Horacio Castillo III, Horacio II and his wife Carmina arrive at the Manila Police District Command’s Homicide Division in Manila to talk to primary suspect John Paul Solano who, however, refused to meet them. Norman Cruz
Aguirre bares threats to two hazing eyewitnesses
By Rey E. Requejo, Macon RamosAraneta and Bill Casas
T
HE probe into the hazing death of University of Sto. Tomas law student Horacio Castillo III has hit a snag due to the lack of cooperation from members of the Aegis Juris fraternity, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Sunday.
“They are afraid because they already received threats,” Aguirre said of two witnesses—a member and a neophyte of the fraternity—who reached out to his office. “They haven’t submitted affidavits yet despite our assurance to cover them under the witness protection program.” Castillo, a freshman law student, went to a “welcome event” of the Aegis Juris fraternity on Sept. 16
and was brought to Chinese General Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival the following day. An autopsy showed he had blood clots on both arms, where he was beaten, and cigarette and candle wax burns in different parts of his body. Aguirre, who visited Castillo’s wake last week, urged more witnesses to come forward to cooperate with the authorities. Next page
Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said the President was amenable to the provision in the Senate bill that allows affected barangay officials to continue exercising their functions in a holdover capacity. If the House accepts the Senate version, there will be no need to settle the differences through the bicameral
JEEPNEY operators and drivers are poised to go on strike in Metro Manila and nearby regions on Monday and Tuesday to protest a government program that would phase out jeepneys. In an interview on radio dzMM, Jun Magno, head of the transport group Stop and Go Coalition, said the modernization program seeks to replace jeepneys with modern vehicles that drivers and operators can’t afford. “They can’t afford the P1.6 million,” Magno said in Filipino, referring to the price of the modern jeepney replacement. “They said they will lend
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Barangay polls tabled for House action By Rio N. Araja and Macon RamosAraneta
Solons rush budget bill to beat deadline By Rio N. Araja and Bill Casas CONGRESS is set to approve on third and final reading tomorrow the P3.767-trillion General Appropriations Bill that would guarantee the implementation of the administration’s pro-poor programs, including the free college tuition and the “build, build, build” infrastructure projects of
President Rodrigo Duterte. “Barring any printing technical difficulties, we will consider on third reading the 2018 GAB on Tuesday immediately following the roll call,” said Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, the House majority floor leader. Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, chairman of the committee on appropriations, said they expected the President to sign the bill on
or before Nov. 15. Nograles made his statement following the full restoration of the budget of the Energy Regulatory Commission’s P650.9-million budget and the National Commission on Indigenous People’s P1.13-billion budget. The Commission on Human Rights’ budget appropriation was cut by P115 million when only P508 Next page
Senators exclude milk, coffee from excise tax By Macon RamosAraneta MILK and 3-in-1 coffee are excluded from the proposed excise tax on sweetened beverages under the version that the Senate panel reported out last week, Senator Sonny Angara said Sunday. Angara, chairman of the
ways and means committee, said his committee had found it unjustifiable to tax milk―given its nutritional value―in the same way as soft drinks and other unhealthy sweetened beverages. Senate Bill 1592 excludes from the proposed tax plain milk, infant formula milk,
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growing-up milk, powdered, ready-to- drink, flavored and fermented milk with less than 5 grams of sugar per 100 ml package. Data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute says chronic malnutrition among Filipino children under five years old has increased Next page
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THE House of Representatives is expected to decide today whether to adopt the Senate version of a bill postponing barangay and youth elections so that President Rodrigo Duterte can sign it into law on Wednesday.
Citizens Battle Against Corruption Rep. Sherwin Tugna, chairman of the committee on suffrage and electoral reforms that approved the postponement of local polls from October 2017 to May 2018, said they would discuss adopting the Senate version of the bill with House leaders Monday. Majority Floor Leader and
Transport strike in the offing
Sereno gets chance to face accusers SUPREME Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is welcome to answer all the allegations in the impeachment complaint filed against her and to challenge all the witnesses during the proceedings, Rep. Reynaldo Umali said Sunday. Umali, chairman of the committee on justice, made the statement even as Carlo Cruz, Sereno’s lawyer, said they will file an affidavit today saying “why the complaint must Next page fail.”
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MESSAGE TO UN. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetan delivers the message of
the Republic of the Philippines during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York City on Sept. 24, 2017. He says that the Philippines is one with the UN and the rest of the world in building a more peaceful, secure and stable globe. (Story on A2) Presidential Photo
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