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Housing woes: 5 officials face ax or suspension VOL. XXXII • NO. 82 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net
SNAP TO ATTENTION. A US militrary honor guard salutes the Stars and Stripes during the opening ceremony Monday of the joint US and Philippine military exercise at the military headquarters in Manila, the day the two allies launched major exercises aimed at fighting global terrorism, while staying mostly quiet on Beijing’s reported installation of missiles in the disputed South China Sea. AFP
Summer girl: Fashion model Jessica Wilson SHOWBIZ C4
THE National Housing Authority said Monday five of its top officials could face suspension even as it issued a show-cause order to 53 contractors with a notice of termination involving 33 projects involving eight contractors in the Visayas and Mindanao. “The officials who were found remiss on their job will be subjected to suspension pending the formal filing of charges against them,” said NHA general manager Marcelino Escalada Jr. “They should be made accountable for all the failures during the project implementation that caused misery to the housing beneficiaries.” Escalada identified 22 housing projects and contracts that were deemed terminated for various violations that contributed to the delays. ‘‘The contractors did not follow the program of work that resulted in the production of substandard housing units,” Escalada said. “They should be made liable because the project involved people who have been victims of calamities.” But the suspension pending investigation involving the five NHA officials could not be served as yet because the election ban for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections was still in effect, Escalada said. After terminating the project of the contractors, the NHA will determine whether the contractor will be blacklisted Next page
Mayweather drops by for ‘R n R’ SPORTS A8
Megabuck deal about Starbucks ZURICH, SWITZERLAND-- Swiss food giant Nestlé announced Monday it will pay $7.15 billion for the rights to market Starbucks products around the world, outside of the company’s coffee shops. Next page
30 ISIS-inspired terrorists nabbed in Mindanao By Nash B. Maulana TACURONG CITY—Government troops and police arrested 30 Islamic State-inspired terrorists in a surprise commando-type offensive deep into their lair in the lakeshore town of Lutayan in Sultan Kudarat province, officials said Sunday. Police Supt. James Gulmatico, Sultan Kudarat police provincial director, said the operation by the 4th Special Action Battalion of the Police Special Action Force and the 33rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, took place in Markadz, Barangay Sisiman, Lutayan. Gulmatico said the arrested men were being interrogated, and that the police will provide further updates later. Next page
DoT mess takes a twist
Wanda’s husband quits, brod vows to return P60m By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and Macon Ramos-Araneta
RESIGNATION CALL. A miliant group holds a rally in front of the Department of Tourism office calling for the resignation of Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo over the P60-million scandal involving ad placements in her brothers’ PTV 4 show. Norman Cruz
T
HE brother of Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo, Ben Tulfo, is returning the P60 million that his media company received from her department for ad placements in his show, her lawyer and spokesman Ferdinand Topacio said Monday.
Judges, court workers step up Sereno quit call By Rey E. Requejo JUDGES and court employees on Monday reiterated their call for Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno to resign before the Supreme Court decides on her fate when it rules on the petition seeking her ouster on Friday. The judges and court employees manifested their call for Sereno’s resignation by wearing red shirts and red neckties during flag-raising ceremony before the Supreme Court. Philippine Judges Association president Judge Felix Reyes and SC Employees Association president Erwin Ocson were spotted wearing red.
In a statement, SCEA explained that they again held the “Red Monday” protest to press for a change in the leadership of the judiciary. “This is to show our collective action to show the truth and pursue reform in the Supreme Court and the judiciary,” the group said. PJA and SCEA had earlier issued a joint manifesto calling for Sereno to resign “to give the entire judiciary the opportunity to move forward and get back to order.” The organizations cited demoralization among their ranks and said the impeachment proceedings against Sereno had placed the “entire judiciary in disrepute, thereby affecting the honor and integrity”
Court clears former Makati mayor of liability in P2.2-b building fraud
PH acquiring tech vs China missiles
By Rey E. Requejo
THE government is acquiring a new technology that will verify the reports that China has deployed missile systems in the disputed West Philippine Sea, Malacañang said Monday. The latest media reports showed that China had deployed missiles to the Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef within the past 30 days. Earlier reports said China had installed a jamming device in one of the areas in the disputed waters. In other developments: • Foreign Affairs Secretary on Monday admitted the Philippines had no capability to stop China’s activities in the disputed areas, but it would continue to
THE Court of Appeals has ruled that former Makati City mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr., cannot be held administratively liable over the alleged fraudulent construction of the P2.28-billion Makati City Hall Parking Building II following his reelection in 2013. In a 159-page decision, the CA’s Tenth Division through Associate Justice Edwin Sorongon, nullified the joint decision issued by the Office of the Ombudsman on Sept. 7, 2015 which found Binay along with 19 other city officials guilty of serious dishonesty and grave misconduct for the irregularities com-
mitted for alleged overpricing in the procurement of the architectural design and engineering services and construction of Phases I to V of the Makati City Hall Parking Building. The anti-graft body also ordered the dismissal of Binay and his co-accused from service. In ruling against the Ombudsman, the appellate court said the anti-graft body committed an error in ordering Binay’s dismissal since the condonation doctrine should have been applied in his case, which states that an erring official is considered to have already been forgiven for acts in his past term once he is reelected. Next page
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of the magistrates and judges. Ocson said they have other issues that have not been addressed by Sereno since she assumed the top judicial post in 2012, but he did not discuss them because of sub judice rule due to the pending quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida against her before the Supreme Court. “The real reason behind this are the acts and policies of the chief justice which really [adversely] affected the employees,” he said. Reyes aid that their 1,200-strong group joined the call for Sereno’s resignation after “looking at the big picture and what’s best for all of us.” Next page
In an interview with radio dzMM, Topacio also said that the Tourism secretary’s husband, Roberto Teo, will resign as board member of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority. Topacio said that even though Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. has already spent the P60 million, Tulfo offered to return the money down “to the last centavo.” The Commission on Audit last week questioned the Tourism Department’s placement of ads in the show “Kilos Pronto,” produced and hosted by Teo’s brothers, Ben and Erwin Tulfo, a block timer on government station PTV4. CoA said the deal has no memorandum of agreement or any contract between PTV4 and the Tulfos’ BMUI to air the tourism commercials. Next page
NEW ARMS. Some 100 units of Israeli-made 9 mm submachine guns are acquired by the Philippine Coast Guard after the Comelec has deputized the PCG for additional security in the May 14 village and youth council elections. Norman Cruz