Manila Standard - 2018 June 16 - Saturday

VOL. XXXII • NO. 121 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY.

Thousands of Filipino Muslim families gather Friday in Barangay Cawa Cawa Boulevard in coastal Zamboanga City as they join co-religionists round the world in marking the end of Ramadan Friday, which ushers in the month of celebration, the start of Eid al-Fitr, which lasts for three days, with a lavish meal. The celebration marks the conclusion of the 29-30 days of dawn to sunset fasting during the month. Mark Navales

Rebels’ safety pass expires Govt urges they turn themselves in as sign of good faith or be hunted down By Joyce Pangco Pañares

TIAMZON

BAYLOSIS

ECHANIS

SILVA

LADLAD

Police arrest priest-slay suspect By Ferdie G. Domingo CABANATUAN CITY–A prime suspect in the killing Fr. Richmond Nilo has been arrested in Barangay Malapit San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, police said Friday. PC/Supt. Amado V. Corpus, Region 3 director, identified the suspect as Adell Roll Milan, 25, a resident of Barangay Malapit San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, and a known gun for hire. He and five other John Does have been

charged with the murder before the Nueva Ecija Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. Earlier, thousands of Catholics accompanied bishops and parish priests in the province to Nilo’s burial at the Crypta Saint Nicolas De Tolentine Church. Nilo was shot dead afternoon before celebrating Mass inside a chapel in Barangay Mayamot on June 5 at around 5:15 pm. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to different parts of his bodies and died instantly. Next page

Carpio pushes for tripartite pact on Scarborough By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan ACTING Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said Friday that the Philippines, China and Vietnam could reach an agreement over what to do about the rich fishing grounds in Scarborough Shoal, noting that a UN tribunal had ruled the area a common fishing ground for the three countries. “The one thing that’s lacking is there’s no common agreement between these three nations,” he told CNN in Next page an interview.

HE safety and immunity guarantees extended to five jailed communist leaders no longer stands with the government poised to ask a Manila regional trial court to revoke their release order following President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to postpone the resumption of formal peace talks in Oslo.

T

Meet ‘iPal’: Sino robot babysitter SHANGHAI—It speaks two languages, gives math lessons, tells jokes and interacts with children through the tablet screen in its chest—China’s latest robot is the babysitter every parent needs. The “iPal” was among a slew of new tech unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show Asia in Shanghai this week, offering education and company for lonely children and peace of mind for adults. Next page

The five communist leaders–Communist Party of the Philippines chairman Benito Tiamzon, Adelberto Silva, Rafael Baylosis, Randall Echanis and Vicente Ladlad–were earlier allowed to travel abroad to participate in the negotiations as consultants of the National Democratic Front. “Since the peace talks were deferred upon orders of the President, the basis for the court order [for their release] no longer exists and the prosecution will consequently move for the revocation of said orders,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told Manila Standard. “The NDF consultants should thus present themselves to the courts for proper disposition as a sign of good faith,” Guevarra added. A well-placed source earlier revealed that Tiamzon and Baylosis, in particular, appeared to have already gone underground. In a separate interview, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Tiamzon and his colleagues must turn themselves immediately “as a gesture of good faith and for them to continue to enjoy safety and immunity guarantees in the future” when the peace negotiations resume. Philippine National Police chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde, for his

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‘Norwegia’: Where in the world is that? By Joyce Pangco Pañares WHERE in the world is Norwegia? A post on the Facebook page of the Presidential Communications Operations Office identifying outgoing Norwegian

So sue me! Rody dares rights critics of anti-drug war By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte dared human rights advocates late Thursday to take him to court over the government’s bloody anti-drug war as he ordered newly elected barangay captains to do their duty to fight illegal drugs in their respective communities. In a speech during an oath-taking ceremony for newly elected barangay leaders, Duterte told human rights groups to file charges against him, saying he would gladly go to prison. “There’s no problem with me, anyway I’m old,” he said in Filipino. “In a few years time, I will begin to deteriorate and maybe go ahead of you.” Next page

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REPEAT AFTER ME.

President Rodrigo Duterte administers Thursday the oath of the newly elected barangay chairmen of Region 4-A, or Calabarzon, during a ceremony at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex in Santa Rosa, Laguna. Presidential Photo

‘Ester’ on way out but rain to persist By Rio N. Araja and Joel E. Zurbano

Solon presses Sanofi to own up to ‘reckless’ Dengvaxia sale By Maricel V. Cruz A LAWMAKER on Friday demanded admission from the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur that it acted recklessly in prematurely selling the anti-dengue

vaccine Dengvaxia to the Philippines. Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel made the remark following a study confirming that Dengvaxia might be harmful to children with no prior dengue infection. “Instead of Sanofi announcing that it

now knows how Dengvaxia may be better used with the proper label warning and prior testing to ascertain if a child had been previously infected with dengue, the company should just admit that it messed Next page

TROPICAL depression “Ester” on Friday entered the Philippine area of responsibility but is not expected to make landfall. Next page