twitter.com/ MlaStandard
facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH
manilastandard.net
Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net
HOUSE PANEL OKS MEASURE PUSHING SIM REGISTRATION
‘POBLACION GIRL’ PLEADS GUILTY IN QUARANTINE CASE
NEWS / A4
NEWS / A4 VOL. XXXVI • NO. 203 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
PH, Indonesia seal 4 pacts
PBBM, President Widodo stress stronger economic, defense, cultural ties By Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo
T
HE Philippines and Indonesia signed four agreements on economic cooperation, culture, and defense on Monday during the second day of the state visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The agreements were presented to Mr. Marcos and his host, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, before they issued statements from Bogor Palace in West Java. In his statement, the President said he and Jokowi talked “at length” about the lead role the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should play “while we face the difficulties in this very volatile time in geopolitics, not only in our region but also in the rest of the world.” Next page
GUARD REVIEW. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (left) and Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo review honor guards prior to their bilateral meeting at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java on September 5. The leaders later joined their wives, First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos and Indonesian First Lady Iriana Widodo at the palace balcony (inset). AFP
OPEC sets production cut, Manila, Jakarta to push peace role of ASEAN to upend fuel price rollback By Alena Mae S. Flores
Tuesday – a little lower than the forecast of the Department of Energy – as the OIL firms slashed pump prices by as OPEC+ oil cartel agreed yesterday to Next page much as P2.60 per liter effective 6 a.m.
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday described the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a “lead agent” in bringing peace in the Southeast Asian region and worldwide amid global issues. “We agreed that ASEAN is going to
be the lead agent in the changes that we would like to see in continuing to bring peace to our countries,” Mr. Marcos said in a press statement from the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java, Indonesia. He said the Southeast Asian union’s role in the regional security architecture
is vital to attaining peace and security. “We also spoke at length about the role that we believe ASEAN should play while we face the difficulties in this very volatile time in geopolitics not only in our region but also in the rest of the world,” said Mr. Marcos. Next page
Sara orders ‘no mercy policy’ vs. criminals, terrorists VICE President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio on Monday ordered the country’s security sector to “show no mercy against criminals and terrorists.” In a speech during her meeting with security officials, Duterte-Carpio noted that although they have not discussed
specific matters on insurgency, the security sector was clearly instructed on the treatment of law and state violators. Duterte-Carpio, who was designated as the country’s officer-in-charge (OIC) while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is on a state visit to Indonesia and Sin-
Optional mask use in Cebu City on trial period to Dec. By Willie Casas and Maricel V. Cruz
cally lifted should there be a surge in COVID-19 infections in the city. In reading Executive Order (EO) No. THE Cebu City government on Monday announced that its voluntary face mask 6, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama’s policy will be on trial period until De- spokesperson Karla Henry-Ammann cember 2022, and will be automatiNext page
gapore, led the meeting on the current security status and efforts to maintain peace and order in the country. “Our objective was to strengthen existing coordination and enhance interagency cooperation on issues concerning Next page
DOH sets drive for booster shots on Sept. 26-30 THE Department of Health announced Monday that a special vaccination campaign against COVID-19 will be carried out from Sept. 26 to 30 to administer at least 5 million booster shots. DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the inoculation will be conducted simultaneously nationwide, focusing on regions with low vaccine coverage. “We have computed that if we make an intensive effort during this campaign, we can be able to achieve at least 5 million to 21 million (booster shots),” she said in a press briefing. The DOH is already in talks with local governments, medical societies, Next page
COMMAND CONFERENCE. Vice President Sara Duterte sits at a long table with the heads of the major command services at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, Department of Education Central Office in Pasig City on Monday. Manny Palmero
Solon sees 40% budget increase of DA to help attain food security By Maricel V. Cruz THE Marcos administration has proposed an almost 40-percent hike for the agriculture sector in its 2023 budget as it works to attain food security by increasing local food supply and lowering food prices.
During the budget hearing of the agency at the House of Representatives on Monday, Ako-Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, chairman of the committee on appropriations, said the P46.5 billion or 39.62-percent increase in the agriculture sector’s budget from 2022 to 2023 Next page
Police identify killed pharma exec, KFR members PESO STILL FALLING. A man counts dollar bills at a local money changer as the
peso fell to a new all-time low against the US dollar Monday, on the possibility of more US Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. The peso touched the P57 to $1 level at one point before closing at P56.99 against the greenback -- down from 56.77 on Friday. Contributing to the peso depreciation were the “hawkish signals from some US Fed officials in an effort to bring down elevated US inflation from among 40-year highs recently.” Norman Cruz (Full story on Business page B4)
By Rey E. Requejo A PHARMACEUTICAL firm chief executive officer who reportedly went missing in July has been abducted and killed by a group of at least 11 men, the Philippine National Police Anti-Kid-
napping Group said. PNP-AKG Luzon Field Unit Chief Col. Frederick Obar identified the victim as Eduardo G. Tolosa Jr., president and chief executive officer of Iraseth Pharma Inc. The case of Tolosa -- whose identity
the PNP withheld then -- was first reported in the media last month after a photo of his burnt Toyota Land Cruiser surfaced on social media. Obar filed a complaint before the Department of Justice yesterday against 11 Next page