twitter.com/ MlaStandard
S
facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH
Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net
manilastandard.net
Peso posts record low at P57.18 vis-a-vis $1 for fifth straight day THE peso sank to a new record low for the fifth straight trading day on Thursday, losing 4.5 centavos to close at P57.18 to the US dollar following the release of dollar reserves data for the month of August. The local currency dropped from
Wednesday’s finish of P57.135 to $1, which came after data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that gross international reserves (GIR) stood at $98.975 billion as of August, down from $99.838 billion in July Next page
VOL. XXXVI • NO. 206 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 FRIDAY, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
4 DA execs liable for sugar mess Senate panel seeks graft charges against them but clears ES Rodriguez
By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz
T
HE Senate Blue Ribbon committee on Thursday recommended the filing of graft charges against four officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) but cleared Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez.
Committee chairman Senator Francis Tolentino said the charges should be filed before the Ombudsman against Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, who has been placed under preventive suspension; resigned Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Hermenegildo Serafica; and resigned SRA board members Roland Beltran and Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr. The committee also said the four officials should be Next page
LEOCADIO SEBASTIAN
HERMENEGILDO SERAFICA
ROLAND BELTRAN
AURELIO VALDERRAMA JR.
DepEd files raps vs. 5 teachers for sexual offense Royal family gathers as Queen Elizabeth's doctors sound health alarm QUEEN Elizabeth II's closest family travelled to join the 96-yearold monarch on Thursday after doctors placed her under medical supervision, prompting concern from British political and religious leaders. Britain's longest-serving monarch has been dogged by health problems since last October that have left her struggling to walk and stand.
All her children—heir to the throne Prince Charles, 73, Princess Anne, 72, Prince Andrew, 62, and Prince Edward, 58, were either at or heading to join her at the Balmoral royal estate in Scotland, aides said. Also heading to Balmoral was Charles's elder son Prince William along with his younger son Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, who Next page
File photo shows Queen Elizabeth in the Drawing Room before receiving Prime Minister Liz Truss for an audience at Balmoral in Scotland on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. The Queen remains under medical supervision as recommended by her doctors. (Inset) Crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace in central London as fears grew for the monarch's health. AFP
THE Department of Education has filed administrative charges against five out of seven teachers allegedly involved in the sexual harassment of learners in Bacoor, Cavite. In a press briefing, DepEd spokesman Michael Poa said the filing of cases followed the initial investigation on conversations allegedly initiated by the teachers, supposedly showing sexuallymotivated invitations, that have surfaced on online platforms. “I guess the question is why only five were charged out of the seven. When we spoke with the schools division office and legal department, they said there was not enough evidence yet to include the two others in the complaint. That’s why we were only able to press charges against the five,” he said. The five teachers were charged with grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violation of DepED Order 40, series of 2012. The charges come with a 90-day preventive suspension for the five teachers, as well as their right to choose either “proceedings by position paper only or by trial,” Poa said. Poa again urged victims to come forward and file complaints to strengthen the case and ensure adequate measures for safe learning spaces in schools. “We are calling on victims of alleged sexual harassment to come out and give your affidavit, statement, or evidence so that we can file formal charges,” he said. The public, whether complainants or Next page
HK‘s 1st monkeypox case detected in traveler from PH By Willie Casas THE Department of Health (DOH) is in contact with Hong Kong authorities after the Chinese territory reported its first case of monkeypox in a traveler from the
Philippines. DOH officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the patient's nationality is still unknown. "Based on what we have gathered yesterday as an initial report they have
given us, they were not able to identify yet the nationality of this specific individual," Vergeire told ANC's "Headstart" Thursday. "So, we are still coordinating closely Next page
NTC hit for failure to avert spate of spam texts By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Darwin Amojelar
its job to avert the spread of text scams currently victimizing millions of mobile users. This developed as GCash, the mobile SEN. Grace Poe on Thursday chided the National Telecommunications wallet of Globe Telecom, rolled out a Commission (NTC) for being remiss in feature update that anonymizes the names
JULY JOBLESS RATE DECLINED TO 5.2 PERCENT BUSINESS / B4
PH ASKS ICC TO JUNK PROBE ON DRUG WAR NEWS / A2
of users of its send-money service as an added customer protection measure. Previously, the recipient’s name would be seen during the transaction as an added convenience to the GCash sender and Next page
WTA awards boost local tourism THE Philippines was again named Asia's leading dive and beach destination in the 2022 World Travel Awards (WTA) in Vietnam on Sept. 7, and Intramuros reclaimed its title as the continent’s leading tourist attraction. Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco on Thursday welcomed the twin victories saying it proves the beauty of the Philippines. "The Philippines is a beautiful country and you (WTA) having given these awards is such an affirmation to all of our tourism stakeholders and
workers who have greatly sacrificed throughout the pandemic," she said. "We look to the future with hope that through our combined efforts under the Marcos administration that has identified tourism to become a major pillar for economic recovery that not only will we survive the (COVID-19) pandemic but we will thrive, we will endure and we will get back stronger than ever," she added. WTA awarded the Philippines for the sixth time as the leading beach
Next page
DOH, experts for mandatory mask use as COVID persists By Willie Casas and Maricel V. Cruz THE Department of Health (DOH) prefers to keep the wearing of face masks mandatory while the COVID-19 pandemic persists, its officer-in-charge said Thursday. This was the DOH position taken during the first meeting of the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF),
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said. The IATF had earlier recommended making masks optional outdoors, after Cebu City defied the national mask mandate and ignored an appeal by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). On Thursday, Vergeire also said teachers and students attending face-toface classes must continue to mask up as these are held indoors. Next page
TOURISM BOOST.
File photo shows a dive site in the volcanic island of Camiguin, the northern tip of Mindanao. The Philippines again bagged the distinction for Asia's leading dive and beach destination in the 2022 World Travel Awards. Bo Mancao