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Heads to roll over laptop mess Sen. Tolentino says 'revealing and explosive' evidence unearthed By Macon Ramos-Araneta
EADS will roll over the controversial P2.4-billion purchase of overpriced laptops for the Department of Education, Sen. Francis Tolentino said Thursday, guaranteeing that “many” will face charges following what he described as “revealing and explosive evidence” unearthed in yesterday's Blue Ribbon Committee hearing.
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KARDING'S WAKE. Photo shows an aerial view of a flooded area in the country's rice granary, Central Luzon, in the aftermath of Typhoon Karding. AFP
Karding aftermath: Veggie, fish, rice prices to go up 20% of Agriculture (DA) warned Thursday. Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said in an interview that the country’s rice granary, Central Luzon, PRICES for vegetables, fish and even rice sustained severe damage during the could shoot up by as much as 20 percent typhoon, resulting in the loss of 20 as a result of the damage wrought by percent of the standing crop. super typhoon Karding, the Department Next page
Tolentino declined to say what charges awaited former and current officials of the Education department, the Department of Budget and Management’s
Procurement Service (DBM-PS), and even private contractors, particularly those who cornered multiple contracts from the DepEd through the DBM-PS.
The senator told reporters to wait for the final committee report after the conduct of one more hearing. During Thursday’s hearing, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada pressed Abram Abanil, Board Member of the DBM-PS Special Bids and Awards Committee, if the firm LDLA had been previously awarded a contract to supply laptops to the DepEd by the budget bureau. Abanil replied that LDLA bagged the contract only for the laptops, although it had previously bidded on other projects. For his part, Sen. Win Gatchalian said senators flagged the inconsistent Next page
By Othel V. Campos and Rio N. Araja
VOL. XXXVI • NO. 226• 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 FRIDAY, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
PBBM vows efficient use of ADB aid By Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday vowed to effectively use assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to benefit all Filipinos. At the 55th ADB Meeting of the Board of Governors, the President said the ADB, which is based in Manila, has been a dependable institution in providing loans, technical assistance, and equity investments to its members to promote social and economic development. “As President, it is certainly my duty to ensure that the government remains committed to the efficient and effective
STRONGER RELATIONSHIP. President Ferdinand Marcos poses for a photo with members of the Asian Development Bank on Sept. 29, 2022. He is flanked by Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe (left) and ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa. Screengrab from RTVM
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PH short of 106,000 nurses due to better jobs abroad The DOH wants the country to retain By Willie Casas the 7,000 annual deployment cap for newTHE Philippines has a shortage of about hire medical professionals abroad. “We have a shortage or a gap of 106,000 nurses as health workers seek better opportunities abroad, the Depart- around 106,000 to fill up positions in our health facilities all over the country, ment of Health (DOH) said Thursday.
both for public and private (hospitals)," DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing. The Philippines also lacks doctors, pharmacists, medical technologists, Next page
A HOUSE UNITED.
Members of the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, celebrate after approving on third and final reading the P5.268 trillion proposed national budget for 2023 Wednesday evening. Ver Noveno
No break for House panels while Congress in recess der Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on hearings during the congressional Wednesday night authorized all stand- break starting Thursday. THE House of Representatives un- ing and special committees to hold Next page
By Maricel V. Cruz
Palace sees Marcos' US trip to generate $4b investments By Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s recent trip to the United States could generate close to $4 billion (about P236 billion) in investments from multiple sectors, Malacañang said on Wednesday. According to investment data released by the Palace, business agreements and commitments secured during the President's visit have an estimated investment value of $3.9 billion, with a potential em-
ployment generation of 112,285 jobs. These investments will come from the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM), data center, and manufacturing sectors. However, Malacañang said, the estimated value does not reflect the full potential of future investments from several companies that Mr. Marcos and the Trade Department had talks with while in New York. According to the Palace, some companies had expressed interest in considering Next page
Badoy denies threatening trial judge, lawyer says she may face contempt By Rey E. Requejo FORMER anti-communist body spokesperson Lorraine Badoy may be charged for indirect contempt and inciting insurrection following the comments she made against Manila Judge
Marlo Magdoza-Malagar, Rico Domingo, a former president of the Philippine Bar Association, said Thursday. But Badoy, former undersecretary for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFNext page