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Calida, Cruz-Angeles resign Rodriguez dropped from Cabinet, 10 bypassed secretaries reappointed By Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez
P
RESS Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles and Commission on Audit Jose Calida have resigned from their posts—the latest movement among the key appointees of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Victor Rodriguez
Trixie Cruz-Angeles
Jose Calida
VOL. XXXVI • NO. 232 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
SC tells Badoy: Justify post or face contempt
Cruz-Angeles said she resigned “due to health reasons,” ending speculations that she will be leave the Palace after she was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments. Calida resigned “for a number of reasons,” according to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. House appropriations panel senior vice chairperson Rep. Stella Quimbo, the budget sponsor for COA’s proposed P13.16 billion budget for 2023, said during budget deliberations last week that Calida has been on medical leave since Sept. 1. Bersamin also ended the confusion on whether his predecessor, Vic Rodriguez, has been appointed as presidential chief of staff.
Repeated queries on Administrative Order No. 1, which Cruz-Angeles earlier said revived the COS position, were unanswered, fanning rumors the President has let go fully of Rodriguez. Bersamin said Rodriguez has not been reappointed to any position – despite the latter declaring last month that he was stepping down to serve as Mr. Marcos’ chief of staff. Bersamin also clarified that there is no AO No. 1. “We don’t even talk about it,” he said. The announcements came on the same day the President renewed the ad interim appointments of 10 out of 12 members of his Cabinet who failed to secure the nod of the Commission on Appointments (CA). Next page
Radio broadcaster gunned down, Palace ‘concerned’
By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the former spokesperson of a government anti-communist task force to explain why she should not be cited for contempt for red-tagging a Manila judge on social media. Lorraine Marie Badoy, the former spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), was given 30 days to justify her social media attacks on Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Marlo Magodza-Malagar, who dismissed a government bid to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army as terrorist organizations. The Court issued the order during Next page
Meralco, SMC asked to keep power supply By Alena Mae S. Flores
DEADLY PROFESSION. Media groups call for justice for broadcaster Percy Mabasa, more popularly known as Percy Lapid, in an indignation rally at the Boy Scouts Circle in Quezon City on October 4, 2022. Family members grieve the loss of the journalist who was shot dead near his home in Las Piñas late Monday evening. Jimmy Domingo, AFP By Joel E. Zurbano
THE Department of Energy (DOE) has asked Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and San Miguel Corp. (SMC) to ensure uninterrupted power supply to consumers following the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) denial of their application for a temporary rate hike. The ruling is expected to jack up the electricity rates of Meralco, which will have to tap the more expensive supply from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) or from other power generators to fill 1,000 megawatts Next page
id--was driving to work at radio station DWBL when he was gunned down by two assailants on A RADIO broadcaster was shot dead near his a motorcycle, Las Piñas police chief Col. Jaime home in Las Piñas Monday night, police said Santos told ABS-CBN Teleradyo. The Palace said they wanted a police reTuesday. He was the latest in a long list of port on the killing of Mabasa—a critic of the journalists killed in the country. Percival Mabasa—also known as Percy LapNext page
DBM releases P1b to cover unpaid allowance of over 55k frontliners By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas
Allowance (SRA) of more than 55,000 eligible public and private health care THE Department of Budget and Man- workers who are directly catering to or agement (DBM) has released P1.04 bil- are in contact with COVID-19 patients. The DBM said the money will covlion for the payment for the Special Risk
er unpaid COVID-19 SRA claims of “We understand and recognize the 55,211 health workers, who will receive selflessness and immense sacrifice that a grant amounting to P5,000 for every our health workers continue to pour out month they serve during the state of na- throughout these turbulent times. This tional emergency. Next page
Gay KFR gang busted, cops nab 8 transgenders FOR TRANSMITTAL TO THE PRESIDENT. Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri lead the ceremonial signing of the enrolled bills on the SIM Registration Act and the Barangay and SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) Elections Postponement Act at the Manila Golf Club in Makati City Tuesday morning. The measures will be sent to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for his signature, the final act required to enact the twin bills into law. Ver Noveno
Congress readies SIM, BSKE enrolled bills for President’s signing By Maricel V. Cruz
bills on the SIM Registration Act and “Today, I am honored to join Senthe Barangay and SK (Sangguniang ate President Migz Zubiri in signing HOUSE Speaker Martin G. Romual- Kabataan) Elections Postponement Act the enrolled bills that will be offidez and Senate President Juan Miguel in simple rites at the Manila Golf Club cially transmitted to Malacanang Zubiri on Tuesday signed the enrolled in Makati City. Next page
EIGHT alleged members of the “Warla” kidnapping group – most of them transgender women -- that lured foreigners with dates with women have been arrested, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said Tuesday. CIDG chief Police Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee said the group had been victimizing foreign nationals, particularly Asian nationals, since 2018. Some of the victims were POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) employees, and some were businessmen. “The kidnapping group composed of particularly transwomen and their partners, or as we call them the Warla criminal group. They have gained notoriety for Next page
WHO, UNICEF WARN PH OF MEASLES OUTBREAK IN 2023 NEWS / A2
N. KOREA FIRES BALLISTIC MISSILE OVER JAPAN WORLD / B2