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PBBM PUSHES FOR REGIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT IN SOUTH CHINA SEA By Vince Lopez, Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz
pushed for the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea based on international law, which he said should be an example of how states manage their differences. PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday At the 25th ASEAN-China Summit,
President Marcos said the immediate conclusion the South China Sea. of the COC becomes more relevant as nations “It shall be an example of how states manage mark 40 years of the United Nations Convention their differences: through reason and on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and 20 years through right,” Mr. Marcos said, adding that he of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in Next page
UNITED ASEAN. From left: Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, China's Prime Minister Li Keqiang, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, Laos' Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh and Malaysia's Lower House Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun wave on stage during the ASEAN-China Summit as part of the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits in Phnom Penh on November 11, 2022. AFP
Mr. Marcos sets China state visit in early January PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has accepted the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit to China early next year, Malacañang said Friday.
President urges ASEAN to end Myanmar crisis By Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo VOL. XXXVI • NO. 269• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday called for the speedy
Bantag: I am innocent Next page
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Hits Remulla for 'targeting' him, dares him to resign By Rey Requejo
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USPENDED prisons chief Gerard Bantag finally broke his silence and maintained his innocence after he was tagged as the mastermind in the murder of broadcaster Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa.
TURNING THE TABLES. Suspended prisons chief Gerald Bantag gestures as he challenges Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla to resign amid the investigation into the death of broadcaster Percival Mabasa. Bantag was tagged as the mastermind in the Oct. 3 killing. Inset photo shows the alleged second middleman in the Mabasa hit order, Christopher Bacoto, as he is escorted by jail personnel while leaving the Department of Justice after attending the preliminary hearing on the murder case. Screenshot from SMNI, Danny Pata
Bantag's lawyer, Rocky Balisong, said his client is ready to face the charges against him. "What he is saying is 'I will clear my name; I don't have anything to do with that crime. I will face the case," Balisong told CNN Philippines. In a separate interview with SMNI, Bantag turned the tables on Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, whom he challenged to resign. "You’re a liar, SOJ (Secretary of Justice). I challenge you to step down. They say you don’t have credibility anymore, that you no longer have moral ascendancy in your post," Bantag said. Bantag also addressed the statement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that he "es-
tablished his own fiefdom" in the Bilibid and "moved with no fear of being punished." "We can't do anything with the President's reaction because that is based on the report of the (Justice) secretary. But
the question is, are they giving you the truth?" he said. Mr. Marcos, who was then on his way to Phnom Pehn, said Bantag's involvement was "terrible" even as he Next page
BuCor probes tunnel inside Bilibid area THE Bureau of Corrections is investigating a 200-meter wide and 30-meter deep tunnel discovered inside the New Bilibid Prison, prisons chief officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. said in a television interview Friday. “We are not experts on this so we called for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. They said this was an illegal excavation or illegal quarrying since there is no permit but we are not experts on this so we will rely on the DENR for this,” Catapang said. Asked if the tunnel was used for inmates to escape or to smuggle contraband, he said the BuCor will still have to find out. “We will look into that. There are so many possibilities on what it could be used for,” Catapang added.
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CAVERNOUS. The 200-meter wide and 30-meter deep tunnel discovered inside the New Bilibid Prison leads to a river and was dug below a swimming pool. Screengrab from ABS-CBN's drone footage
QC singular focus: Delivery of basic services LARGER THAN LIFE. SM Mall of Asia celebrates the holiday season with a magical Gingerbread Village filled with larger-than-life gingerbread houses, peppermint candy canes, and giant frosted sugar cookies. Taking center stage is a dazzling 65-foot Christmas tree with 1,600 color-changing LED lights, shiny red balls and berries, topped with a spectacular multi-pointed Bethlehem star. Shown in photo are Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano (seated with Santa) and Chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime Hans Sy (second from right) and Mrs. Carol Sy (second from left). They are joined by SM Supermalls president Steven Tan (left) and SM Mall of Asia senior assistant vice president Perkin So (right).
By Rio N. Araja
eyes and ears were focused on the needs of our people. Our resilience is the product of that sinQUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has cited gular focus,” she said. “We can only prepare, to always be preMayor the importance of resiliency as key to effective mil- pared. Some call it resilience, and some call it Joy delivery of basic services to the city’s 2.9 mil Belmonte lion constituents. excellence,” she added. “When QCitizens were looking up to us, to Good governance has played a key role unprovide a way forward, there was no time to der Belmonte’s administration to be able to waste. There was no time to hesitate. Our Next page