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US, China spar over WPS
Rap each other for weighing in on Chinese boat swarm in PH EEZ By Rey E. Requejo
ASHINGTON and Beijing on Tuesday traded barbs amid reports that Chinese vessels were monitored to be swarming in areas belonging to the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
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VOL. XXXVI • NO. 308• 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
In a statement, US Department of States spokesman Ned Price reiterated Washington’s message to Beijing to abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) “and its legal obligations pursuant to the 2016 arbitral Next page
FLUVIAL PARADE.
People line up along the Tamontaka River in Cotabato City to witness the Guinakit fluvial festival—a reenactment of the arrival of Shariff Kabunsuan who introduced the teachings of Islam in Mindanao in the 16th century. Teddy Pelaez
AFP nixes ceasefire with headless CPP Inflation seen to peak in Dec. THE military sees no need for a holiday ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army, saying there is no guarantee that rebels would reciprocate given the “leadership vacuum” in the underground movement following the death of CPP founder Jose
Ma. Sison. "We are confident there’s no need for a ceasefire because we don’tknow who to talk to. Many of their leaders have been neutralized," AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said in a television interview.
"Second, if we are going to have a bilateral ceasefire with the CPPNPA-NDF, how can they impose that provision of the ceasefire when there is a leadership vacuum within the underground organization?" he added. Next page
Lookout order out on Bantag, ex-aide Zulueta
By Julito G. Rada BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla said Tuesday he expects the rate of inflation to peak this month, after it hit a 14-year high of 8 percent in November. “I’m very sure that the peak [of inflation] will be in December,” Medalla said. “We thought inflation was going to peak in October 2022 but [then the ]
typhoons came.” Inflation in November accelerated to a 14-year high of 8 percent from 7.7 percent in October due to faster increases in the prices of food and nonalcoholic beverages. This was significantly higher than the 3.7 percent in the same month a year ago and brought the average inflation from January to November 2022 to 5.6 percent. Next page
Speaker assures House okay of 12 other PBBM priority bills
By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice has issued an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order against suspended Bureau of Corrections director Gerald Bantag and former deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta, the two alleged masterminds in the deaths of broadcaster Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid, and middleman Jun Villamor. In an urgent memorandum, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla clarified that the DOJ said the lookout
but rate hike likely early 2023
By Maricel V. Cruz
HIGH-TECH. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visits the Philippine Space Agency on Monday. The office houses Diwata-1, the country's first microsatellite. The President said he wants various agencies to have access to satellite data that could be used in agriculture, business, and environmental protection.
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Lechon for X'mas? Shell out P10,000
Miss U crown worth $6m to grace winner
SPEAKER Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday vowed to pass the remaining 12 priority measures of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when Congress resumes sessions on Jan. 23, 2023. He also announced that the House of Representatives fulfilled its promise
to pass pro-people measures, including the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), the P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023, and 20 other priority bills of the Marcos administration, 19 of which were listed under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council’s (LEDAC) Common Legislative Agenda (CLA). Next page
Palace names ‘news briefer,’ PAF chief
By Patricia Taculao THE Miss Universe organization revealed the new almost $6 million crown to seal the deal for the winning contestant for the January 2023 competition. Dubbed "The Crown Number 12: Force Next page
raised concern that a five-kilo lechon (suckling pig) may reach P10,000 FOUR days before Christmas Day, from P7,000 due to high demand. William Maka Chua, proprietor a long-time lechon owner in La Loma, Quezon City on Tuesday Next page
By Rio N. Araja
Daphne Osena-Paez
Maj. Gen. Stephen Parreño
By Vince Lopez
briefing on Tuesday. “Starting today, we will have someone new with us at every briefing that will be held here at the press working area. She will be the bearer of news and information about the activities and projects of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Garafil said. Oseña-Paez said she will hold Palace
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has named lifestyle TV host and entrepreneur Daphne Oseña-Paez as his new “press briefer.” Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS), formally introduced Oseña-Paez to reporters in a Palace press
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