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PBBM vetoes 3 budget items Move affects Deped, DOLE, DOT; Sen. Pimentel sees ’valid points’
By Vito Barcelo, Vince Lopez and Macon Ramos-Araneta
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RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos. Jr. vetoed three items under the P5.268-trillion government budget for 2023 because they would effectively amend existing laws.
“In keeping with my constitutional duty to ensure faithful execution of the laws, I am constrained to directly veto the provisions introduced in this budget which do not relate to any particular appropriations and would effectively amend substantive laws. These are considered inappropriate provisions that warrant the exercise of presidential veto," the President said. One of the affected items was Department of Education (DepEd)Office of the Secretary (OSEC), Special Provision No. 4, Revolving Fund of DepEd TV, which is the department’s television-based instruction aired on national and regional partner stations. The President also vetoed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-National Labor Relations
Commission (NLRC), Special Provision No. 1, “Use of Income,” Volume 1-A, Page 1157. Marcos noted that the NLRC is not granted authority to use its income under existing laws. Moreover, the subject income already forms part of the revenue and financing sources of the 2023 National Expenditure Program, which he earlier submitted to Congress, he pointed out. The President also vetoed the proviso “in no case shall the appropriations be utilized to change the tourism campaign slogan” under Department of Tourism (DOT)-OSEC, Special Provision No. 4, “Branding Campaign Program,” Volume I-B, page 313, inasmuch as it intends to limit the exercise of the Next page
VOL. XXXVI • NO. 309• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
PARADE OF STARS. Movie stars wave to their fans from one of eight floats that participated in the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2022 parade in Quezon City on Wednesday, Dec. 21 2022. Joey Razon
DFA concerned about reports Palace to DA: Rush sugar importation of Sino infra activities in WPS 2 EX-DA EXECS By Rey E. Requejo
THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday expressed serious concern over reports of China's new construction and reclamation activities in the disputed South China Sea, saying these violate international law and existing agreements with claimants.
“The department takes note of the Bloomberg article on reported reclamation activities by China in unoccupied features of the Spratlys. We are seriously concerned as such activities contravene the Declaration of Conduct on the South China Sea’s undertaking on selfrestraint and the 2016 Arbitral Award," the DFA said in a statement. Next page
Mr. Marcos recommits 1m houses yearly
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Agriculture (DA), which he also heads as secretary, to speed up the importation of 64,050 metric tons of sugar to stabilize the price of the commodity. The President said the DA needed to take action as he was concerned with the “very high inflation rate” for sugar. Based on the November inflation
By Vito Barcelo, Vince Lopez, and Maricel V. Cruz
for poor families every year under his administration's public housing program. Mr. Marcos was in Nueva Ecija on Wednesday to lead the groundbreaking PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ceremony of the Palayan City To wnon Wednesday reaffirmed his prom- ship, a project under the Pambansang ise to provide one million houses Next page
CONVICTED OVER FERTILIZER MESS NEWS / A2
Bantag to face Push for pay hike still up in air, plunder rap for wage boards weighing impact unfinished cells By Julito G. Rada BUREAU of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. on Wednesday said he will file a plunder complaint against suspended BuCor chief Gerald Bantag, saying only 60 percent of the prison cells being built by the agency were finished. “Yes, I will file plunder (charges),” Catapang told Super Radyo dzBB. “Imagine, the budget of the government for the establishestablish ment of prison cells is around P1 bilbil lion. This is how BuCor should
HOUSING FOR ALL. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the groundbreaking of an 11-hectare housing project under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino in Brgy. Atate in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija Wednesday. Also in photo are (from left) Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, Speaker Martin Romualdez, Palayan City Mayor Viandrei Nicole Cuevas, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Sec. Jose Rizalino Acuzar, and Government Service and Insurance System President and General Manager Jose Arnulfo Veloso. Alfred Frias
report, the annual inflation for sugars, confectionery and deserts reached 38 percent. Memorandum Order 77, signed by DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, called for the immediate convening of the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) Advisory Council to expedite the importation of 64,050 metric tons of sugar. Next page
THE country's regional wage boards are thoroughly studying and assessing proposals seeking salary increases for private sector workers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Wednesday. This developed as inflation will re-
main elevated in 2023 due to secondround effects and may average about 5.2 percent, an economist said. Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said they are giving the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) ample time to decide on the proposals. Next page
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MUSK SAYS HE WILL STEP DOWN AS TWITTER CEO WORLD / B2
ALWAYS READY. The House of Representatives on Monday conducted an antiterrorism exercise to ensure the readiness of its own security contingent, in cooperation with other law enforcement and related agencies. Retired Maj. Gen. Napoleon C. Taas, the House Sergeant-at-Arms, led the security exercise of the composite security forces. Ver Noveno