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NEWS / A2
NEWS / A3 VOL. XXXVI • NO. 353 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
COVID crisis ends, worst over
PBBM drops calamity state but orders DOH to pay frontliners’ allowance By Joyce Pangco Pañares and Willie Casas
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will no longer extend the state of calamity that expired Dec. 31, 2022, signaling that the government believes the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over, the Palace confirmed Wednesday. The President also ordered the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure that health workers continue to receive their COVID-related allowances even though the state of calamity has expired. “That (the allowances) will continue. I used to be concerned that the compensation for our health workers would not continue…We carefully studied their allowances and even if the state of calamity is not extended, their benefits will not be affected,” the President said. Although there was no formal announcement, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said “yes” when asked if Mr. Marcos’ decision not to extend the state of calamity was final.
FLOWER POWER. After a two-year hiatus, the month-long Baguio Flower Festival returns in full bloom. Dave Leprozo
Mr. Marcos to sign 7 bilateral pacts Members of review panel in PNP cleansing bared during five-day state visit to Japan Next page
By Joel E. Zurbano
INTERIOR and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. on Wednesday announced the names of four members of the five-man panel tasked to review records and profiles of
high-ranking police officials who have submitted their courtesy resignations. The advisory group will be composed of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., former Defense secretary Gilbert
Teodoro, Jr. and former Cordillera Police Regional Office commander and retired P/Maj. Gen. Isagani Nerez. Abalos declined to identify the fifth member. Abalos, who called for the courtesy Next page
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By Vince Lopez and Rey E. Requejo ties,” DFA Assistant Secretary NathanTHE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday that Manila and Tokyo will sign seven bilateral agreements during President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s official visit to Japan next week. The visit seeks to “maximize the full potential of the Philippine-Japan strategic partnership in all its aspects and facilitate closer defense, security, political, economic, and people-to-people
iel Imperial said. The agreements include humanitarian assistance on disaster relief or HADR cooperation, he said. “Japan has been a very important partner providing assistance in relation to disaster relief and we certainly welcome this agreement,” Imperial told reporters in a Palace briefing. Imperial said that there will also be discussions on a security agreement Next page
FIVE-MAN PANEL. Four members of the advisory group tasked to review records of police officials who may have links to illegal drugs
have been named: (from left) Philippine National Police Chief Director General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, former Cordillera Police Regional Office commander and retired P/Maj. Gen. Isagani Nerez and former Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Jr. The fifth member has yet to be identified
President creates Water Mgt. Office FM brood fails to reduce reliance on groundwater in move to hold By Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez
water resources and respond to current environmental challenges. The Presidential Communications OfPRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday approved the creation fice (PCO) said Mr. Marcos approved of a Water Resource Management Of- the WRMO during a multi-sectoral fice (WRMO) to manage the country’s Next page
‘frozen’ assets By Maricel V. Cruz
THE Marcos family’s attempt to take control of their assets being held by the government has been rejected by the Sandiganbayan. In a resolution, promulgated on Jan. 25, the anti-graft court’s Third Division, denied the motions filed by former first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos and her daughter Irene Marcos-Araneta. The Marcoses asked for the issuance of a writ of execution on the properties denominated as “frozen accounts, surrendered by virtue of compromise agreements, sequestered (but) not in the PCGG (Presidential Commission on Good Government) Next page
BLESSING. A chaplain at Manila Police
District Command (MPDC) blesses the 150 units of bikes and bike patrols that will be deployed to various schools and crowded places in Manila to avert criminality. Danny Pata
ALLIES. This handout photo taken on February 1, 2023 and released by Western Mindanao Command shows US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (left) shaking hands with Philippine Armed Forces chief General Andres Centino during a visit to the Westmincom headquarters in Zamboanga City. AFP
US Defense chief Austin to tackle security initiatives with PH officials VISITING Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. today. On Twitter, Austin said his meetings aim “to build on our strong bilateral relationship, discuss a range of security
initiatives, and advance our shared vision of a free and open Pacific.” The US official, who arrived in Manila Tuesday evening, visited US troops stationed at a Philippine military camp in Zamboanga City. Next page