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MAHOMES, CHIEFS EDGE EAGLES, WIN SUPER BOWL LVII
IN 1ST PHONE CALL, ZELENSKY THANKS PBBM FOR ‘SUPPORT’
SPORTS / B1
NEWS / A4 VOL. XXXVI • NO. 365 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
PBBM: Cha-cha not a priority Says many things to do first, still lawmakers to pursue public hearings
By Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr said that Charter change is “not a priority” of his administration even as the heads of the House and Senate committees on constitutional amendments said they will continue holding public hearings and consultations on “Cha-cha” proposals. “It is not a priority for me because there are so many things to do... there are so many other things that we need to do first,” Mr. Marcos said Sunday night as he arrived from a five-day official visit to Japan. “We can still achieve what we want within the present Constitution, with the way the Constitution is written,” he added. Mr. Marcos acknowledged that talks on Charter change have surfaced “because of the economic provisions.” “We want to have investment but things like these delays us -- you know what are the issues: the ownership, appropriation, things like that,” the President said. “But for me, all that is being discussed, we can do it even without the Charter change,” he added. Senator Robin Padilla said he will continue discussing proposals for Charter change even as he described Mr. Marcos’ disinterest in amending the Constitution as “sad.” Padilla said the entry of foreign direct investments (FDIs) into the country would be limited unless the Constitution is changed.
GREEN LASER LIGHT. This handout photo taken on February 6 and released by the Philippine Coast Guard on February 13 shows a Chinese Coast Guard vessel (inset) shining a “military grade laser light” at a PCG boat nearly 20 kilometers from Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea. AFP
AFP tells China to ‘control its forces,’ tags laser incident as provocative act
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Congress to pass MIF, 9 Palace key bills by June By Vince Lopez, Macon Ramos- priority measures of the Marcos admin- the Legislative-Executive Development istration by June 2, including the con- Advisory Council (LEDAC), which Araneta and Rey E. Requejo troversial Maharlika Investment Fund. serves as a consultative and advisory The priority bills were tackled dur- body to the President. MALACAÑANG on Monday said Next page Congress has committed to passing 10 ing the executive committee meeting of
THE Armed Forces of the Philippines on Monday called on China to control its forces following reports that a Chinese Coast Guard vessel pointed a military-grade laser at a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship, causing “temporary blindness” to the crew of the BRP Malapascua. “The Secretary of National Defense
has already declared... that the act committed by the Coast Guard of China is offensive and unsafe,” a spokesperson for the AFP, Col. Medel Aguilar, said. “Therefore, I think it is time for the Chinese government to restrain its forces so that it does not commit any provocative act that will endanger [the] Next page
Bakers claim Search, rescue works winding down as quake death toll hits 35,000 low supply of Pinoy breads By Othel V. Campos BUDGET breads, which are a staple food for many Filipino families, are now seldom seen in groceries and supermarkets, a group of bakers said Monday. Henry Ah of the Filipino-Chinese Bakers Association Inc. (FCBAI) said store inventory of budget breads seems to be low as there is not enough supply. “I heard many consumers are looking for Pinoy Pandesal and Pinoy Tasty but some are not able to buy since the product, sometimes, is not available,” Next page
PREVALENTINE CRUISE.
A couple rides a gondola while dating at the Venice Grand Canal Mall in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on Monday to avoid the volume of people going on a date during Valentine’s Day today. Danny Pata
AID TO TURKEY. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez (center), through the Speaker’s Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Initiative,
turns over $100,000 financial assistance to Turkey Ambassador Niyazi Evren Akyol for earthquake victims at the Speaker’s Office on Monday. Also pictured (from right) are Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, Majority Leader Manuel Jose M. Dalipe, Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, the Ambassador’s wife Inddri Puspitarasi, Pangasinan Rep. Ma. Rachael Arenas, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, and Zamboanga Del Norte Rep. Glorna Labadlabad. Ver Noveno
THE death toll from a catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria climbed above 35,000 on Monday, with search and rescue teams starting to wind down their work. Officials and medics said 31,643 people had died in Turkey and 3,581 in Syria from last Monday’s 7.8-magnitude tremor, bringing the confirmed total to 35,224. Rescuers pulled more survivors from the rubble a week as the UN warned the toll was set to rise far higher. Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Sunday that the Philippine contingent sent to Turkey following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake has already provided significant assistance and has helped a lot of individuals in the disaster-struck country. The President made this remark in a chance interview onboard PR 001 en route to Manila after his “very Next page
How First Couple will mark V-Day? Secret! PR ESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he has plans to mark Valentine’s Day today (February 14) with First Lady Liza Marcos but did not detail them. “Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day again. Time passes by so fast, Oh, gosh. Do I have any plans? I do now” he said in a chance interview with the media. Mr. Marcos just came from a five-day working visit to Japan where he was accompanied by the First Lady and their eldest son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos.
The Marcos couple first met in New York when the First Lady was still a practicing lawyer. They got married at the San Francesco Convent in Fiesole, Italy on April 17, 1993. Aside from Sandro, the presidential couple has two other sons: Joseph Simon Marcos and William Vincent Marcos. During Mrs. Marcos’ birthday in August, the President serenaded his wife, whom he described as the family’s “all-around lifesaver,” with his rendition of “Never Let Her Slip Away.” Vince Lopez