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Third of a six-part supplement to mark Women’s Month SEE PAGE A3
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 33 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Sunken tanker no sail permit Senators say owners can’t collect insurance to pay for oil spill damages
By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas
T
HE tanker MT Princess Empress that caused a massive oil spill when it sank in Oriental Mindoro with 800,000 liters of industrial fuel on Feb. 28 sailed nine times despite having no updated authority to operate, senators said Tuesday. In a hearing on the oil spill, Senators Cynthia Villar and Risa Hontiveros cited a report submitted by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) that said the MT Princess Empress, a new ship, was not included in the certificate of public convenience issued to its owner, RDC Reield Marine Services (RDC). Villar said the lack of the amended CPC would mean the company would not be able to claim insurance on the ship that sank, which has been insured for $1 billion, and will be unable to compensate those who were affected by the oil spill. “The government cannot rely that it can get money for damages from the company which owns the sunken ship,” she said. “The MARINA and the Coast Guard will explain that they cannot claim from the insurance because they have no permit to operate. So we should not wait for that anymore. Next page
CONTAINMENT. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reports two tugboats have deployed their oil spill boom and skimmer arpund the suspected area of the sunken tanker MT Princess Empress at six nautical miles northeast off the shoreline of Balingawan Point and Buloc Bay in Oriental Mindoro.
DOJ files murder raps vs. Bantag, 10 others for Percy Lapid’s killing Teves refuses to come home, fears for safety Biggest Balikatan war PBBM wants 11 more cold storage facilities By Rey E. Requejo
deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta on two counts of murder, in connection THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has with the killing of broadcaster Percival indicted suspended Bureau of Correc- Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid, tions chief Gerald Bantag and former and the inmate Jun Villamor.
A panel of prosecutors said they and a certain Orlando for murder as found probable cause to charge Ban- principals by direct participation. tag and Zuleta, and also to indict selfThe DOJ panel also approved the inconfessed gunman Joel Escorial, Israel dictment of inmates Denver Mayores, Next page Dimaculangan, Edmon Dimaculangan,
By Vince Lopez, Maricel V. Cruz, Rey E. Requejo, Charles Dantes and Macon Ramos-Araneta
games set next month
By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Philippines and the United States will hold the biggest war games between them next month with 17,600 troops participating, including live-fire exercises at sea in a first for the annual military exercises, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Tuesday. The announcement for “Balikatan 2023” comes a day after the start of the three-week “Salaknib” exercises between the Philippine and American armies with 3,000 troops participating. “This is officially the largest Balikatan exercise,” said Col. Michael Logico, spokesperson of Balikatan 2023, which will be held from April 11 to 28 in Palawan, AnNext page
By Vince Lopez
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday the government will put up nearly a dozen cold storage facilities in various fish ports in the country to address the high spoilage of Filipino fishermen’s catch. He said the plan is to build 11 more cold storage facilities on top of those already being constructed at ports in the cities of General Santos and Cagayan de Oro, adding that he expects these facilities to be operational by the end of this year. “We decided that one of the areas that was identified was the spoilage of the fish there from the handling from the fishing boats up to the Next page
INTERVENTION. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reads through a report during a sectoral meeting with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Central Office and Department of Public Works and Highways at the Palace on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Mr. Marcos said he wants the government to build cold storage facilities in various fish ports in the country to help Filipino fishermen.
House approves Con-con bill on final reading By Maricel V. Cruz
OVERWHELMING YES VOTE. Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez presides over Tuesday’s session during which House Bill (HB) No. 7352 was approved with a 301-7 vote. The bill will implement the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 that calls for a constitutional convention that would propose amendments to the economic provisions of the Charter. Ver Noveno
VOTING 301 against 7, the House of Representatives approved on Tuesday House Bill 7352, which implements the Resolution of Both Houses 6 that calls for convening a constitutional convention or “Con-con” that would propose amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution. Among the salient features of the bill is the seven-month term of office of the convention, from December 1, 2023 up to June 30, 2024. Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, and Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who chairs the committee on constitutional amendments, led 301 of the 314 House members in authoring and voting for the bill. Romualdez said the Charter reform initiative aims to rewrite the “restrictive” economic provisions of the Constitution to enable the country to attract more foreign investments.
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NEGROS Oriental 3rd District, Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., who has been charged with three 2019 murders, said he would not fly home for fear of his life. This as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the formation of a special panel of prosecutors to look into the killings in the province. House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Tuesday said Teves called him from an undetermined location Monday night, saying he would not return to the Philippines because he feared for the safety of his person and his family. Teves, who was in the United States, was also linked to the March 4 assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo. “I assured him that the Speaker, Next page
Journalist, former UP CMC dean Luis Teodoro passes away at 81 VETERAN journalist and former Manila Standard columnist Luis Teodoro has passed away, the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication -- where he was dean for six years -- said Tuesday. He was 81. UP CMC Professor Danilo Arao confirmed this in a tweet, saying Teodoro passed away at midnight Monday due to a heart attack. Next page
Luis Teodoro
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