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Fifth of a six-part supplement to mark Women’s Month SEE PAGE A3
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 44 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P20 • MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Explosives found at Teves mill
Firearms, ammo also buried in sugar firm site; Terrorism charges mulled By Charles Dantes
OLICE on Sunday dug up various firearms, ammunition, and suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the compound of the sugar mill owned by former Negros Oriental Governor Pryde Henry Teves, the brother of suspended Rep. Arnolfo Teves.
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This came a day after the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) seized P18 million in cash, multiple firearms, and nearly 10,000 rounds of live ammunition from the HDJ Bayawan Agri-Ven-
ture Corp. Tolong compound in Bayawan City. Three security personnel allegedly linked to Pryde Teves were also arrested following the raid. PNP-CIDG chief legal Next page
HALE AND HEARTY. First Lady Liza Marcos (right) smiles for an Instagram post with her mother-in-law Imelda Marcos (left) and Rep. Yedda Romualdez, wife of Imelda’s nephew Speaker Martin Romualdez.
First Lady posts snap of Imelda to put rumors of demise to rest FIRST Lady Liza Marcos posted a photo on Instagram with her motherin-law, Imelda Marcos, on Sunday, days after rumors that the former First Lady had died circulated online. Also in the photo is Tingog Partylist Rep. Yedda Romualdez, the wife of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the
cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and a nephew of Imelda Marcos. The 93-year-old Imelda, who was also a representative for Ilocos Norteuntil 2019, was last seen in public in May, weeks after her son won the presidency in a landslide. Next page
WEAPONS SEARCH. Operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group dig up a portion of the HDJ Tolong sugar mill compound in barangay Caranoche, Sta Catalina, Negros Oriental on Sunday as they look for weapons following a tip from an informant. They previously recovered high-powered weapons, ammunition, and P18 million in cash from the sugar mill (see photos on A2). PNP CIDG Photo
Standard debuts ‘Environment & Sustainability’ MANILA STANDARD has decided to come out with a weekly section called Environment & Sustainability every Monday, found on page C1 in this issue. The section aims to expand the readership of the paper and reach out to the younger generation that now comprises the majority of the population. The Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z and Gen Alpha (born between 1965 and 2013) comprise the majority of news readers now, with a sprinkling of the Baby Boomer Generation who were born from 1946 to 1964.
We feel that the Environment & Sustainability section will satisfy the hunger of the younger generation for information on social and environment issues affecting the planet. One common trait of the younger generations is their support of the United Nations' Sustainable Goals that seeks to end poverty and achieve a sustainable lifestyle through reduced carbon footprints, clean water, renewable energy, recycling and ecological balance. The younger generations, for one, are more Next page
ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023
C1
RAY S. EÑANO,
Big PH firms push for cleaner habitat, sustainable practices
M
Editor rayenano@yahoo.com • extrastory2000@gmail.com
ORE and more Philippine conglomerates are supporting the United Nations’ agenda for sustainable development .
Big Philippine companies are now ric tons of silt aggressively laying down and solid waste already on sustainable development their plans extracted. The project, according to human lives and protect to improve San Miguel ment, after over three the environ- president and chief executive decades when Ramon officer more than 178 nations S. Ang, is part of the congregated in much larger Pasig River cleanupfirm’s June 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio tiative inithat has successfully removed de Janeiro, Brazil. waste choking different The UN’s 2030 Agenda sections of able Development aims for Sustain- river. The waterway spans the citiesthe to ensure all Manila, human beings enjoy prosperous Mandaluyong, San Juan of and and Quezon City. fulfilling lives and that economic, soSan Miguel’s initiative cial and technological progress occurs to better flood mitigation has resulted in harmony with nature. in areas in Navotas, Malabon, flood-prone “The future of humanity Valenzuela and of our and Caloocan. planet lies in our hands. It lies also in the hands of today’s younger ‘GREEN URBANISM’ generaSan Miguel’s quest for a tion who will pass the greener Philtorch generations. We have mapped to future ippines is embodied in its ambitious the road airport project in Bulacan to sustainable development; province. It for all of us to ensure that it will be released last year a conceptual master is successful and its gains the journey plan for the massive, green-designed irreversible,” and future-ready declares the UN. aerocity development. Ang said the designs reflect The same 2030 agenda calls the able food production systems for sustain- sion of a modern Philippine city vithat and resilient provides agricultural practices that built-in solutions to various increase output, socio-economic, help maintain ecosystems, environmental, and strengthen the climate issues, and correct the mistakes capacity for adaptation to climate change, seen in extreme weather, drought, many flooding and Metro Manila. urban developments of other disasters, and progressively imThe SMC chief executive prove land and soil quality. said the Aerocity development For starters, San Miguel would address Corp. is many of the leading the clean-up of major river Metro Manila problems experienced in systems in and around today. Metro It is designed, and will be The conglomerate reported Manila. built, with that its job sustainability on the 15-kilometer San in mind. It will be propJuan main tributary of the Pasig River, a erly zoned, with areas dedicated to well underway, with over River, was agriculture and food production, logis90,000 met- tics, health and wellness, Turn to C2
FORGING COLLABOR ATIVE PATHWAYS FOR A DECARBONIZED AND REGENERATIVE FUTU RE.
Our commitmen t to our mission, evidenced by our power plants' is strengthene d by use of clean and renewable our partners who share sources, our goal of decarbonizi ng and regeneratin g our planet.
San Miguel cop Oil spill compensation seen eclipsing P1.1-b 2006 record chief shot dead in robbery try By Rio N. Araja and Vince Lopez
By Charles Dantes and Orlan Mauricio SAN Miguel, Bulacan police chief Lt. Marlon Serna was shot dead Saturday night while responding to a robbery in Barangay San Juan, a police report said. Serna’s team chanced upon two unidentified suspects riding a motorcycle, who opened fire. Serna was hit in the head and taken to a nearby hospital where he died from his wounds. The Philippine National Police later offered a P1.2 million reward for anyone who can give information on the whereabouts and identities of the suspects. The reward came from the Department of Interior and Local Government,which gave P500,000; the Police Regional Office Region 3 which gave P300,000; PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., who gave P200,000; and Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando, who gave another P200,000. Police Regional Office 3 Director Police Brigadier General JoseHidalgo Jr. said that he tasked the Bulacan Provincial Police Office to investigate the incident. PNP spokesperson PCol. Jean Fajardo said Serna joined the pursuit operations using his own vehicle, and around 10:30 p.m., they encountered the suspects, who fired at them when they tried to intercept them. The killers escaped towards Barangay Akle in San Ildefonso town. Pursuit operations were ongoing.
COMPENSATION claims as a result of the massive oil spill from the MT Princess Empress could surpass those filed in the aftermath of the environmental disaster in the Guimaras Strait in 2006, when the
MT Solar sank with its cargo of 2 million liters of bunker fuel, a lawmaker said Sunday. “If we look back at the MT Solar incident, a total of P1.1 billion was paid to settle 26,872 compensation claims, including those filed by owners of beach resorts, tour boat operators, and other tourism service providers hit by the 2006
oil spill,” said Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo, vice chairman of the House tourism committee. The Guimaras disaster was widely considered the country’s worst oil spill in history. But considering that the MT Solar episode happened 17 years ago, Rillo said the inflation-adjusted compensation
claims with respect to the pollution damage caused by the MT Princess Empress may well exceed P1.1 billion. “Apart from tourism-related claimants, we expect property owners hit by the oil spill to file compensation claims for damages to beachfront properties, fishing boats, and fishing gear,” Rillo said.
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Brace for water interruptions, El Niño—Maynilad Biz groups bashed WATER concessionaire Maynilad has advised the public to be ready for possible water interruptions in the coming dry season and the threat of an El Nino phenomenon. Maynilad said it will post possible
water interruptions on its social media Maynilad, however, said the supply of accounts, and Corporate Communications water from Angat Dam remains “good,” Head Jennifer Rufo also said the firm is while noting that the water level at Ipo expecting the water reservoirs on dams to Dam has slightly dipped. dip, with fewer rain showers expected in Maynilad also said several Metro Next page the coming dry season.
WOMEN’S MONTH FETE. In celebration of International Women’s Month, SM Supermalls partnered with the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia and ACTED Philippines to promote sustainable and inclusive agriculture among Bangsamoro women. Dignitaries present included French Ambassador Michele Boccoz; Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.; Rosslaini Alonto-Sinarimbo, Director General of the BARMM Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism; Sharmaine Baraguir, BARMM Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Agrarian Reform; Mandaluyong City Chief of Staff Charice Abalos-Vargas; Rosemarie Rafael, Chairperson of Airspeed; and Capt. Stanley Ng, President and COO of Philippine Airlines.
for ‘flip-flopping’ stand on Cha-cha
CAGAYAN de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Sunday chided the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex) for flip-flopping on amending restrictive provisions of the Constitution to attract more foreign investments. “MBC and Finex are now against Charter amendments. Before thisposition, they were in favor of changing the Constitution’s economic provisions,” he said. In a joint statement on Friday, MBC, Finex, and other business groups said they opposed the current House initiative to rewrite the Constitution’s economic provisions. They cited the high cost of funding a constitutional convention that would propose the amendments, and said the investment promotion campaign of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and recently enacted laws that aim to relax Next page