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EU: ‘Serious’ PH compliance helping seafarers retain jobs THE European Union will still recognize certificates of Filipino seafarers, saying the Philippines has made "serious" developments to comply with maritime labor requirements, ABS-CBN reported Friday. The country “has made serious efforts
to comply with the requirements, in particular in key areas like the monitoring, supervision and evaluation of training and assessment," the commission said in a statement also on Friday. The European Mobility and Transport Next page
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 49 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
DOJ: One of plotters arrested
Remulla claims Degamo slay '99% solved,' says Teves in midst of it all By Rey E. Requejo and Charles Dantes
T
HE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested an alleged mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Friday.
“The NBI was able to catch a main player, a main player. A name we have not discussed, we have never discussed here. But practically, I would say in my reading of the situation one of the masterminds was caught today,” Remulla told reporters. Remulla would not release the name of the suspect, however, but said the case is “99 percent solved.” “I’m just telling you that there’s a breakthrough, it’s 99 percent solved. The Degamo case is 99 percent solved,” Remulla said. He congratulated the NBI for a job well done. “He figures in the statements made by the other suspects in custody... It drives a thread through everything,” Remulla said of the alleged mastermind. He said the suspect fled Negros Oriental, and that for three weeks, the authorities were on his trail. He did not resist arrest and was read his rights, Remulla added. Remulla again insisted that suspended Negros Oriental Rep. ArnolfoTeves Jr. was part of the group that planned Degamo’s killing, saying he was “in the middle of everything.” Degamo and eight others were killed Next page
PBBM: Bataan-Cavite link ‘incredible feat’ once done By Vince Lopez and Butch Gunio PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday applauded the planned construction of the P175.6-billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB), which will drastically reduce the travel time from Central Luzon to the Calabarzon region from five hours to just 45 minutes. “With the BCIB, it is projected that that five hours trip will now become as close – as quick as 30 minutes, reducing by as much as 86 percent, and we are reducing it to maybe 45 minutes of travel,” Mr. Marcos Next page
LONG BRIDGE PLAN. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (center) graces the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Milestones Ceremony at the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific in Mariveles, Bataan on Friday. Alfred Frias
Big LPG price cut at P9.20/k; Marcos: High prices Pinoys' biggest problem Gas, diesel seen to cost more By Vince Lopez, Vito Barcelo, and Butch Gunio
By Alena Mae S. Flores PETRON Corp. announced a P9.20 per kilo price cut for liquefied petroleum gas effective today, even as domestic pump prices are expected to go up next week by as much as P1.50 per liter. "Petron will implement a P9.20 per
kilo rollback (VAT-inclusive) in LPG prices effective 0001H Apr. 1," the oil firm said in its advisory. This translates to a rollback of P101.20 per 11-kilo LPG tank used primarily by households. "AutoLPG prices will likewise roll Next page
STEEP food prices are the “biggest problem” Filipinos are facing, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Friday as he vowed to open moreKadiwa stores that would offer cheaper farm products and cut down inflation. Attributing the problem to the country's reliance on imports and its long-
President: Keep military assets in tip-top shape By Vince Lopez and Maricel V. Cruz
MILITARY ASSETS. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (third from right, top photo) and government officials inspect one of two C-130T aircraft at the Haribon Hangar in Clark Air Base, Pampanga. Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Artemio M Abu (second from right, bottom photo) welcomes United Kingdom Minister of State for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan aboard BRP Teresa Magbanua at South Harbor in Manila (see related story on A2). Rey Baniquet, PCG Photo
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday emphasized the importance of repair and maintenance of military assets as he inspected two C-130T aircraft that had been overhauled and upgraded. The two units, worth $55.60 million, were acquired from the United States under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program. This developed as Speaker Martin G. Romualdez assured the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Thursday night of the continued support of the House of Representatives for its modernization program. He made the assurance during the House of Representatives-AFP fellowship series in Cebu City, which was attended by high-rankingmilitary officers led by Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino and other House members. "Maintenance and repair are key Next page
time neglect of the agriculture sector, the President directed concerned government agencies to further widen the existing coverage of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo as he launched the initiative in Limay, Bataan on Friday. “I have already instructed the Department of Agriculture, our DTI – Department of Trade and Industry, as well as the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) so that it is not
just a few if not more, to feel the Spirit of the President throughout the Philippines,” Mr. Marcos said in his speech. This developed as the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) plans to sell an initial 4,000 tons of confiscated smuggled sugar in Kadiwa stalls starting in April, board member Pablo Luis Azcona said. “We already have the approval for Next page
Palace says work stops April 5 at noon to aid Holy Week lull MALACAÑAN Palace on Friday announced the suspension of work in executive department offices starting noon on April 5, Holy Wednesday, to give workers ample time to prepare for the observance of the Holy Week. The Palace made the announcement through Memorandum Circular 16 signed
by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. The order, however, provided that government agencies whose functions involve the delivery of basic and health services, disaster preparedness and response, and other vital services, will continue with their operations. Next page
PALM SUNDAY READY. Vendors weave palm fronds near Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City on Friday, two days before Catholics observe Palm Sunday. The fronds are sought after by Catholic devotees as a cherished symbol of Jesus Christ's arrival in Jerusalem a week before his death. Manny Palmero