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Pagasa: Brace for hotter May days By Rio N. Araja BRACE for hotter days in May, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said Friday. The heat index is expected to hit 56 degrees Celsius in Nuevo Ecija’s Muñoz, and 50° Celsius in Cabanatuan City next month, said Marcelino Villafuerte,
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 65 • 4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Climate Impact Assessment and Application Section Climatology and Agrometeorology Division chief. Pagasa was able to record 55 degrees Celsius in Dagupan City, Pangasinan on May 1, 2022 as the highest heat index, he said. “During the month of May, that’s the time that we have always been observing Next page
PBBM, Biden meet on May 1 White House gab marks warming relations amid US tensions with China By Rey E. Requejo, Vince Lopez, and Charles Dantes
U
S President Joe Biden will welcome President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the White House on May 1 in a sign of a warming bond between the two nations amid US tensions with China over Taiwan. Biden will reaffirm Washington’s "ironclad commitment to the defenseof the Philippines, and the leaders will discuss efforts to strengthenthe longstanding USPhilippines alliance," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez on Friday said the US haspledged $100 million or over P5.5 billion for the acquisition of medium-lift helicopters for disaster response and non-combat operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). In a statement, Galvez said the US has also increased to $100 millionthe funding for the Philippine military facilities which the US forces may access under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. "The US has also increased the funding for the development of the EDCA sites from $82 million to $100 million, which is equivalent to anotherP5.5 billion. This brings the total of the US’s pledge of support for the... helicopters and EDCA projects to P11 billion," he added. The White House announcement comes a week after the largest-ever joint US-Philippines military exercises in the disputed South China Sea in the face of China's growing assertiveness in the region, particularly over Taiwan, the selfgoverning island it claims as its own. Last week, the US secretaries Next page
ADIEU, ENVOY. Ahead of the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang to the country, members of Akbayan Party gather at the Chinese Consular Office in Makati City on Friday to hold a 'Good Riddance-Despedida Party' for Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, whom them asked Qin to recall, make him apologize for his statements against overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan, and recognize the Philippines' right to form alliances with like-minded countries. Danny Pata
‘Dangerous consequences if China vilified over Taiwan’ By Rey E. Requejo
Minister Qin Gang warned Friday, as he insisted Beijing is a "growing force for peace and justice." CRITICIZING China over Taiwan will Two weeks ago, China launched have dangerous consequences, Foreign three days of military exercises around
Taiwan—simulating targeted strikes and "Recently, there has been some absurd a blockade of the island—in response to rhetoric accusing China... of unilaterally a meeting between Taiwanese President changing the status quo across the Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Strait, through force or coercion, and Kevin McCarthy. Next page
Bato: Pattern seen as ‘terror’ reigns in Negros Or. By Macon Ramos-Araneta TERROR reigns in Negros Oriental, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, chair of the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs, said Friday, as the chamber continued its hearing into the assassination of the province’s governor Roel Degamo.
From one person’s story to the next, Dela Rosa noted there appeared tobe a discernible pattern. “It seemed the saying was once again proven to be true – violence cannot help but breed even more violence,” he added. The former national police chief is leading the Senate investigation into the murder of Gov. Degamo and other
killings where suspended Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. was tagged as the mastermind. Dela Rosa said: “It would seem there was an agreement and arrangement how to commit a crime and how to kill without being arrested, among lawless elements within the Provincial Government.” He noted the violence in Negros Next page
Fuel prices PNP ‘ninja cops’ evaluation ends, seen falling to endorse findings to Napolcom by P1.55/liter By Alena Mae S. Flores
FACES OF ISLAM. A Muslim woman reads verses from the Koran at Rizal Park in Manila on Friday, while another tries on an abaya or headscarf before purchasing one for P1,200 at Globo de Oro in Quiapo, Manila to be used during the celebration of Eid'l Fitr on Saturday that ends their month-long fasting period (see story on A2). Danny Pata
OIL companies are likely to cut pump prices next week by as much as P1.55 per liter due to the softening of prices in the world oil market. An oil industry source told Manila Standard gasoline prices will may be rolled back by P1.35 to P1.55 per liter and diesel by P0.55 to P0.65 per liter. The Department of Energy confirmed the possible price cut by Tuesday, based on the four day monitoring for the international oil market. "There will be rollback on the prices
THE Philippine National Police said Friday the five-man advisory group tasked to look into the records and documents of 953 active police officers linked to illegal drug operations has completed evaluating them. The group met for the last time—to
evaluate the so-called “ninja cops”— on April 20, said PNP acting public information chief, Col. Redrico Maranan. He added these officers submitted individual letters of resignation in support of the massive internal cleansing program Next page
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NEDA: Timely importation to stall food inflation By Julito G. Rada
Authority said Friday. Importation would also fill TIMELY and adequate importation is one domestic supply shortfalls, said NEDA of the short-term measures to keep food Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon during inflation down, the National Economic a meeting of the inter-agency committee and Development on inflation.
NEDA is also proposing the positioning of rice buffer stocks during the El Niño dry spell; strengthening the biosecurity and hog repopulation programs; improving and expanding Next page
SCORCHING. Traffic enforcers take shelter and cool themselves in various ways under a tent along Maharlika Street in Diliman, Quezon City on Thursday. The heat index in Metro Manila reached 39 degrees Celsius at 11 a.m., prompting health authorities to repeat their reminders to avoid direct sun exposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Joan Bondoc