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PBBM CREATES NEW TASK FORCE FOR DISASTERS
NGCP FEARS MORE ROTATING BROWNOUTS
NEWS / A2
NEWS / A2 VOL. XXXVII • NO. 83 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Ax poised over 4 ‘ninja cops’
As Napolcom sets probe of 32 officers, clears 917 of drug ties By Charles Dantes
T
WO generals and two colonels in the Philippine National Police face administrative and criminal charges for their alleged links to the illegal drug trade, while 32 senior officers face further investigation and 917 others were cleared by an advisory group that screened the top ranks of the police force. Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. revealed this Monday even as the fate of the policemen involved in the missing drugs from the record P6.7-billion shabu haul seized last year will be released within the week, the PNP said. In a separate briefing at the Department of the Interior and Local Government office in Quezon City, Abalos also said the advisory body “recommended the non-acceptance of the courtesy resignations of 917 police officers” and further investigation on 32 other officers. The non-acceptance effectively means these generals and colonels were cleared from the extensive anti-drug probe ordered Next page
WEEDING OUT BAD COPS. Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos is flanked by National Police Commission Vice Chairperson Alberto Bernardo (right) and Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. in a press conference on Monday at DILG-NAPOLCOM Center in Quezon City. Manny Palmero
Remulla: ‘Voluminous’ evidence to pin down Teves for Degamo slay PBBM to push security issues at ASEAN meet By Rey E. Requejo
Teves Jr. to pin him down for his alleged involvement in the March 4 killings of 10 THERE are “voluminous” pieces of evi- persons in the province, including incumdence that investigators have against Ne- bent Gov. Roel R. Degamo. “‘Wag siya mag-alala (Teves shouldn’t gros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo A.
worry). The evidence is very tight here lack of evidence. with us,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “There are many factual matters that Remulla declared on Monday, in response have to be considered in such a case beto insinuation by Teves’ lawyers there are cause we are talking about more than 10 no charges filed against the lawmaker for Next page
By Vince Lopez
Joint patrols by US, PH in WPS by Q3—envoy By Rey Requejo
Medal standings (as of 10 p.m.)
JOINT patrols between the United States and the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea might start in the third quarter of this year, Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez said on Monday. “We’re already at a... I would call continuing discussions on this joint patrol with the United States. I could guess, an estimate would be no later than the third quarter of this year. We should have that in place,” Romualdez said in an interview on CNN Philippines. Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri was at the Naval Shipyard in Cavite City as the guest of honor of the Philippine Navy for the christening of two new patrol gunboats and the blessing of the newly upgraded Naval Shipbuilding Center. The Navy said the arrival and christening of the two brand-new missile Next page
PUSHING BILLS.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez presides over Monday’s opening of the plenary session at the House of Representatives as he rallies support from his colleagues for the passage of the remaining priority measures of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. before the sine die adjournment next month (see story on A2). Ver Noveno
Country
G
S
B
Cambodia Thailand Vietnam Indonesia Philippines Singapore Malaysia Myanmar Laos Brunei Timor Leste
34 22 18 17 16 13 8 8 4 0 0
28 18 23 14 23 7 11 7 6 1 0
31 29 36 40 26 13 21 23 26 2 2
SITTING PRETTY. Ernest John Obiena seems to recline in the air after claiming his third straight Southeast Asian Games pole vault gold medal with a new record height of 5.65 meters at the drenched Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Monday. POC Photo
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will leave for Labuan Bajo, Indonesia today (Tuesday afternoon) for the 42nd ASEAN Summit, where he is expected to push for regional security, food and energy security, efforts toward economic recovery, and combating transnational crimes. He is also expected to press for the upgrading of technical and vocational education training; adopting climate and disaster-resilient technologies and transitioning to renewable and alternative energy technologies; and protection of migrant workers. The President just returned Sunday from a two-country swing for a five-day official visit to the US and a three-day visit to the UK to attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla. The Summit began on Monday with the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM). Next page
Obiena bags 3rd SEAG gold with record leap in rain Unemployment By Riera U. Mallari
the record in the rain as he jumped to a height of 5.65 meters at the drenched PHNOM PENH—Ernest John Obiena Morodok Techo National Stadium in claimed a third straight Southeast Asian Phnom Penh on Monday. “What a way to start the indoor seaGames pole vault gold and obliterated
son,” said a rain- and sweat-drenched Obiena, who smashed the 5.46 meters he set in the Vietnam edition of the games last year.
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SWS survey: Half, or 14m, Filipino families call selves poor in Q1 ‘23 By Vito Barcelo AT LEAST 51 percent of Filipino families or around 14 million households considered themselves as poor during the first quarter of 2023, according to the latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations. The SWS survey, conducted from March 26 to 29, also found that 30% of families rated themselves as “borderline” poor and 19% rated themselves as not poor, similar to the figure recorded in December 2022. “The estimated numbers of Self-Rated Poor families are 14 million in March
2023 and 12.9 million in December 2022. To arrive at the estimated numbers of SelfRated Poor families, the percentage of respondent households rating themselves as poor was applied to the Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2023 and 2022, respectively,” the SWS survey said. According to the National Economic and Development Authority, families tend to self-rate themselves as poor when the inflation rate, particularly food inflation, is high. “The SWS survey results for March 2023 reflect that tendency, even as the Next page
rate drops to 4.7% in March
By Julito Rada THE unemployment rate in March 2023 declined to 4.7 percent from 5.8 percent a year ago and 4.8 percent in February, translating to 2.42 million jobless Filipinos out of 51 million who were in the labor force during the period, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Monday. The country’s employment rate in March rose to 95.3 percent from the reported employment rate in the same month last year at 94.2 percent and in the previous month at 95.2 percent. In terms of magnitude, the number of employed persons in March was estimated at 48.58 million, an increase of 1.61 million from the 46.98 million employed persons in March 2022. The Labor Force Participation Next page