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ZAMORA: NO MANDATORY MASKING IN NCR; HEART CENTER BARS VISITORS CITIES in Metro Manila will not make face masks mandatory again amid a rise in COVID-19 cases in the country, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora disclosed Wednesday. However, several government hospitals are tightening their restrictions to protect against the coronavirus, with the Philippine Heart Center announcing last night that guests for its patients would not be allowed starting today. Private Hospitals Association of the
Warmest 5 years coming up—UN GENEVA—It is near-certain that 2023-2027 will be the warmest fiveyear period ever recorded, the United Nations warned Wednesday, as greenhouse gases and El Niño combine to Next page
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VOL. XXXVII • NO. 92 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Murder cases filed vs. Teves
NBI files raps at DOJ, solon still abroad By Rey E. Requejo, Maricel V. Cruz and Charles Dantes
HE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed criminal complaints against Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. for his alleged involvement in the killing of 10 persons, including Negros Oriental Gov. Roel R. Degamo on March 4, 2023.
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The complaints were filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ), which is expected to summon Teves and require him to file his counter-affidavit. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said Teves was charged with multiple counts of murder, multiple counts of frustrated murder, and multiple counts of attempted murder. Remulla said there were no other respondents in the complaints. “What I know is Teves is the only re-
spondent in the complaint that was filed because the investigation is still ongoing for other cases and other suspects and other roles and crimes,” he said. Remulla said once the summons are issued to Teves’ last known address, the suspended legislator “has to personally appear to swear by the contents of his counter-affidavit.” “He has to come home or they will file the case in court and a warrant will be issued in absentia,” Remulla said.
If a warrant of arrest is issued and Teves is not arrested or refuses to surrender, then he becomes a fugitive from justice. “He will lose a lot of things if he becomes a fugitive. Cancellation of passport is one. So, he will have a hard time moving around,” Remulla said. Remulla also stood pat on his disclosure that Teves was to return to the Philippines on Wednesday, May 17. He said Teves is “ticketed” or has secured a ticket for a flight to the Philippines, noting that the Department of Foreign Affairs cannot cancel the lawmaker’s passport “unless there are legal grounds.”
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CASE FILES. National Bureau of Investigation Director Medardo G. de Lemos walks after NBI officers carrying boxes of evidence on the murder case of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo as they filed ten counts of murder and frustrated murder against Rep. Arnie Teves at the Department of Justice in Manila on Wednesday. Danny Pata
Gov’t may take NGCP back if probe warrants By Vince Lopez and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE government may take back control of the National Grid Corp of the Philippines (NGCP) if it is proven that there are national security concerns and if it’s ineffective in fulfilling its mandate, the Presidential Communications Office said on Wednesday. The Palace issued the statement after Senator Raffy Tulfo, chairman of the Senate committee on energy, met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday to express his intent to investigate the situation at NGCP. “Firstly, Senator Tulfo expressed his desire to assess the performance of the NGCP, which has also raised concerns among several other senators. Secondly,
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CAMBODIA’S NIGHT. Fireworks explode during the closing ceremony of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games hosted by Cambodia on Wednesday night. The country’s leader Hun Sen and his wife get cheers from the home crowd (inset left) as the Philippine delegation marches proudly into Morodok Techo National Stadium (inset right) after finishing fifth overall with 58 gold medals (full story on Sports page). AFP
DA: ‘Massive’ cold chain audit for onions set
PhilSuCor revival eyed after PBBM meets sugar industry stakeholders By Vince Lopez
By Othel V. Campos THE Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to stage a massive, nationwide inspection of all cold chain facilities storing onions to check if there are businessmen hoarding the commodity. Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said the DA cannot fully ascertain the situation on the ground with inconsistent data fed Next page
OATH TAKING. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. swears into office the new officers of
the Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines at Malacanan Palace, stressing that the national and local governments must work together to implement the various programs dedicated to improving the lives of Filipinos. PCO Photo
THE government is reviving and changing the Philippine Sugar Corporation (PhilSuCor) to help finance sugar farmers and cooperatives, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with industry stakeholders in Malacañang on Wednesday. The President confirmed this in a video released by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), as he became the first sitting Chief Executive to meet with the sugar industry, partly owing to his role as concurrent Agriculture Secretary. Mr. Marcos also said the government
had identified areas that “we should now start categorizing as sugarland.” Based on industry data, the current area planted to sugarcane is around 380,000 hectares. Mr. Marcos also reiterated the need to import 150,000 metric tons of sugar, which he approved this week, adding that he and the stakeholders also agreed with the importation schedule. “We agreed on an importation schedule and how we will open up the importation to all of the traders,” the President said. “One of the suggestions that came up
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PH, Vietnam team up for SCS Code GMA loses Senior Deputy Speaker tag to Gonzales By Rey E. Requejo
THE Philippines and Vietnam have agreed to strengthen coordination in dealing with maritime issues, particularly in working on a code of conduct in the South China Sea, the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday. This as Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief General Andres Centino inspected the facilities at the new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site in Balabac, Palawan. Next page
Senior Deputy Speaker, replacing for- terse statement: “It’s the prerogamer President and provincemate Rep. tive of the House.” Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor made THE House of Representatives on Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Arroyo welcomed Gonzales’s the motion to replace Arroyo, who Wednesday elected Pampanga 3rd Next page District Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. as election to replace her, saying in a
By Maricel V. Cruz