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NEWS / A3
NEWS / A2 VOL. XXXVII • NO. 95 • 4 SECTIONS 36 PAGES • P20 • MONDAY, MAY 22, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
House is ‘in order’—Speaker File photo shows Speaker Martin Romualdez presiding over a plenary session of the House of Representatives in March.
Says destabilization must be ‘nipped in the bud’ By Rio N. Araja
S
PEAKER Martin Romualdez on Sunday assured the public that the “House of the People is in order” as he underscored the need to “nip in the lawmak bud” destabilization plots that might distract lawmakers from passing key legislative measures. “There is still much work to do, so occasional moves to desta destabilize the House should be nipped in the bud,” Romualdez said in a statement on Sunday after a re reorganization at the Lower House that saw the replacement of for for-
mer President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo as senior deputy speaker. Arroyo earlier acknowledged that she “learned that there were reports that I was suspected of plotting a ‘coup’ against Speaker
Romualdez.” She flatly denied the allegation, adding that her interest in the Speakership when President Marcos won is no longer part of her political objectives. At least seven political blocs in the House – Lakas-CMD, the National Unity Party (NUP), the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), the Party-List Foundation Inc., (PCFI), PDP-Laban, the Nacionalista Party (NP), and the minority bloc – have all expressed support to the leadership of Romualdez. "We are witnesses to how Speaker Romualdez has steered the House in legislating key reform measures included in the 8-Point Socio-Economic
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PBBM: Conserve water, power to avert supply woes due to El Niño (LGUs) to conserve water and power as the country braces for the El Niño phenomenon this year. In a YouTube post, the President said PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged power demand far exceeds supply, and the public and local government units the 35 percent decrease in rainfall has
By Vince Lopez and Julito G. Rada
already affected several dams, irrigation systems and hydroelectric plants. “The DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) was instructed to present to the LGU's our campaign to mitigate the impact of El
Niño such as saving water at home, in car washes, in watering the golf course and refilling swimming pools” the President said. “This is expected to help maintain our supply,” he said. “We all have something
Marcos tells PMA graduates: Uphold democracy, rule of law By Vince Lopez FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on the members of Philippine Military Academy “MADASIGON” Class of 2023 to continue upholding democracy and the rule of law as they of-
to help, we all have something to do.” The government has been supporting projects that help generate or store more power for the Philippines, Marcos said, citing the tapping of more renewable energy sources. Next page
NEW BLOOD. Members of the Philippine Military Academy ‘Madasigon’ Class of 2023 celebrate after their commencement exercises at Fort del Pilar in Baguio City on Sunday, May 21, 2023. Inset photo shows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. giving the presidential saber to class topnotcher Warren Leono of Lipa City, Batangas. Rolando Mailo
ficially join the Armed Forces of the Philippines. “As you join the military’s ranks, continue to fuel your undying and genuine love for country and commitment to public service. In all your tasks, diligently work for unity, respect for Next page
DA sets ceiling for wholesale price of onions By Othel V. Campos and Rio N. Araja IN an effort to pull down the price of onions, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is setting a price limit to wholesale onions at P115 per kilogram for red on-
ions and P100 per kilo for white onions, based on their “cold storage price.” In an interview on radio dzBB, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said stakeholders agreed to impose the “cold storage price” during a recent meeting with local farmers, traders, cold storage operators and
the government. “From where the sellers get their onions, we decided to set a price. This is like a cold storage price since all of the onion harvest of farmers is with traders already. This means that all the onions kept in cold storage are likely owned by traders,” she said. Next page
7 more Arcturus subvariant cases detected —DOH By Macon Ramos-Araneta
FOR THE PATRON SAINT OF IMPOSSIBLE CAUSES.
Volunteer firefighters splash water onto devotees of Sta. Rita de Cascia in Paranaque on Sunday, May 21, 2023. Sta. Rita is the patron saint of impossible causes, heartbroken women, abuse victims, difficult marriages and parenthood. Danny Pata
THE Department of Health (DOH) has reported seven more cases of Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, raising the country’s tally to 11. The seven local XBB.1.16 cases were found in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, Bicol Region and Central Luzon, the DOH said in its latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report. XBB.1.16, also known as "Arcturus," Next page
MARITIME MISHAP. Photo shows a portion of a SuperCat Ferry Corp. fast craft which sustained damage after it collided with LCT Poseidon, a roll-on, roll-off vessel, off the waters of Mactan Channel in Cebu, leaving over a dozen passengers injured. A video of the incident was caught on camera by a passenger inside the fast craft, which was rescued by a tugboat and brought to Pier 1 of the Cebu City Port. The fast craft, which left Ormoc Sunday noon, was carrying at least 185 passengers. Nagiel Bañacia
Panel OKs alternate education measure Senate Committee on Education. Senate Bill 1908 or Expanded Tertiary A BILL seeking to expand and institu- Education Equivalency and Accreditationalize alternate education programs tion Program (ETEEAP) Act, which was for professionals seeking to finish their authored by Sen. Mark Villar, aimed to Next page college studies has been approved by the
By Charles Dantes