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‘MANO PO’ GESTURE LAUDED AS SPEAKER, GMA, GONZALES STAND UNITED By Maricel V. Cruz ALL is well that ends well with a “mano po” gesture at the House of Representatives. Speaker Martin Romualdez bowed and placed the hand of former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo on his forehead -- the traditional Filipino sign of respect for an elder -- during Monday’s House plenary session. The gesture drew applause from the lawmakers present at the plenary, dousing speculations that the two allies have parted ways after Arroyo was replaced as senior deputy speaker.
Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, who replaced Arroyo as senior deputy speaker, did the same honorific gesture. Before his oathtaking, Gonzales fetched Arroyo from her seat and asked her to join them at the rostrum with Romualdez. The former President then joined her two colleagues at the rostrum where the Speaker administered Gonzales’ oath of office. Romualdez and Arroyo are stalwarts of LakasCMD. The Speaker is its president while Arroyo is the party’s chairman-emeritus. Next page
SHOW OF RESPECT.
Former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is flanked by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales after both kissed the hand of the elder lawmaker (inset) and before Gonzales was sworn in as Senior Deputy Speaker on Monday. Ver Noveno
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 97 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Napoles beats graft charges
Sandigan clears her in 16 PDAF scam raps, convicts on 2 others By Maricel V. Cruz
7-hour fire guts iconic Post Office building, 11 injured
T
HE Sandiganbayan First Division on Monday acquitted imprisoned former businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles in 16 graft cases in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr.
By Charles Dantes, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz A HUGE fire destroyed the historic post office in Manila late Sunday night, causing an estimated P300 million in damage. More than 80 fire trucks were sent to the decades-old landmark after the blaze broke out, Next page
The Second Division, however, convicted Napoles for two counts of graft and two counts of malversation in another set of PDAF cases involving the late Davao del Sur Rep. Douglas Cagas. The cases handled by the First Division were originally filed against Napoles and Revilla in 2014. The anti-graft court acquitted Revilla in the plunder case in 2018 while Napoles and other accused individuals Next page
BURNING AT SUNRISE. The fire inside the Manila Central Post Office still rages on Monday morning despite the efforts of multiple firemen, over seven hours since it started late Janet Lim Napoles
Sunday. The fire was raised to General Alarm by 5:54 a.m. and finally declared under control at 7:22 a.m. Norman Cruz
Suspect in Degamo assassination recants testimony LTO chief Tugade resigns to give Sec. Bautista ‘free hand’ at DoTr By Rey Requejo
A DETAINED suspect in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel R. Degamo and nine other persons in Pamplona town has recanted the testimony he previously gave to the police about the murders, his counter-affidavit to the Department of Justice showed. In his counter-affidavit submitted before the DOJ on Monday, Jhudiel R. Rivero, also known as Osmundo Rivero, claimed he
was tortured by the police to admit his participation in the Pamplona killings and to implicate suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnulfo Teves. Rivero was one of four suspects arrested after hot pursuit by the police after the March 4 incident. However, the wife of the detained suspect “does not want to see him,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Monday, in response to the reported petition Next page
By Darwin G. Amojelar and Vince Lopez
Jhudiel Rivero
Food stamps tack eyed via ADB aid By Vince Lopez
LAND Transportation Office (LTO) chief Jose Art Tugade resigned Monday, citing differences with his boss, Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista. “Even as DOTR and LTO both aim to succeed in serving the public, our methods to achieve that success differ. For this reason, I am stepping down, so Secretary Jimmy Bautista will have the free hand to choose who he can work best with,” Tugade said in a statement. “I will continue to root for the LTO’s success even as a private citizen, because I will Next page
WARM WELCOME. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. beams as he is welcomed to the Mandaluyong City headquarters of the Asian Development Bank on Monday. According to the ADB 2022 Annual Report, the Philippines received a total of US$2.99 billion in financial assistance last year, the fifth largest amount among the bank’s member countries. Joey Razon
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said his administration is set to establish a nationwide food stamp program in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help Filipino families who are experiencing hunger. Mr. Marcos said the program, first proposed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is among a string of projects the government has in the pipeline in partnership with the regional bank. “One of the things that are in the pipeline that is being developed, that is going to be of great assistance to our people, is a proposal by the DSWD for a food stamp program, which I’m surprised that Next page
Jose Art Tugade
Gasoline up by 80c, diesel by 60c, as kerosene pump price cut by 10c By Alena Mae S. Flores
flect the movement of prices in the world market. The price of kerosene, however, THE country’s oil firms raised the prices of gasoline by P0.80 per liter was reduced by P0.10 per liter. The oil price hike this week is and diesel by P0.60 per liter effective 6 a.m. today (Tuesday) to reNext page