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Zubiri: PBBM to sign Maharlika fund bill into law next Tuesday PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to sign the Maharlika Investment Fund and the Estate Tax Amnesty Extension bills into law on Tuesday next week (July 18), days before he delivers his second State of the Nation Address. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri
said this was disclosed by the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office. The Palace has yet to issue a statement to confirm the schedule. Mr. Marcos, who had certified the MIF bill as urgent, previously said he would sign the proposed measure as soon as he Next page got it.
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 148• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Nations rally for PH on WPS US tells China to cease harassment in SCS, envoys back arbitral ruling
By Vince Lopez and Rey E. Requejo
T
HE United States urged China on Wednesday to comport its maritime claims over the South China Sea and cease “harassment” of state vessels laying claim to the disputed area, which includes islands in the West Philippine Sea. Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, said the US government reaffirms its July 13, 2020 policy regarding maritime claims in the South China Sea. “We continue to urge Beijing to comport its maritime claims with international law as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention; cease its routine harassment of claimant state vessels lawfully operating in their respective exclusive economic zones; halt its disruption to states’ sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage natural resources; and end its interference with the freedoms of navigation and overflight of states lawfully operating in the region,” the US official said. “We will continue working with allies and partners to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, one that is at peace and grounded in respect for international law,” Miller said. Meanwhile, ambassadors from Australia, Japan, the European Union, France, the United Kingdom, and India on Wednesday recognized the importance of the legal victory the Philippines won seven years ago in its territorial dispute with China. Next page
3-DAY TRANSPORT STRIKE PLANNED ALONGSIDE SONA NEWS / A2
PRESIDENT EYEING MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS NEWS / A2
BICOL’S DOLPHIN POPULATION IN CRITICAL STATE
WPS VICTORY DAY. Protesters wave flags and hold placards in front of the Chinese Consulate in Makati on July 12, while ambassadors of different countries stand on stage in a forum in Makati (inset) to mark the seventh anniversary of an international arbitral ruling that voided China's historical claims to the South China Sea, including the nine-dash line. AFP
Most Pinoys think alliances to defend territory a must By Rey E. Requejo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz
strengthen its relationships with likeminded countries to defend its territorial and economic rights in the West Philippine Sea, the latest commissioned Pulse Asia survey showed. EIGHT out of 10 Filipinos agree that the Results of the survey, commissioned Philippines should form alliances and by international think tank Stratbase ADR
NEWS / A4
with the statement: “Alliances should be formed and relationships strengthened with other countries that have similar beliefs to the Philippines to defend the territorial and economic rights of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea and Next page protect international order.”
High Court hits DENR to adopt short-term water supply fixes Rio N. Araja, PAO chief over ByMacon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz socmed posts THE Supreme Court has ordered Public Attorney's Office head Persida Acosta to explain why she should not be disciplined as a lawyer and held in contempt for her “unabated” social media posts and newspaper publications that “tended, directly or indirectly, to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice.” The SC issued the show cause order as it denied PAO’s appeal to deleteSection 22 of Canon III of the Code of Professional Respon Responsibility andAccountability (CPRA) which limits the invocation by PAO law lawyers of the rule on conflict of interest. The PAO earlier challenged before
FACED with the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) plans to diversify the country’s water sources. Undersecretary Carlos David, Water Resources Management Office head, urged the public to conserve water, noting that the Angat Dam in Bulacan is already below its minimum operating level at 178.8 meters or slightly below the 180 meters minimum. He added DENR is also adopting short-term water supply augmentation programs, such as using water from Laguna Lake and reprocessing wastewater. Rep. Elizaldy Co of Ako Bicol on Wednesday hailed the Congress, under the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand G. Martin Romualdez, for taking proactive measures to address the water supply
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By Rey E. Requejo
Speaker vows House will support MSME measures for jobs, growth
NEWS / A4
MARCOS LAUDS PAGCOR ON ITS 40TH YEAR
Institute, were released at its forum, “The 7th Year of the Arbitral Victory: Defending the West Philippine Sea, the Indo-Pacific, and the Rules-Based Order.” Pulse Asia conducted the survey from June 19-23, 2023, and asked 1,200 Filipinos nationwide whether or not they agree
By Maricel V. Cruz Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez
THE House of Representatives remains firmly committed to the effort of helping micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) grow to create joband income opportunities for the people, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Wednesday said. Romualdez made the statement in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the National Food Fair (Philippine Cuisine Next page
WATER ISSUES. As President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the inauguration of the 24.9-Megawatt Lake Mainit Hydro Power Plant in Jabonga, Agusan Del Norte on Wednesday, protesters picket the Maynilad office in Old Balara, Quezon City, demanding an explanation on the 9-hour water interruption in six cities in Metro Manila. Joey Razon and Manny Palmero