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China proposes war games with PH; AFP eyes more ‘multi-role’ hardware By Rey Requejo
“They offered us that prospect but we’ll have to study it further,” Armed BEIJING has proposed possible war Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo games with Manila amid continued Brawner said. “They said they submitted some Chinese incursions in the West Philipwhite papers so we’ll have to study it pine Sea.
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 163 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
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23 die in Laguna Lake mishap Banca capsizes near Binangonan shore; 40 rescued, says PCG
LAKE TRAGEDY. In these screengrabs from a news broadcast, fishermen and local rescuers scramble to save the passengers of the motorboat Princess Aya, which capsized in Laguna Lake off the waters of Binangonan, Rizal on Thursday. The Coast Guard confirmed at least 23 casualties, including women and children (inset photos). By Joel Zurbano
A
MOTORIZED boat capsized in Laguna Lake off Binangonan, Rizal on Thursday, killing 23 people with six others missing, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.
The accident occurred in the early afternoon near the northern shore of Laguna de Bay after Typhoon “Egay” had swept out of the northern Philippines, PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said (see related story
-- Editors). “What happened was they panicked after a sudden gust of wind. They ran to the left side and the boat capsized,” Balilo told Teleradyo TV in an interview. The small passenger boat “Princess
Aya” was making its regular run from the town of Binangonan to the island of Talim in the middle of the lake, Kenneth Cirados, a rescue official in the municipality, told Agence France-Presse. Rescuers retrieved the 23 bodies from the water, including women and children, with 40 survivors, he added. Hours after the accident, rescuers and local fishermen were still scouring the lake off the coast of Barangay Kalinawan for the six people still missing, Next page
WATERWORLD.
Residents of Abulug in Cagayan are stranded on the roofs of their houses after the Cagayan River overflowed amid heavy rains brought by Typhoon Egay on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, rescuers evacuate residents and their pets as local officials reminded them to not leave their animals behind. PDRRMO, Mayor Michael Keon FB Page
‘Egay’ toll rises to 6 as it exits PAR; President vows more aid to victims THE death toll from a typhoon in the northern Philippines has risen to six, official figures showed Thursday, as the storm swept towards southeastern China. Typhoon Egay (international name Doksuri) battered Luzon on Wednesday, toppling trees, knocking out power, and forcing the evacuation of thousands of people from coastal communities before exiting the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) at 8 a.m. Thursday. Before leaving Kuala Lumpur for Manila at the end of his three-day state visit to Malaysia, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed that aid will be pro-
Mindanao emergency state for ‘lawless violence’ lifted after 7 years By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has lifted the declaration of a state of national emergency on account of lawless violence in Mindanao. Citing the improved peace and order situation in the country’s southern re-
gion, Mr. Marcos issued Proclamation 298 which repealed a 2016 proclamation on the state of national emergency because of a “spate of violent and lawless acts across many parts of Mindanao.” The President, through Proclamation 298, noted that lawless violence perpetrated by private armies and local
Marcos seals $285m in deals from Malaysian execs before going home By Charles Dantes, Othel V. Campos and Maricel V. Cruz MALAYSIAN business leaders on Thursday pledged a total of $285 million in investments during a roundtable meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malaysia. “I had the benefit of meeting a number of Malaysian [business leaders] in the key sectors of agriculture, transportation, and technology,” President Marcos said before leaving for Manila, where he was
expected to arrive at 11 p.m. The Malaysians expressed interest in investing in the food processing industry, multi-service digital platforms, aviation, aviation maintenance support services, logistics, manufacturing, infrastructure, and water and wastewater treatment in the country, he said. Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said five companies that signed letters of intent with the Philippine government will help develop industries Next page
warlords, bandits, criminal syndicates, terrorist groups, and religious extremists “have been significantly mitigated or reduced.” “Through successful focused military and law enforcement operations and programs that promote sustainable and inclusive peace, the government
has made significant gains in improving and restoring peace and order in the region,” the new proclamation read. The President said lifting the state of national emergency would help boost economic activity and hasten the recovery of the local economy.
vided to the victims of Typhoon Egay, including those farmers whose crops have been damaged. “Yes, we have been watching over this, at this point, a lot of houses have been damaged, a lot of property flooded away,” Mr. Marcos told the Philippine media delegation. “Some areas had just been planted (with crops), so we have to find out what are the areas that were ruined to we can help the farmers recover and salvage this crop season,” added the President, who is concurrent Agriculture Secretary. Next page
PBBM DOUBTS SENATE WPS BILL WILL REACH UN NEWS / A2
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LAST STOP, KL. President
Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. meets AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes (center) and other officials of Capital A Berhad on one of his last meetings in Kuala Lumpur before heading home to Manila on Thursday following his three-day state visit to Malaysia. Ver Noveno
GOV’T PUSHES HEALTH FACILITY DEV’T PROGRAM NEWS / A2
1K BILIBID STAFF DISMISSED OVER BIG GANG FIGHT NEWS / A2