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13 FIRMS SUBMIT PETITIONS TO RAISE PRICES ON 43 BASIC NECESSITIES By Othel V. Campos and Maricel Cruz ABOUT 13 manufacturers of basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs) have submitted petitions for price increases on 43 items – the most numerous so far since the start of the year – that cover canned sardines, canned meat, coffee, instant noodles, three variants of milk and toilet soaps, among others. “We found out that there are more products that are adjusting their prices –
that will be 43 out of 217 stock keeping units SKUs under the Suggested Retail Price Bulletin (SRP) of the DTI,” Trade Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group Ruth Castelo said. Price petitions for food products range from P0.10 to P7.27, or an increase of about one to 5 percent. Petitions to increase the price of nonfood items, on the other hand, range from six to 20 percent or about P1.50 to P9.75 per SKU. Next page
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 175 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
‘BRP Sierra Madre stays put’ PH junks China demand to remove ship from Ayungin Shoal To reach troops in WPS, gov’t mulls sending bigger boats on supply runs
By Rey E. Requejo, Vince Lopez and Charles Dantes
T
HE Philippines on Tuesday said it will not accede to China’s demand that it remove the BRP Sierra Madre from the Ayungin Shoal and denied Beijing’s claims that it promised to do so.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the deployment of a permanent station in Ayungin Shoal was actually a response to China’s illegal occupation of Panganiban Reef in 1995.
The National Security Council also denied China’s claims. “The PH has not and will never enter into any agreement abandoning its Next page
By Vince Lopez and Rey E. Requejo THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday said it will bolster its presence near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea after the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons at boats car-
rying food, water and fuel, and other supplies to Filipino troops stationed there. National Task Force on West Philippine Sea spokesperson PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela said they would consider sending more vessels to escort resupply missions. Next page
Speaker: P282b for PH defense in 2024 budget By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta
WPS BASTION. In these file photos, an Armed Forces supply ship approaches the BRP Sierra Madre, moored at Ayungin Shoal since 1999. The Philippines maintains a small Navy presence there—with troops eager to welcome any visitors (inset)—to guard the territory, which is 105.77 nautical miles from the nearest province of Palawan. Photo credit AFP, ABS-CBN Photos
SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday said the House of Representatives supports the increased spending for the defense sector under the proposed P5.768-trillion 2024 national budget to bolster the military’s capability to protect the country’s territorial integrity. He noted that under the proposed 2024 budget, the allocation for the defense sector is P282.7 billion, or 21.6 percent more compared to the P203.4billion allocation under the 2023 budget. On Monday Romualdez backed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s decision to consult military leaders Next page
AFP reviewing exchange program that trains senior officers in Beijing By Joyce Pangco Pañares and Aguilar told Manila Standard in a phone interview. Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Armed Forces of the Philippines is studying the concerns raised over an exchange program that sends Filipino military officers to China – including whether to discontinue it – amid Beijing’s continued incursions in the West Philippine Sea. “We are looklook ing at that issue. We are doing a thorough study,” AFP spokesman Col. Medel
“That (whether to discontinue the program) is part of the (study) requirements given to another staff,” he added. Senator Jinggoy Estrada, chairman of the Senate Defense Committee, said he has asked the AFP to submit a report on the military exchange program that is paid for in full by the Chinese government. Senator Francis Tolentino described the military exchange program as “very alarming” while Senator Raffy Tulfo said it was a “slap in the face of Filipinos” amid China’s aggressive acts. Tulfo said the exchange program gives China an opportunity to “infiltrate” the AFP hierarchy. “Stop the government program sending AFP officials to China for studies Next page
MEETING ON RICE. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. meets with the Private Sector Advisory Council on Tuesday to discuss the condition of the rice industry and the measures to ensure an adequate supply of the staple grain in the country. PCO Photo
Tulfo measure asks House to probe status of reclamation in Manila Bay
CLARKSON IN PH, STARTS TRAINING WITH GILAS FIVE
By Maricel V. Cruz
SPORTS / C1
MARCOS FAMILY CLEARED ANEW BY SANDIGAN NEWS / A2
PRICES RISE. A gasoline attendant changes the price board at his oil station in Paco, Manila. Motorists have yet to recover from weeks of hikes in fuel prices, as local oil companies announced another price hike of up to P4 per liter for diesel, the highest increase this year, effective Tuesday. Norman Cruz
REP. Erwin Tulfo of the ACT-CIS party-list group on Tuesday sought a congressional inquiry in aid of legislation into the status of the Manila Bay reclamation projects, citing “several concerns on national security.” Tulfo, in filing House Resolution 1171, said he shared the sentiment of Speaker Martin Romualdez, who also wants to ensure that national security, transparency, environmental sustainability, and the best interest of the public are upheld. “I was informed by the Speaker that he was concerned after hearing several news reports regarding national security issues in the reclamation area as he
remained committed to safeguarding our nation’s security and upholding our territorial integrity and fostering peaceful cooperation in the region,” Tulfo said in a statement. Tulfo filed the resolution along with fellow ACT-CIS party-list solons Edvic Yap and Jocelyn Tulfo. The three legislators noted in the resolution that the ongoing reclamation activities in the Manila Bay area “have raised concerns among citizens and various stakeholders.” They said the reclamation projects may pose a danger to the Philippines after the US government recently raised concerns about the Chinese contractor involved in the projects. Next page