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HOUSE EXPELS TEVES IN 265-0 VOTE; TOPACIO: DARK DAY FOR RULE OF LAW By Maricel Cruz and Rey Requejo
Locsin tapped as China envoy VOL. XXXVII • NO. 183 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Palace: Move to boost bilateral ties By Charles Dantes, Rey Requejo, Macon Ramos-Araneta, and Maricel Cruz
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed former Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin as special envoy to Beijing, days after the Chinese embassy in Manila called on the Philippines to meet it halfway over maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
Through his lead counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, Teves on Wednesday lamented the decision. THE House of Representatives “Today is a dark day for the voted 265-0 with three abRule of Law and the dawnstentions on Wednesday to ing of a new age of the expel Negros Oriental 3rd tyranny of the majority, District Rep. Arnolfo where might is right and Teves Jr., who is facthe prevailing principle is ing a string of charges the Law of Force rather in relation to the assasthan the Force of Law,” sination of Negros OriTopacio said in a stateental Gov. Roel Degamo. ment. Rep. Felimon Espares He denounced “the proof COOP-NATCCO, chair ceedings before the House of the House committee on Committee on Ethics and Privileges ethics and privileges, reported in a plenary session the 18-page report are nothing but that of a kangaroo court, detailing Teves’ offenses, ranging from to use a worn-out phrase.” Topacio also cried foul over the labehis expired travel authority to his “obscene dance moves” on social media. Next page
PBBM: HELP READY FOR MAUI PINOYS NEWS / A2
OMBUDSMAN DROPS AX ON CHIONG NEWS / A2
FOOD STAMP CARD. A woman shows the
electronic food stamp card and pamphlet from the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the recipients of the ‘Walang Gutom 2027’ food stamp program in Pritil, Tondo on Wednesday. The program’s goal is to enroll a total of one million families who will each receive a tap card containing P3,000 worth of food credits every month. Norman Cruz
Ambassador Teodoro Locsin Jr.
“[Ambassador Locsin’s appointment] is to boost bilateral relations between the two countries,” Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said, adding that Locsin will serve as concurrent Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Chinese Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong earlier said Beijing and Manila are neighbors that Next page
Makati-Taguig row: DILG asked to intervene
DA urges import of 500k tons of rice toward yearend to ensure supply By Charles Dantes
day recommended the importation of 500,000 metric tons (MT) of the grain DESPITE repeated assurances that the from November 2023 to January 2024 country had enough rice, the Depart- to ensure an adequate supply during the ment of Agriculture (DA) on Wednes- El Niño season.
Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla In yet another sign that supply would said that some 200,000 hectares of rice be a problem, Trade Secretary Alfredo area might not be cultivated because of Pascual advised Filipinos to look for althe dry spell owing to El Nino, resulting ternatives to rice amid the increase in in lost production of about 500,000 MT. Next page
DTI to deny pleas to raise food prices
By Joel E. Zurbano and Vince Lopez MAKATI City Mayor Abby Binay on Wednesday asked the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to intervene in a row over the control of public schools in barangays that are supposed to be turned over to Taguig City. Next page
By Othel V. Campos
ENERGY MEETING. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez (seated right) discusses with Energy Secretary
Raphael Lotilla (left) various facets of the government’s energy policy during a meeting at the Speaker’s office Wednesday. With them are Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe and other DOE officials. Ver Noveno
SM stops Manila Bay reclamation work, seeks next steps from gov’t By Jenniffer B. Austria, Maricel V. Cruz, and Vito Barcelo
nand Marcos Jr’s order to suspend all such projects in the area to review their environmental and social impact. SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) head PROPERTY giant SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPH) has halted work on of investor relations Timothy Daniel its 600-hectare reclamation project in said Wednesday in a forum SMPH reManila Bay following President FerdiNext page
Australia forward Caitlin Foord (right) and England’s Lauren Hemp jump to head the ball during their 2023 Women’s World Cup semifinal match in Sydney on August 16. AFP
ENGLAND REACHES WORLD CUP FINAL NEWS / A2
PRICES of food products are not going to move anytime soon, the Department of Trade and Industry assured consumers Wednesday. Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said the department is not inclined to approve petitions for price adjustments by food manufacturers until a thorough assessment is done. Last week, some 13 food processors and manufacturers submitted petitions for price increases on 43 stockkeeping units (SKUs). The petitions covered canned sardines, canned meat, coffee, instant noodles, three variants of milk, and toilet soaps. “The decision is to put on hold the requested price hikes of manufacturNext page
LTFRB to hand out P3b in fuel subsidies this month THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said it will distribute fuel subsidies ranging from P1,000 for tricycle drivers to P10,000 for modern jeepneys and modern UV
Express drivers and operators within the month. “The target of the Department of Transportation and the LTFRB is to implement the fuel subsidy program
for the PUV operators and drivers hopefully before the end of August or within August,” said Joel Bolano, LTFRB Technical Division head. Next page