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‘Goring‘ exits PH; agriculture, infra damages reach P230m By Rio N. Araja, Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo
boundary of the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) Thursday afternoon, leaving behind at least P230.27 million in infrastructure and agriculture damage.
WEATHER
SUPER typhoon “Goring” continued to maintain strength while approaching the northwestern
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 198• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
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More rice depots padlocked New Bulacan raid yields P519-m suspected smuggled, hoarded grains By Joel E. Zurbano, Maricel V. Cruz, Vito Barcelo and Julito Rada
C
USTOMS agents and lawmakers led by Speaker Martin Romualdez on Wednesday raided four warehouses in Bulacan province that yielded P519 million worth of rice grains and "palay.'' The raid, the second in one week, was part of government efforts to crack down on smuggling and hoarding of the staple grain. Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said the inspection resulted in the discovery of 154,000 sacks of imported rice grains and 60,000 sacks of "palay" or unhusked rice in warehouses in Wakas, Bocaue, and San Juan, Balagtas. Romualdez said unscrupulous traders deserve to be jailed for inflicting what he described as a “heinous crime” against the poor by keeping this Filipino food staple out of reach through price manipulation. “Rice hoarding is a heinous crime Next page
SUSPICIOUS SUPPLY. Speaker Martin Romualdez points at the suspected smuggled and hoarded rice inside a warehouse in Bulacan on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. Romualdez is joined by ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, Bulacan Rep. Ambrosio Cruz Jr., House Committee on Agriculture and Food chairman Rep. Mark Enverga and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service chief Alvin Enciso. Ver Noveno and Norman Cruz
China features WPS in latest country map
El Niño plan: Save, rehab farm areas THE Office of Civil Defense said it has started implementing interventions to mitigate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon even as disaster management officials downplayed the possibility that a prolonged dry spell will result in a declaration of a nationwide state of calamity. "The impact of El Nino will be area specific. I doubt we will come toa point where a national state of calamity will be declared but we are prepared for that," Department of the Interior and Local Government
By Rey E. Requejo CHINA includes the West Philippine Sea as part of its territory in the 2023 edition of its standard map, which also claims parts of other Asian countries as its own. The map, released by China's Ministry of Natural Resources, features a 10-dash line—a line that supposedly signifies the Next page
Director Edgar Allan Tabell said. The state weather bureau said the El Niño phenomenon could peak in the last quarter of this year and drag on until February next year. “[But] it does not mean that after February, the El Niño is over. There is a residual effect so you have to prepare for a long time,” said OCD administrator Ariel Nepomuceno. As of August 21, PAGASA said 10 areas are already experiencing the dry spell, including Aklan, Capiz and parts of Mindanao.
"We are in the implementation phase because the situation calls for the immediate execution of the needed interventions. Now, to make the plan more comprehensive and encompassing, we are in discussion with private, local and international organizations," Nepomuceno said. Part of the government masterplan to counter the impacts of El Niño are to save vulnerable agricultural areas through appropriate water management and to rehabilitate irrecoverable areas. Next page
House panel terminates budget hearing for OVP in 30 minutes By Maricel V. Cruz and Macky Solon THE House of Representatives committee on appropriations swiftly terminated deliberations on the Office of the Vice President’s P2.385 billion proposed budget for 2024, acknowledging the "long-standing tradition" of parliamentary courtesy. Seconds after Vice President Sara Duterte finished her audiovisualpresentation, Senior Deputy
QC top cop resigns, Mandaluyong chief of police relieved of his post
NEW MARKER. FIRST Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos is joined by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, National Historical Commission of the Philippines chairman Dr. Emmanuel Calairo, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, and San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in unveiling of the new commemorative markers at the Pinaglabanan Shrine in San Juan. The Battle of Pinaglabanan on August 30, 1896, more commonly called the ‘Battle of San Juan Del Monte,' was the precursor of the first Filipino resistance movement.
‘Pacquiao wants to fight in Paris Olympics‘ MANNY Pacquiao has won all the titles there are. But only one accolade is missing in his trophy cabinet – an Olympic medal. The boxing icon Pacquiao wants to extend his legendary boxing career with a shot at an Olympic medal in Paris next year. Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol”
Tolentino said on Wednesday that Pacquiao’s camp reached out to him on how the former eighth-division world champion could qualify for Paris. The POC, Tolentino said, has started conferring with the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines and the International Olympic Committee, which is supervising Next page
Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos moved to end the deliberation. “In line with the long-standing tradition of giving the OVP the parliamentary courtesy, I move to terminate the deliberations on the budget of the OVP,” said Marcos, son of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. At least 21 lawmakers voted in favor of Marcos' motion. The hearing lasted about 30 minutes, including introductions and Next page acknowledgements.
Manny Pacquiao
By Rio N. Araja, Joel E. Zurbano, Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Quezon City police chief resigned Wednesday over accusations that he gave special treatment to an ex-cop who beaned a cyclist and poked a gun at him, even as video of another road rage incident—this one involving an active-duty policeman and a soldier—began circulating online. The chief of police of
Mandaluyong City, meanwhile, was relieved from his post after testing positive for illegal drugs. Quezon City Police District chief Nicolas Torre III said he submitted his resignation to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Accorda Jr. “to spare the PNP from any other [issue].” His resignation will take effect on Aug. 31. “I really regret that press conference. I apologize to the Filipino people for those actions because those are Next page