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Speaker demands OTS chief resign over ‘nefarious activities’ at NAIA ing to stop repeated “nefarious activities” by security personnel at the Ninoy SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Aquino International Airport (NAIA). “I am advising the OTS chief: submit Romualdez on Monday demanded the resignation of Office for Transportation your courtesy resignation before the Next page Security chief Ma’O Aplasca for fail-
By Maricel V. Cruz
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 223 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
PCG removes China barrier President orders Ano, task force to open shoal to Pinoy fishers
By Charles Dantes, Vince Lopez, and Rey E. Requejo
T
HE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday removed the floating barriers installed by China at a shoal in the West Philippine Sea that blocked Filipino fishermen from the fish-rich area, following the orders of the President and the direction on National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano. In a statement, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTFWPS) headed by Ano said the PCG was directed “to execute a special operation to remove the floating barrier that obstructed the southeast entrance of the Bajo De Masinloc (BDM).” According to the PCG, the barrier “posed a hazard to navigation and a clear violation of international law.” “It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk in BDM, which is an integral part of the Philippine national territory,” the Coast Guard added.
Año earlier said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “is well-informed” in all the developments in the West Philippine Sea, including the areas surrounding the BDM or Scarborough Shoal and Ayungin Shoal, and that the government would protect the rights of fishermen in the area. “The decisive action of the PCG to remove the barrier aligns with international law and the Philippines’ sovereignty over the shoal,” the task force said. The government had vowed to take “appropriate action” as the National Security Council (NSC) and the Department Next page
China biggest source of imported fish for PH amid poaching—Recto By Maricel V. Cruz and Othel V. Campos WHILE it imposes a fishing blockade in the West Philippine Sea, China has become the country’s biggest source of imported fish, some of which was poached from Philippine waters, Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto said Monday. In a statement, Recto said China has cordoned off Bajo de Masinloc (Scar-
borough Shoal), claiming it as a backyard fishpond and declaring it off-limits to its true owners -- Filipinos. “Some of the fish it feeds its 1.412 billion citizens are poached from Philippine waters, vacuum-cleaned from our rich reefs,” Recto said. “The value of this stolen fish is in the billions of pesos, not annually, but monthly.” “China must be called out for what it Next page
BARRIERS CUT. These photos from the Philippine Coast Guard show how it conducted the operation to remove the 300-meter-long floating barrier installed by China’s naval forces at the Bajo de Masinloc. PCG Photos
‘OVP spent P125m in confidential funds in 11 days’ DOE sees pressure on oil prices By Maricel V. Cruz A CONGRESSIONAL leader on Monday said the P125 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) by the Office of
the President (OP) was spent in 11 days, and not in 19, citing information from the Commission on Audit (COA). Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo, senior vice chair of the House committee on appropriations, made this
disclosure in the course of Monday’s plenary debates for the 2024 budget request of COA. During the plenary deliberation, the Marikina lawmaker revealed that the Next page
PROTECTING THEIR LEADER. In these TV report screen grabs, Jey Rence Quilario or “Señor Agila” of the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) is seen in tears as members of the group shout their disapproval at summons of the Department of Justice and the Senate for their leaders to attend hearings in Manila instead of at their enclave in Surigao del Norte.
REMULLA NIXES SOCORRO GROUP’S PLEA FOR LOCAL HEARING NEWS / A2
to rise with Russian export halt By Alena Mae S. Flores
THE Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday said it will actively monitor the world oil supply situation after the Russian government announced it will temporarily limit oil exports to avoid domestic shortages. “It appears this will have an effect of a restriction in supply, so by implication, there will be pressure for prices to increase, so we have to monitor the next few days if there will be an actual increase,” DOE director for the Oil Industry Management Bureau Rino Abad said. Meanwhile, Abad said DOE expects the international price of crude oil to stay at the current level of around US$90 per barrel since there is no change in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies’ production cut policy until the end of the year. “On a weekly basis there are possi-
Wushu specialist Inso delivers 2nd bronze for PH contingent in Asiad By Riera U. Mallari HANGZHOU, China—Taolu wushu specialist Jones Inso stopped the bleeding for a Team Philippines desperately in need of victories to celebrate as he secured the delegation’s second bronze medal in the 19th Asian Games here on Monday. The 26-year-old native of La Trinidad, Benguet ended the Filipinos’ string of losses in many fronts with his taiji-
quan-taijijian all-around performance that proved worthy of a bronze. He scored 9.746 points in the barehand taijiquan form and 9.470 in the swordplay discipline of taijijian for a total of 19.216. “I was diligent with my training. I went back on my past performances ko and today, we got the bronze,’’ said Inso, whose effort netted the Philippines’ second Next page
bilities of both increases or decreases up to the end of the year as the volatility of price affects our domestic price,” he said of the group called OPEC+. “However, it is not expected that any decrease will result in the US$77 per barrel level for crude oil seen way back in March, which is before the implementation of this year’s new sets of production cuts,” Abad said. Dubai crude has reached $93 per Next page
SEAFARERS’ BILL CERTIFIED URGENT NEWS / A2
DOJ-COMELEC PACT. Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla and Comelec chairman Erwin Garcia sign the memorandom of agreement for the ‘Kontra Bigay’ program against vote buying for the coming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataang Elections on Monday (story on A2). Norman Cruz
‘KONTRA BIGAY’ TACK LAUNCHED NEWS / A2