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VOL. XXXVII • NO. 338 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024
US STRIKES IN YEMEN AS HUTHIS TAGGED TERRORISTS
WORLD / B2
DA IMPOSES BAN ON JAPAN POULTRY NEWS / A4
PH, China to lower SCS tensions Vow closer dialog to deal with ‘maritime emergencies’ in Ayungin
By Rey E. Requejo
HINESE and Philippine officials have agreed on the need for closer dialogue to deal with “maritime emergencies” and de-escalate conflict in the South China Sea, including in the hotly contested Second Thomas or Ayungin Shoal, Beijing said.
C
Manila and Beijing have a long histo- rated recently over a series of incidents ry of maritime territorial disputes in the involving vessels from both countries. waterway, but relations sharply deterioConfrontations were among their
most intense around the Second Thomas Shoal, which Beijing calls the Ren’ai Shoal, where Manila has stationed a grounded naval vessel to assert its territorial claims. Following weeks of tensions, both sides on Wednesday held their 8th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea in Shanghai, they said in a pair of statements. Beijing said the two countries held a “candid and in-depth exchange of Next page
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning
...But Beijing rebukes Manila to stop ‘wrong words, deeds’ on Taiwan CHINA on Thursday urged the Philippines to stick to its One China policy and stop its “wrong words and deeds” about Taiwan, after Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. criticized Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesperson for “gutter-level talk” in reprimanding President Marcos for congratulating Taiwan’s newly elected leader. “China will never accept anyone making provocations on the Taiwan question and we will fight back,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference on Thursday. China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary. President Marcos had congratulated the democratically governed island’s presidential election winner, Lai Ching-te, on X (formerly Twitter), but Beijing later told him to “read more books to properly understand the ins and outs of the Taiwan issue.” This drew an angry reply from Teodoro, who said in a statement that Mao Ning “stooped to such low and gutter level talk—resorting to insulting our President and the Filipino nation, and further debasing herself, the Ministry, and Party she represents in the process.” Next page
BI orders 2k foreigners with illegal visas to leave PH 9G visas through a prearranged employment scheme allegedly controlled by four THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) ordered immigration lawyers. BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said some 2,000 foreigners to leave the country after they were found to be staying on the four immigration lawyers allegedly
By Vito Barcelo
involved in the issuance of prearranged employment (9G) visas to fake corporations have been relieved since December last year. Next page
BAD EDITING. This edited photo showing the winner of the Lotto 6/42 jackpot of P43.8 million went viral on social media after netizens pointed out that it was digitally altered. PCSO general manager Mel Robles apologized for the ‘poor editing’ but said it was meant to protect the identity of the winner. Facebook page of PCSO
P30k livelihood package awaits displaced PUV drivers—DOLE THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has already extended financial aid worth P123 million to about 4,500 transport workers as 1,500 more jeepney and bus drivers have lined up to avail of more “ayuda” in the wake of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said Thursday. President Marcos has directed national agencies to work together and support an alternative livelihood pro-
HIGH-LEVEL TALKS. (From left) CNN anchor Julia Chatterley is joined by Vietnam
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, World Trade Organization director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Philippine House Speaker Martin Romualdez during the ‘Learning from ASEAN’ session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 in Davos.
Speaker invites global business leaders to WEF Roundtable in PH By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez invited the international business community to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Roundtable to be hosted in Manila by President Marcos this March to showcase the country’s distinct advantages as a prime destination of foreign investments.
Romualdez, head of the Philippine delegation to the WEF 2024 Annual Meeting, extended the invitation Wednesday in his closing remarks as one of the featured guests during the “Learning from ASEAN” session at the WEF Annual Meeting live panel discussion hosted by CNN anchor Julia Chatterley. Next page
WEATHER
Metro Manila logs coldest temperature THE country continued to experience low temperatures on Thursday as the state weather bureau’s agrometeorological station in La Trinidad, Benguet logged 10.8 degrees Celsius yesterday morning amid the prevailing northeast monsoon or “amihan” season. Metro Manila also recorded its coldest temperature this season and for the year at 20.1°C at the Science Garden in Quezon City around 5 a.m. Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Next page
gram intended for jeepney drivers and operators displaced by the PUVMP, Laguesma said. In response, DOLE will extend at least P30,000 worth of in-kind livelihood assistance to each transport worker affected by the PUVMP under the “enTSUPERneur” livelihood program. “We have extended cash aid to over 4,500 transport workers and have given P123 million worth of assistance. This Next page
Zubiri to resign as Senate head if Cha-cha covers political reforms By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he is ready to resign as leader of the Upper Chamber if political provisions of the Constitution are tinkered with once Charter change pushes through. “I shall risk my leadership on that,” said Zubiri, who this week filed a resolution calling for a constituent assembly to amend only three economic provisions in the Constitution. His assurance came as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it would compare signatures submitted in a people’s initiative to amend the Constitution more than 600 cities and municipalities with the records they have Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said they have received about 600 signature pages, but have yet to determine how many legislative districts are covered by the submissions. Next page