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Remulla: Gov’t wont stop ICC if it follows PH legal procedures By Macon Ramos-Araneta
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 339 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2024 •
Jinggoy cleared of plunder raps
THE government will not stop the International Criminal Court (ICC) from investigating former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, provided that its conduct follows Philippine legal procedures. “We’re not here to stop them (ICC) because if they’re not doing anything illegal, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla was quoted as saying in a report released
by Japan’s Kyodo News Thursday evening. Remulla was referring to the intention of the ICC to look into theflagship antinarcotics campaign of the Duterte administration, which left thousands dead often under questionable circumstances. “If they're getting statements, they're getting evidence. It's okay,” Remulla said of the ICC investigators, as quoted by Kyodo News. “But we have to clarify many issues, especially about Next page procedure,” he added.
But Sandigan finds senator guilty of bribery By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz
T
HE Sandiganbayan on Friday cleared Senator Jinggoy Estrada of plunder charges but found him guilty of direct and indirect bribery in the 2013 pork barrel scam, offenses that could send him to jail for more than 10 years if the verdict is upheld. IN GOOD SPIRITS.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada leaves the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on Friday. Manny Palmero
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Estrada was dutybound to continue performing his functions as senator “until and unless the decision [of the antigraft court] becomes final and executory.” The cases stemmed from Estrada’s reported transactions with businesswoman Janet LimNapoles, who set up bogus
non-government organizations (NGOs) to receive Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) or “pork barrel” from public officials then funneled kickbacks to them. Convicted plunderer Napoles, who has been in prison since 2015, was found guilty on separate counts of “corruption of Next page
9G visa holders must report to BI or face arrest
Davao landslide deaths climb to 10, rescuers seek 1 missing By Joel E. Zurbano THE death toll from a landslide in Davao de Oro province climbed to 10, a disaster official said Friday, as the search for one missing person continued.
Fourteen people were gathered in a house for a prayer meeting in the mountainous gold mining region when the landslide hit Thursday following days of heavy rain. Next page
By Vito Barcelo
PETROCHEM TALK. President Marcos (second from left) listens to executives of the JG Summit Olefins Corp. in Batangas as he attends the inauguration of the firm’s Expanded Petrochemicals Manufacturing Complex on Friday (see story on Business page B4). PCO Photo
THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has warned foreigners who are holders of 9G visas that were fraudulently acquired by bogus companies to immediately report to the Immigration office to avoid being arrested. BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the 30-day grace period given to foreigners with 9G visas had already expired last Dec. 31, 2023, for their chance to downgrade the status of their stay in the country. Next page
LANDSLIDE VICTIMS. Rescue workers carry out the body of one of the fatalities of the landslide at Mt. Diwata in Monkayo, Davao de Oro on Thursday. Six members of the Gumatin family (inset) perished in the landslide after heavy rains in the region this week. Meanwhile, the offices of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Tingog Partylist Reps. Yedda K. Romualdez and Jude Acidre hold relief operations for residents in flood-hit areas at Brgy. San Miguel, Tagum City, Davao del Norte (other inset photo). Monkayo LGU, Tingog photos
Speaker: PH ideal destination for foreign funding
July target for Cha-cha plebiscite proponents ‘too tight’—Comelec By Vito Barcelo THE projected plebiscite for the people's initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution is "unlikely" to happen in July, Commission on Elections chairman George Garcia said. He said the poll body has yet to receive enough signatures from towns and cities for the plebiscite to be held. "Based on our monitoring, we have 253 districts. And it seems that none of the 253 districts have the signatures
submitted to our local Comelec yet. It should be from all the districts in the Philippines," Garcia said. He said the June or July target of the plebiscite's proponents is too tight. "They're jumping the gun on the Commission on Elections too much because we still have to verify the signatures later," Garcia added. Earlier in the day, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said supporters of the people's initiative are aiming to have the Next page plebiscite by July.
By Maricel V. Cruz
PH DAVOS DELEGATION. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez (seated
center) and other Philippine officials join foreign business executives for a group photo after the Breakfast Interaction with the Philippine delegation to the World Economic Forum roundtable discussion at the Belvedere Hotel in Davos, Switzerland. With the Speaker are Energy Secretary Rafael Lotilla, Maharlika Investment Corp. President and CEO Rafael Consing Jr., Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona, WTO Permanent Representative Ambassador Manuel A. J. Teehankee, Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland Bernard Dy, and BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. Ver Noveno
THE Philippines, with its unique demographic advantage and ongoing reforms to open the economy, is an ideal destination for foreign investments, Speaker Martin Romualdez told members of the global business community in Davos, Switzerland. “We like to herald the fact that we have a very, very young working Next page