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(Story on A4) ‘ONE CHINA POLICY WILL NOT CHANGE, TAIWAN ONLY GIVEN COMMON COURTESY' By Joyce Pañares
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 344 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2024 •
‘PH not lifting a finger to help ICC investigation’ By Vince Lopez and Rey E. Requejo PRESIDENT Marcos said he will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and even considers it a “threat to our sovereignty,” amid reports that his government allowed its investigators to enter the Philippines to investigate the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs. In a media interview Tuesday, Marcos reiterated that he does not recognize the jurisdiction of ICC in the Philippines. But he said the people working for the organization can come and visit the country as ordinary individuals. Next page
PRESIDENT Marcos said he is not endorsing Taiwanese independence as he upheld the country's One China policy. In an interview with GMA News 24 Oras, the President said he congratulated Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te on X (formerly Twitter) as a “common courtesy” as the latter also did the same when Mr. Marcos won in the 2022 presidential elections.
PRESIDENT Marcos called on Filipinos to repel “those who trample our sacred shores” as he vowed to continue the legacy of the First Philippine Republic.
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President draws line on economic Cha-cha
Keeps door open for tackling political provisions ‘in future’ By Charles Dantes, Vince Lopez, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz, and Vito Barcelo
• Marcos: Let Comelec validate signatures
P
RESIDENT Marcos on Tuesday said he supports efforts to amend restrictive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution, saying the Charter was "not written for a globalized world."
• Senate releases manifesto vs. ‘PI’
• House unperturbed by initiative criticism
Mr. Marcos, in a GMA News TV “24 Oras” interview, said he even supports political amendments, but said these should not be tackled yet. "We have to adjust so that we can increase the economic activity in the Philippines so we can attract more foreign investors," he said. The President, however, drew the line on which sectors or services should not be opened up to foreign investors. Next page
Palace creates new offices for intel agency
‘Repel those who trample our sacred shores’ By Maricel Cruz, Macon-Ramos Araneta and Vince Lopez
“My take on that is very simple. He greeted me when I became President so what do you do? It's just common courtesy that you do the same for them. That's really where it came from,” he said. “The One China policy remains in place. We have adhered to the One China policy strictly and conscientiously since we adopted the One China policy, and that has not changed. That will not change.”
''To those who 'trample our sacred shores,' the Spirit of Malolos commands us to resist you, for the territory our forefathers fought for is unconquerable,'' Mr. Marcos said during the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the First Philippine Republic in Malolos, Bulacan. “Today, as beneficiaries of their heroism, we pledge to continue to pay
those dues. For that is the only way that we can honor those who founded this Republic, those who fought for its ideals, and those who fell in the war. And the fight continues up to this day, because while the great cause of freedom endures, it still faces threats, some shocking, some subtle, but all met with the same resolve,'' he added. Next page
CELEBRATING BARASOAIN. President Marcos speaks from the podium at Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan on Tuesday, where earlier in the day he led
officials in the flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of the First Philippine Republic at the church courtyard. With the President were Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner, Jr., Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando, Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad, National Historical Commission of the Philippines Chairperson Emmanuel Franco Calairo, and Barasoain Church Parish Priest Domingo Salonga. PCO Photos
PRESIDENT Marcos ordered the creation of a new office under the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) that will cover counterintelligence, cyber intelligence, and countering weapons of mass destruction in a bid to “adapt to the evolving threats to national security.” “There is a need to reorganize the NICA to ensure a more vigorous intelligence collection, intensify internal and external coordination, and prepare intelligence and security assessments and estimates using data analytics to ensure national security and promote the national interest,” Mr. Marcos said in Executive Order (EO) No. 54. The EO establishes an Office of the Deputy Director General (ODGG) for Cyber and Emerging Threats under NICA. “Cyber threats—that is really an emerging problem. We need to coordinate with our foreign and domestic counterparts for this,” NICA director general Ricardo de Leon told Manila Standard in a phone interview. De Leon, a member of the PMA “Matatag” Class of 1971 and a former president of the Philippine Public Safety College, said some names are already being considered for the new NICA deputy director general position but begged off from disclosing these. Next page
Sara says she’s running in ‘25 polls as brothers lean toward retirement VICE President Sara Duterte announced on Monday she will run for public office in the 2025 midterm elections after her brothers indicated they might already retire from politics. “I heard that my brother, Mayor Sebastian Duterte, and my elder brother, Congressman Paolo Duterte, said that they will not run for office,” she said in Cebuano during a flag-raising ceremony in Brgy. Bago Gallera in Davao City. “Maybe they won't run in the next
election, that's why I am here to campaign for your support because I will run in the next election,” Duterte added without disclosing the position she will run for next year. Her term as Vice President will end in 2028. President Marcos said his running mate in the 2022 polls may be “testing the waters about what the reaction will be” with her announcement. He declined to comment further. Next page
SENATE MANIFESTO. All 24 senators of the 19th Congress stand at the Senate President’s dais with copies of the manifesto opposing the people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution on Tuesday. Senate PRIB
Starbucks makes it up to seniors, PWDs By Joyce Pangco Panares AFTER coming under fire for setting a cap on the 20-percent discount senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs) are legally entitled to, Starbucks Philippines will offer a 40 percent discount to select customers on Jan. 24, 2024 (Wednesday). The one-day-only promo covers senior citizens, PWDs, nationalathletes, solo parents from certain localities, and Medal of Valor recipients for all
food and beverage items at Starbucks stores across the country. “Eligible Solo Parents discounts shall only apply to those belonging to the following local government units that provide discounts under their respective ordinances: Mandaluyong City, Quezon City, San Pablo City, and Angeles City, Pampanga,” the company said. The offer must be personally availed by the eligible customer for personal consumption only for in-store, takeout, and drive-thru. Next page
Senate subpoenas Quiboloy following no-show; SMNI suspended indefinitely By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Darwin Amojelar SENATOR Risa Hontiveros yesterday said she wants Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy to be subpoenaed and grilled on charges of sexual abuse, including rape and other crimes. This developed as the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) dis-
closed it issued an indefinite suspension order against Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) owned and operated by Quiboloy’s KOJC for alleged failure to comply with a 30-day suspension order last December. Senate rules provide persons who defied its subpoenas to attend the chamber’s legislative hearings can be cited for contempt and held in its detention facility. Next page