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Declare POGOs nat’l security threat NSC asked to endorse call to PBBM By Macon Ramos-Araneta
T
HE National Security Council was urged to recommend to the President the declaration of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) as a national security threat.
Senator Risa Hontiveros made the call on Wednesday after a POGO hub in Pampanga and arrested 158 foreigners an executive session with various government agencies. and 29 Filipinos on Tuesday. Next page The Senate session came a day after authorities raided
McKinley Hill
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 111 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2024
Kanlaon less restive but still at Alert Level 2 By Rio N. Araja DESPITE a decreasing state of unrest of Kanlaon Volcano, Mount Kanlaon in Negros Island has remained under Alert Level 2. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s latest bulletin said 53 volcanic quakes were recorded from
12 a.m. Tuesday to 12 a.m. Wednesday. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), more than 1,800 people have been evacuated from villages around the volcano. The volcano continued to spew tons of sulfur dioxide days after an explosive eruption sent a five-kilometer
plume of volcanic ash and rocks into the sky. It spewed 4,113 tons of sulfur dioxide over a 24-hour period, Phivolcs said. Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol said the agency will continue to closely monitor Kanlaon Volcano for Next page
McKinley Hill is home to four international schools (Chinese International School; the Korean International School; Meridian International Business, Arts and Technology College or MINT College; and Enderun College), the Dr. Andrew L. Tan Data Science Institute named after the Chairman of Megaworld, and three embassies (British Embassy, Italian Embassy, and the Korean Embassy).
MegaStan
Guo willing to take DNA test By Macon Ramos-Araneta SUSPENDED Bamban Mayor Alice Guo is willing to undergo a DNA test, but only if her recognized birth mother -- her family’s former helper -- surfaces. Stephen David, the mayor’s legal counsel, was asked in an interview with dzBB if Guo was willing to undergo a DNA test with Wen Yi Lin. Wen is a Chinese national suspected of being the real mother of Guo. The mayor earlier said she was a love child of her father with their helper Amelia, who left her when she was still a child. “There’s no problem with undergoing a DNA test if that helper
comes out,” David said. The Philippine Statistics Authority earlier disclosed they have no birth records of Guo’s parents. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian earlier challenged Guo to undergo DNA testing with Wen Yi Lin to prove her nationality. Senator Risa Hontiveros, for her part, released documents showing Wen Yi Lin as an incorporator in Guo’s businesses. In a letter to the Senate dated June 5, 2024, Guo denied being a protector of POGO. She also bewailed accusations she was a Chinese national and a “spy.” “I wish you would listen to me before you judge me. I am a Filipino.
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PH asks US, Japan Coast Guard to deploy vessels to SCS KANLAON LAHAR. Roads in Barangay Biak Na Bato, Sitio Calapnagan, La Castellana, Negros Occidental are now impassable due to lahar flow on its streets. Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park
Power, fuel and transport costs drive inflation up By Darwin G. Amojelar CONSUMER prices rose for four consecutive months in May, driven by spikes in electricity, fuel, and transportation costs, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The PSA reported that the headline
inflation rate increased to 3.9 percent in May from 3.8 percent in April. In May 2023, inflation rate was higher at 6.1 percent. The May inflation figure brought the national average inflation from January to May 2024 to 3.5 percent or within the government’s target of 2 percent to
Tariff cut to drive down rice prices by P6-7/kg, says DA By Othel V. Campos, Darwin G. Amojelar and Maricel V. Cruz
drop in rice prices once the government successfully enforces the proposed tariff cuts to 15 percent from 35 percent. “We are confident that this substantial reduction in tariff will finally be THE Department of Agriculture (DA) anticipates a P6 to P7 per kilogram (kg) Next page
RAINY WEATHER TILL FRIDAY
PALACE: JUNE 17 A HOLIDAY
NEWS / A2
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4 percent. It said that the slight uptick in inflation resulted mainly from the higher year-on-year increase in the prices of housing and utilities for the month at 0.9 percent from 0.4 percent in April. A faster annual growth for the transNext page
THE United States Coast Guard (USCG) will send assets to the South China Sea to support the Philippines in upholding its sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), in a statement, further said the USCG will deploy its North Pacific Coast Guard following the proposal of PCG Commander Ronnie Gil Gavan for a “greater deployment to address the forthcoming threat” as China is set to implement new regulations including detaining supposed trespasses in what it considers its maritime boundaries. The proposal was made not only to
the USCG but also to the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) during the International Institute for Strategic Studies ShangriLa Dialogue in Singapore, the PCG also disclosed. “I’d like to propose greater deployment in the high seas. We will do our part, but we also need you to be there to maintain rules-based order the way Coast Guards should play their role,” Gavan, quoted by GMA News, said. “We know our limits, but we know we can do something to give time for our political leaders to do their part to keep the West Philippine Sea as free as it should be.” Next page
FINGER HEART.
President Marcos Jr. does a ‘finger heart’ with newly-elected officials of the League of Barangays, and Sangguniang Kabataan National and Island Representatives. In his message, PBBM emphasized the important role of officials in strengthening the quality of public service. He also ensured that the national government listens to the local leaders who deal with the people and are more aware of the situation of the communities. PCO