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COMELEC TO SCRUTINIZE SOCIAL MEDIA SPENDING OF POLL CANDIDATES By Vito Barcelo
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 154• 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2024 •
THE Commission on Elections on Thursday said it would henceforth scrutinize candidates’ spending on social media promotions. “We cannot discuss AI and deepfakes without talking about social media. The Comelec regulates spending on radio, TV, and newspapers, but it remains unclear about social media,” Comelec chairperson George Garcia said. “What about the paid social media influencers? How do candidates incur
expenses on social media? We should know how much their expenses are and if they are breaching the allowable expenses,” he added. Garcia admitted there are ambiguities in Republic Act 9006 or the Fair Election Act on the matter of online regulation. The Commission earlier sought for more powers in regulating candidates’ social media posts to avoid the spread of disinformation through AI-generated and deepfake online posts. Next page
Gov’t to prioritize Pag-asa airport President underscores 'big role' Palawan plays in nat'l security By Charles Dantes, Rex Espiritu and Rachelle Tonelada
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HE development of an airport on Pag-asa Island is among the priorities of the government, President Marcos said Thursday. Pag-asa, the largest island the Philippines controls in Spratlys, is at least 285 nautical miles off Palawan. Mr. Marcos also said the military runway project at the Balabac Island airbase is nearing completion. Balabac is a town in Palawan strategically close to Chinese fortifications in the West Philippine Sea and is one of the four additional locations for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States. “The construction of the Balabac military runway is in the last phase, especially because Palawan plays a big role in national security,” Mr. Marcos said during the distribution of assistance to farmers, fisherfolk, and families affected by the dry spell at the Edward S. Hagedorn Coliseum in Puerto Princesa City. Last year, Speaker Martin Romualdez, during his visit to Pag-asa Island, committed to pour at least P3
PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANCE. President Marcos is assisted by Speaker Martin Romualdez in distributing aid to residents of Palawan and Marinduque whose livelihoods were adversely affected by the El Nino phenomenon Thursday morning in Puerto Princesa City.
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7 in 10 Pinoys want more joint patrols in WPS SEVEN in 10 Filipinos believe the government should form an alliance with other countries in defending the country's territorial and economic rights in the West Philippine Sea, a Social Weather Station survey showed. The survey, commissioned by the Stratbase ADRI Institute, also showed that the majority of Filipinos believe the government's actions on the WPS issue – such as joint patrols and military exercises with allies, friends, and partners – are sufficient, the Stratbase ADRI Institute said on
LEADERSHIP CHANGE. Vice President Sara Duterte turns over the
seal of the Department of Education to her successor, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara on Thursday. Manny Palmero
Angara takes over DepEd post; Sara says no more Cabinet job By Rolando Ng III SECRETARY Juan Edgardo Angara officially took over the reins of the Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday, succeeding Vice President Sara Duterte who re-
signed from the agency last month. During the turnover ceremony held at the DepEd Complex in Pasig City, the Vice President said she will no longer accept any Cabinet posts under the Marcos administration. Next page
BIDEN TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 WORLD / A6
More biz groups, senators push for POGO shut down By Othel V. Campos, Maimona Wanda Lao, Miguel Gil and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE country’s most influential business organizations have echoed a call by the administration’s economic managers for putting an end to the activities of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) announced Thursday its support for gradually phasing out the operations of POGOs. “We support a tiered phase-out of POGO operations in the country. First, we call for the immediate closure of all POGOs operating illegally and without operating licenses,” said PCCI president Enunina V. Mangio. Next page
Thursday. The Philippines launched several joint patrols in the WPS with the United States, Australia, Japan, and France since late last year in wake of China's repetitive aggressive and coercive actions in the area. Geopolitical expert and Stratbase ADR Institute president Dindo Manhit, for his part, underscored the need to launch more joint patrols with like-minded nations in the WPS. He said the results of a separate Pulse Asia survey also show that 51
percent of Filipinos believe there is a need to reinforce alliance and elevate partnerships by conducting joint patrols and military exercises. “This year, we witnessed actions – the most aggressive by far -- performed against our fellow Filipinos at sea. Our troops, fisherfolk, and vessels encountered several attempts to block rotation and reprovision missions, numerous occasions of firing of water cannons, and an alarming number of collisions and nearcollisions,” Manhit said. Next page
3-day gun ban for third SONA starts Saturday By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Philippine National Police announced a three-day suspension of all permits to carry firearms outside of residence in the National Capital Region starting this weekend as part of security measures for President Marcos' third State of the Nation Address on Monday. Next page
PREPPING FOR SONA. A Senate personnel cleans the gavel at the
session hall in preparation for the opening of Congress Monday morning ahead of President Marcos' third State of the Nation Address. Lino Santos