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PH stands ground on Escoda Shoal ownership despite China’s protest By Rex Espiritu, and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Philippine government strongly asserted that Escoda Shoal is located
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 185• 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2024 •
well within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as recognized by international law despite a diplomatic protest lodged by China on the continued presence of a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel there. Next page
PH: Double time on repatriation 15 Filipinos leave Lebanon as conflict between Israel, Hezbollah worsens—DFA
DANGER ZONE. Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Hamam last Saturday, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah. International mediators have been trying to reach a Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas Palestinian militants, which diplomats say could help to avert a wider war in which Lebanon would be on the front line. Inset photo shows 15 Filipinos including three children who arrived in Manila after opting for voluntary repatriation from Lebanon. AFP/DMW FB page
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HE Philippine government is working to get more Filipinos out of Lebanon as the armed conflict between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah paramilitary group worsens, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said over the weekend. DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac reported in the department's FB page they were able to repatriate thus far 15 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), in-
cluding three children. The operation is part of broader evacuation efforts triggered by the rising tensions, with Lebanon now under
Alert Level 3, allowing for voluntary repatriation. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is coordinating with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to facilitate the repatriation process. Cacdac said an additional 45 Filipinos are expected to return to the Philippines next week. He assured that "onsite monitoring" and shelters are in place for Filipinos still in Lebanon, where Next page
Solons earmark P50b budget ‘Bato‘ calls on for AFP modernization in 2025 senators to shield By Rio N. Araja THE modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will receive a record P50 billion in fresh funding in 2025, representing a 20 percent increase over the amount earmarked by lawmakers for acquiring new weapons this year. This move by Congress comes as the Philippines hurries to shore up its
military capabilities amid mounting external aggression threatening national security. “In the 2025 national budget, the sum of P50 billion in capital outlays has been earmarked to be used exclusively to support the funding requirements of the military’s ongoing modernization projects,” Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel announced on Next page Sunday.
him against ICC
By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja SENATOR Ronald Dela Rosa called on his colleagues to help keep him out of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) globe-spanning reach even as some lawmakers say that it is about time his past catches up on the former top cop. On Sunday, Dela Rosa expressed apprehensions that the Executive Next page
TRAGIC TRIP.
Seven persons, including a 2-year-old girl, were killed while eight others were hurt when a passenger van and delivery truck collided in Sariaya, Quezon, early Sunday morning. Screengrab from ABS-CBN
House quad probe not influenced by politics—solons By Rio N. Araja HOUSE leaders on Sunday rejected Vice President Sara Duterte's assertion that the hearings being conducted by the special House quad committee are politically motivated. “The truth of the matter is the probe started as early as early 2023, where the drug haul in Mexico, Pampanga was worth P3.6 billion. How can it be political? The VP was still in the Next page
REMEMBERING QUEZON. Today is a holiday in Quezon City
in honor of the late Commonwealth President Manuel Quezon. Quezon presided over the transition towards the country's independence. He died in Saranac Lake, New York on August 1, 1944.
Respond to 911 calls in 3 minutes—Marbil ALL police units should now respond to 911 emergency calls within 3 minutes. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil directed all police units to respond to 911 emergency calls within three minutes.
“Every Filipino deserves a quick and efficient police response, regardless of their location or status,” he said in a statement issued on Sunday. “The revitalized 911 hotline is not just a technological improvement. It is a crucial component of our mission to Next page