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Quad committee summons Rody; 2 witnesses tag him in 2016 EJKs By Maricel V. Cruz
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 189• 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2024 •
THE House quad committee formally invited former President Rodrigo Duterte to appear before the committee to address allegations of his involvement in extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during his administration’s bloody war on drugs.
Indonesia deports Guo's sister, business associate NBI takes custody of 2 women; Guo, brother still at large
Two inmates also came forward with explosive allegations implicating Duterte in the 2016 killings of three convicted Chinese drug lords inside the maximum security facility of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in Davao del Norte. Next page
SURGE IN BARMM VIOLENCE WORRYING NEWS / A3
SSS, DSWD SIGN 4PS DEAL BUSINESS / B4
By Joel E. Zurbano, Charles Dantes, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel Cruz, Pot Chavez and Vince Lopez
T
HE sister and associate of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo were deported by Indonesian authorities to Manila yesterday amid a standing arrest order and subpoena from the Senate in connection with illegal POGO operations in the country. Guo’s sister Sheila and business associate Cassandra Li Ong arrived at NAIA Terminal 1 at around 5 p.m. via a Philippine Airlines flight from Jakarta. The two were immediately brought to the National Bureau of Investigation. Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla earlier Sheila and Ong would be debriefed first as the Bureau of Immigration prepares the necessary cases against them. “They were intercepted in Indonesia,” said Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission spokesperson Winston Casio. “Let me clarify the terminology. It
TIMELINE lJuly 18 - Dismissed Bamban Mayor Guo leaves PH for Malaysia lJuly 21 - Guo flies to Singapore, meets with her family lAug. 18 - Guo and Ong take ferry to Batam, Indonesia lAug. 19 - PH sends request letter to Indonesia lAug. 20 - Guo's sister, Sheila, and Ong are apprehendee at Mega Mall Batam Center lAug. 22 - Sheila Guo and Ong are deported to Manila
END OF THE ROAD. Sheila Leal Guo (right), the sister of former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, and Cassandra Li Ong (left), an incorporator of the
POGO Lucky South 99, arrived yesterday from Jakarta, Indonesia where they were arrested by authorities. Photo at left shows Sheila Guo and Ong at the Indonesian immigration office before they were deported. Upper right photo shows Alice Guo at the Kuala Lumpur international airport before her departure for Singapore, while lower photo shows Sheila Guo being wheeled out of NAIA airport terminal by immigration agents. Joseph Muego
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Enactment of SRDP to turn PH into defense firms' hub By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Philippines will be in a position to become a regional manufacturer and exporter of weapons and other military equipment once President Marcos signs into law the Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) Act, according to one of the lawmakers behind the measure. Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said the SRDP’s aim is not just to help the domestic defense industry meet local demand, but growing its manufactur-
Gibo: China's version of int'l law 'perverted'
MEET AND GREET. President
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. meets with Philippine Olympians Dottie Ardina (Golf), Aleah Cruz Finnegan (Gymnastics), Levi Ruivivar (Gymnastics) and Emma Malabuyo (Gymnastics) during a meet and greet at the Malacanang Palace yesterday where they received P1 million peso incentive each. The four were not able to join the ceremonies held for the Paris contingent led by double gold medalist Carlos Yulo. PPA POOL
By Rex Espiritu DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro called Beijing’s interpretation of international law “perverted” given its continued disregard of globally accepted maritime rules as demonstrated by Chinese vessels’ injurious maneuvers in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Aside from their penchant for ramming Philippine vessels, the defense chief said during the media launch of the United Nations’ Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk
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Senators air objections to transfer of Philhealth's P10-b second tranche
BOOK NOOK AT THE PODIUM. A new learning hub was opened at the 5th level of The Podium by (from left to right) SM Engineering Design and Development Corporation President Hans “Chico” Sy Jr., SM Supermalls’ President Steven Tan, Royal Pineda + Architecture Design’s Architect Royal Pineda, videographer Jason Magbanua, Mandaluyong City Councilor Charisse Abalos-Vargas, Book Nook founder Shereen Sy, and WTA Architecture & Design Studio’s Architect William Ti Jr. The first Book Nook branch can be found at the third level of SM Aura.
SENATORS strongly objected to the transfer of the second tranche of Philhealth funds amounting to P10 billion last Aug. 21 to the national treasury. Sen. JV Ejercito and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III reiterated their stand that the unutilized Philhealth funds should only be used to enhance the benefits of Philhealth members. Ejercito, author and principal sponsor of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, has maintained that excess Philhealth funds be solely used for health programs and projects.
Comelec begins preparations for 2025 elections
“PhilHealth, in the first place, should have been more proactive in crafting more benefit packages and improving those already existing to lessen the out of pocket expenses of members,” he said. The existence of unused funds, Ejercito said, is a clear indicator of a wasted opportunity to do more for our people who desperately depend on the relief brought by our national insurance program. Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III tagged the transfer of funds as “alarming and bad news.”
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will proceed, as scheduled, with the preparations for the May 2025 midterm elections, saying no legal impediments will prevent the poll body from proceeding with the elections despite a pending petition filed by former provider Smartmatic International with the Supreme Court (SC), poll Chairman
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By Vito Barcelo