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‘MARCE’ SLAMS INTO CAGAYAN; 21K EVACUATED TO SAFER GROUND TYPHOON Yinxing—locally known as “Marce”—slammed into the northeast tip of the Philippines on Thursday, uprooting trees and sending building materials flying, weeks after another storm left at least 150 people dead. More than 21,000 people across 200 villages in Cagayan province were evacuated in the hours before the midafternoon landfall, provincial disaster official Rueli Rapsing said. “There is debris f lying all around.
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 266 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2024
Here in Gonzaga, an entire hamburger stand f lew off and the winds are ripping open the shop doors at the public market,” Rapsing told Agence France Presse (AFP) by phone from Gonzaga, a town near coastal Santa Ana. Yinxing is the third storm in less than a month to threaten the Philippines after Severe Tropical Storm Trami/Kristine and Super Typhoon Kong-rey /Leon together Next page
Acierto: Rody coddled ‘drug lords’ DOJ creates task force to probe drug war-related EJKs By Maricel Cruz and Pot Chavez
F
ORMER police Col. Eduardo Acierto on Thursday claimed former president Rodrigo Duterte was a “protector” of his former economic adviser and suspected drug lord Michael Yang despite waging a war on drugs that left thousands of people dead during his administration. Acierto also accused Duterte and Senator Bong Go of putting a P50 million bounty on his head after he linked ex-presidential adviser Michael Yang to the illegal drug trade. “This is due to my report discovering their connection with Michael Yang and Allan Lim, who is also known as Lin Weixiong,” he said. For his part, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla created a task force to give fair and equitable justice to alleged victims of extrajudicial killings committed by state forces dur-
ing Duterte’s bloody war on drugs. “Spare no one -- hold accountable every personality who had a hand in the senseless killing perpetrated by abusive persons in authority during the past admin’s anti-illegal drug campaign,” Remulla said. The task force will be chaired by a senior assistant state prosecutor and co-chaired by a regional prosecutor with nine members from the National Prosecution Service (NPS). Next page
SENATE ALL IN FOR POGO BAN
FEWER SUBJECTS IN SENIOR HIGH
NEWS / A3
NEWS / A4
NO SHOW. The seat reserved for former President Rodrigo Duterte remains vacant during the Quad
Committee hearing yesterday at the People’s Center in the House of Representatives. In photo are other resource persons, Rose Nono Lin (left) and former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon (right). Inset is former police Col. Eduardo Acierto who testified online and claims that Sen. Bong Go put a P50-m bounty on his head. Ver Noveno
NCRPO, Anti-Cybercrime Group heads suspended for 10 days By Rex Espiritu METRO Manila’s top cop as well as the head of the Anti-Cybercrime Group were temporarily relieved from their posts for 10 days starting yesterday following an extortion complaint in connection with a recent raid at an alleged POGO scam hub in Manila, the Philippine National Police said. National Capital Regional Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia and ACG chief Maj. Gen. Ronnie Cariaga were administratively relieved from
UPGRADING SKILL SETS. Lawmakers led by Senate President Francis Escudero and House Speaker Martin Romualdez
applaud President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. after he signs the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework Act in a ceremony yesterday at the Malacañan Palace. The law aims to expand training opportunities for individuals who want to acquire, develop and upgrade their skills to ensure a resilient and globally competitive Filipino workforce responsive to the evolving labor market. PCO
Law enacted to upskill workers, fix jobs mismatch By Charles Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz
Act, a landmark piece of legislation intended to enhance skills development and tackle job-skills mismatchPRESIDENT Marcos on Thursday es in the Philippines. Also known as Republic Act No. enacted the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework 12063, its authors envision creating a
cohesive system for enterprise-based training by integrating various programs under one framework. “By establishing a framework on career advancement and industry-relevant Next page
THE Philippine economy slowed down to 5.2 percent in the third quarter of 2024 but remains one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, according to Economic Planning chief Arsenio Balisacan. “Our economy continues to grow steadily; the latest GDP figures indicate continuous expansion. Of the countries that have reported their third-quarter GDP growth rates, we remain one of the fastest-growing
Asian economies,” he said in yesterday press briefing. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the economy, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5.2 percent in the third quarter, weaker than the revised 6.4 percent growth in the previous quarter. This brought the average GDP growth for the first three quarters of 2024 to 5.8 percent, slightly below our target of 6 to 7 percent for the year. “We follow Vietnam, which posted a Next page
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Speaker, NSC chief urge allies to forge Code of Conduct for WPS By Maricel V. Cruz and Rex Espiritu HOUSE Speaker Martin Romualdez reaffirmed to the international community the Philippines’ firm commitment to uphold its sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), highlighting his nation’s position is rooted in international law. “Our stance on these waters is not
PBBM to ink laws to push WPS claim NEWS / A2 merely geographical; it represents our national pride, economic security, and the legacy we wish to pass on to future generations,” he told delegates at the Next page
Big-time fuel price hike seen next week
GDP slows down in Q3, but PH still fastest in Asia—NEDA By Darwin G. Amojelar
their current positions, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said. She said Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Tamondong will take over NCRPO while Col. Vina Guzman will head ACG as officers-in-charge. PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil issued the relief order after four Chinese citizens questioned the police raid at the alleged scam hub in Malate on Oct. 30. One of the Chinese nationals complained the cops attempted to extort P1 million from each of them in exchange
By Alena Mae S. Flores
PH-BRUNEI ANNIVERSARY. L-R: First Lady Liza Marcos-Araneta joins Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Ambassador-at-large, center, and Megawati Dato Paduka Haji Manan, Ambassador-Designate of Brunei Darussalam to the Philippines in opening the ceremonies celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishement of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Brunei. Teddy Pelaez
DOMESTIC pump prices may go up next week by as much as P2.05 per liter to reflect the ongoing volatility in world oil prices. Jetti Petroleum president Leo Bellas said early price movement based on the first 3 days of Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) and foreign average (versus last week’s full-week average) showed Next page