manilastandard.net
@ManilaStandardPH
@mnlstandardph
@manilastandard
@ManilaStandardYT
Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net . For advertisement: email: advertise@manilastandard.net •09173382170 / 85646229
FIVE LOCAL ‘TNTS’ TOLD TO LEGALIZE STAY OR LEAVE AHEAD OF TRUMP’S RETURN HOLIDAYS IN OCT.
By Rachelle Tonelada
NEWS / A3
ISRAEL CONTINUES TO POUND HEZBOLLAH WORLD / A6
MST’S PAÑARES AMONG UP CMC’S GLORY AWARDEES
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 227• 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 •
PNP resurrecting probe Marcos signs 2 laws into PCSO official's slay to bolster WPS rights
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 267• 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2024 •
NEWS / A2
Speaker grateful for PMA Class '83 vote of confidence in Quad Comm Gov't to release official map marking Spratlys, Scarborough By Rio N. Araja
T P
HE Philippine
By Charles Dantes, National Police Rachelle Tonelada (PNP) is reopening and Maricel Cruz
its investigation into the 2020 murder of RESIDENT Philippine Charity Ferdinand Marcos Sweepstakes Office Jr. on Friday signed (PCSO) board laws—the secretary two landmark Wesley Barayuga. Philippine Maritime Zones Act the PNP Philippine On and Sunday, Chief Police General Rommel Francisco Archipelagic Sea LanesMarbil said he ordered the reopening of Act—designed the cold case after to whistleblower Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza told strengthen maritime claims the House Quad Committee that he and sovereignty by clearly helped carry out the killing at the behest of ex-PCSO general manager delineating the maximum Royina Garma. extent of the country's Mendoza narrated before conterritorial gressmen howwaters. Garma allegedly fa-
cilitated the PCSO official’s roadside "These two the assassination on laws July underscore 30, 2020 by importance our maritime and arproviding theofnecessary information chipelagic identity.details They about align his our about his schedule, domestic with the UN Convehicle andlaws the funding necessary to vention on the Law of the Sea (UNcarry it out. CLOS), clearly defining the extent The whistleblower also implicated of our maritime entitlements seincumbent National Police and Comcuring theEdilberto rights of Leonardo our people," Mr. missioner in the Marcos said. Next page planning of the murder. Barayuga was a retired police general and lawyer who supposedly threatened to expose corruption within the PCSO shortly before he was shot dead in Mandaluyong City. Garma, herself an ex-police Lt. Colonel, allegedly gained the top spot at the PCSO because of her inNext page
DOTr’s Bautista says online news report‘unfounded'
PHILIPPINE Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez urged Filipinos illegally staying in the US to leave voluntarily to avoid deportation and perpetual blacklisting, as President-elect Donald Trump is likely to crack down on illegal immigrants as soon as he takes office. “My advice to many of our fellowmen who are PAGASA actually still here but cannot get any kind of status, my advice is for them not to wait to be deported,” Romualdez said in a forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) on Friday. “I can see that the administration of President Trump is really going to be very strict with the immigration policy that he intends to put in place because that is a promise he THE has readied P1.48 madegovernment to the American public, and billion of aid communithat is worth probably the for reason why he ties that hit is hard byimportant typhoon won, anmay issuebethat very ‘Julian’ which PAGASA says could to a large number of Americans,” he turn into a supertyphoon. explained. As of 5:00 PM PARomualdez said on thatSunday, a number of GASA Tropical Cyclone Filipinosraised have already submitted apWind Signal over Batanes plications andNo. are 3waiting for their and the northeastern portion of Bapaperwork to be processed. buyan Islands. Next page “’Julian’ is forecast to continue intensifying over the next 24-36 hours as it moves towards Batanes and/or Babuyan Islands. With the current trend in its intensification, the possibility of reaching super typhoon category is not ruled out,” PAGASA said in its advisory. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that a total of 1.9 million family food packs worth P1.48 billion, other food items worth P276 million, and non-food items (NFIs) worth P919 million were already prepared by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Some P171 million in standby fund is also available for utilization by the DSWD, including P123 million which can be allotted as Quick Response Fund (QRF) in the central office of the DSWD. In Batanes, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) advised residents to secure their roofs and install window shutters as Typhoon Julian is expected to make landfall
Gov’t readies P1.48b aid as 'Julian' strengthens
Next page
A WEB OF CRIME? House leaders Aurelio Gonzales and David Suarez presented this matrix during the last QUAD Comm hearing which shows the operations of a criminal syndicate allegedly led by fugitive Michael Yang, then economic MARKING President R. Marcos Jr. presents the newly-signed Maritime Zones Act and Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act in adviser of formerTERRITORY. President Rodrigo Duterte,Ferdinand that controlled the illegal activities of the POGOs Philippine and was involved in the drug ceremonies held yesterday at the Malacanang Palace. With the President are Senate President Francis Escudero and House Speaker Martin Romualdez and members of trade and extrajudicial killings. the Cabinet and Congress. Revoli Cortez
PH lobbies UN for Security Council POGOs seat Yang's lawyer mocks probers amid heated inquiry PBBM issues EO to ensure THE legal counsel of Chinese businessman Tony Yang sought to disparage lawmakers’ conclusions about his client’s supposedly sketchy past and his alleged ties with Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators (POGOs) and even organized crime. Lawyer Raymond Fortun questioned the House Quad Committee’s impartiality and its ability to pin Chinese national Yang down for ay wrongdoing in a real criminal court. “I am very interested in how they [Quad Comm members] can prove this criminal network in court. In Congress, lawmakers act as both prosecutor and judge,” he said. Yang, who already admitted having a fake Philippine birth certificate, is the brother of Michael Yang, a presidential economic
adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Fortun, a lawyer who often finds himself at the center high-profile cases, apparently sought to mock congressmen, calling their probe “unacceptable.” However, House members argued they did not come by their suspicions about Yang recklessly. On Friday, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga and Deputy Speaker David Suarez of Quezon presented a matrix showing Yang’s first appearance and his subsequent activities at the Quad Comm hearing. “We saw a pattern, and we tracked it to the top of these corporations... we stripped it of its layers , to get to the top and through it all, we have discovered and identified at least two main actors or players in the issue
President to replenish calamity response funds
By Charles Dantes Navy spokes debunks China claim of military exercises in Scarborough shoal
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. pledged to replenish the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's (NDRRMC) dwindling calamity fund as the country faces BAUTISTA mounting costs in disaster response. Trinidad told reporters that During a Palace briefingcent yesterday, NDRRMC Undersecretary Bycarried Rex Espiritu ‘MARCE’S’ TOLL. ‘Marce’s’ strong winds Manila troops did not monitor Ariel Nepomuceno reported that the agency's calamity fund, along away parts of the roof of several school buildings, top By Darwin Amojelar any(QRF) such activity, that BeiwithNavy the Quick Response Fund of severaladding government agenright photo, in Buguey, Cagayan. Part of a torn roof Philippine THE debunked jing’s statement was meant only cies, is nearly exhausted. hangs dangerously on an electric wire over a woman, Next page on Sunday the recent announceTRANSPORTATION Secretary Jaime for its internal audience. top right photo, looking at the damage wrought by ment by China that it conducted Bautista denied an online news report Marce on her home in Aparri, Cagayan. In Abulug, “Our troops did not observe military exercises off Bajo de claiming that Malacañang was angry bottom photo, a resident stares at the remains of her any exercise, we have to underMasinloc, also known as Scarborwithparent’s the increase inSK airport feesPagador, without Chrissa house. Fed Arn Martinez, stand that sometimes, China is ough Shoal, in the West Philipthe approval the Cabinet members. NEWS / this A3 Cagayanof PIO/LGU, Jackielyn Batulan doing for their internal audipine Sea (WPS). “The Bilyonaryo article is malience, right? For them not to look China reportedly made the ancious and unfounded,” Bautista said weak and embarrassed,” Trinidad nouncement coinciding with the in a Viber message, referring to the said. fourth Multilateral Maritime Cowebsite that published the said story. Two Chinese warships were operative Activity between the “Bilyonaryo is inconsistent,” he added. monitored at a distance ranging Philippines, Australia, Japan, Bilyonaryo reported online that from eight to 14 nautical miles. New Zealand,vendors and pledged the United “Bautista andV. hisCampos long-time protege in Marketing their dress concerns over the high retail By Othel One of these went up to 1,000 States within Manila’s exclusive Philippine Airlines, Undersecretary for commitment during a consultative prices of rice despite a significant reyards at the MMCA site but eveneconomic zone (EEZ) in the reAviation and Airports Bobbymarkets Lim, arein meeting with Department of Agriculduction in rice tariffs. RICE retailers from major tually went away. “It was not gional waters over the weekend. atMetro the center the agreed storm after it was ture (DA) Secretary Francisco P. Tiu In a previous meeting, rice importers Manilaofhave to lower the threatening, just normal,” accordPhilippine Navy Spokesperson Laurel Jr. Friday. and traders informed undersecretary for prices of regular and well-milled rice for WPS Rear Admiral Roy VinNext page Next Nextpage page The DA called the meeting to adstarting next week.
cease operations by yearend
of illegal drugs and illegal activities associated with POGOs,” Suarez said in a mixture of Filipino and English. By Charles Dantes how the The solons explained matrix details Yang’s connections to PRESIDENT Marcos issued exother individuals involved in an illicit ecutive order on Friday reinforcing activities, including the operations of his earlier directive banning all Philillegal POGOs. ippine Offshore Gamingimplicated Operators Among the companies (POGOs) and related internet-based are Brickhartz Technology Inc. and Xionwei Technology Co. Ltd., which are being linked to alleged kidnapping. The two firms supposedly have connections with the Baofu Compound in Bamban, Tarlac, which, in turn, can be directly traced to disgraced ex-mayor Alice Guo. By Maricel V. Cruz During Friday’s Quad Comm hearing, lawmakers cited Tony Yang FORMER Customs intelligence officer in contempt for “lying” to about his Jimmy Guban promised the House Quad businesses and business partners. Committee (Quad Comm) he would exNextmafia” page pose people behind the “Davao and reveal the identity of the so-called “queen” that they seek to protect and inNext page stall as president in 2028.
THE Philippine government on Sunday publicly called for the United Nations (UN) to give it a seat on the UN Security Council, highlighting the country’s and gaming activitiesstrong in the record country. dedication upholdingOrder the rule While toExecutive No.of 74 law. does not advance the previously givAffairsfor enDepartment December of 31, Foreign 2024 timeline (DFA) Secretary EnriquetoManalo POGO-led operations cease, itin rea minds speechsuch delivered at thetoUN Genenterprises wind down eral Assembly in New York said thepage their operations. Next Philippines continues to emphasize the “importance of upholding the rule of law and the integrity of the multilateral system in the face of today’s global challenges.” Quoted by reports, Manalo also said: “The Philippines has consistently pursued peace, the sovereign equality of states, the rights and digdon't scare me, wala nity of"You all persons.” akong notice na country pupuntais also ako He added that the ngayon, Sinabi ko naman lahat, recognized as the “first Asian Reano pa ba ang gusto ng mga yan," page former President RodrigoNext Duterte said on the possibility of being subpoenaed to attend the Quad Comm hearing at the House.
Guban vows to unmask ‘Davao mafia,’ ‘queen’ once family’s safety assured
PBBM vows to finish ‘Yolanda’ rehab
Metro rice traders promise to lower prices next week
CHRISTMAS AT SOLAIRE. Solaire Resort kicks off its holiday festivities with Christmas tree lighting ceremonies at Solaire Resort Entertainment City and Solaire AWARD. Hans Sy, the Executive Committee SM Prime Holdings, Resort North. Guests atChairman the SolaireofResort North Tree Lighting of event (left) included was honored by Chief the Philippine Retailers (PRA)North; with its Outstanding Gregory Hawkins, Operating Officer Association of Solaire Resort Donato Almeda, Vice Filipino Retailers President&Award for hisAffairs visionary leadershipResort in retailCorporation; development. Chairman for Construction Regulatory of Bloomberry (From to right):Mayor PRA Director andCity; Director SM Retail Jorge Mendiola, PRA Hon. Joyleft Belmonte, of Quezon Cong.ofArjo Atayde; AVPT.Vina Oca, PAGCORVice President President COO of Golden, ABC, (The Penshoppe GLDD. Attendeesand at the Solaireand Resort Entertainment TreeInc. Lighting ceremony Group) (right) Alice T. Liu, SM Prime the Executive Committee Hans Resorts T. Sy, included Thomas Arasi,Holdings PresidentChairman and Chiefof Operating Officer of Bloomberry PRA President and Chairman ofChairman Quorum International, Inc. (Toby’s Sports) Roberto Corporation; Enrique K. Razon Jr, and Chief Executive Officer of Bloomberry S. Claudio, and PRAAlejandro Director and President of Sportshouse Int’l. Leisure, Inc. and Resorts Corporation; Tengco, PAGCOR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; proponent of PRA OFR President’s Award Mars C. Chua Lizzy Razon; Donato Almeda, Vice Chairman for Construction and Regulatory Affairs at Bloomberry Resorts Corporation, and former Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta.