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IN MET R MANILAO
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 289 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES DECEMBER 1, 2024
PHLPOST ROLLS OUT WORLD’S LONGEST CHRISTMAS STAMP
CRYPTO BOSS EATS BANANA ART HE BOUGHT FOR $6.2M
NEWS | A2
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NO BASIS YET TO PROBE VP SARA – OMBUDSMAN SAYS DUTERTE UTTERED KILL THREAT ‘AS AN ORDINARY CITIZEN’
HOPE FOR ISLA PUTING BATO. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. extends P21 million in financial aid to victims of a recent inferno in Isla Puting Bato in Tondo who are temporarily staying at the Delpan Evacuation Center in Manila. PPA Pool
Sara’s chief of staff freed from detention The chief of staff of Vice President Sara Duterte was released Saturday after spending 10 days in detention after being cited in contempt by the House committee on good government and public accountability. Zuleika Lopez’s release was granted after she pledged to attend all future hearings related to the ongoing investigation into the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the OVP and the Department of Education under Vice President Sara Duterte. Lopez was supposed to be transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City but was confined instead at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, where she received the release order.
By Maricel V. Cruz
O
MBUDSMAN Samuel Martires said there are no valid grounds yet to investigate Vice President Sara Duterte as he rejected suggestions that his office can do the probe given the President’s position against any impeachment moves. “As far as we are concerned right now, we have not seen any acts of the Vice President that we should investigate. We do not find anything that was in violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or of any offenses in the Revised Penal Code that is in relation to the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” Martires said in an interview with GMA News. He said the threats uttered by Duterte against Mr. Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez were done “as an ordinary citizen, not as Vice President in relation to her office or to the function of her office.” He also chastised Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres for saying the Ombudsman has the authority to discipline and investigate officials in the context of Duterte’s remarks. “I would advise Usec. Andres to shut up, to stop talking about the case. Because one of the powers of the Ombudsman is to take over the investigation of a case of any government investigative agency at any stage of the proceedings,” Martires said. “No one can dictate upon us, not even the President of the Philippines. Don’t ever try to lecture us on what are the functions, duties and responsibilities of the Ombudsman,” he said. Martires said proper law enforcement agencies should be the ones to investigate Duterte’s actions and utterances. “So the DOJ (Department of Justice) and NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) should investigate this, and if
the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) wants to help the NBI investigate, they can do so,” he said. Martires was appointed by former President RodRod rigo Duterte to the Supreme Court as associate justice in 2017 and as Ombudsman in 2018, but he denied his views on the issue were influenced by this. “I’m not close to the President (Duterte). During the six-year term of the President, you can check the logbook of Malacanang how many times I have been there,” he said. On Friday, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Mar Marcos Jr. left the door open to a possible reconciliation with Duterte as he confirmed sending a private mesmes sage to lawmakers in the House of RepresentaRepresenta tives urging them not to file an impeachimpeach ment case against her. “What will happen if somebody files an impeachment? It will tie down the House, it will tie down the Senate. It will just take up all our time and for what? For nothing, for nothing. None of this will help improve a single Filipino life,” he said. The commander-in-chief dede scribed the ongoing tension between him and his running mate in the 2022 polls as a “storm in a teacup” – an idiidi omatic expression for great outrage or excitement about a trivial matter. Duterte earlier she and the PresPres ident already reached a “point of no return.” President MarMar cos, however, held a different view. “Never say never,” he said.
WORLD | A4
MARCOS BRINGS P21M CASH AID, MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, FOOD TO TONDO FIRE VICTIMS By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday led the distribution of P21 million in financial aid, food, and guaranteed medical services to about 2,100 families displaced by a recent inferno in Isla Puting Bato in Tondo, Manila. Each victim received P10,000, along with food packs, blankets, and sleeping mats from the Office of the President. “The biggest need right now is for the houses to be rebuilt. I promised one of the victims at the evacuation center that if you cannot go home by Christmas, I will come here and we will spend Christmas together,” the President said. He then prodded Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna to prioritize rebuilding the shanties that were razed to the ground. Speaking at Rosauro Almario Elementary School where many displaced families were temporarily staying, Mr. Marcos highlighted the government’s efforts to address the victims’ immediate needs, including the distribution of food packs designed to sustain a family for several days. “You have food packs that should last three to four days. But don’t worry—if you use them up in two days, there will be more,” the President said. “There are many small children and elderly people who need medicine. That’s why cash is necessary, so you can use it for your family’s specific needs,” he added. He also expressed concern about health risks in overcrowded evacuation centers and announced that medical teams from the Department of Health would remain on standby to provide continuous care. “The city government is here, and the national government is here. We will keep working to deliver the services you need,” he said.
MANALO WINS MISS UNIVERSE BEST IN NATIONAL COSTUME NEWS | A3
PBBM: EMBODY BONIFACIO, FREE PH FROM ‘ILLS OF SOCIETY’
SUPREMO.
PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. encouraged Filipinos to embody the patriotism and selflessness of Andrés Bonifacio by helping liberate the Philippines from the “ills of society” as the nation marked the revolutionary hero’s 161st birth anniversary yesterday. “Today, we honor the life and heroism of the Supremo of the Katipunan and Hero of the Masses who organized and inspired his fellow Filipinos to rise against tyranny and break the chains of oppression,” Mr. Marcos said. “Let us honor his memory by finding a deeper meaning in his sacrifice and doing our part in liberating our country from the shackles of hunger, corrup-
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin leads the celebration of the 161st birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio in Caloocan City on Saturday, November 30, 2024. Bonifacio was the “supremo” of the Katipunan, the movement that fought for independence from Spanish colonial rule. Andrew Rabulan
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tion, criminality, and other ills of society,” he added. The President also called for renewed patriotism and discipline to build a “Bagong Pilipinas,” where peace, progress, and harmony prevail. “As we celebrate this auspicious occasion, let us remember the legacy of sacrifice that he and our forebears have demonstrated. With patriotism, discipline, and love for one another as our guide, let us build a better Bagong Pilipinas,” he said. Vice President Sara Duterte, for her part, said: “It is important that our celebration of the greatness of Andres Bonifacio opens our eyes to the conditions of our country. This is also one of the
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things that inspired us to struggle and become loyal and true Filipino citizens.” “Let us spread the message of Bonifacio’s heroism amongst each other and hopefully it lights the fire within us to become more resilient, brave, and determined,” Duterte said. Speaker Martin Romualdez said the values embodied by Bonifacio – integrity, unity, and accountability – are essential in building a stronger and more resilient nation. “Bonifacio stood against tyranny and division, championing the ideals of freedom, justice, and the welfare of the Filipino people above all else,” he added. Charles Dantes, Rachelle Tonelada and Maricel Cruz
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