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Veloso now in Jakarta, to return to PH Wednesday By Charles Dantes FILIPINA inmate Mary Jane Veloso was moved to Jakarta Sunday, days before she is expected to fly home on Wednesday after the Indonesian government signed
an agreement to repatriate her. Veloso, 39, was arrested and convicted in 2010 after the suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with 2.6 kilograms of heroin. “With much appreciation and grate-
inmate on death row in Indonesia Mary Jane Veloso waves to journalists last Sunday at the Yogyakarta Class IIB Women’s Correctional Institution in Wonosari, Yogyakarta before her transfer to Jakarta. Indonesia and the Philippines signed an agreement last week to repatriate her. Mother of two Mary Jane Veloso, 39, was arrested and sentenced to death in 2010 after the suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of heroin, in a case that sparked uproar in the Philippines. AFP
fulness to the Republic of Indonesia, we confirm the imminent return of our kababayan, Mary Jane Veloso. Her homecoming is the fruit of more than a decade of persistent discussions, consultations Next page
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 305 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2024
Marcos: No need to veto budget Senators say President may return bill to bicam to address funding cuts By Charles Dantes, Ralph Rirao, and Maricel Cruz
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RESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday said he is not inclined to use his veto powers on the proposed 2025 national budget even as he committed to find funding to cover the P10 billion cut in the Department of Education’s budget. “We’re not yet at the point where we’ll need to exercise the veto power. I do not want to line item veto anything because that just gets in the way. So we’re still talking about it and trying to find a way,” Mr. Marcos said. “The process is still ongoing. We’re ensuring nothing will disadvantage key sectors... And I think we’ll still be able to do it, to be able to do something,” he added.
Return budget bill to bicam
MAKING A POINT. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. gestures to make a point during an impromptu media interview yesterday at the Malacanang Palace. PPA POOL
Senators Imee Marcos and Juan Miguel Zubiri urged the President to return ratified budget bill to the to address contentious budgetary allocations. Zubiri explained that the President Next page
More cancer, diabetes, mental illness meds made VAT-free THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has expanded the number of medicines exempted from value-added tax (VAT) in a bid to give financial relief to Filipinos ailing from cancer, diabetes and mental illness. BIR commissioner Romeo Lumagui, Jr. said the agency’s Under Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) 1312004 removed VAT from 16 medicines used for treating the three common but often costly diseases. “The BIR supports the national government’s thrust of more affordable
medicine and healthcare. The BIR will do its share in uplifting the lives of our fellow Filipinos,” the official said in a statement on Monday. Declared VAT-exempt were Degarelix freeze-dried powder with 80 milligrams (mg) and 120 mg, and Tremelimumab concentrates with 25 mg and 300 mg dosages. It also exempted more medicines for diabetes including Sitagliptin and Linagliptin film-coated tablets. Also included in the VAT-free
Surplus resto food to fuel ‘Walang Gutom Kitchen’ THE government has opened the “Walang Gutom Kitchen,” the first food bank in the country. Under a public-private initiative, restaurants, hotels, and fast-food chains
can donate their surplus food to be fed DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, to hungry families and individuals. quoted by ABS-CBN News, said: “PriThe Department of Social Welfare vate and public sector will join forces to and Development (DSWD) is spear- lessen food wastage in the country and heading the project. Next page
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WALANG GUTOM KITCHEN. First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos beams after serving a meal at yesterday‘s launch of ‘Walang Gutom Kitchen,’ the latest innovative program against involuntary hunger and food wastage of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD at the Nasdake Building, FB Harrison in Pasay City. She was joined the DSWD Chief Rex Gatchalian, Undersecretary for Operations Group Pinky Romualdez, and Undersecretary for Innovations Group Eduardo Punay in distributing hot meals to the kitchen’s beneficiaries. Lorenz Tanjoco
Senate votes 19-0 to ratify PH-Japan defense agreement UNANIMOUS VOTE. Senate President Francis Escudero presents to
Japanese envoy to Manila, Endo Kazuya, the Senate Resolution ratifying the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan which would facilitate reciprocal access and cooperation between the militaries of both countries. PRIB
THE Philippine Senate ratified yesterday a key defense pact with Japan, which allows them to deploy troops on each other’s soil as they boost ties to bolster against China’s growing pressure. Next page
DSWD to smoke out fake PWDs with unified, web-based ID system THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has joined the government’s campaign against the proliferation of fake identification cards (IDs) of persons with disabilities (PWDs) through the creation of a unified ID system that can be used by the business establishments for real-time updating and ID verification. The use of a unified ID system that
will employ a web-based portal was among the resolutions of the roundtable discussion with stakeholders presided over by Secretary Rex Gatchalian at the DSWD’s Central Office in Quezon City on Dec. 11. “The creation of a unified ID system which will employ a web-based portal will be launched the soonest,”
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