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FIVE LOCAL PHILHEALTH TO ADJUST HOLIDAYS IN OCT. TO 2024 FUND CUTS NEWS NEWS/ /A3 A3
ISRAEL CONTINUES NO HOLIDAY TRUCE TOWITH POUND HEZBOLLAH NPA REBELS VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 227• 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 • WORLD NEWS // A6 A4
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 306• 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2024 •
PNP resurrecting probe Marcos leads nation in welcoming Veloso into PCSO official's slay
Mary to stay at Class Women's 60 Comm days SpeakerJane grateful for PMA '83 voteCorrectional of confidence infor Quad
By Ratziel San Juan, By Rio N. Dantes Araja and Charles Rachelle Tonelada
T P
HE Philippine National Police RESIDENT (PNP) is reopening Ferdinand Marcos its investigation Jr. led theinto Filipino the 2020inmurder nation lookingofforward Philippine Charity to the return of overseas Sweepstakes Office Filipino worker Mary Jane (PCSO) secretary Veloso, board who was jailed in Wesley Barayuga. Indonesia for 14 years for drug trafficking. On Sunday, PNP Chief Police
‘PBBM has options to address budget slash instead of reconvening bicam’ LEADERS from both houses of Congress said the President has other options to address the cuts in the ratified budget bill for 2025 even without reconvening the bicameral conference committee. PAGASA House Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. David Suarez said: “I don't think there's any need for us to reconvene as a bicam. Because we've already ratified it in both chambers, so in both the Senate and the House. So we're very satisfied with the versions." "Agencies always want to have more, but unfortunately…we have limited resources. So the balancing act for Congress and the Senate beTHE government has readied P1.48 comes very tricky,” he added. billion worth of aid for communiPresident Francis Escudero tiesSenate that may be hit hard by typhoon said the President has the power ‘Julian’ which PAGASA says couldto reallocate an agency’s savings to pay turn into a supertyphoon. forAs its of future needs. 5:00 PM on Sunday, PA-
Gov’t readies P1.48b aid as 'Julian' strengthens
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GASA raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 over Batanes and the northeastern portion of Babuyan Islands. “’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
General Rommel Francisco Mar“We’re celebrating already,”of Mr. bil said he ordered the reopening Marcos said during the sidelines of the the cold case after whistleblower inauguration of the Department of Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza told Migrant Workers’ Pilipinas the House Quad Bagong Committee that heOneStop OFW AKSYON Center. helped carry out the killing at the Theof39-year-old Veloso was set to arbehest ex-PCSO general manager rive from Jakarta earlier today (6 a.m. Royina Garma. Wednesday), accompanied by Philippine Mendoza narrated before conofficials led Bureauallegedly of Corrections gressmen howbyGarma faDirector General Gregorio cilitated the PCSO official’s Catapang roadside Jr. and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary assassination on July 30, 2020 byEduardo de Vega. providing the necessary information Preparations for details he return home about his schedule, about his beNext page gan Sunday when she was moved vehicle and the funding necessary tofrom her detention facility in Yogyakarta to A WEB OF CRIME? House leaders Aurelio Gonzales and David Suarez presented this matrix during the last QUAD carry it out. a The prison in Jakarta, kilometers Comm hearing which shows the operations of a criminal syndicate allegedly led by fugitive Michael Yang, then economic whistleblowerover also 400 implicated away. adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte, that controlled the illegal activities of the POGOs and was involved in the drug incumbent National Police ComVeloso's case drew significant inter- trade and extrajudicial killings. missioner Edilberto Leonardo in the national ofattention after advocates and planning the murder. theBarayuga Philippine government was a retired repeatedly police SENDOFF. Death convict Mary Jane Veloso poses with her Indonesian jailers in Yogyakarta before leaving for Jakarta. AFP asserted that the mother of two was a general and lawyer who supposedly Next page threatened to expose corruption within the PCSO shortly before he was THE Philippine government on shot dead in Mandaluyong City. Sunday publicly called for the UnitGarma, herself an ex-police Lt. THE legal counsel of Chinese adviser of former President Rodrigo of illegal drugs and illegal activities ed Nations (UN) to give it a seat on Colonel, allegedly gained the top businessman Tony Yang sought to Duterte. associated with POGOs,” Suarez said the UN Security Council, highlightspot at the PCSO because of her indisparage lawmakers’ conclusions Fortun, a lawyer who often finds in a mixture of Filipino and English. ing the country’s strong record and Next page about his client’s supposedly himself at the center high-profile The solons explained how the dedication to upholding the ruleefforts of He emphasized the government’s sketchy past and his alleged ties cases, apparentlyV.sought matrix details Yang’s connections to By Maricel Cruz to mock law. to address high food prices, citing recent with Philippine Overseas Gaming congressmen, calling their probe other individuals involved in illicit Department of rice Foreign Affairs on imported and the need to HOUSE Speaker Martin Romualdez is- activities, including the operations of tariff cuts Operators (POGOs) and even “unacceptable.” (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo indeinvestigate why costs remain elevated sued a stern House warning to profiteers, organized crime. However, members arguedsmug- illegal POGOs. a speech delivered at the UN Genspite sufficient supply. glers, and hoarders, vowing that Congress Lawyer Raymond Fortun they did not come by their suspicions Among the companies implicated eral Assembly in New York everything. said the “The government is doing wouldYang takerecklessly. aggressive steps to stabilize are Brickhartz Technology Inc. questioned the House Quad about to emphasize know, we continues just cut the tariff for imfood prices and ensure affordable Committee’s impartiality and its On Friday, Senior Deputy Speakerbasic and Xionwei Technology Co. Ltd., YouPhilippines the rice, “importance upholding from 35 of to 15 percent.the A lot goods for Filipinos.Jr. of Pampanga ability to pin Chinese national Yang Aurelio Gonzales which are being linked to alleged ported rule of law and the integrity of the of supplies are stored there but why is the The Speaker declared food security as down for ay wrongdoing in a real and Deputy Speaker David Suarez of kidnapping. multilateral system in the face of toprice still high?” Romualdez told reporters a top priority and pledged that the House criminal court. Quezon presented a matrix showing The two firms supposedly day’s global challenges.” of Representatives would uphold its duty have connections with the Baofu on Monday. “I am very interested in how they Yang’s first appearance and his page Quoted by reports, ManaloNext also Speaker Martin Romualdez to protect theactivities people. at the Quad [Quad Comm members] can prove subsequent Compound in Bamban, Tarlac, said: “The Philippines has consisthis criminal network in court. In Comm hearing. which, in turn, can be directly traced tently pursued peace, the sovereign Congress, lawmakers act as both “We saw a pattern, and we tracked to disgraced ex-mayor Alice Guo. equality of states, the rights and digprosecutor and judge,” he said. it to the top of these corporations... During Friday’s Quad Comm nity of all persons.” Yang, who already admitted we stripped it of its layers , to get to hearing, lawmakers cited Tony Yang He added that the country is also having a fake Philippine birth the top and through it all, we have in contempt for “lying” to about his recognized as the “first Asian Recertificate, is the brother of Michael discovered and identified businesses and business partners. his administration’s policies and proMedia Services Emerald Ridao said the By Charles Dantesat least two Yang, a presidential economic main actors or players in the issue grams, the Presidential Communicachief executive would beNext more open Next page page OFW AKSYON CENTER. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. with First tions Office (PCO) said Tuesday. and respond to queries on issues that PRESIDENT Marcos is making an lady Liza Araneta Marcos and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Sec. Hans In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefhe feels “will be best expressed or best effort to be more accessible to give Leo Cacdac inaugurates the Department of Migrant Workers’ (DMW) Bagong Next page ing, PCO Undersecretary for Digital explained by his side.” the public a better understanding of
PH lobbies UN for Security Council seat
Yang's lawyer mocks probers amid heated inquiry Speaker: Gov't to pursue food price manipulators
DOTr’s Bautista says online news report‘unfounded'
PBBM wants to answer public queries himself—PCO
Navy spokes debunks China claim of military exercises in Scarborough shoal
Pilipinas One-Stop OFW AKSYON (Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan) Center in Makati City. The Bagong Pilipinas OFW AKSYON Center expands the DMW’s operations by utilizing additional space in the former Landbank Building allowing the department to better accommodate its growing workforce BAUTISTA and deliver more efficient and streamlined services to the migrant sector. PPA Pool
By Darwin Amojelar
By Rex Espiritu
AFP sends X'mas gifts to troops in all nine WPS military outposts
TRANSPORTATION Secretary Jaime Bautista denied an online news report claiming that Malacañang was angry with the increase in airport fees without the approval of the Cabinet members. “The Bilyonaryo article is malicious unfounded,” said THEand Armed Forces of Bautista the Philippines in(AFP) a Viber message, referring the to the reported on Tuesday sucwebsite published said story. cessfulthat completion of the its rotation and “Bilyonaryo is inconsistent,” added. resupply (RoRe) mission to he nine island Bilyonaryo online that features in thereported West Philippine Sea “Bautista (WPS). and his long-time protege in Philippine Undersecretary for In a Airlines, recent briefing, Philippine Aviation and Airports for Bobby Navy Spokesperson WPSLim, Rearare Adatmiral the center of the storm after it was Roy Vincent Trinidad stated that the RoRe missions, conducted from Next pageby December 3 to 14, were executed
THE Philippine Navy debunked on Sunday the recent announcement by China that it conducted military exercises off Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). China made the anthe AFP'sreportedly Western Command utilizing nouncement various assetscoinciding from its navalwith units.the fourth Maritime Co"WeMultilateral use a different mix of assets operative Activity between considering that we targeted the the nine Philippines, Australia, different features, nine islandJapan, detachNew the said. United mentsZealand, of the AFP,"and Trinidad States within exclusive "There wereManila’s no untoward incidents economic (EEZ) in were the remonitored.zone However, there two gional waters the and weekend. Chinese Coastover Guard two PLA Philippine Navy Spokesperson Navy ships in the vicinity," he added. for WPS Rear Admiral Roy NextVinpage
Solons reject claims AKAP a political tool
cent Trinidad told reporters that Manila troops did not monitor any such activity, adding that Beijing’s statement was meant only for its internal audience. “Our troops did not observe LAWMAKERS defended the allocaany exercise, we have to undertion of P26 billion for the Ayuda Para stand that sometimes, China is sa Kapos sa Kita Program (AKAP) in doing this for their internal audithe 2025 national budget and dismissed ence, right? For them not to look claims that the program is being used DONATION FOR PGH HEALING GARDEN. The Association of weak and embarrassed,” Trinidad Women Legislators Foundation, Inc. (AWLFI) remains committed to assisting women as a political tool. said. and children cancer patients at the Philippine General HospitalHans (PGH) Bulacan 4th AWARD. Sy,asChairman of the Executive Committee of SM Speaker Prime Holdings, House Deputy and Quezon Two Rep. Chinese District Linabellewarships Ruth Villarica,were foundation president, on Monday led the turnover was honored by the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) with its Outstanding Representative Jayjay Suarez, quoted monitored at a distance of cheque donation to hospital ranging Director Gerardo Legaspi, for thePresident development FilipinoMD Retailers Awardoffor his visionary leadership in retail development. by ABS-CBN News, rejected critifrom eight to Garden 14 nautical miles. the PGH Healing which aims to provide a space cancer patients, (Fromfor leftrenewal to right):for PRA Director and Director of SM Retail Jorge T. Mendiola, PRA cisms, citing data from the Department One of these went workers. up to The 1,000 their families and health hospital is one of President the beneficiaries of theirand recently Vice and President COO of Golden, ABC, Inc. (The Penshoppe Group) Social Committee Welfare and held “PasmasCONG Handog Sale for a Cause V” T.inLiu, Congress. Present during the Alice SM Prime Holdings Chairman of theofExecutive HansDevelopment T. Sy, yards at the MMCA site Garage but even(DSWD). ceremony were away. Reps. Lolita Javier, Maria Vanessa Aumentado, Marissa Magsino,ofLaarni PRA President and Chairman Quorum International, Inc. (Toby’s Sports) Roberto tually went “It was not 2-1 Jimenez, chief of staffS.of He explained that AKAP targets the Roque, Jane Castro Anna Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez. Claudio, and PRA Director and President of Sportshouse Int’l. Leisure, Inc. and threatening, just and normal,” accordsector—families on the Romualdez is the chairperson of the 86-strong women legislators foundation. Also Award Mars"near-poor" proponent of PRA OFR President’s C. Chua Next page present were PGH officials Dr. Esther Saguil and Dr. Maria Margarita Lat-Luna.
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