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New law punishes foreign ships, aircraft that pollute PH waters By Maricel V. Cruz
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 315 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2024
‘2025 budget will be constitutional’
FOREIGN ships and aircraft that will be polluting the country’s designated sea lanes, including the West Philippine Sea, shall be punished under the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act (PASLA), Camarines Sur Luis Villafuerte said. Villafuerte said any breach of PASLA which also constitutes a violation of existing fisheries, environmental, customs, fiscal, immigration, sanitary, or other special laws shall be punishable under the provisions of such laws. If the breach is not covered by existing laws prior to the imple-
mentation of PASLA, violations shall be punishable by imprisonment of six months and one day to two years and two months, or a fine of $1.2 million or its equivalent in Philippine currency, or both at the discretion of the court. “Such penalties shall be imposed on the master of the ship or captain of the aircraft; and if the owner of the vessel or aircraft is a corporation, partnership or juridical person, then the penalty shall be imposed upon the president or head of this business entity in breach of this new law,” said Villafuerte, a co-author of the law. Under Section 16 of the law, forNext page
Marcos doing thorough review—Palace By Charles Dantes, Rex Espiritu, Cherrie Anne Villahermosa and Ralph Rirao
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. assured the public of a constitutional 2025 budget as he goes through it with a fine-tooth comb before signing it on Monday, the Palace said.
The Palace issued the statement amid calls to remove allegedly unconstitutional items from the ratified budget bill. Over a dozen retired military, police and coast guard officials also issued an open letter asking the President to scrutinize controversial items in the proposed budget, Next page
WATCH PINOY FILMS. In a video message, President Ferdinand Marcos
congratulates organizers of the Metro Manila Film Festival on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. Story on A2. PCO
Rody’s lawyering for Sara gets mixed reactions from solons THE lead chairman of the House Quad Committee, which recently wrapped up its investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the previous administration, is not opposed to former President Rodrigo Duterte lawyering for Vice President Sara Duterte should impeachment complaints and other cases against her progress. Surigao Del Norte Rep. Robert “Ace”
GIFT-GIVER. Dressed as Santa Claus, Benjamin Addun, shares his blessings by giving ‘angpao’ to people yesterday outside
Barbers on Thursday pointed out that the younger Duterte is well within her rights to select a legal counsel in whom she feels confident. He was reacting to the Vice President’s statement that her father volunteered to be part of her legal team as “a collaborating counsel for all cases.” “Anyone facing trial, especially inNext page
DA TO REMOVE IMPORTED RICE LABELS THAT INFLATE PRICES BUSINESS / B1
the Quiapo Church in Manila. The 54-year old says he has given out cash gifts to strangers during Christmas. Norman Cruz
Household Veloso lawyer urges hastier pardon after release of ‘Bali 9’ convicts help to receive higher wages HOUSEHOLD workers in Metro Manila and Northern Mindanao will have higher salaries starting next month. The respective regional wage boards of the said areas have granted the salary increases, GMA News reported. The National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) has approved Wage Order No. NCR-DW-05 issued by Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) National Capital Region granting a P500 monthly increase for kasambahays across the region. “This will bring the sector’s monthly minimum wage to P7,000,” the Department of Labor and Employment, in a statement, said. The NWPC also affirmed the wage order issued by the RTWPB Region X, approving a P1,000 increase for kasambahays to bring their monthly minimum wage to P6,000. A P23 hike for the minimum wage in the non-agriculture sector, and P35 for the agriculture sector to be Next page
A LAWYER for the recently-repatriated Mary Jane Veloso said it is about time the Philippine government pardon her in view of Indonesian authorities’ decision to release five of the nine Australian drug convicts known as the “Bali 9” after 19 years of detention. “I don’t see any legal, political, or
moral impediment why the president can hold back,” Edre Olalia said in a television interview on Thursday. “The grant of clemency is not based on legal grounds. The grant of clemency, particularly absolute pardon, is based on humanitarian grounds, which is beyond the legal considerations. The
humanitarian consideration is overwhelming and will override any legal question,” he told ANC. Human rights groups have joined Veloso’s family in urging President Marcos to grant the Filipina absolute pardon, saying she was a victim of human trafficking and that she deserves to
be granted clemency due to humanitarian grounds. Olalia also said he was “quite confident that sooner than later” the President would grant executive clemency to his client, who has been detained for the last 14 years. Next page
PNP eyes online firecracker sellers; DOH on white code By Vince Lopez
PLAY TIME. Children blow bubbles in the playground of Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City where people flocked yesterday when the sun finally shows up after two days of unceasing rain. Jann Conrad Bonifacio
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is scouring possible social media sites and pages for individuals behind tutorials on how to make prohibited “boga” (homemade cannon) which were now proliferating on online media platforms. Two children firing a boga in front of their house in a posted CCTV video aired on a newscast from GMA 7. The children were then verbally scolded by a resident and later by responding barangay officials wherein the two confessed that they learned to make boga from a TikTok video. “We warned that all those who posted a Next page