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DINAGYANG SEND OFF. Over 7,300 law enforcement officers are briefed on their assignments to secure the Dinagyang Festival on Sunday at the Freedom Grandstand in Iloilo City. Held annually every fourth Sunday of January, the festival celebrates the devotion to the Santo Niño (Infant Jesus) and commemorates the arrival of Malay settlers in Panay Island. Iloilo City Mayor’s Office
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 342 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025
Pregnancy bill loses support 7 senators abandon SB 1979; substitute bill in the works
By Ram Superable
S
EVEN senators have withdrawn their support for Senate Bill No. 1979, also known as the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act, two days after President Marcos vowed to veto the measure if it is submitted for his signature in its current form. The seven include Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., Nancy Binay, Christopher “Bong” Go, Jinggoy Estrada, JV Ejercito, Cynthia Villar and Loren Legarda. This prompted Senator Risa Hontiveros to say that she would introduce a substitute bill for SB 1979 in response
to various concerns raised by different sectors regarding its provisions. “I understand their considerations in withdrawing support for the proposal that addresses the rise of teenage pregnancy in the country,” she said. “I have given much thought to the
Gender advocates call for SOGIE bill passage By Rachelle Tonelada US PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s wholesale repeal of Democrat-instituted diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) policies, and his declaration that there are only male and female genders, has sent ripples across the globe and prompted gender activists in the Philippines to call for a hasty enactment of a “gender-equitable” bill. Nathalie Africa-Verceles, former
Director of the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, specifically called for the enactment of the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression or Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) bill that remains pending in Congress. Africa-Verceles emphasized the urgency of these initiatives in light of Trump’s executive order repeal of DEI
programs in the US federal government, which she described as “illegal discrimination,” even as she acknowledged it was premature to conclude it would set a global trend. “While they undoubtedly represent a setback for SOGIESC equality and DEI efforts in the US, the response of other governments will largely depend on the strength of pro-LGBTQI Next page
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TUCP asks govt Speaker assures support for Pag-asa residents to aid Filipino ‘TNTs’in US By Maricel V. Cruz
By Rachelle Tonelada THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has called on the government to create an inter-agency body “to synchronize efforts among government agencies, civil society, and Filipino organizations in the United States.” “With nearly half a million undocumented Filipinos facing the potential threat of what could be the largest mass deportation in American history, the TUCP looks forward to working together with the Marcos Administration to consolidate efforts with urgency and dispatch to ensure the just transition of our kababayan,” TUCP Vice President Luis Corral said. US President Donald Trump has announced plans to “deport all immigrants” residing in the US ilNext page
SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez assured residents of frontline island of Pag-asa in the West Philippine Sea of the robust support of Congress in addressing their current challenges and improving their quality of life. House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairperson Pangasinan Rep. Rachel Arenas delivered the message of the Speaker to the island’s 230 residents, including military and uniformed personnel, during
their visit last January 16. The visit took place amid the tensions generated by the continued patrols by Chinese Coast Guard ships led by the “Monster” within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In his latest update yesterday, US maritime security expert Ray Powell reported “lots of action west of Luzon, deep within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.” He said that Philippine Coast Guard ships BRP Cabra & BRP Next page
EYEBALLING IN THE WPS. Philippine and Chinese coast guard ships eyeball each other near the contested Scarborough shoal inside the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone,
according to US maritime security expert Ray Powell. Inset shows House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairperson and Pangasinan Rep. Rachel Arenas distributing food and grocery goods to residents and uniformed personnel in Pag-asa island. Ray Powell’s X page, Ver Noveno
Alleged Chinese spy posed as businessman—AFP THE alleged Chinese spy arrested by authorities this week had been posing as a businessman to conceal his true intentions, a high-ranking military official said. “This Chinese national has been residing in the Philippines for over 10 years, married to a Filipina, and established businesses in the country,” said
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Margareth Padilla in an interview. “These businesses served as fronts to receive substantial funds for their illicit activities.” Padilla revealed that the individual utilized high-precision equipment for topographic mapping and 3D modeling to gath-
er data on military installations and critical infrastructure within the Philippines. “This equipment was used to map and survey critical infrastructures, strategic areas including police and military camps, ports, and even malls, airports, seaports, and the country’s communication and Next page
Comelec to resume printing of ballots on Saturday By Vito Barcelo
NEW LUNAR YEAR CHARMS. A shop owner shows off one of the Snake figurines
for sale at one of the oldest Chinese stores in Binondo, Manila, in preparation for the Year of the Wooden Snake on January 29. Norman Cruz.
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will resume the printing of 73 million ballots on Saturday after a weeklong delay due to the
Supreme Court’s (SC) issuance of Comelec George Garcia also deputemporary restraining orders (TROs) tized the National Printing Office to to include nine political aspirants fast-track the reprinting of ballots by previously declared as nuisance can- at least 1.5 million ballots daily. didates in the ballots for the 2025 At least six million printed ballots Next page midterm elections.