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DA CHIEF DECLARES FOOD SECURITY EMERGENCY
NEWS / A2
Comelec allows warrantless arrest against poll violators THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has authorized warrantless arrest for vote-buying, vote-selling and abuse of state resources (ASR) incidents during an electoral exercise. According to Comelec Resolution
11104: “Any law enforcement officer may, without a warrant, arrest a person when, in his or her presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit Next page
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 354 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2025
House to move forward with VP impeach raps Vice President Sara Duterte
PBBM won’t interfere with proceedings—Bersamin By Maricel V. Cruz and Charles Dantes
T
HE three impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte will finally move at the House of Representatives as these are set to be transmitted to the Office of the Speaker “this week,” House secretary-general Reginald Velasco said. “(They’re) still with me, but we have to act on these this week. We will act on it this week…This week is the deadline we have set (for the transmittal),” Velasco said. The Palace, for its part, said it will not interfere with the proceedings at the House, rejecting the claim of Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas that the President was a “cause of delay” in the impeachment of Duterte. Next page
INTEL-SECURITY FORUM. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez delivers his message during the opening of the Parliamentary IntelligenceSecurity Forum (PI-SF) 2025 at the People’s Center in the House of Representatives yesterday morning. With him is PI-SF Chairperson, former US Congressman Robert Pittenger. In his keynote address, Speaker Romualdez called for stronger regional cooperation, economic resilience and responsible technology governance to address security and economic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. Ver Noveno
Speaker seeks stronger regional cooperation amid threats By Maricel V. Cruz CHINA’S growing global influence and aggressive expansionism were condemned by American and Filipino lawmakers at the 27th Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum (PI-SF) held yesterday in Manila.
In his opening remarks, House Speaker Martin Romualdez called for stronger regional cooperation, economic resilience and responsible technology governance to address security and economic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. He pointed out that geopolitical tensions, economic vulnerabilities and technological disrup-
tions in the region require a coordinated global response. “We gather at a critical moment when the Indo-Pacific—home to 4.7 billion people, or 60% of the global population, and a driving force of global trade and innovation—is both a region of Next page
PCCI, ECOP urge solons to rethink wage hike twice about legislating a P200 per day pay hike, saying the bill’s passage will cause inflation to surge further, and MAJOR business groups appealed to urging lawmakers to leave wage dethe House of Representatives to think terminations to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RT-
By Othel V. Campos and Maricel V. Cruz
Meteor Garden star dies at 48 TAIWANESE star Barbie Hsu, who was hugely popular across Asia for her leading role in the 2001 television drama “Meteor Garden,” has died from a respiratory illness, local media reported Monday. She was 48. Hsu passed away after developing pneumonia during a family trip to Japan over the Lunar New Year holiday, the younger of her two sisters was quoted as saying. “My dearest and kindest sister Barbie Hsu sadly left us due to influenza complications that led to pneumonia,” the younger Hsu said in a statement shared by her agent and reported by the semi-official Next page
Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu AFP
WPBs). “We view the legislation of a national minimum wage hike with significant concern,” said Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Presi-
‘Marcos budget veto highest in history’ By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “directly vetoed the largest amount of appropriations in history,” a Palace official said, rejecting criticisms from Catholic leaders that the 2025 spending plan had questionable insertions and allocations. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the President purged this year’s national budget of unnecessary items and aligned it with national priorities. “What should be remembered is that the President Next page
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. AFP
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Private school group exits NTF-ELCAC By Rex Espiritu THE Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) announced its departure from the NTF-ELCAC executive committee (execom) on Sunday, citing its intention to preserve academic freedom among its student communities. In a letter dated January 30, COCOPEA said it has formally asked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to withdraw its membership from the government’s anti-insurgency task force. According to COCOPEA, the council remains steadfast in its role as an “independent” non-government organization that represents the interests and concerns of the
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LOVE FOR LOS ANGELES, POLITICAL QUIPS AT GRAMMYS NEWS / A2