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FIVE LOCAL NEW SRP BULLETIN ISSUED; PRICES OF 77 CONSUMER GOODS RISING HOLIDAYS IN OCT.
By Othel V. Campos NEWS / A3
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Thursday issued a new suggested retail price (SRP) bulletin, clearing the way for the implementation of varying price increases in a number of basic necessities and prime commodities WORLD (BNPCs)/ A6 This comes barely a day after government economists reported that
ISRAEL CONTINUES TO POUND HEZBOLLAH
headline inflation in January 2025 creases, 6 experienced price reducvarious categories, including canned and 3-in-1 coffee packs registered price was steady at 2.9 percent year-ontions, and 108 maintained stable prices. goods, beverages, and household items. hikes of P3 to P3.25 per SKU, while year, unchanged from the previous Additionally, 11 products underwent Canned sardines saw increases of condensed milk showed a P2.50 price month’s rate. size changes, with 9 items reducing in up to P4 per SKU, while corned beef hike for some brands, P4 per SKU for It can be recalled that the DTI’s size while increasing in price. and beef loaf experienced similar adcertain brands of evaporated milk, and last SRP bulletin was issued on JanuBudget bread manufacturers were justments. P5.25 maximum increase for powdered ary 12, 2024. granted a P2.25 increase for a 10-piece Next page Popular beverages like coffee refills milk. TheXXXVIII latest price covers 3 191SECTIONS bag of Pinoy Pandesal,•now priced at VOL. •bulletin NO. 227• 16 PAGES P20 •MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 • stock-keeping units (SKUs), down P27.25. Similarly, the price of Pinoy PRICES OF 77 ITEMS TO INCREASE from 217 in previous years. Tasty rose from P40 to P44 per loaf. Of these, 77 items saw price inPrice hikes were observed across
PNP resurrecting probe into PCSO official's slay VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 357• 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2025 •
PAGASA OTHER ITEMS WITH PRICE INCREASES
Gov’t readies P1.48b aid as 'Julian' strengthens
THE government has readied P1.48 billion worth of aid for communities that may be hit hard by typhoon ‘Julian’ which PAGASA says could turn into a supertyphoon. As of 5:00 PM on Sunday, PAGASA 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 in the cenBy Ram Superable, CharlesResponse DantesFund and(QRF) Maricel Cruz tral office of the DSWD. In Batanes, the Provincial DiHE earliest possible schedule the Senate to saster Risk for Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) advised act on the impeachment complaint against Vice secure their roofs and President Sara Duterteresidents willwindow betoon June 2,aswhen install shutters Typhoon Julian expected toelections. make landfall Congress resumes session after theis midterm
Impeachment trial vs. VP Sara to start in June—Escudero
Speaker grateful for PMA Class '83 vote of confidence in Quad Comm More lawmakers By Rio N. Araja want to endorse HE Philippine VP impeachment National Police
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(PNP)says is reopening • Marcos 'ayuda' its investigation into
couldn't have secured the 2020 murder of supermajority vote Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office By Maricel Cruz (PCSO) board secretary AT LEAST 25 more lawmakWesley Barayuga.
ers who were unable to attend Wednesday's at On Sunday,plenary PNP session Chief Police the House of Representatives General Rommel Francisco Marhave their bil saidsignified he ordered the intenreopening of tion cold to endorse the fourth the case after whistleblower complaint thatSantie led Mendoza to Police Lt. Col. told the House impeachment of the Quad Committee that he Vice President helped carry outSara the killing at the Duterte. behest of ex-PCSO general manager If the addtional Royina Garma. endorsers perMendozaarenarrated before conmitted, thishow will raise gressmen Garma allegedly fathe totalthe number cilitated PCSOofofficial’s roadside signatories from assassination on 215 July 30, 2020 by to 240, representing more information providing the necessary than 75 of the House about hispercent schedule, details about his membership. vehicle and the funding necessary to Atitleast carry out. 41 out of 60 Mindanao lawmakers backed the impeachThe whistleblower also implicated ment of Duterte, a report by the incumbent National Police ComPhilippine Edilberto Center forLeonardo Investigative missioner in the Journalism planning of showed. the murder. Davao del Sur John Tracy Barayuga wasRep. a retired police Cagas was only one of 11 general andthe lawyer whoout supposedly district representatives from the threatened to expose corruption withDavao region to endorse in the PCSO shortly before he was the imeachment rap. shot dead in Mandaluyong City. In the Bangsamoro Garma, herself an ex-police Lt. Autonomous Regiongained the top Colonel, allegedly in Muslim Mindanao, spot at the PCSO because of her inNext page
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May extend into the next Congress
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Senate President Francis Escudero said the Upper Chamcannot convene as an impeachment court while Congress A WEB OF CRIME? House leaders Aurelio Gonzales and David Suarez presented this matrix during the lastber QUAD Comm hearing which shows the operations of a criminal syndicate allegedly led by fugitive Michael Yang, theniseconomic on a break adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte, that controlled the illegal activities of the POGOs and was involved in the while drug a special session may be called during the And trade and extrajudicial killings. break, it cannot be to convene an impeachment court. MAKING A "That (call for special session) can happen. But the calling POINT. President of a special session, as far as I know, is not to convene an imFerdinand R. Marcos peachment court. As far as I know, the calling of a special sesJr. responds to a sion is for important things and bills that need to be passed," question during a Escudero said. press conference at the Presidential Studio Philippine government on “According to our THE Constitution, convening an impeachin Kalayaan Hall, Sunday called for the Unitis not covered bypublicly that provision related to the THE legal counsel of Chinese adviser of former President Rodrigo of illegal drugs and ment illegalcourt activities Malacañan Palace on ed Nations to give it a seat special session. it can’t (UN) be done because theonimbusinessman Tony Yang sought to Duterte. with POGOs,” Suarez said Legally, February 6,associated 2025. Revoli the UN Security Council, highlightpeachment court was not convened before Congress went on disparage lawmakers’ conclusions Fortun, a lawyer who often Cortez finds in a mixture of Filipino and English. ing the country’s strong record and break," he added. Next page about his client’s supposedly himself at the center high-profile The solons explained how the dedication to upholding the rule of sketchy past and his alleged ties cases, apparently sought to mock matrix details Yang’s connections to law. with Philippine Overseas Gaming congressmen, calling their probe other individuals involved in illicit Department of Foreign Affairs Operators (POGOs) and even “unacceptable.” activities, including the operations of (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo in organized crime. However, House members argued illegal POGOs. a speech delivered at the UN GenLawyer Raymond Fortun they did not come by their suspicions Among the companies implicated eral Assembly in New York said the questioned the House Quad about Yang recklessly. are Brickhartz Technology Inc. Philippines continues to emphasize Committee’s impartiality and its On Friday, Senior Deputy Speaker and Xionwei Technology Co. Ltd., the “importance of upholding the At a press briefing Thursday, PNP mission on Elections (Comelec) data. are under the orange category, while ability to pin Chinese national Yang Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga which are being linked to alleged / B1 of the rule of law BUSINESS and the integrity spokesperson General directorates are wait38 areas are under the red category, down for ay Brigadier wrongdoing in a Jean real and“Concerned Deputy Speaker David Suarez of kidnapping. multilateral system in the face of toFajardo court. said regional joint security ing for presented the reportsa matrix of the showing regional signifying the ascending likelihood criminal Quezon The two firms supposedly day’s global challenges.” control centers are due to submit joint security control centers, and of election-related violence. “I am very interested in how they Yang’s first appearance and his have connections with the Baofu Quoted by reports, Manalo also their assessment on possible flashthis will be the basis for the adding or The PNP is expected to focus its [Quad Comm members] can prove subsequent activities at the Quad Compound in Bamban, Tarlac, said: “The Philippines has consispoints ahead ofnetwork the midterm election subtracting from the 403 [hotspots],” resources on red where traced politithis criminal in court. In Comm hearing. which, in turn, canareas, be directly tently pursued peace, the sovereign in May. lawmakers act as both Fajardo toldareporters. rivalriesex-mayor are the hottest and the Congress, “We saw pattern, and we tracked tocal disgraced Alice Guo. equality of states, the rights and digShe said the identified areas are in Of the total number, 188 are unprobability of violence are highest. prosecutor and judge,” he said. it to the top of these corporations... During Friday’s Quad Comm nity of all persons.” NEWS / A3 theYang, list as of January 9, citing Comder the yellow category, 177 areas Next page 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 at least two businesses and business partners. Yang, a presidential economic main actors or players in the issue Next page Next page
Yang's lawyer mocks probers amid heated inquiry
DOTr’ s Bautista Marbil’s term extended; PNP evaluating 403 election hotspots says online news By Vince Lopez and Charles Dantes report ‘unfounded' THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is currently evaluating 403 election “areas of concern” to determine whether some places need to be added or stricken out of its list of potential hotspots.
PH lobbies UN for Security Council seat
DEC. JOBLESS RATE LOWEST IN 6 MOS.
GIBO ASKS YOUTH TO JOIN MILITARY
14.7-m out of 72 million ballots printed—Comelec
BAUTISTA
By Darwin Amojelar
Navy spokes debunks China claim of military exercises in Scarborough shoal By Rex Espiritu
THE Philippine Navy debunked on Sunday the recent announceTRANSPORTATION Secretary Jaime ment by China that it conducted Bautista denied an online news report military exercises off Bajo de claiming that Malacañang was angry Masinloc, also known as Scarborwith the increase in airport fees without ough Shoal, in the West Philipthe approval of the Cabinet members. pine Sea (WPS). “The Bilyonaryo article is maliChina reportedly made the ancious and unfounded,” Bautista said nouncement coinciding with the in a Viber message, referring to the fourth Multilateral Maritime Cowebsite that published the said story. operative Activity between the “Bilyonaryo is inconsistent,” he added. Philippines, Australia, Japan, Bilyonaryo reported online that New Zealand, and the United “Bautista and his long-time protege in States within Manila’s exclusive Philippine Airlines, Undersecretary for economic zone (EEZ) in the reAviation and Airports Bobby Lim, are waters of over the weekend. A person of the fuselage a Raytheon Beechcraft atPLANE the centerCRASH. of the storm after itstands was on topgional King Air 300 aircraft which crashed at a rice field in Philippine Ampatuan, Maguindanao province Navy Spokesperson yesterday, killing all four peopleNext on board on WPS A3). Philippine Emergency Alerts Rear Admiral Roy Vinpage (Storyfor
MORE than 14 million official ballots have been printed for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported Thursday. on the Comelec data,that a tocent Based Trinidad told reporters 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 any exercise, we have to understand that sometimes, China is doing this for their internal audience, right? For them not to look weak and embarrassed,” Trinidad said. Two Chinese warships were monitored at a distance ranging from eight to 14 nautical miles. One of these went up to 1,000 yards at the MMCA site but eventually went away. “It was not threatening, normal,” Defense Sec.just Gilbert Teodoroaccord-
tal of 14,747,766 or 20.45% of the 72 million ballot requirement have been printed as of Thursday, February 6. A total of 57,359,654 ballots have yet to be printed. The poll body resumed printing
the official ballots January 27, weeks after it was suspended after the Supreme Court (SC) issued temporary restraining orders against the disqualification of some aspirants. Next page
PH-US agree to reestablish deterrence in South China Sea
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By Rex Espiritu THE defense chiefs of the Philippines and the AWARD. Sy, Chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime Holdings, United StatesHans recently held a discussion on efwas honored by the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) with its Outstanding forts to reestablish deterrence in the South China Filipino Retailers President Award for his visionary leadership in retail development. Sea, following reports Chinese vessels of en(From left to right): PRA of Director and Director SM Retail Jorge T. Mendiola, PRA croaching on the Eco-ABC, Inc. (The Penshoppe Group) Vice President andPhilippine's President andExclusive COO of Golden, nomic (EEZ). Alice Zone T. Liu, SM Prime Holdings Chairman of the Executive Committee Hans T. Sy, In aPresident statement,and theChairman Pentagonofsaid that Philippine PRA Quorum International, Inc. (Toby’s Sports) Roberto S. Claudio, and PRA Director and President Sportshouse Int’l. Leisure, Inc.Hegseth and Nextofpage US Defense Sec. Pete proponent of PRA OFR President’s Award Mars C. Chua