MARCOS RALLIES VOTERS: FIGHT ‘RETURN TO DARKNESS’ LAMENTS HOW OTHER SLATE’S LEADER THINKS KILLING THE ONLY SOLUTION
By Charles Dantes and Maricel Cruz
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VOL. XXXIX • NO. 5 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES FEBRUARY 16, 2025
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‘ALYANSA’ IN DAVAO. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. show his full support for the administration’s senatorial candidates at the ‘Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas’ rally in Carmen, Davao del Norte on February 15, 2025.
Speaking at the “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” campaign rally in Davao del Norte, Mr. Marcos framed the upcoming elections as a pivotal moment for the country’s future. He also indirectly responded to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks suggesting that incumbent senators should be killed to make way for PDP senatorial bets. “We see the other party... they seem unnerved, maybe even afraid because when they see the Alyansa lineup, they start saying all sorts of things,” he said. “We just heard the other day that they said there’s no hope—maybe because they have no hope (of winning) themselves – so they would rather eliminate 15 senators. Then again, it’s troubling that some people think the only solution to all problems is to kill more Filipinos. It’s puzzling why they think that way.” “This election is crucial. You must choose whether we move forward or return to a time of fear and uncertainty,” President Marcos added.
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RESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday rallied support for his Senate slate, urging Filipinos to reject what he described as an attempt by some to “return to darkness” and instead choose leaders who will bring progress, compassion and unity.
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During last Thursday’s PDP proclamation rally, Duterte said: “Patayin natin ‘yung mga senador ngayon para mabakante. Kung makapatay tayo ng mga kinse na senador, pasok na tayong lahat. (Let’s kill the senators now to have vacant seats. If we can eliminate 15 senators, we can all get in.) Talking of opportunities, the only way to do it to blow them all up.” Earlier this week, Mr. Marcos kicked off his senatorial bets’ campaign by assuring voters that his candidates “do not have blood on their hands” from the previous administration’s bloody war on drugs. “Look at the record of our candidates. None of them have blood on their hands because of Tokhang (drug war). None of them were involved in pocketing sacks of money, exploiting the pandemic crisis, or abandoning our people to sickness and death,” the President said. Mr. Marcos added that none of his candidates are pro-China nor have they coddled criminals involved in
illegal POGO activities. “We are at a crossroads as a free nation. Do we want to return to a time when our leaders wanted us to become a province of China? Do we want to go back to the days when our country was turned into a gambling den for foreigners?” he said. “There is no one among our candidates who applauds China and is pleased when we are bombarded with water, when our Coast Guard is hit, when our fishermen are blocked, their catch stolen, and our islands seized,” Mr. Marcos added. At the House, Assistant Majority Leader and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon on Saturday urged Filipinos to stand firm against “proChina candidates” in the May 12 elections and rally behind Team Pilipinas, which he said is the senatorial ticket of the Marcos administration. “This is no ordinary election. It is a fight for the future of our country, We can either elect leaders who will defend our sovereignty and push for real reforms, or we let pro-China
politicians regain power and sell our nation’s interests once again,” Bongalon said. He said the Alyansa Team Pilipinas is committed to defending Philippine sovereignty, lowering the cost of living, and ensuring real economic progress. In contrast, he said Team China, referring to the Duterte-aligned candidates, has a long track record of appeasing Beijing, ignoring the plight of Filipino fishermen, and weakening national institutions. “These pro-China politicians let Beijing trample on our rights in the West Philippine Sea. They made excuses for Chinese aggression and questioned our own legal victory in The Hague. Why should we allow them back into power?” Bongalon said. “They talk about patriotism, but their actions show otherwise. They welcomed China’s interference, they pushed for lopsided projects, and they even threatened our institutions when it suited them,” he added.
PH, US VOW TO ADDRESS CHINA’S ‘DESTABILIZING’ ACTS By Rachelle Tonelada and Rex Espiritu
SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio discuss ongoing bilateral cooperation between Manila and Washington, including addressing Beijing’s ‘destabilizing actions in the South China Sea.’
ADDRESSING Beijing’s “destabilizing actions” in the South China Sea and increasing economic cooperation topped the agenda of the meeting between Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Germany on Friday. During the meeting, held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), Rubio reaffirmed the US commitment to its alliance with the Philippines, expressing eagerness to build “an even more invested and enduring relationship.” “Had the opportunity to meet with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Secretary Manalo dur-
ing the Munich Security Conference. We discussed how we can strengthen the US-Philippine Alliance to address China’s destabilizing actions in the South China Sea and increase the economic prosperity of our citizens,” Rubio said in a statement on X. Manalo, meanwhile, said Manila is committed to working with the US “to further strengthen economic and security ties.” “A great first in-person meeting with Secretary Rubio at (MSC 2025). A strong and committed Philippine-US partnership in various areas will contribute to a more robust alliance,” Manalo posted on the same platform. The US State Department said the two officials also discussed economic cooperation on infrastruc-
ture, critical minerals, information technology, and energy, including civil nuclear cooperation. Manalo previously said Manila hopes to clarify what assistance in the Philippines would be affected by the US foreign aid freeze but did not indicate if he raised the matter during his talk with Rubio. The Office of Civil Defense already ordered an inventory of all related initiatives and projects that might be affected by the US foreign aid freeze. The order came after US President Donald Trump temporarily suspended all the country’s foreign assistance programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they align with his administration’s policy goals.
By Maricel V. Cruz THE local government of Quezon City on Saturday declared a dengue outbreak, citing a continuing surge in cases in the city. “Our declaration of a dengue outbreak ensures that we are on top of the situation, and we are doing everything we can to protect our residents from this deadly disease, especially our children,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said. From January 1 to February 14, the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (CESD) of the city’s health department recorded 1,769 dengue cases, nearly 200 percent higher than last year’s 609 cases. A total of 58 percent of the reported cases involved schoolaged children (5 to 17 years old), while 44 percent are children ages 1 to 10. Meanwhile, 10 Quezon City residents, including eight minors, passed away from the disease. “Children comprise most of the victims of this deadly disease. This is why I call on my fellow parents to cooperate with us in protecting our children against dengue. Let us be alert on how our children are feeling and lead clean-up drives in our communities,” Belmonte said in Filipino. All 66 Quezon City health centers will be open during the weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate all possible dengue patients, especially as a primary solution to address late diagnosis. The city’s health centers and hospitals also provided free dengue test kits and established fever express lanes as a swift response to the dengue symptom.
1,769 Dengue cases from Jan. 1 to Feb. 14, 2025
609 Dengue cases from Jan. 1 to Feb. 14, 2024
8 minors Out of 10 fatalities from Jan. 1 to Feb. 14, 2025
EX-PCGG LAWYER ASKS SC TO DIRECT SENATE TO START VP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL EVEN WHILE CONGRESS ON BREAK By Pot Chavez, Rolando Ng III and Maricel Cruz A PETITION for mandamus was filed before the Supreme Court seeking to compel the Senate to begin the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) special
counsel Catalino Generillo Jr. filed the petition, with Senate President Francis Escudero as the named respondent. “The honorable members of the Senate, individually or collectively, are not suffering from any kind of disability, physical or mental, that prevents them from constituting themselves into an impeachment court,” Generillo’s petition read.
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In the mandamus petition, Generillo also interpreted “forthwith” by citing the Oxford definition of “immediately” and “without delay.” It also cited the need to resolve the Constitutional issue while noting the weight of the proceedings. “There are constitutional issues in the petition which deserve the attention of
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this Court in view of their seriousness, novelty and weight as precedents.” “The Constitution does not allow the Senate to procrastinate during the period it is on recess whether it shall constitute itself into an impeachment court and try the Vice President,” the petition added. As this developed, a member of the House prosecution panel appealed to
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the Senate to start working on the impeachment trial, noting that delaying the proceedings would only serve to deny justice. “The sooner we start the impeachment trial, the better. The Senate has been criticized already. We should have started the impeachment now,” Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor said.
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