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PBBM resolute toward China but tightens security
FIVE LOCAL HOLIDAYS IN OCT. NEWS / A3
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MALACAÑANG said yesterday Claire Castro said in a press briefing. that President Marcos’ stance on On Wednesday, the Chinese state keeping the Typhon missile system media again called on the Philipin the country remains unchanged depines to withdraw the United States' spite China’s persistent demand that it Typhon intermediate range missile, be removed. claiming that the Philippines had re“The President’s position has not peatedly broken its promises by introchanged. He has conveyed to China ducing the missile system. his own set of demands. The PresiMr. Marcos previously said that VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 227• 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 • dent's stance remains the same,” he will pull out the Typhon missiles Palace Press Officer Undersecretary only if China will stop its aggressive TOYM 2024 AWARDEES. Congressman Sandro
ISRAEL CONTINUES TO POUND HEZBOLLAH WORLD / A6
behavior in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). "Let's make a deal with China: Stop claiming our territory, stop harassing our fishermen and let them have a living, stop ramming our boats, stop water cannoning our people, stop firing lasers at us, and stop your aggressive and coercive behavior, and I'll return the Typhon missiles," he challenged Beijing. Next page
PNP resurrecting probe into PCSO official's slay Major revamp: 8 senior T DOTr officials sworn in Marcos leads the awarding ceremony for the The Outstanding Young Men 2024 (TOYM) at the Malacanang Palace on February 27, 2025. Awardees include Jennica V. DizonMountford - Humanitarian Service, Zig Madamba Dulay, Arts and Culture (TV/Film), Billie Crystal Dumaliang - Environmental and Leadership and Community Development, Roscinto Ian C. Lumbres - Forestry Agriculture and Other Applid Science, Venazir L. Martinez - Arts and Culture, Gab Mejia - Arts and Culture, Pia Ranada - Journalism and Mass Communications, Dennis Umali - Veterinary Medicine, Andrew Brent Viray - Rural Medicine and Surgery and Pia Wurtzbach - Humanitarian Service and Social Work. PPA POOL
PAGASA
Gov’t readies P1.48b aid as 'Julian' strengthens
THE government has readied P1.48
billion worth of aid communiVOL. XXXIX • NO. 17 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28,for 2025 •
CHINA COAST Speaker grateful for PMA Class '83 vote of confidence in Quad Comm GUARD INTRUDES INTO WPS ANEW
By Rio N. Araja NEWS / A3
HE Philippine National Police (PNP) is reopening its investigation into the 2020 murder of Philippine Charity BUSINESS / B1 Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga.
ABS-CBN SELLS LOT TO AYALA FOR P6.2 B
'Extraordinary duty': Escudero says VP impeach trial to begin July 30
On Sunday, PNP Chief Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil said he ordered the reopening of the cold case after whistleblower Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza told the House Quad Committee that he helped carry out the killing at the behest of ex-PCSO general manager Royina Garma. By Ram Superable Mendoza narrated and Maricel Cruz before congressmen how Garma allegedly facilitated PCSO official’s roadside THE the impeachment assassination on July 30, 2020 by trial of Vice President providing the necessary Sara Duterte could information about schedule, details about his begin his on July 30, Senvehicle and theFrancis funding necessary to ate President carry it out.said, even Escudero whistleblower as The preparations for thealso implicated incumbent National proceeding are already Police Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo in the in full swing at the planning of the murder. Upper Chamber. Barayuga a retired police In a press was briefing general and lawyer who supposedly on Thursday, Escuthreatened to proposed expose corruption withdero said his in the PCSO shortly calendar will serve as a before he was shot Mandaluyong City. based guidedead but in may still be adjusted herself Lt. onGarma, deliberations andan the ex-police majority deciColonel, sion of hisallegedly colleagues.gained the top spot“This at theis PCSO because of her a proposed calendar of inacNext tivities and is not set in stone," he page said. Based on the proposed calendar, Next page
DOTr’s Bautista Copsonline tag driver says news in kidnapping report ‘unfounded'of
Chinese teen
By Charles Dantes THE driver of the 14-year old kidnap victim was confirmed to have been working with the abductors before he was found dead in Bulacan, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Thursday. Remulla confirmed that the body recovered in San Rafael, Bulacan, belonged to the driver of the victim. Next page BAUTISTA
By Darwin Amojelar
ties 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 milBylion Darwin whichG. canAmojelar be allotted as Quick Response Fund (QRF) in the central office the DSWD. HEofshakeup in In Batanes, the Provincial Disaster the Risk Department Reduction and Management of Office (PDRRMO) advised Transportation residents to secure their roofs and resulted in theshutters replacement install window as Typhoon is expected to make landfall of Julian five undersecretaries, two
Dizon creates 'flagship office' to hasten transport projects • Shakeup also looms
at PCO, other agencies
T
A WEB OF CRIME? House leaders Aurelio Gonzales and David Suarez presented this matrix during the last QUAD Comm hearing which shows the operations of a criminal syndicate allegedly led by fugitive Michael Yang, then economic adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte, that controlled the illegal activities of the POGOs and was involved in the drug trade and extrajudicial killings.
Next page assistant secretaries, and one official in an acting capacity assigned to an attached agency.
PH lobbies UN for Security Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon swore into office the new senior executives asking officialsseat under the previYang's lawyer mocks probers amid heated inquiry days afterCouncil Mock set up of the Senate THEsession legalhallcounsel of Chinese for an impeachment businessman Tony Yang sought to trial. Office of the disparage lawmakers’ conclusions Senate about hisPresident client’s supposedly
sketchy past and his alleged ties with Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators (POGOs) and even organized crime. Lawyer Raymond Fortun questioned the House Quad Committee’s impartiality and its ability to pin Chinese national Yang down for ay wrongdoing in a real criminal court. “I am very interested in how they [Quad Comm members] can prove this criminal network in court. In Congress, lawmakers act as both prosecutor and judge,” he said. Yang, who already admitted having a fake Philippine birth certificate, is the brother of Michael Yang, a presidential economic
adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Fortun, a lawyer who often finds himself at the center high-profile cases, apparently sought to mock congressmen, calling their probe “unacceptable.” However, House members argued they did not come by their suspicions about Yang recklessly. On Friday, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga and Deputy Speaker David Suarez of Quezon presented a matrix showing Yang’s first appearance and his subsequent activities at the Quad Comm hearing. “We saw a pattern, and we tracked it to the top of these corporations... we stripped it of its layers , to get to the top and through it all, we have discovered and identified at least two main actors or players in the issue
Navy spokes debunks China claim of military exercises in Scarborough shoal By Rex Espiritu
cent Trinidad told reporters that Manila troops did not monitor any such activity, adding that Beijing’s statement was meant only for its internal The media audience. reports said the cou“Our did their not dog. observe ple diedtroops along with any exercise, have underHackman, we who wasto 95, was stand that sometimes, China once voted as likely to flop isin doing this for their internal audishowbiz but instead went on to ence, right? For them not to look win and two Oscar awards. Trinidad weak embarrassed,” He is perhaps best known for said. his portrayal of the tough andwere vulTwo Chinese warships gar New York cop Jimmy "Popmonitored at a distance ranging eye"eight Doyle 1971 miles. crime from to in 14 the nautical One of these went upConnection" to 1,000 thriller "The French yards at which the MMCA site even— for he won anbut Oscar for tually went away. “It was not best actor. threatening, normal,” accordArakawajust was a 63-year-old Next page classical pianist. AFP
ous DOTr leadership to tender their courtesyTHE resignations. Philippine government on The new officials follows Sunday publicly calledare for as the Unitof illegal drugs and illegal activities Giovanni Lopez as undersecretary ed Nations (UN) to give it a seat onfor associated with POGOs,” Suarez said Administration, Finance and Procurethe UN Security Council, highlightin a mixture of Filipino and English. Jesus Gonzales); Mark ing(replacing the country’s strong record and The solons explained how the ment Pastor to as undersecretary for Road dedication upholding the rule of matrix details Yang’s connections to Steven Transport and Infrastructure (replacing law. other individuals involved in illicit Next page Department of Foreign Affairs activities, including the operations of (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo in illegal POGOs. a speech delivered at the UN GenAmong the companies implicated eral Assembly in New York said the are Brickhartz Technology Inc. Philippines continues to emphasize and Xionwei Technology Co. Ltd., the “importance of upholding the which are being linked to alleged rule of law and the integrity of the kidnapping. multilateral system in the face of toThe two firms supposedly day’s global challenges.” have connections with the Baofu Quoted by reports, Manalo also Compound in Bamban, Tarlac, said: “The Philippines has consiswhich, in turn, can be directly traced tently pursued peace, the sovereign to disgraced ex-mayor Alice Guo. of states, the rights and digDuring Friday’s Quad Comm Byequality Charles Dantes nity of all persons.” hearing, lawmakers cited Tony Yang He added thatonthe countrysaid is also in contempt for “lying” to about his MALACAÑANG Thursday Presrecognized as the “first Asian businesses and business partners. ident Ferdinand "Bongbong" MarcosReJr. is not taking political attacks from his critics Next page Next page sitting down, as evidenced by his spirited speeches during recent political rallies. Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said that while the public expects Mr. Marcos to be more subdued and issue-based, he occasionally needs to respond to political jabs to assert his leadership. Next page
Usually-cool PBBM can get tough if needed—Palace
Actor Gene Hackman, wife, dog found dead
THE Philippine Navy debunked on Sunday the recent announceTRANSPORTATION Secretary Jaime OSCAR-WINNING US actor ment by China that it conducted Bautista denied an online news report Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy military exercises off Bajo de claiming that Malacañang was angry Masinloc, also known as ScarborArakawa have been found dead with the increase in airport fees without ough Shoal, the in West inside theirinhome NewPhilipMexico, the approval of the Cabinet members. pinemedia Sea (WPS). “The Bilyonaryo article is malioutlets reported on ThursChina cious and unfounded,” Bautista said day. reportedly made the announcement coinciding with Adan the in a Viber message, referring to the Santa Fe County Sheriff fourth Multilateral Maritime Cowebsite that published the said story. Mendoza said the couple were operative Activity between the “Bilyonaryo is inconsistent,” he added. found dead Australia, on Wednesday afterPhilippines, Japan, Bilyonaryo reported online that IN MEMORIAM. File photo shows US New noon, adding that there was Zealand, and the Unitedno “Bautista and his long-time protege in actor Gene Hackman (2nd from left) with wife immediate foul play, States within indication Manila’s of exclusive Philippine Airlines, for Betsy Arakawa (L) andUndersecretary fellow actor Dustin according to the Santa Fe reNew economic zone (EEZ) in the Aviation AirportsaBobby Lim, are Hoffman and (C) watching basketball game Mexican, Variety and Sky News. gional waters over the weekend. atbetween the center of theHeat storm was the Miami andafter NewitOrleans Philippine MendozaNavy did Spokesperson not provide a Hornets at New Orleans Arena on November for cause WPS of Rear Admiral Roy VinNext page 2, 2002 in New Orleans, Louisiana. AFP death.
AWARD. Hans Sy, Chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime Holdings, was honored by the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) with its Outstanding Filipino Retailers President Award for his visionary leadership in retail development. (From left to right): PRA Director and Director of SM Retail Jorge T. Mendiola, PRA HIGHEST AMOUNT EVER. Pag-IBIG Fund declared the highest-ever Vice President and President and COO of Golden, ABC, Inc. (The Penshoppe Group) amount of dividends for its members’ savings at the Chairman’s Report 2024 held Alice T. Liu, SM Prime Holdings Chairman of the Executive Committee Hans T. Sy, Thursday at the Philippine International Convention Center. The Fund reported PRA President and Chairman of Quorum International, Inc. (Toby’s Sports) Roberto P55.65 billion in total dividends, marking the largest payout in the agency’s 44-year S. Claudio, and PRA Director and President of Sportshouse Int’l. Leisure, Inc. and history. proponent of PRA OFR President’s Award Mars C. Chua