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BUS LANE TO BE CLOSED AMID EDSA REHAB WORK NEWS | A3
‘GUERILLA’ POGOS MAY BE USED AS POLL TROLL FARMS NEWS | A2
TRUMP-ZELENSKYY SHOUTING MATCH SHOCKS WORLD LEADERS WORLD | A4
AILING POPE SUFFERS BREATHING ‘CRISIS’ BUT REMAINS ALERT WORLD | A4
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IN METR MANILAO
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 19 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES MARCH 2, 2025
SPIRITUAL RENEWAL. A child
joins her elders in prayers at a mosque in Barangay Tumana in Marikina City as the holy month of Ramadan begins today, Sunday. Joan Bondoc
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PNP CHIEF RELIEVES ANTI-KIDNAPPING HEAD OVER QUESTIONS ON CHINESE KIDNAP VICTIM RESCUE; SENATE WEIGHS IN
By Rex Espiritu
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HE head of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) was officially relieved of his position amid concerns over the operation to rescue a kidnapped Chinese victim earlier this week. The relief of PNP-AKG acting director Col. Elmer Ragay raised more questions over the rescue operation. In a statement, the PNP said the relief was ordered “following adverse news reports and viral social media discussions questioning the legitimacy of a recent rescue operation
involving a 14-year-old student from the British School Manila.” While not giving specifics, the PNP said key points under investigation include why the PNP-AKG did not lead the rescue operation, why no suspects were arrested, and the circumstances surrounding the victim’s recovery. The PNP, however, did not say
which police unit led the rescue operation. PNP chief Police General Rommel Marbil underscored the need for a comprehensive review to address public concerns and ensure transparency. “As public servants, we must be open to scrutiny and ensure that our actions reflect the highest standards of integrity. This review is meant to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident and reinforce public trust in the PNP,” he added. Marbil said the PNP would cooperate in the Senate investigation scheduled next week. “We respect the Senate’s authority to look into this matter and will extend our full cooperation in the
proceedings,” he said. The PNP chief assured the public that the investigation would be conducted thoroughly, holding accountable those responsible if any lapses are found while protecting the integrity of legitimate police operations. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said the kidnappers tried and failed to obtain a ransom, initially at $20 million before lowering it to $1 million. Remulla said at one point, the kidnappers sent the parents a video of the 14-year-old kidnap victim’s finger being severed before they were tracked down on Tuesday and pursued by police who homed in on their cell phone signal. Turn to Page 3
PROBE DONATIONS OF ALLEGED CHINESE SPIES TO POLICE, LGU — PNP By Charles Dantes and Itchie Cabayan THE Philippine National Police has ordered an investigation into the reported donations made by alleged Chinese spies to two police forces and a local government unit. “The chief PNP had already ordered the inquiry on that matter to get to the bottom of the issue and the circumstances of the donation,” PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said yesterday. Torre was asked to comment on an exclusive report by Reuters about Chinese nationals, accused of espionage, who as leaders of socio-civic groups made donations to the city of Tarlac and its police force as well as to the Manila Police District. “It is a possible cause for inquiry and investigation on the part of the police, especially on the internal mechanisms relating to donations from foreign entities,” Torre added. He said the report would trigger “closer scrutiny” of foreign socio-civic groups’ ac-
tivities in the country. “These activities will undergo closer scrutiny – that is natural and expected,” Torre said. He said the PNP continuously evaluates its allied groups, ensuring that scrutiny applies broadly and is not limited to Chinese organizations. “This is a continuous process because the PNP has many accredited groups. The scrutiny applies broadly and is not targeting Chinese organizations alone,” he said. For his part, Manila City administrator Bernardito Ang said the local government accepts donations that are duly endorsed by legitimate and reputable organizations. “Anybody or any organization that wants to donate is acceptable to the city government, most especially if they are coursed through reputable organizations like the Chinese federation. Most Chinese organizations course through their donations to the federation and it is not for us to confirm or vet when the federation already says everything is in order whenever they donate,” Ang said. Turn to Page 3
COLORFUL PARAW SAIL. A student artist paints vibrant
and intricate designs on the sail of a regatta boat on Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Sto. Niño Sur, Arevalo, Iloilo City. The beautifully crafted sail will adorn a boat that will compete in the 52nd Paraw Regatta Festival today (Sunday, March 2, 2025). Norman Cruz
HEADS WILL ROLL OVER ISABELA BRIDGE COLLAPSE—MARCOS By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will make sure that heads will roll if corruption played a part in the recent collapse of the newlyconstructed Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela province, Malacañang said on Saturday. “This is really going to be investigated,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a radio interview yesterday. “If there is any trace of corruption in what happened from 2014 when the construction started until now, they must really be held accountable and heads must roll. That’s the President’s answer... They should be sent to jail,” she added. While Castro said the collapse of the P1.2 billion bridge in Isabela was “not an ordinary case,” the government still needs to determine the real cause of the incident. She said it is within the local government unit’s mandate to assess the integrity of the entire structure of the bridge and coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways. The third span of the CabaganSta. Maria Bridge collapsed at about 8 p.m. on Thursday when a dump truck carrying boulders with an estimated gross vehicle weight of about 102 tons passed over the bridge. According to reports, six people on board four vehicles, including a child, were injured when the bridge collapsed. The construction of the bridge started in November 2014 and was completed on Feb. 1, 2025, with a total cost of P1.22 billion, including the bridge and approaches. The contractor of the bridge is R.D. Interior Junior Construction. “Further analysis on the cause of failure is still on-going,” DPWH Region 2 said. The regional office said it requested experts from the Bureau of Design and Bureau of Construction of the agency’s central office to “conduct further evaluation and assessment.”
PALACE ORDERS PCO EXECS TO SUBMIT COURTESY RESIGNATIONS
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND. Individuals
By Charles Dantes
gather and look into observatory telescopes as they try to catch a glimpse of a rare planetary alignment featuring the planets Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars at the UP National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development in Diliman, Quezon City. Jann Conrad Bonifacio
MALACAÑANG directed all presidential appointees in agencies, offices, and bureaus under the Presidential Communications Office to submit their courtesy resignations. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin issued the memo ordering incumbent appointees to tender “unqualified” courtesy resignations to the new PCO Secretary
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Jay Ruiz. Bersamin said Ruiz must have “a free hand in performing his duties and functions.” The directive applies to all presidential appointees under the PCO whose appointments are not permanent, as well as those in governmentowned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) attached to the PCO serving in an acting or holdover capacity. The memo also requires
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Ruiz to ensure that all affected personnel are informed of the directive and to closely monitor compliance. PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro previously said the President is still evaluating the performance of his Cabinet members, and no decision has yet been made on whether more officials need to be replaced. Earlier this week, the shakeup in the Department
of Transportation resulted in the replacement of five undersecretaries, two assistant secretaries, and one official in an acting capacity assigned to an attached agency. Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon swore into office the new senior executives days after asking officials under the previous DOTr leadership to tender their courtesy resignations. Turn to Page 3
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