manilastandard.net
@ManilaStandardPH
@mnlstandardph
@manilastandard
@ManilaStandardYT
Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net . For advertisement: email: advertise@manilastandard.net • 09173382170 / 85646229
Warm season won’t reach El Niño heat level; Water shortage unlikely By Rex Espiritu, Maricel Cruz, Rio El Nino, the state weather bureau PAGASA said yesterday. Araja and Charles Dantes But as temperatures continued to sizTHE warm and dry season this year zle yesterday, the Department of Labor will not reach record-breaking temper- and Employment on Tuesday urged Next page atures logged during last year’s strong
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 22 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025
CBCP arm: Start impeach trial Caritas PH says delays ‘weaken democratic institutions, erode public trust’ By Vito Barcelo and Maricel Cruz
C
ARITAS Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, added its voice to the growing push for the Senate to initiate the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte as soon as possible.
Caritas Philippines called on Senate President Francis Escudero and the Upper Chambrt to commence the trial promptly, rather than postponing it until the end of July after the President’s State of the Nation Address. “Once an impeachment complaint is filed, government institutions must act swiftly and decisively,” said Cari-
tas Philippines president Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan. “Delays and hesitations in the process only weaken our democratic institutions and erode public trust in governance,” he said. The group noted that the impeachment serves as a judicial process to Next page
ACTRESS JACLYN JOSE HONORED IN OSCARS TRIBUTE SHOWBIZ / C2
LENTEN ASH.
Father Jerry Habunal, parochial vicar of the Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Las Piñas, leads the burning of palm fronds or “palaspas” whose residue will be used to mark Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten Season. Norman Cruz
ARMY GENERAL IS NEW PSC COMMANDER NEWS / A2
TARLAC PNP DID NOT GET CHINESE DONATIONS NEWS / A2
Comelec rejects petition to disqualify Tulfo clan By Vito Barcelo and Marical V. Cruz ning in the midterm election in May. THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) dismissed a petition to disqualify brothers and senatorial bets Erwin and Ben Tulfo, and three other relatives eyeing congressional seats, from run-
On Tuesday, the poll body said that the petitioner did not include the candidates’ certificates of candidacy (COC), as mandated by Comelec Resolution 11046 for “accurately verifying the claims made in the petition.”
Due to this shortcoming, Comelec rejected the petition, stating it was “insufficient in form.” “Upon scrutiny of the submitted petition and its attachments, it appears that the petitioner failed to provide the copies Next page
MISSING. File photo shows an FA-50PH fighter jet landing at RAAF Base, Darwin Australia for the Pitch Black 2024 drills. 5th Fighter Wing
Ruiz divesting from political consultancy firm amid scrutiny PRESIDENTIAL Communications Office (PCO) Acting Secretary Jay Ruiz yesterday admitted that he still owns a political management company but is in the process of divesting his interests in the firm. “What they were saying was that I own Digital 8, but I don’t own that. I have another company that will divest from it. It’s a political management firm and there may be conflict of interest involved that’s why I will divest (from that company),” he said during his first formal press briefing with Malacañang-based reporters on Tuesday.
Ruiz also confirmed he owns restaurants and an ice cream house, businesses he established when he was still working as a broadcast journalist. On Tuesday, the new PCO chief said the personal attacks leveled against him are not only tainting his reputation but are putting his family’s safety at risk adding that he had requested security due to safety concerns. Ruiz said he suspects that the spate of attacks against him may be connected to the ongoing revamp in his office. “I don’t know the reason behind this, Next page
PAF fighter goes missing while fighting Reds A PHILIPPINE Air Force (PAF) FA- bels in the southern Mindanao region, ing “over land” on the way to its tar50 fighter jet and its two-man crew a military official said Tuesday. get area when it went missing during a are missing after flying in support of Air Force spokeswoman Colonel “tactical night operation in support of Next page ground forces fighting communist re- Consuelo Castillo said the jet was fly-
Chinese couple ‘financing’ illegal POGOs nabbed By Charles Dantes and Vince Lopez
• Ragay reinstated as PNP-AKG head
of Immigration (BI) said yesterday. Authorities identified the suspect as Wang Zhuoyu, who was apprehended A CHINESE couple accused of financing multi million-peso illegal (POGO) operations have been arrest- in his apartment in Pasay City during Next page Philippine offshore gaming operator ed in separate operations, the Bureau
FIRE DRILL. Firemen of the Bureau of Fire Protection kick off Fire Prevention Month yesterday by demonstrating how to put out a fire during a fire drill and seminar at C5 Extension, Las Piñas City.