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Vatican readies for simple, high-stakes papal funeral FIVE LOCAL HOLIDAYS IN OCT. NEWS / A3
ISRAEL CONTINUES TO POUND HEZBOLLAH WORLD / A6
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 227• 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 •
Marcos, world leaders to pay last respects to Pope Francis today
PNP resurrecting probe T into PCSO official's slay By Charles Dantes and Vito Barcelo
HE Vatican made final preparations Friday for Pope Francis' funeral today (Saturday) as the last of the huge crowds of mourners filed through St Peter's Basilica to view his open coffin.
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 70 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2025 •
Speaker grateful for PMA Class '83 vote of confidence in Quad Comm
Over 150,000 people have already paid their last respects to Francis, whose coffin be closed at 8:00 pm By Rio N. will Araja (1800 GMT; 2 a.m. Saturday, Manila time) in a ceremony attended by senior cardinals. HE Philippine At least 130 foreign delegations National Police have confirmed their attendance at the (PNP) is reopening late pontiff's funeral, including around its investigation 50 heads of state and 10 into reigning monarchs, the Vatican said. of theThe 2020 murder high-level attendees include two Philippine Charity Ferdinand Asian leaders—President Marcos Jr., joined by First Lady Liza Sweepstakes Office Marcos, and Indian President Droupadi (PCSO) board secretary Murmu. After theBarayuga. funeral, Francis' coffin will Wesley be driven at a walking pace to be buried at his church, baOnfavorite Sunday, PNPRome's Chiefpapal Police silica of Santa Maria Maggiore. General Rommel Francisco Marwill pass down Rome's bil The said hearse he ordered the reopening of Fori cold Imperiali—where city's ancient the case after the whistleblower templesLt. lie—and past the Colosseum, Police Col. Santie Mendoza told according to officials. the House Quad Committee that he Big screens will the be set up along the helped carry out killing at the route onofwhich to watch the ceremony, behest ex-PCSO general manager Interior Garma. Minister Matteo Piantedosi Royina said. Mendoza narrated before conFrancis how was aGarma champion of undergressmen allegedly fadogs, andthe a group "poor and needy" cilitated PCSOofofficial’s roadside will be at Santaon Maria to welassassination JulyMaggiore 30, 2020 by come the coffin, the Vatican said. providing the necessary information Francis will be details interred in his the about his schedule, about ground, and his simple tomb necessary marked with vehicle the funding to just one word: Franciscus. carry it out. People will be able to visit the tomb The whistleblower also implicated from SundayNational morning, as all eyes turn incumbent Police Comto the process of choosing Francis' missioner Edilberto Leonardo in sucthe cessor. of the murder. planning ‘Novendiales’ Barayuga was a schedule retired police The Vatican has set the supposedly “Novendiageneral and lawyer who les” Massestoorexpose nine days of mourning threatened corruption withthatthe will start today will conclude in PCSO shortlyandbefore he was on May 4. in Mandaluyong City. shot dead Next page Garma, herself an ex-police Lt. Colonel, allegedly gained the top spot at the PCSO because of her in-
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DOTr’s Bautista says online news report‘unfounded'
THE
Commission on Elections BAUTISTA
By Darwin Amojelar TRANSPORTATION Secretary Jaime Bautista denied an online news report claiming that Malacañang was angry with the increase in airport fees without the approval of the Cabinet members. “The Bilyonaryo article is malicious and unfounded,” Bautista said in a Viber message, referring to the website that published the said story. “Bilyonaryo is inconsistent,” he added. Bilyonaryo reported online that “Bautista and his long-time protege in Philippine Airlines, Undersecretary for Aviation and Airports Bobby Lim, are at the center of the storm after it was Next page
NEWS / A2 PAGASA
Gov’t readies P1.48b aid as 'HIGHER Julian' strengthens FUEL PRICES NEXT WEEK—DOE
THE government has readied P1.48 billion worth of aid for communities that may be hit hard by typhoon NEWS / A3 ‘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 THE datetrend wheninCatholic cardinals will current its intensification, gather to select Pope Francis's succesthe possibility of reaching super sor is not category yet known. typhoon is But not bookmakers ruled out,” and crypto said investors already scramPAGASA in itsare advisory. bling to guess who will be the next Meanwhile, the National Disaspontiff. ter Risk Reduction and ManageJustCouncil days after Francis diedsaid on Monment (NDRRMC) that speculation who would succeed aday, total of 1.9 on million family food him is already of the most popupacks worth "one P1.48 billion, other lar betting in 2025," FairPlay food itemsmarkets worth P276 million, and Sports Media, provides non-food itemswhich (NFIs) worth sports P919 betting insights, told Agence France million were already prepared by page Presse (AFP). the Department of Social Next 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 Response Fund (QRF) in the central office of the DSWD. In Batanes, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) advised residents to secure their roofs and By Maricel Cruz as Typhoon install windowV. shutters Julian is expected to make landfall HOUSE Speaker Martin Romualdez page yesterday said that Congress isNext prepared to allocate future funding for the Marcos administration’s rice subsidy program to make it sustainable into the coming year and possibly serve as an alternative to direct cash transfers or “ayuda.” His remarks came even as the Commission on Elections (Comelec)
Bookmakers list Cardinal Tagle as No.2 Papabili
Speaker supports enduring, nationwide rice subsidies
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.
Yang's lawyer mocks probers amid heated inquiry THE legal counsel of Chinese businessman Tony Yang sought to disparage lawmakers’ conclusions about his 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
Comelec orders nearly 100 bets to explain lapses By Vito Barcelo and Rio N. Araja
PBBM FORMS TASK FORCE KANLAON
of illegal drugs and illegal activities associated with POGOs,” Suarez said in a mixture of Filipino and English. The solons explained how the RESTING PLACE matrix details Yang’s .connections to The place of Pope Francis otherburial individuals involved in illicit is all ready for today's funeral activities, including the operations of which will be attended by a swarm illegal POGOs. of world leaders and attended Among the companies implicated by millions expected to pack the are Brickhartz Technology Inc. Vatican and online worldwide. and Pope Xionwei Co. The will beTechnology laid to rest in theLtd., which are to alleged Basilica of St.being Mary linked Major, outside of the Vatican, in Esquiline Hill kidnapping. which where slaves the Thewas two firms and supposedly poor buried during have were connections with Roman the Baofu times. Photo below shows papabili, Compound in Bamban, Tarlac, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, which, in turn, can be directly traced leading the faithful in the recitation to the disgraced Alice Guo. of Rosaryex-mayor for the soul of Pope During Friday’s Quad Comm Francis at the Basilica of St Mary hearing, lawmakers Major. Vatican News cited Tony Yang in contempt for “lying” to about his businesses and business partners. Next page
PH lobbies UN for Security Council seat
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THE Philippine government on Sunday publicly called for the United Nations (UN) to give it a seat on the UN Security Council, highlighting the country’s strong record and dedication to upholding the rule of law. Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo in a speech delivered at the UN General New YorkRex said the By Assembly CharlesinDantes, Philippines continues to emphasize Espiritu and Maricel V. Cruz the “importance of upholding the rule of law andMarcos the integrity of thefor PRESIDENT has called multilateral in the into face possible of toa thorough system investigation day’s global challenges.” Chinese interference in the country’s Quoted midterm by reports, ManaloMalacaalso upcoming elections, said: “The Philippines has consisñang announced yesterday. tently the sovereign In pursued a mediapeace, briefing, Presidential equality of states, the rights andUnderdigCommunications Office (PCO) nity of all persons.” secretary Claire Castro said, "This is He added that the country Next is also page recognized as the “first Asian Re-
Marcos orders probe on outside poll interference
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Navy spokes debunks China claim of military exercises in Scarborough shoal
(Comelec) said yesterday it has issued nearly 100 show cause orders (SCO) to political candidates running for local and national seats in connection with alleged violations of election laws. ByPoll Rex bodyEspiritu chairman George Garcia said most of the candidates issued THE Navyofdebunked SCOs Philippine are being accused vote-buyon Sunday the recent announcement by China that it conducted military exercises off Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). reportedly made the anBy China Rachelle Tonelada nouncement coinciding with the MARITIME security Maritime and defense fourth Multilateral Cocooperation take center stage the as operative will Activity between Japanese Prime Minister ShigeruJapan, IshiPhilippines, Australia, ba visitsZealand, Manila from to 30 New andApril the 29United for his first bilateral trip to the PhilipStates within Manila’s exclusive pines since assuming office in Sepeconomic zone (EEZ) in the regionaltember waters2024. over the weekend. Japanese to Philippine Navy Ambassador Spokesperson Philippines Kafor WPSthe Rear Admiral Endo Roy Vin-
ing or using obscene language during campaign sorties. Furthermore, he said Comelec’s Kontra Bigay committee will soon issue SCOs to former Manila mayorTrinidad Isko Moreno and cent told Domagoso reporters that Samuel Verzosa Jr., who are both Manila troops did not monitor vying for activity, the city’sadding top post. any such that Bei-
Nextonly page jing’s statement was meant 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,said right? For them to look zuya the two-day visitnot underscores weak and embarrassed,” Japan’s “strong commitment”Trinidad to deepsaid. ties with the Philippines and reafening Twotheir Chinese warships were firming shared vision for regional monitored at a distance ranging peace, prosperity, and a Free and Open from eight to 14 nautical miles. Indo-Pacific. One of Minister these went 1,000 Prime Ishibaup andtoPresident yards at the MMCA site but evenFerdinand Marcos Jr. are expected to tually went away. “It was discuss the implementation of the not Jathreatening, justReciprocal normal,” Access accordpan-Philippines
Defense alliance tops Ishiba agenda
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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 Vice President and President and COO of Golden, ABC, Inc. (The Penshoppe Group) APACHES IN Holdings BATANES. US of Army Apache attack helicopters Alice T. Liu, SM Prime Chairman the Executive Committee Hans T. Sy, participating in the Balikatan exercises land at Basco airport toSports) refuel before PRA President and Chairman of Quorum International, Inc. (Toby’s Roberto backPRA to Cagayan. Radyo Pilipinas Batanes Int’l. Leisure, Inc. and S. heading Claudio, and Director and President of Sportshouse proponent of PRA OFR President’s Award Mars C. Chua