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Senators, CBCP exec support Marcos-Duterte reconciliation the Dutertes, saying it showed his intention to rise above political bickering for the sake SENATORS and an official of the Catho- of national unity. Senator Ronald dela Rosa, however, lic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Tuesday welcomed President Ferdinand said Mr. Marcos must show “extreme Marcos Jr.’s openness to reconciling with Next page
By Ram Superable
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 95 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2025
‘Wage drug war at grassroots’ PBBM: Focus on small-time targets, not just high-level syndicates By Charles Dantes
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the government will shift its anti-drug strategy to refocus attention on both high-level syndicates and grassroots offenders amid reports that illegal drug activity resurfaced in some communities.
In a podcast interview on Monday, President Marcos acknowledged that the result of the 2025 midterm elections where only 6 administration-backed senatorial candidates won is a reflection that the public was unhappy with certain government services in the first half of his term. “As part of the lesson of these elections, let’s go back to the grassroots
level because people are concerned that drug addicts and drug pushers have returned to their communities. Let us focus on that,” the President said. “Let’s focus again on small-time (drug personalities),” he added. While emphasizing that large-scale operations have led to the seizure of “tons” of shabu and other illegal drugs in recent years, President Marcos ad-
mitted dismantling syndicates remains the most difficult task due to the influence and money involved. “The syndicate includes the police. It includes the local government. There’s a lot of money involved,” he said. “They can buy everyone — judge, prosecutor.” He, however, said his administration will maintain its departure from the Next page
PBBM warns intruders as Navy launches missile-armed warships By Charles Dantes and Rex Espiritu PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. warned his administration will not waver in defending the country’s territorial integrity, backing up
his words with the christening of two new missile-carrying warships during the Philippine Navy’s 127th anniversary yesterday. “We stand firm. We will never tolerate any act of disrespect against our sovereignty,” the President Next declared page
MODERNIZATION LEAP. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (inset) leads the christening rites and commissioning ceremony of the guided-missile frigate BRP Miguel Malvar, one of two new naval assets of the Philippine Navy that celebrated its 127th anniversary on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The other asset, BRP Albert Majini, is a fast-attack interdiction craft.
DA expanding P20/kg rice program to benefit up to 60m Pinoys By Othel V. Campos THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is studying how it could expand the government’s affordable rice program to beyond vulnerable sectors, with the
goal of benefiting up to 60 million Filipinos, according to Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa. De Mesa confirmed that President Marcos has already ordered the expansion of the initiative so more Filipinos
can purchase rice at the subsidized price of P20 per kilo. “Our President has already ordered to expand the implementation of rice for all. The first to benefit outside of the vulnerable sectors will be the poor peo-
ple. That is why we are looking at about 15 million households, corresponding to about 60 million Filipinos,” he said in an interview Tuesday. At present, the government’s subsidized Next page
Sandiganbayan orders release of sequestered assets to Romualdez kin By Maricel V. Cruz THE Sandiganbayan has ordered the return of at least P3.5 billion worth of Philippine International Commercial Bank (PCIBank, now Banco de Oro) shares to the late Benjamin Romualdez, brother of former First Lady Imelda Marcos. In a 12-page ruling, the anti-graft court said the shares, which it earlier ordered deposited in escrow at the Land Bank of the Philippines, should immediately be returned to the estate of the late Leyte governor and former ambassador to Washington. The ruling, dated May 16, involves Civil Case 0035 filed by the Presidential Commission on Good Government Next page
REPURPOSING CAMPAIGN POSTERS. Commission on Elections chairperson George Erwin Garcia (center) and Commissioner Ernesto Ferdinand Maceda Jr. (left) lead the inspection of discarded election campaign materials at the Payatas Controlled Disposal Facility in Quezon City on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The materials will be recycled and repurposed.
SC: No contact apprehension policy allowed along EDSA, C-5 THE Supreme Court has partially lifted the temporary restraining order (TRO) on the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP), allowing only the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to implement it, SC spokesperson Camille Ting said Tuesday. The TRO, originally issued in August 2022, covered both the MMDA resolution and local government ordinances. The court’s recent decision lifts the TRO solely for the MMDA, while it remains in effect for local ordinances. The policy will be enforced only on major thoroughfares such as EDSA and C5, which are covered by the MMDA resolution, Ting added. Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra confirmed the development but said the official resolution has yet to be received. Kilusan sa Pagbabago ng Industriya ng Transportasyon and other groups sought to declare unconstitutional ordinances in Metro Manila implementing the NCAP. Ting said the SC En Banc granted Next page