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(Story on A4)
PH TO PUSH FOR CODE OF CONDUCT PACT ON SCS AS ASEAN CHAIR Marcos urges Pinoys: Trust the ICI process
By Charles Dantes
By Charles Dantes KUALA Lumpur, Malaysia—President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Tuesday appealed for patience from the public as his administration faces
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 253 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2025 •
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Heading heading Manila court: Guteza heading head affidavitheading was falsified Blue Ribbon to summon Guteza to attend Nov. 14 hearing
KUALA Lumpur, Malaysia — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday that the Philippines will make it a top priority to finalize a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea when it assumes the ASEAN chairmanship in 2026, reaffirming his belief that sustained diplomacy and regional cooperation are vital to securing peace and stability in the disputed waters. Speaking during a media forum with the Philippine press delegation here, Mr. Marcos said Manila is determined to “hammer out†the longdelayed agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China to prevent confrontations and ensure adherence to international maritime law. ‘‘At heart, I’m an optimist,’’ Mr. Marcos said. ‘‘We cannot give up. We have to find the way forward, we have to find a better way of dealing with these things. If this doesn’t work, we’ll try something else. But we cannot stop. We must continue until we find the solution,’’ he added. The President said he remains hopeful that ASEAN and China can conclude the negotiations by 2026, a timeline both sides earlier set, coinciding with the Philippines’ turn to lead the regional bloc. As chair, he said the country will Next page
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MANILA Regional trial court ruled that the affidavit of “surprise” Senate witness Orly Guteza on the alleged kickbacks from flood-control projects was falsified, with a forged signature of the lawyer in the notarization. In an 11-page order, Executive Judge Carolina Sison said notary public Petchie Rose Espera was a “victim” of the falsification case. The ruling noted that laboratory comparative examination conducted on the signature specimens, forensic image analyzer, magnifying hand lens, and photographic enlargements revealed
“significant fundamental differences in handwriting characteristics and habits between the questioned and the standard specimen signatures” of Espera. Earlier in the day, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson first broke the news that the Manila RTC has already reached a decision. Next page
ASEAN CHAIR HANDOVER.Malaysia’s
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim formally hands over the gavel to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., symbolizing the turnover of the ASEAN Chairmanship during the handover rites held as part of the closing ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits yesterday at the plenary hall of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (KLCC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PCO
Martires ordered non-publication of Villanueva dismissal reversal
MASS FOR EJKS. Families
and relatives of victims of extra judicial killings visit their departed loved ones and attend mass ahead of Undas yesterday at the Dambana ng Paghilom in La Loma Cemetery, Caloocan City. About 111 are inurned at the place. Danny Pata
By Rio N. Araja FORMER Ombudsman Samuel Martires said he ordered his media bureau not to publicize his 2019 order reversing the dismissal from government service of Senator Joel
THE Philippine peso tumbled to an alltime low of 59.2 against the US dollar Tuesday from 58.90 a dollar Monday, reflecting the weakness of regional currencies affected by the US tariff.
Analysts said the peso was depreciating on concerns that the 19-percent average tariff imposed by the US on Philippine products would hurt its exports in the coming months. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Next page
Palace: No price freeze, only strict monitoring MALACAÑANG on Tuesday clarified that its earlier announcement was not about the imposition of a price freeze, but only a strict monitoring of basic goods as ordered by President Ferdi-
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MARK, RAFFY TOP SENATE WEALTH DISCLOSURES IN LATEST SALN RELEASES
Peso drops to P59.13 vs. US$ By Thony Rose Lesaca
Villanueva. He said Villanueva should have been the one to announce the favorable decision that he got. “In the case of Villanueva, I was asked actually by the media bureau,
nand Marcos Jr. Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President directed the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to closely coordinate Next page
15 more senators bare SALNS; Mark, Raffy top in assets By Ram Superable THE Philippine Senate is practically an exclusive Multimillionaires’ Club, usisng the lawmaker’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) as a yardstick. Nineteen of the sitting 24 senators have disclosed their respective SALNs to the media, showing a broad range of declared wealth among them. The latest batch of releases included Next page
Mark Villar
P1.26 billion
Raffy Tulfo
P1.05 billion
Erwin Tulfo
P497 million
Juan Miguel Zubiri
P431.7 million
Camille Villar
P362 million
Panfilo Lacson
P244.9 million
Robinhood Padilla
P244 million
Jinggoy Estrada
P221 million
Lito Lapid
P202 million
Vicente Sotto III
P188.9 million
JV Ejercito
P137 million
Pia Cayetano
P128.2 million
Sherwin Gatchalian
P89.5 million
Bam Aquino
P86.5 million
Loren Legarda
P79.2 million
Joel Villanueva
P49.5 million
Francis Pangilinan
P26.7 million
Risa Hontiveros
P18.986 million
Francis Escudero
P18.8 million