April 17-19, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 29 • 2 Sections - 20 Pages
Duterte to journalists: You attack to get paid by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, April 13, claimed some journalists are being paid to produce “false reports” to serve their “clients” while he dismissed reports about the increase of his wealth while in public service. “They accept (payment) from clients to (write) political attacks. AC/DC (attack and collect, defend and collect). You attack to get paid. So don’t believe that they are clean,” he said during a
campaign rally in Bukidnon. “You protect the rich and hide their secrets, but attack us politicians who genuinely want reform. That’s the truth. You are just being paid,” Duterte added. The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) released a report saying the incomes of Duterte, his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio and son former Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte have increased over the years despite getting modest salaries from the government and “negli-
gible” retained earnings from the companies they own or co-own. The PCIJ had published reports on the wealth of past presidents before. The report it released on the Dutertes’ incomes was based on public records that the family filed themselves. According to PCIJ, the president’s net worth jumped by 195 percent from P9.69 million in 2007 to P28.54 million in 2017. Meanwhile, Paolo’s net worth rose by 233 percent from P8.34 million to P27.74 million two HOLY WEEK BEGINS. Church-goers wave their palm branches at Candelaria Church in Silang, Cavite on Sunday, April 14. This day marks Jesus’
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entrance into Jerusalem. Churchgoers take woven palm fronds (palaspás) to church for a priest’s blessing; this represents the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus. ManilaTimes.net photo by Boy Josue
US to fly, sail, operate anywhere int’l laws allow despite China warning
USA
DATELINE PH doubts US list of high kidnap risk countries FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
THE Philippines’ Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) questioned the United States State Department list of countries with high kidnapping list as it included the country among the 35 countries in the travel advisory. DILG Secretary Eduardo Año doubted the accuracy of the list as he emphasized that the kidnapping cases decreased significantly in recent years. He noted that he would seek the explanation of the U.S. embassy as to how they arrived with the said list. “A list is just a list. What we have are factual data pointing to the decreasing number of kidnapping cases in the Philippines. That’s what we are banking on,” Año said in a statement as reported by The Philippine Star.
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
Philippine Exercise Director for Balikatan 2019, Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay (left), shakes hands with U.S. Commanding General III Marine Expeditionary Force, Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, during the closing ceremony of this year’s PH-U.S. Balikatan Exercises, held in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Friday, April 12. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
by ADOR
VINCENT Inquirer.net
MAYOL
CEBU CITY – Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma is asking Catholic faithful to reflect and attend religious activities during the Holy Week instead of going to the beach for a vacation. He said the Holy Week, which starts with Palm Sunday, is the best time to renew one’s relationship with God and reflect on the sacrifice and love of the Lord. “There are 52 weeks in a year, and only one week when we are called to commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord,” said Palma in an Unlike in the past, the signing of Republic Act 11260 was done without ceremony, and without interview. The Holy Week is supposed to be the most somber the presence of any member of either chamber of Congress, who had bickered over their Philstar.com file photo period of the liturgical calendar leading up to the joy entitlements in the annual appropriation. of Easter Sunday.
Comelec warns overseas voters: Beware of fake news
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Palma to Catholics: Reflect this Lent than going to the beach, please
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AS the overseas absentee voting (OAV) program commenced on Saturday, April 13, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) eyed the possibility of fake news proliferation as observed in the previous elections. COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez assured the public that the commission is on the alert for those who plan to spread false information as a propaganda move to get their candidates elected. “The biggest reaction we are preparing for is the possible deluge of fake news accounts. We are on the lookout for efforts like that. That is what we are watching out for,” Jimenez said as reported by The Manila Bulletin. The poll body spokesman urged the public to report any questionable information to their office so they could easily clarify or deny any claims so as not to compromise the citizen’s right to suffrage. “We call on the public to forward to us any such news or information that they would encounter to the Comelec so that we can quickly find the truth and correct such claims,” the spokesman said as reported by The Philippine Star. Jimenez recalled an incident in 2016 wherein he received a complaint that the names on the voter receipt were not the candidates that the complainant voted for. “The person who complained used a ballpen
THE United States on Friday, April 12, maintained it will continue its operations in the South China Sea (SCS) despite China’s protest about American forces stirring trouble in the waters. “The U.S. will fly, sail and operate everywhere international law allows. That’s it. Wish we had a longer statement for you, but that’s the simple truth,” said Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, commander of the Japan-based U.S. 3rd Marine Expeditionary Forces, during a post-Balikatan
media interview at Camp Aguinaldo along with Brig. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, commander of the military’s Southern Luzon Command and the Balikatan director for the Philippines. The statement was made after Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Wednesday noted that the presence of “nonregional forces” could stir tension in the South China Sea. “I can tell you that the principled position of the Chinese side is that we hope non-regional forces will refrain from stirring up troubles in the calm South China Sea,” Lu said.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma Inquirer.net photo
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Palace: Gov’t on top of power situation in Luzon MALACAÑANG has assured the public that the government was on top of the power situation in Luzon where several plants in the region either shut down or were performing below their capacity over the past weeks. Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo gave the assurance even as the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on Monday, April 15, placed the Luzon grid under red and yellow alerts for the fourth time this month. Speaking to reporters, Panelo said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi told him that the Department of Energy (DoE) re- Technicians segregate burnt wires from undamaged ones in Caloocan City.
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Inquirer.net photo by Wilson Seckler Tiu
Duterte signs 2019 budget P95-B House realignments vetoed by EDITH
REGALADO Philstar.com
FOUR months into the fiscal year, President Rodrigo Duterte finally signed Monday, April 15, the P3.7-trillion national budget for 2019, without the P95.3-billion realignments made by the House of Representatives. Unlike in the past, the signing of Republic Act 11260 was done without ceremony, and without the presence of any member of either chamber of Congress, who had bickered over their entitlements in the annual appropriation. Sources told The Star that Duterte decided to forgo a pub-
lic ceremony, in what was seen as a manifestation of presidential pique at Congress. Instead, only Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea was present during the signing at the Study Room of Malacañang, the sources said. Medialdea and Senate President Vicente Sotto III confirmed last night that the budget was signed without the House realignments. Sotto, who is in Bangkok, said Medialdea informed him by phone that the President vetoed some portions of the budget based on the recommendation of the Senate. “Hindi lang P75 billion kung
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