OCTOBER 14-17, 2023 Volume 33 - No. 82 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
DFA confirms third Filipino Received a suspicious fatality in Israel-Hamas conflict call? LA authorities DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
advise to drop it ASAP In Los Angeles, receiving a call from a sergeant, deputy, or a detective might be a scam
by ChaRie abaRCa anD ZaCaRian saRao
and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in a briefing in Malacañang that the victim was a 49-year MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs old Filipino woman from Negros Occidental who (DFA) on Friday, October 13 confirmed the death of worked as a caregiver. De Vega’s verified information brought to another Filipino in the armed conflict between Israel Inquirer.net
by Catherine S. Valente ManilaTimes.net
What you need to know about the 2024 US presidential election WASHINGTON – The 2024 U.S. presidential election promises to be like no other modern U.S. election. Leading the field of Republican presidential candidates is former President Donald Trump, who faces a battery of federal and state criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. If Trump captures the Republican nomination and wins the general election, he will become the first president in 130 years to win the White House after sitting out a four-year term, after Grover Cleveland. Biden, the incumbent president, is the presumptive Democratic nominee. He will be 81 when the election is held in November 2024, making him the oldest American to win a presidential election should he secure a second term. u PAGE A4
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‘I made two of the most difficult phone calls I’ve had to make as president’
DESPERATE times call for desperate measures, and surprisingly, scammers these days have a new strategy—using phone calls, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). There’s a new hustle in town, and it’s got the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s (LASD) hotlines buzzing. In today’s techie world, these LA scam calls pretending to be LASD sergeants, deputies, or detectives aren’t the uninvited guests you’d like to encounter. The LASD warns to “be alert, be advised.” The law enforcement agency will never call and demand money for fines or resolve warrants by “posting bail.” Moreso, they u PAGE A2
The 2024 US presidential election promises to be like no other modern US election
three the number of Filipinos killed since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7. “I regret to inform you that, yes, it is confirmed that there is a third Filipino casualty … her family is aware, the President is aware,” he said.
DIFFICULT CALL. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. talks to the families of two Filipinos who were killed in the war between Israel and Hamas militants on Wednesday night, Oct. 11, 2023, in what he described as “two of the most difficult phone calls he has had to make” as the country’s leader. Malacañang photo
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos on Wednesday night, October 11 admitted that he made two of the "most difficult phone calls" he has had to make as the country's leader. It was when he phoned the families of two Filipinos who died in the war between Israel and Hamas militants. "Last night, I made two of the most difficult phone calls I've had to make as president. The nation is one in grieving with the families of the Filipinos who were killed in the attacks on Israel," Marcos said in a statement posted on his social media on Thursday, October 12. "We will provide the utmost support to the families they were taken from. This tragedy will not deter our spirit. We will continue to stand for peace," he said. Based on the information of the Department of Foreign Affairs, one of the two Filipinos who died in the conflict was a 36-year-old female from Pangasinan who has been working in Israel for six years, while the other
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Ex-President Duterte faces raps after threatening Sara critic by Dempsey Reyes Inquirer.net
FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte may be facing his first criminal complaint in the country after leaving Malacañang as Makabayan lawmakers are likely to file charges for his alleged death threat against ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro. Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas on Thursday, October 12 condemned the recent remarks by the former chief executive and reminded him that he no longer enjoys immunity from
lawsuits. Duterte is under investigation by the International Criminal Court for allegedly committing crimes against humanity in his drug war. “Threatening the lives of elected representatives is a blatant violation and a dangerous attack on the rights of individuals who are merely pushing for transparency and accountability in government spending,” Brosas said in a statement, referring to the controversial confidential fund request by u PAGE A5 BRP Davao del Sur (LD-602).
Photo courtesy of the Philippine Navy
Marcos drops EDSA People Power Anniversary as holiday PH beefs up naval presence in WPS MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dropped a public holiday marking the anniversary of a revolution that ousted his father, an official document showed Friday, October 13, reigniting accusations he is trying to whitewash his family's past. A military-backed "People Power" revolt in February 1986 ended the brutal rule of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and forced the disgraced family into exile in Hawaii. Critics have described the Marcos dictatorship as a dark period of human rights abuses and corruption that left the country impoverished. A woman stands in front of the People Power Monument during a rally marking the 37th February 25 was declared a anniversary of the “People Power” revolution, which ousted Philippine President Ferdinand "special national holiday" in 2000 Marcos Jr’s dictator father and sent the family into exile, on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, or EDSA, in Quezon City on February 25, 2023. Philstar.com photo by then-president Joseph Estrada.
Rights activists typically hold rallies on the day to commemorate the restoration of democracy. Marcos Jr. was elected to the presidency in 2022 following a massive social media misinformation campaign that attempted to paint his family's history in a more positive light. Many had expected Marcos to abolish the public holiday after taking office. Instead, he moved the date for the "EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary" holiday to February 24 this year, which was a Friday. But a presidential proclamation declaring holidays for 2024 -dated October 11 and released on Friday -- makes no mention of the anniversary at all. Rights group Karapatan said u PAGE A2
by Francisco Tuyay ManilaTimes.net
THE Philippines has deployed another warship to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to build up its presence in the volatile waters in the face of increasingly aggressive incursions by Chinese vessels. The Davao del Sur, a Tarlacclass landing platform, will join the Antonio Luna, a guided missile frigate, in patrolling the waterway. The Western Command (Wescom) said three warships stationed in Palawan have orders to stop foreign ships from conducting illegal activities in the WPS such as collecting corals and other marine resources. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of
Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. underscored the need to project a strong naval presence in the WPS. Brawner said there were no new Chinese reclamation activities in the area, but dozens of Chinese militia vessels have been lingering in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ). He said the sea patrols will be complemented by aerial reconnaissance flights. Brawner also said the AFP plans to procure more naval ships, multi-role fighters, and drones "and more importantly develop the Philippine-occupied islands or features in our EEZ." Missile system The military plans to upgrade its installations on the islands of Pag-asa, Parola, Panata, Likas, u PAGE A2