June 28-30, 2017 Volume 27 - No. 52 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages
Palace: Pres. Duterte made most foreign DATELINE USA Supreme Court allows trips, investments among PH presidents parts of Trump’s FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
travel ban to proceed
THIS week brought forth a slight victory for the Trump administration as the U.S. Supreme Court said that parts of the controversial travel ban can take effect. In a 9-0 decision, the high court on Monday, June 26 said that President Donald Trump’s order can continue to bar entry to foreign nationals “who lack any bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.” Examples of the relationships include “a close familial” one, students accepted to U.S. universities, or an individual who accepted an employment offer from an American company, according to the court. The decision added that it leaves “the injunctions entered by the lower courts in place with respect to respondents and those similar situated.” The court said it will hear oral arguments for the order, which blocks travelers from six predominantly Muslim nations and refugees, during its next term in October. The president hailed the ruling on Monday as “a clear victory for our national security.” “As President, I cannot allow people into our country who want to do us harm. I want people who can love the United States and all of its citizens, and who will be hardworking and productive,” he said in a statement. The executive order, which was signed a week after Trump took office in January, initially called for denying individuals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the U.S. for 90 days. Meanwhile,
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by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
COMPARED to other Philippine presidents, President Rodrigo Duterte made the most number of foreign trips during his first year in office — and at the same time, brought home the most foreign investments, according to Malacañang.
Since assuming the presidency in June of last year, Duterte made 21 trips to 18 countries. This is nearly three times the number of trips his predecessor, former President Benigno Aquino III, made during the same time frame. Aquino’s travels totaled to eight, which was also the same number as former Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph
Estrada. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, meanwhile, made the second most number of visits in her first year of presidency, totaling to 11—but it’s still less than half of Duterte’s. Because of this, Duterte also has the highest foreign travel expenditures compared to his predecessors.
According to a Rappler report, Duterte’s travel expenses have amounted to about P386 million ($7.72 million) since assuming the presidency, with the exclusion of his recent trips to Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, and Russia. Last year, Duterte traveled to Laos and Indonesia (P29 million), and Viet-
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Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV
Inquirer.net photo
Trillanes to BBC: News about planning to sue untrue by JENNIFER
SORIANO
AJPress
SENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, clarified in a letter dated June 23 to British EID’L FITR CELEBRATION AT THE PALACE. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte greets Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Murad Ebrahim during the Eid’L Fitr Broadcasting Corp’s (BBC) DiCelebration at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, June 27. Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante rector-General Tony Hall that he is not going to sue the network, contrary to recent “fake news” reports circulating. This happened a week after by DANA SIOSON Trillanes was interviewed via satAJPress ellite by “Hardtalk,” BBC’s interview program known for throw“I WILL be going home as world champion.” ing hard-hitting questions at its This is what a bold and confident Filipino boxing guests. icon Manny Pacquiao declared as he left for Australia The interview drew flak as supjust a couple of days before his match against the unporters of Duterte were quick to defeated Jeff Horn. lash out at the senator for his re“In all my years of boxing, I have never been as moplies when the host tried to pose tivated and fired up as this fight,” Pacquiao told AFP questions and comments that as he thanked the large entourage that welcomed him seemed to be in favor of the conafter arriving in his opponent’s turf. troversial president. The 38-year-old Pacquiao is set to defend his World Used to being the target of his Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against political foe, Trillanes, however, Horn this coming Sunday, July 2, at the 50,000-seater brushed off the dissenting reSuncorp Stadium in Brisbane. marks thrown at him. “I think this is one of the biggest crowds that I’m “It is what it is. People who going to fight to. I love the fans shouting and cheering Manny Pacquiao smiles as he talks to the press before a workout at a gym inside Suncorp
CBO deals blow to Senate health bill with estimate of Pacquiao in Brisbane vows to come home a champion 22M more uninsured
SENATE Republicans’ legislation to overhaul the Affordable Care Act would leave an additional 22 million people without health care coverage over the next decade and cut the federal deficit by $321 billion, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released late Monday. By 2026, an estimated 49 million people would be uninsured, compared with about 28 million who would lack coverage under current law. The Senate’s bill — the Better Health Care Act, which GOP leaders hope to put to a vote later this week — comes nearly two months after the House passed its plan to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. That measure would cut
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Stadium in Brisbane, Australia on Tuesday, June 27. Philstar.com photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea
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PH gov’t rejects Maute hostage-swap deal UN official criticizes Duterte, Trump for ‘breaking taboos’ by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
(L-R) Fr. Teresito Suganob, Cayamora Maute and Farhana Maute
nabbed by authorities. The report cited an unnamed THE Philippine government on source who supposedly went Tuesday, June 27, turned down with fellow emissaries and talked the reported offer from Maute to the extremists amid the ‘huterrorists to release their hostag- manitarian pause’ on Sunday, es in exchange for the detained June 25. While Malacañang said that parents of the pro-Islamic State it has yet to verify the offer, it (IS) group’s leaders. Earlier this week, a local media maintained that the government outlet reported that one of the will not make any deals with terMaute terrorist group leaders, rorists. “Government’s policy not Abdullah Maute, is offering the release of Catholic priest Father to negotiate with terrorists reChito Suganob and other ab- mains,” Presidential Spokesperducted civilians in exchange for son Ernesto Abella told reporters Inquirer.net photos his parents who were recently u PAGE A2
A HIGH ranking human rights official at the United Nations (UN) has condemned controversial world leaders for “undermining the (UN Convention against Torture) with their words.” Speaking before an audience in London on Monday, June 26, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein pointed out U.S. President Donald Trump’s “persistent flirtation” with torture and said
that the American public has become far more accepting of torture over the last 10 years. In January, Trump admitted that he believes waterboarding is an effective way of interrogation. Waterboarding is a form of torture that simulates the sensation of drowning. As for the Philippine president, Zeid cited the 9,000 people who have allegedly been killed since Pres. Rodrigo Duterte took of-
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