June 10-13, 2017 Volume 27 - No. 47 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages
‘I HAVE NO AMBITION TO PERPETUATE MYSELF IN POWER’
Duterte says he’ll follow any Supreme Court order on Mindanao martial law by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
MARAWI VISIT POSTPONED. President Rodrigo Duterte opted to postpone his scheduled visit to Marawi City on Thursday, June 8 and remained at the 4th Infantry Division (4th ID) Headquarters in Camp BGen. Edilberto Evangelista, Cagayan de Oro City instead. The President, however, made the best out of his time at the 4th ID as he imparted words of encouragement to the troopers. He told soldiers that he is doing what he can to achieve peace in the country while he also vowed to provide the best equipment and services to them in a bid to boost their military capabilities as well as improve their welfare. Malacañang photo
USA
DATELINE Former FBI chief Comey testifies before Senate, blasts Trump for ‘lies’
by AJPRESS
POTUS fires back, accusing Comey of ‘lying under oath’
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Gomez wins race for California’s 34th Congressional District State assemblymember to replace Xavier Becerra CALIFORNIA Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez was elected to the United States Congress on Tuesday, June 6, beating attorney Robert Lee Ahn in a tight runoff race to represent the state’s 34th district. Gomez will take over the congressional seat previously held Xavier Becerra, who became the state’s attorney general in January. The champion for progressives will preside over a district that comprises of a large, rich immigrant community that stretches from downtown Los Angeles to Eagle Rock to Boyle Heights. “Today, our community said yes to California values, our progressive values,” Gomez told supporters and volunteers at an election
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After gunman’s attack, Pagcor suspends Aguirre clears Aquino from Resorts World Manila’s gaming license alleged ties to Marawi attack
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
FORMER FBI Director James B. Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee (SIC), on Thursday, June 8, where he slammed President Donald Trump and his administration for lying about why the president fired him in May. “Although the law required no reason at all to fire an FBI director, the administration then chose to defame me and, more importantly, the FBI by saying that the organization was in disarray, that it was poorly led, and the workforce had confidence in its leader,” Comey said in his opening remarks before the testimony. “Those were lies, plain and simple,” he remarked, adding that the president’s “shifting explanations” over his firing “increasingly”
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo on Friday, June 9, affirmed that he did not declare martial law in Mindanao to keep himself in power. Speaking before the military in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, Duterte pointed out that he declared martial law because “the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the police told [him] that it has reached its critical moment.” “You keep on asking where it (martial law) will
end. This is my answer to the doubting Thomases: I do not have the ambition to perpetuate myself in power,” Duterte said. (Thomas was an apostle who did not believe Jesus’ resurrection until he personally saw Him.) Contrary to what his critics claim, the chief executive said he was neither “proud” nor “happy” for being included on the list of Philippine presidents who declared martial law. Martial law has been perceived negatively by most Filipinos, particularly by the victims of abus-
RESORTS WORLD MANILA INQUIRY. Chief, Safety, Security and Surveillance Office Mr. Armeen Gomez, Chief Legal Officer Atty. Ma. Georgina Alvarez, Resorts World Manila President Kingson Sian, Chief Operating Officer COO Stephen James Reilly, PAGCOR Chairperson and CEO Andrea Domingo, DILG Usec. Catalino Cuy, NCRPO Police Director Oscar Albayalde and representatives from the Philippine National Police, took their oaths during the Congressional hearing on the Resorts World Manila incident following the attack on Friday, June 2. The congressional hearing was held at the Dignitaries Lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, in Pasay City on Tuesday, June 6. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
STATE-OWNED Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has suspended the gaming license of Resorts World Manila (RWM) a week after a lone gunman stormed the casino and set fire to the premises, causing the deaths of 38 individuals. On Friday, June 9, Pagor has ordered RWM to “cease and desist all gaming operations while investigation on its liability regarding the June 2 incident is ongoing.” Stressing that the incident also placed the Philippine gaming, tourism, and hospitality industries in “bad light,” Pagcor said the suspension “will remain until
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by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
RETRACTING his earlier claims, Philippine Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Friday, June 9, cleared Senator Bam Aquino from his alleged involvement with the Marawi clash. In a press briefing, Aguirre said he found out “upon further verification” that the senator was not present in the alleged meeting between opposition lawmakers and political families that supposedly occurred weeks before the confrontation between the government forces and local terrorists broke out in Marawi City last May 23. “Upon further verification, I
was able to establish that Senator Bam Aquino went to Marawi City on May 19, 2017 upon invitation of Governor Soraya Alonto-Adiong to promote the GoNegosyo Program,” Aguirre clarified. “He was not present in the alleged meeting of opposition leaders said to have been held in Marawi City on May 2, 2017.” Aguirre also insisted that he did not issue a photo of the meeting. The photo circulating that was allegedly taken in 2015 did not come from him either, he said. The justice secretary came under fire after previously insinuating that several opposition lawmakers—Senators Aquino and Antonio Trillanes IV, together with
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DENR vows thorough investigation into planned Nickelodeon park in Palawan by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
THE Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) vowed to conduct a “thorough” inquiry into the planned construction of a Nickelodeon theme park in Coron, Palawan. In a statement on Thursday, June 8, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said he has ordered the DENR bureaus on Biodiversity Management, Environmental Management, and the Region IV-B office, together with
the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, to “undertake an inquiry into this proposed plan.” He said they will also be in close coordination with the Department of Tourism (DOT), the local government units, the Tagbanua tribe and their council of elders, and other key stakeholders. “We shall conduct a thorough inquiry regarding the proposed project to ensure that ecological, social, economic and human interests are factored in into the project’s
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Sen. Bam Aquino IV on Thursday, June 8 sought for a public clarification and apology from Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, who claimed he is involved with the Marawi terror attack. Philstar.com photos
DOT: Philippine back-to-back hosting of Miss Universe possible by ROSETTE
ADEL
Philstar.com
Tourism Sec. Wanda Teo
AJPress file photo by Noel Ty
MANILA — The Department of Tourism said the back-to-back hosting of Miss Universe is possible. According to Tourism Undersecretary for Advocacy and Public Affairs, Kat De Castro, the Miss Universe organizers are arriving on Friday for a charity event featuring the candidates of the pageant’s 2016 edition. She said they will discuss the
possible renewed hosting contract of the Philippines. “Ang maganda dito, sila mismo yung lumapit,” De Castro, who handles the Miss Universe event, said. De Castro said the tourism department will come up with an announcement within the month. Last January 30, the Miss Universe coronation night was held at the Mall of Asia Arena. Prior to the main event, several pre-pageant events were held in various
destinations in the country. Former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Chavit Singson, one of the major sponsors of Miss Universe 2016, last January said he is open to the possibility of staging the international pageant in the country again. Singson said it is possible as he will be supported by government agencies. For Miss Universe 2017, Philippines will be represented by Binibining Pilipinas Universe Rachel Peters. ■