‘Rotating brownouts possible next year’ »Story on B1 ++
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•• 5 SECTIONS PAGES • VOL. 120 NO. 236 28
THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2019
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Duterte urges Filipino Muslims to keep partnering with govt 02%3)$%.4 2ODRIGO $UTERTE URGED THE -USLIM COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE PARTNERING WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN PROMOTING PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG &ILIPINOS AS THE COUNTRY MARKED THE END OF 2AMADAN )N HIS %ID L &ITR MESSAGE ON 7EDNESDAY 0RESIDENT $UTERTE CALLED ON ALL &ILIPINO -USLIMS WHOM HE DESCRIBED AS gINSTRUMENTS OF LOVE RESPECT AND SELlESS SERVICE u TO USE THE CELEBRATION AS A TIME FOR ENLIGHTENMENT g-AY ALL -USLIM &ILIPINOS OBSERVE THIS DAY AS A
³PeaceA2
BIG HOLIDAY
Filipino Muslims pray at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, Manila, on Wednesday to celebrate Eid’l Fitr, the festival of fast-breaking, that marks the end of Ramadan. PHOTO BY ENRIQUE AGCAOILI
Chinese boats off Pag-asa withdrawn
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/ - % IN MY LINE OF SIGHT #HINESE F I S H I N G boats H A V E BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM THE WATERS OFF THE 0HILIPPINE ADMINISTERED 0AG ASA )SLAND IN THE 3OUTH #HINA 3EA AN EMISSARY FROM THE #HINESE GOVERNMENT TOLD THIS COLUMNIST ON *UNE
RAMON T. TULFO
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Foreigners again threaten our fragile freedom First of 2 parts
REPUBLIC SERVICE RICARDO SALUDO
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-%2) # ! # H I N A $AESH 'LOBAL DRUG CARTELS 3MARTMATIC TOO %VEN AS THE NATION MARKS THE ST ANNIVERSARY OF 0HILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE NEXT 7EDNESDAY THREATS TO OUR NATION S FREEDOM ARE ESCALATING
US shuts Manila immigration office T
HE United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will permanently CLOSE ITS -ANILA OFkCE NEXT MONTH AND HAS already stopped accepting applications under a plan to end international operations for lack of resources.
3OME SERVICES WERE HALTED EARLIER IN -AY 4HE LAST DAY THE -ANILA OFkCE WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS WAS -AY THE 53#)3 said ON ITS WEBSITE &ULL CLOSURE HAS BEEN SCHEDULED ON *ULY 4HE 53#)3 OFkCES HANDLE FAMILY VISA
Jobless rate drops but inflation rises 5.%-0,/9-%.4 HAS CONTINUED TO FALL BUT CONSUMER PRICES HAVE AGAIN PICKED UP BASED ON DATA RELEASED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON 7EDNESDAY 4HE COUNTRY S JOBLESS RATE FELL TO PERCENT IN !PRIL DOWN FROM PERCENT A YEAR EARLIER AND THE PERCENT POSTED IN *ANUARY THE 0HILIPPINES 3TATISTICS !UTHORITY 03! REPORTED WITH THOSE LOOKING FOR MORE WORK ALSO POSTING AN IMPROVEMENT
"OTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT GAINS ‡ THE LATTER DROPPED TO PERCENT FROM PERCENT A YEAR EARLIER AND *ANUARY S PERCENT ‡ WERE SAID TO BE DUE TO gVIBRANT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY u INCLUDING THE AVAILABILITY OF MORE JOBS AHEAD OF THE -AY MIDTERM ELECTIONS )NlATION ON THE OTHER HAND PICKED UP TO PERCENT IN -AY FROM PERCENT A MONTH EARLIER THE 03!
SAID IN A SEPARATE REPORT SNAPPING A SIX MONTH RUN OF DECLINES ATTRIBUTED TO HIGHER FOOD AND ELECTRICITY PRICES 4HE RESULT WAS STILL LOWER COMPARED TO THE PERCENT RECORDED MONTHS EARLIER AND FELL WITHIN THE "ANGKO 3ENTRAL NG 0ILIPINAS FULL YEAR TO PERCENT TARGET AND TO PERCENT FORECAST FOR THE MONTH
³InflationA2
FOR GALLANTRY President Rodrigo Duterte pins the Gold Cross Medal on one of the soldiers who got injured fighting members of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu in May. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
»Story on A2
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What’s inside DUTERTE HONORS SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT ABU SAYYAF
REQUESTS INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS REFUGEE APPLICATIONS AND THE NATURALIZATION OF 53 MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT YET !MERICAN CITIZENS )N A TWEET ON -ONDAY THE 53 %MBASSY IN THE 0HILIPPINES REITERATED THAT NEW APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS WERE NO LONGER BEING
³ImmigrationA8
Tobacco tax hike to raise P126B – DoF ()'(%2 TAXES ON TOBACCO PRODUCTS COULD ADD 0 BILLION TO THE GOVERNMENT S COFFERS BY THE &INANCE DEPARTMENT SAID ON 7EDNESDAY AFTER #ONGRESS FAST TRACKED THE APPROVAL OF A MEASURE NOW AWAITING 0RESIDENT 2ODRIGO $UTERTE S SIGNATURE %STIMATES PROVIDED BY &INANCE 5NDERSECRETARY +ARL +ENDRICK #HUA SHOWED INCREMENTAL REVENUES OF 0 BILLION STARTING 0 BILLION IN 0 BILLION IN 0 BILLION IN AND 0 BILLION IN !PPROVED UNANIMOUSLY BY SENATORS ON THIRD AND kNAL READING ON 4UESDAY 3ENATE "ILL PROVIDES FOR A HIGHER 0 EXCISE TAX PER CIGARETTE PACK NEXT YEAR
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NewsA2
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VERTICAL URBANISM IN THE PHILIPPINES
Felino Palafox Jr.A5
DURANT OUT, THOMPSON UNCERTAIN FOR NBA FINALS GAME 3
SportsC1
OPPOSITION EYES SPEAKERSHIP BID, CALLS FOR ONE RULING PARTY BET
A BUSY, BEAUTIFUL YEAR FOR SARAH GERONIMO
EntertainmentD4
THE RULING PARTY SHOULD kELD JUST ONE CANDIDATE FOR (OUSE SPEAKER TO PAVE THE WAY FOR AN gAUTHENTICu MINORITY AN OPPOSITION LEGISLATOR SAID ON 7EDNESDAY !LBAY 2EP %DCEL ,AGMAN WHO LEADS THE g-AGNIkCENT 3EVENu BLOC IN THE TH #ONGRESS SAID THE OPPOSITION WOULD CONSIDER kELDING ITS OWN SPEAKERSHIP CANDIDATE WHO COULD SUBSEQUENTLY BECOME THE MINORITY LEADER g3INCE ALL OF THE CANDIDATES FOR
SPEAKER ARE ADMINISTRATION PEOPLE THE 0RESIDENT S MEN WE SUGGESTED THATw IF THEY kELD A COMMON CANDIDATE THEN THE MINORITY CAN ALSO RANK THEIR OWN CANDIDATE WHO WILL ALSO SUBSEQUENTLY BECOME THE MINORITY LEADER u ,AGMAN SAID IN A TELEVISION INTERVIEW !PART FROM THE MINORITY GROUP LED BY 1UEZON 2EP $ANILO 3UAREZ THERE ARE ONLY TWO INDEPENDENT OPPOSITION GROUPS IN THE (OUSE ,AGMAN S BLOC AND THE -AKABAYAN THAT CONSISTS OF
PROGRESSIVE PARTY LIST GROUPS !LL OF THE ASPIRANTS FOR SPEAKERSHIP PARTICULARLY ITS TOP CONTENDERS HAVE STRONG TIES WITH THE ADMINISTRATION $AVAO DEL .ORTE 2EP 0ANTALEON !LVAREZ -ARINDUQUE 2EP ,ORD !LLAN 6ELASCO AND 0AMPANGA 2EP !URELIO 'ONZALES ALL BELONG TO THE RULING 0ARTIDO $EMOKRATIKO 0ILIPINO ,AKAS NG "AYAN HEADED BY 0RESIDENT 2ODRIGO $UTERTE
³SpeakershipA2