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Fitch Ratings cuts PH growth forecast ++
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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019
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Manila Water fined P1.1B T
BY ANNA LEAH E. GONZALES
HE METROPOLITAN Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) has penalized Ayala-led Manila Water Co. Inc. more than P1 billion for the water shortage its consumers experiENCED IN -ARCH THE kRST TIME THE AGENCY kNED ONE OF ITS TWO CONCESSIONAIRES
4HE AMOUNT IS BROKEN DOWN INTO A 0 MILLION kNE AND 0 MILLION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW WATER SUPPLY SOURCE FOR THE AFFECTED AREAS THE -733 SAID IN A STATEMENT ON 7EDNESDAY 4HE PUBLICLY LISTED -ANILA 7ATER SAID IT WOULD COMPLY WITH THE DECISION BUT BLAMED THE -733 FOR NOT ENSURING ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY 4HE RESOLUTION WAS SIGNED BY -733 "OARD
#HAIRMAN &RANKLIN $EMONTEVERDE 6ICE #HAIRMAN AND -733 !DMINISTRATOR 2EY NALDO 6ELASCO AND MEMBERS -ELCHIOR !COSTA *R -ARIANO !LEGARBES -ERLY #RUZ *OSE (ERNANDEZ 6ALERIANO 0ASQUIL -ELA NIE 3IA ,AMBINO AND %LPIDIO 6EGA 4HE -733 SAID ITS BOARD UNANI MOUSLY APPROVED THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE -733 2EGULATORY /FFICE ON THE IMPOSITION OF PENALTIES ON -ANILA 7ATER FOR ITS FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ITS
First word T S E E M S THE ONLY EXPLANA TION ON -AMASAPANO AND $!0 THAT THE NATION WILL EVER GET FROM "ENIGNO !QUINO RD IS STONY SILENCE )T IS AS IF THEY NEVER HAPPENED
2%3#5% TEAMS REMAIN HOPEFUL THEY WOULD kND MORE SURVIVORS FROM A COLLAPSED SUPER MARKET BUILDING IN 0ORAC 0AMPANGA AS THE TOLL FROM THE MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE THAT STRUCK ,UZON ON -ONDAY STAYED AT DEAD 2ICARDO *ALAD ADMINISTRATOR OF THE /FkCE OF #IVIL $EFENSE /#$ SAID ON 7EDNES DAY THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE kGURES ON CASUALTIES DEAD IN 0AMPANGA AND ONE FROM :AMBALES *ALAD SAID HE WAS STILL OPTIMISTIC ON THE SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS BEING CON DUCTED BY THE MILITARY POLICE AND kREkGHTERS AT #HUZON 3UPERMARKET IN 0ORAC EVEN IF SIGNS OF LIFE WERE LAST DETECTED ON 4UESDAY g5NDER THE SUPERMARKET THERE ARE STILL TWO lOORINGS BELOW /UR APPARATUS HAS A LIMIT OF RANGE BUT IT CAN STILL DETECT SIGNS OF LIFE u HE TOLD REPORTERS IN AN INTERVIEW *ALAD SAID RESCUERS WERE DRILLING A HOLE INTO THE lOORING TO RETRIEVE TWO DOZENS OF PEOPLE TRAPPED IN THE SUPERMARKET "RIG 'EN 2OWEN 4OLENTINO COMMANDER OF THE 0HILIPPINE !RMY S RD )NFANTRY "RIGADE SAID NINE SURVIVORS WERE RECOVERED FROM THE SUPERMARKET #HUZON S MANAGEMENT TOLD AUTHORITIES THE SUPERMARKET S RECORD SECTION WAS kLLED WITH DEBRIS AND IT WAS UNCERTAIN WHETHER EMPLOY EES MANAGED TO ESCAPE /N 4UESDAY NIGHT OPERATIONS WERE HALTED BECAUSE OF AFTERSHOCKS
OBSERVER YEN MAKABENTA
³MakabentaA4
Duterte and Locsin are right: Gear up for battle
P
RESI DENT Rodrigo $ U T E R T E a n d Fo r EIGN !FFAIRS 3ECRETARY 4EODORO ,OCSIN *R ARE RIGHT 0RESIDENT $UTERTE BELIEVES THE 5NITED 3TATES DESPITE THE -UTUAL $EFENSE 4REATY -$4 AND REPEATED 53 PLEDGES TO PROTECT THE 0HILIPPINES WILL NOT GO TO WAR WITH #HINA OVER OUR TERRITORIAL CLAIMS
REPUBLIC SERVICE RICARDO SALUDO
³SaludoA6
Reflections on the Easter Vigil
“T
HEIR STORY S E E M E D LIKE NON SENSE u 4 H A T S WHAT ,UKE TELLS US WAS THE REACTION OF THE APOSTLES TO THE STORY OF THE WOMEN WHO HAD COME FROM THE TOMB THAT THEY HAD SEEN A VISION OF ANGELS
FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO
³AquinoA5
³FinedA2
Rescuers still looking for quake survivors
Brunei seeks tolerance, craft of apologies, Aquino’s silence
I
CONCESSION AGREEMENT !RTICLE OF THE CONCESSION AGREE MENT STATES THAT gA FAILURE BY THE CONCES SIONAIRE TO MEET ANY SERVICE OBLIGATION WHICH CONTINUES FOR MORE THAN DAYS OR DAYS IN CASES WHERE THE FAILURE COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT PUBLIC HEALTH OR WELFARE AFTER WRITTEN NOTICE THEREOF FROM THE 2EGULATORY /FkCE 2/ TO THE CONCES SIONAIRE SHALL CONSTITUTE A BASIS FOR THE
QUAKE’S WAKE
President Rodrigo Duterte visiting a funeral of a victim of the Pampanga Earthquake on Tuesday. MALACAÑANG PHOTO
³SurvivorsA2
41 PROVINCES REEL FROM DROUGHT THE STATE WEATHER BUREAU SAID PROV INCES HAD BEEN HIT BY DROUGHT THIS MONTH EVEN IF THE %L .IÄO HAD WEAKENED )N ITS LATEST REPORT THE 0HILIPPINE !T MOSPHERIC 'EOPHYSICAL AND !STRONOMI CAL 3ERVICES !DMINISTRATION 0AGASA SAID THE PROVINCES REPRESENTING PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY HAD EXPERIENCED DROUGHT BASED ON DATA GATHERED UNTIL !PRIL 4HIS WAS A SIGNIkCANT INCREASE FROM
-ARCH WHICH RECORDED ONLY PROVINCES REELING FROM DROUGHT )N ,UZON PROVINCES WERE DECLARED UNDER DROUGHT !BRA "ENGUET )LOCOS 3UR ,A 5NION "ATAAN -ETRO -ANILA "ATANGAS #AVITE ,AGUNA 2IZAL 1UE ZON -ARINDUQUE /CCIDENTAL -INDORO /RIENTAL -INDORO 2OMBLON 0ALAWAN !LBAY #AMARINES .ORTE #AMARINES 3UR #ATANDUANES -ASBATE AND 3ORSOGON
4HE PROVINCES EXPERIENCING DROUGHT IN THE 6ISAYAS ARE !KLAN !NTIQUE #APIZ 'UIMARAS )LOILO .EGROS /CCIDENTAL "ILIRAN %ASTERN 3AMAR ,EYTE .ORTHERN 3AMAR AND 7ESTERN 3AMAR )N -INDANAO THE EIGHT AREAS UNDER DROUGHT ARE :AMBOANGA DEL .ORTE :AMBOANGA DEL 3UR :AMBOANGA 3IBUGAY -ISAMIS /CCIDENTAL $AVAO DEL 3UR -A GUINDANAO 3ULU AND 4AWI 4AWI
-EANWHILE 0AGASA DECLARED AREAS UNDER THE DRY SPELL 4HREE IN ,UZON kVE IN 6ISAYAS AND IN -INDANAO 4HESE WERE "ULACAN .UEVA %CIJA 0AM PANGA .EGROS /RIENTAL "OHOL #EBU 3IQUIJOR 3OUTHERN ,EYTE "UKIDNON #AMIGUIN ,ANAO DEL .ORTE -ISAMIS /RIENTAL $AVAO /CCIDENTAL .ORTH #OTABATO 3OUTH #OTABATO 3ARANGANI
³DroughtA2
What’s inside WHO IS BEHIND METRO BALITA? Sass SasotA6
TROUBLED WATERS
DUTERTE FLIES TO CHINA FOR BELT AND ROAD FORUM
NewsA2
National Security Adviser Sec. Hermogenes Esperon points the disputed island of the West Philippine Sea during the Association for Philippines-China Understanding Forum on Wednesday.
REACH US AT: E-mail: newsdesk@ manilatimes.net Tel. Nos.: 524-5664 to 67 Address: 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002
LILLARD BUZZER-BEATER SEALS BLAZERS THRILLER TO KNOCK OUT THUNDER
SportsC1
KRIS AQUINO SHAKES OFF QUAKE FEARS; TALKS OF SARA, NOYNOY AND WHY VOTE FOR BAM
EntertainmentD4
PHOTO BY RUY L. MARTINEZ
»Story on A8
S WS P O L L
Robredo’s net satisfaction rating up 15 points THE NET satisfaction rating of Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo SAW A SIGNIkCANT POINT HIKE IN THE kRST QUARTER OF ACCORDING TO A 3OCIAL 7EATHER 3TATIONS 373 SURVEY 4HE 373 POLL CONDUCTED FROM
-ARCH TO FOUND PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS SATISkED WITH THE PERFOR MANCE OF 2OBREDO WHILE PERCENT WERE DISSATISkED YIELDING A gGOODu NET SATISFACTION RATE 4HE RATING WAS POINTS UP FROM
THE MODERATE RATING RECORDED IN $ECEMBER 4HE INCREASE THE 373 SAID WAS DUE TO HIGHER SATISFACTION RATINGS IN "AL ANCE ,UZON OR ,UZON EXCEPT -ETRO
³RatingA8