Manila Standard - 2016 July 29 - Friday

Page 1

Drug war: Cops train gun on rich and famous AS PART of its intensified antidrug campaign, the Philippine National Police on Thursday said it will look into affluent people and celebrities who are linked to illegal drugs. Southern Police District acting director Sr. Supt. Tomas Apolinario said from the PNP’s anti-drug operations also aims to curb the prevalence of party drugs such as “ecstasy.” He recalled the five fatalities at the Closeup Forever Summer concert in Pasay City last May 21 who used Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and alcohol. MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, is a psychoactive drug used primarily as a recreational drug. Apolinario said party and concert organizers are now coordinating with the police to ensure that their events will not be used as a venue for the distribution of illegal drugs as these are usually attended by wealthy youth and celebrities. Despite the deployment of civilian-clothed and uniformed policemen during concerts or parties, Apolinario admitted that it is difficult to track down people who use drugs before going to an event. Next page

Planting a new beginning: The 6th sowing VOL. XXX • NO. 167 • 6 SECTIONS 28 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 • WWW.THESTANDARD.COM.PH • EDITORIAL@THESTANDARD.COM.PH

‘No truce if Reds pursue kill-spree’ By John Paolo Bencito

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday warned communist rebels that he would call off a unilateral ceasefire unless they explained why they ambushed a group of militiamen in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, less than a week after his first State of the Nation Address.

President reverses himself on drug slays By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday slammed the continuing extrajudicial killings of suspected drug suspects as he defended himself from criticism that he supported the executions. In his speech before members of the League of Cities and Provinces of the Philippines, Duterte called himself the whipping boy of human rights groups, who have denounced the growing number of drug-related executions. “Who wants to kill a person? We cannot build a nation over the dead bodies of our own citizens,” Duterte said late Wednesday night. The statement contrasted sharply with his previous statements in which he promised to kill hundreds of drug pushers in an anti-narcotics campaign that would create a boom for funeral parlors. Duterte’s latest statement came after the Integrated Bar of Next page

Sections E, F

LATEST EDITION. This was the Miss Universe crown worn by Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach. The Philippines hosts next year’s Miss Universe beauty

pageant.

PH to host Miss Universe again after 23 years THE Philippines will host the next edition of the prestigious Miss Universe pageant, Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo confirmed Thursday. In a press briefing, Teo said the pageant will take place on Jan. 30, 2017, at the Mall of Asia Arena, with the private sector shouldering the funds to run the prestigious beauty tilt. “We have a President who comes from Mindanao, and our Miss Universe is from Mindanao,

so I think this is the best time for us to do the Miss Universe here in the Philippines,” Teo said. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed to Teo that President Rodrigo Duterte had already agreed to hosting the pageant and asked her to make the announcement. Teo confirmed the government will not spend on the pageant, which is estimated to cost $11 million, as several individuals and companies from the private sec-

tor—including tycoon Henry Sy and Japanese casino mogul Kazuo Okada--have expressed their interest in sponsoring the event. Reigning Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach along with the officials from the Miss Universe Organization last week met with Duterte in a courtesy call at Malacañang to convince him to accept the Philippine bid to hold the pageant here. The Philippines last hosted the Miss Universe tilt in 1994, which

crowned Sushmita Sen of India as winner. The country first hosted the pageant in 1974, when Margie Moran relinquished her title to Amparo Muñoz of Spain. The last Miss Universe was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Wurtzbach won the crown, ending a 42-year drought for the Philippines. Binibining Pilipinas Universe Maxine Medina will represent the Philippines in the pageant. John Paolo Bencito

“If you do not honor and you kill a single soldier, a single cop or a soldier of the republic, let’s forget these ceasefire. We will fight,” said Duterte, who used his Sona to declare a truce with the communists. “Just before I came out, there were Cafgu (Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit) that were ambushed. I called up one of their congressmen [aligned with the communists]… are you in to this truce or are we not? Give me an answer tonight because if not, I will remove the unilateral ceasefire. We will return to fighting,” Duterte told troops at his visit to Camp Nakar in Lucena, Quezon province. “I am demanding an explanation from the Communist Party of the Philippines, and just like us, if we have men that need to get punished, we punish our men. I expect the same, and I demand an answer [and] whoever is liable must be put [disciplined].” A Cafgu member and four others were wounded during an ambush early Wednesday morning in Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte, Capt. Rhyan Batchar, chief information officer of the 10th Infantry Next page Division, said.

Preggy Du30 pushes French model for federal govt teeners’ IN HIS push for Charter Change, President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday urged Congress to adopt the French model of a federal parliamentary republic, which puts a strong system of checks and balances into place. “My advice is copy.. the French set-up,” Duterte said in a speech before members of the League of Cities and Provinces of the Philippines at the Palace Wednesday night. “We have to have a president because the Filipino wants to vote for a president. You can’t take it away from them,” Duterte said.

In his first State of the Nation Address, Duterte warned against establishing a purely parliamentary system because there would be “no single apparatus from the commander-in-chief down.” “You must have a president,” he said, suggesting that the chief executive’s powers could be limited to the ceremonial except in times of need. Duterte said he was willing to call for a presidential election the day a parliamentary system of government is approved, saying Next page

Contra Sona bucks bid to revive death penalty OF THE 293 House members only one, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman from the bickering minority, was brave enough to deliver a Contra-Sona or counter-State of the Nation Address to the one delivered by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday. Lagman slammed as “retrogressive measures” the proposed re-impositon of the death penalty and the reduction of the minimum age of criminal responsibil-

ity to nine years old from 12. While the House has yet to officially recognize the duly elected Minority Leader, Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, his group is nonetheless slated to unveil the “minority agenda” on Monday. Kabayan Rep. Harry Roque, the incoming House Deputy Minority Leader under Suarez, will also deliver his Contra-Sona speech against extra-judicial killings on Monday. Next page twitter.com/ MlaStandard

ranks growing SOCIOECONOMIC Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia on Thursday cited a study from the University of the Philippines Population Institute saying one in 10 Filipinas get pregnant in their teens. He said 10 percent of 10 million Filipinas aged between 15 and 19 were getting pregnant. “One million [teenagers] get pregnant during those years. It’s not going to help poverty reduction,” Pernia said. He said once teenage girls got pregnant, many of them would fail to join the workforce because they had to take care of their children. “[The young] Mothers are left rearing their children instead of working and contributing to the family income,” Pernia said. If poor mothers were freed from excessive child-bearing and rearing, Pernia said, they could participate in skills programs so they could join the labor market or get into some entrepreneurship. Next page

facebook.com.ph/ manilastandard

S

AFTER THE SPEECH. President Rodrigo Duterte is mobbed by members of the League of Province of the Philippines and League of Cities of the Philippines after delivering his keynote speech to the two groups in Malacañang Wednesday night.

Casualties mount in Mindanao clash HOSTILITIES again flared in Central Mindanao on Thursday following a running gun battle between security forces and fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that caused scores of casualties on both sides, an official said Thursday. The battle between Army contingents and two base commands

thestandard.com.ph

of the MILF on the outskirts of Shariff Saydona raged despite the intervention of the Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities, said Col. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade. He said the MILF’s 105th and 118th Base Commands consisting of about 100 heavily armed fighters

engaged Army troops in gun battles. Sobejana made his statement even as an official said Moro National Liberation Front chairman Nur Misuari was helping the government recover seven Indonesian sailors who were abducted by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf in the waters of Sulu Sea last month. Next page

Missed your copy of Manila Standard Today? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circ@manilastandardtoday.com


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.