WATCH FOR MANILA STANDARD’S SPECIAL REPORT ON THE ECONOMY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
DUTERTE
NOMICS: SUSTAINING THE HEALTH OF ECONOMIC GAINS THE NATION
VOL. XXX • NO. 224 • 4 SECTIONS 22 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph
SENATOR LEILA DE LIMA
PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE
Digong tags Leila as top ‘narco-pol’ Vows to dig deeper if ‘there are people higher than her’ By John Paolo Bencito Word war’s ugly turn: Name-calling SENATOR Leila de Lima on Friday called President Rodrigo Duterte a misogynist and a chauvinist, but the Chief Executive shrugged off her comments, saying she was ugly anyway. De Lima on Friday reacted to Duterte, who said “she not only screwed her driver, she was screwing her nation”--referring to alle-
gations that she used her former driver and lover to collect drug money from the national penitentiary. In a text message to reporters, De Lima said: “Duterte’s latest verbal abuse against me is simply characteristic of his being a misogynist and chauvinist.” “That’s all it is and there is no
need to dignify it with any further reply,” she said, saying it was regrettable that the President has sunk so low. “God help our country,” she added. Duterte, however, showed no signs of letting up on the abuse, saying he chose to ignore De Lima because she was ugly (“pangit”). Next page
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said Senator Leila de Lima was so far the highest elected government official to use drug money to win office, but asked government lawyers to see if there were any officials higher than her who condoned the illegal drug trade. “I thought before that narco-politics wasn’t evident in this country, but as the revelations would show, De Lima was elected using drug money,” Duterte said in a chance interview in Davao City. Others who benefitted from
drug money could number in the thousands, he said, and include congressmen, judges and barangay captains. Duterte, who asked De Lima to hang herself for “screwing the nation,” said that Justice officials are now starting to probe the accountability of other high officials under the Aquino administration who might have also benefitted from the illegal drug trade. “At that time when I said you better ‘hang yourself,’ I knew already about everything. I had already read the testimonies and talked with the people involved,” Duterte said. Next page
‘Feel like a dead woman walking’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta RECEIVING numerous threats to her safety, Senator Leila de Lima admitted Friday she feels like “a dead woman walking.” “I do not know what will be the end of this, what will happen next. My feeling is I live by the day. I do not know what will happen tomorrow. I still do not know whether I will be here tomorrow,” said De Lima in an interview over radio dzBB. The beleaguered senator, whom President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to destroy, likened herself to Edgar Matobato, the selfconfessed hitman who linked Duterte to the Davao Death Squad, a vigilante group that was Next page
Focus on Du30-nomics, not on his mouth ‘‘
By Othel V. Campos THE European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines on Friday played down President Rodrigo Duterte’s expletive-laden attack on the European Parliament after it condemned his brutal crackdown on crime. “It makes more sense to focus on the 10-point socioeconomic
DURESS DENIED. Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, facing drug-related charges, denies at a news briefing Thursday night Senator Leila de Lima’s claim he is being coerced to testify against her. With him is his counsel Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta. Manny Palmero
‘Hitman’ fails to link Rody to DDS—NBI THE affidavit of witness and confessed hitman Edgar Matobato did not give any details on the alleged direct involvement of then Davao City Mayor and now President Rodrigo Duterte in the Davao Death Squad, and Duterte had not spoken to the confessed killer, an official said Friday. “[Duterte was not directly
identified by Matobato],” NBI spokesman Ferdinand Lavin said when asked if Matobato identified Duterte. ‘Not directly.’ He made the statement after the hearing of the Senate committee on justice on Thursday night. The NBI was earlier ordered by then Justice secretary and
Invitation to UN, EU hits a snag
Sprawling shabu lab raided
FOREIGN Affairs is still awaiting Malacañang’s letter inviting experts from the United Nations and the European Union to probe the alleged summary killings in the country that is said to have resulted in the death of more than 2,000 people since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed the Next page Presidency.
CAMP OLIVAS―A Chinese national was arrested while four other Chinese escaped on Friday after police raided one of the biggest shabu laboratories in the country in Laquios village in Arayat, Pampanga, an official said. Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino said the suspect was now under custody while his four countrymen were being hunted down. He made his statement even as Senator Panfilo Lacson said President Rodrigo Duterte should stop dreaming he could totally eliminate twitter.com/ MlaStandard
now Senator Leila de Lima to assess Matobato’s affidavit in 2014 when Matobato executed it. Senator Richard Gordon on Friday said they voted to oust Senator Leila de Lima as head of the Senate’s justice and human rights committee, which is investigating
agenda of the new administration and get things done. We have been discussing this with Secretary [Carlos] Dominguez,” said ECCP senior advocacy adviser Henry Schumacher. He added it would be best if the world took the matter in a stride and moved on. The President on Monday vented his ire on the European Parlia-
ment for criticizing the Philippine government’s approach to ending criminality, and urging Manila to put an end to the extrajudicial killings in its war on illegal drugs. But Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the government will continue with ongoing negotiations to reach a free trade agreement with the European Union, regardless of Mr. Duterte’s rhetoric. Next page
NDF: Lasting truce ‘untenable’ if . . . By John Paolo Bencito THE communist National Democratic Front said Friday forging a permanent ceasefire with the government by October may be “untenable” because of violations of the prevailing truce but President Rodrigo Duterte or-
dered the military to control all militia groups while the peace talks are ongoing. “The continued violations [make the permanent ceasefire] untenable,” and it is important for the government to address this already,” said NDF consultant Adelberto Silva, a ranking
official of the Communist Party of the Philippines. “In the next round of talks, we will try to move forward the bilateral ceasefire agreement. The NDF had already raised the matter with the [government of the Republic of the Philippines],” Silva said in a media forum on Friday. Next page
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the drug problem, calling it “wishful thinking.” Duterte had only recently asked for a six-month extension to his anti-drug campaign to eliminate all drug pushers. He said he had no idea that hundreds of thousands of people were in the business of making and selling illegal drugs. “That [the problem of illegal drugs] cannot be eliminated,” said Lacson who was CRIMELESS CATS. A suspected drug pusher lies out cold on the pavement Friday next to a crashed motorchief of police during the Es- cycle and tenderfoot kittens following what witnesses described as an encounter with police in Pasig City—as trada administration. Next page the government’s anti-drugs campaign goes full throttle. AFP
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