Manila Standard - 2017 February 17 - Friday

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VOL. XXXI • NO. 7 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

A N N I V E R S A RY

XPERIENCE•XCELLENCE•XCITEMENT

6,000 defy rain, Lopez Workers rally vs mining closure By Lance Baconguis

C

ANTILAN, Surigao del Sur—Despite torrential rain, close to 6,000 mine workers, indigenous peoples, scholars, fishermen and farmers rallied against the order of Environment Secretary Regina Lopez to close mining operations in Surigao del Sur at the town park here.

BRAVING THE ELEMENTS. Nearly 6,000 mines workers, indigenous peoples, scholars, fisherfolk and farm-

Leni fails to block Bongbong’s protest Solons rule out Gina’s confirmation

ers stand up Thursday to the weather in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur to rally at the town square against the order of Environment Secretary Gina Lopez on the closure of mining operations in the province. Lance Baconguis

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court, acting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, has denied the plea of Vice President Leni Robredo to dismiss the electoral protest filed against her by former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after it found the poll protest “sufficient in form and substance.” This means the PET will proceed with the hearing and resolution of the election protest against Robredo on its merit. In a resolution dated Jan. 30 but only made public Thursday, the PET ruled that there exists sufficient basis to take jurisdiction

over the Marcos’ election protest when it junked Robredo’s motion to dismiss the case. “Verily, the Tribunal affirms its jurisdiction over the instant protest, which is sufficient in form and substance. The protestee’s [Robredo] prayer to dismiss the protest for lack of jurisdiction and for being insufficient in form and substance is denied,” the PET said. It held that the Marcos’ protest contained narrations of ultimate facts on the alleged irregularities and anomalies in the contested clustered precincts, which the protestant needs to prove in due Next page time.

By Christine F. Herrera FOR making a “very bad decision” on mining, Environment Secretary Gina Lopez will not hurdle confirmation of the powerful Commission on Appointments, lawmakers said Thursday.

“Secretary Lopez’s confirmation is ruled out because she made a very bad decision by closing down 75 mining firms without due process,” said Kalinga Rep. Allen Jesse Mangaoang, who filed a resolution seeking to probe her closure orders.

Mangaoang and Coop-Natcco Rep. Anthony Bravo said Lopez’s actions were wreaking havoc on the economy. A CA member who requested anonymity, confirmed that several opposition letters had been Next page

Du30 asked to come up with bank papers By Macon R. Araneta and John Paolo Bencito SENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday repeated his claim that President Rodrigo Duterte had P2 billion in his bank accounts, but Senator Alan Peter Cayetano rejected his claim. “He has more than P2 billion in his bank accounts and when he shows his transaction history and I’m proven wrong, I will resign from the Senate,” Trillanes told reporters. He said his challenge was important because the corruption

scandals in the government were emerging. Trillanes made his statement even as the Palace on Thursday said Duterte may come out soon with the bank documents following Trillanes’ claims. “Not in response to grandstanding,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella told reporters. “If necessary and within the right context, due process but not to respond to grandstanding.” Trillanes said that, aside from releasing former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who had become the symbol of corruption in the past administration, the Next page

BRIBERY SCANDAL. (From left) Jack Lam’s business partner Ng Kuen Hon; Charlie Tiu Hay Ang, also known

as Atong Ang; and Alex Yu testify Thursday during the 4th Senate public hearing by the Blue Ribbon Committee on the alleged bribery involving Lam and the Bureau of Immigration. Lino Santos

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Ang: P60m for casino workers’ bail SolGen By Macon R. Araneta

BUSINESSMAN Charlie “Atong” Ang, a business partner of gaming mogul Jack Lam, on Thursday said a total of P60 million, and not P50 million, had been paid for the release of over

1,000 undocumented Chinese workers at Fontana Leisure Park and Casino in Pampanga. Testifying for the first time in the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the P50 million bribery at the Bureau of Immigration, Ang revealed

that former BI associate commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles demanded P100 million but P60 million had been released through former police official Wenceslao Sombero Jr. He told the committee chaired Next page

Palace twits yellows: Just move on

Leila faces expulsion over drugs

By John Paolo Bencito

By Macon R. Araneta

MALACAÑANG on Thursday told the yellow forces to move on following its decision to tone down the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the People Power Revolution on Feb. 25, 1986. “It’s time to move on from just celebrating the past, remembering the past, and to move on to the whole aspect of nation-building to give it a more positive out-

REP. Harry Roque Jr. on Thursday filed a complaint with the Senate’s Ethics committee seeking the expulsion of Senator Leila de Lima over her alleged involvement in illegal drugs. He also sought the expulsion of Rep. Ron Salo who, he said, connived with De Lima and used a foundation to cover up the illegal drug operation at the New Bilibid Prison. Next page

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Lopez ordered the closure of 23 mining operations last week and canceled 75 Mineral Profit Sharing Agreements on Feb. 14. The protesters said the Lopez order was an injustice to those who depended on the three mining operations—two in Carrascal town, CTP Mining and Carrascal Nickel Mining; and one in Cantilan, Marc Ventures Mining and Development Corp. Cantilan Mayor Phillip Pichay said Lopez’s move to shut down mining would hurt close to 7,000 workers who would lose their jobs, and affect their families and communities as well. Cantilan is the commercial center of the Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, Lanuza area and home to Surigao del Sur State University and the St. Michael College. Pichay said that close to P700 million circulates in the town annually. “The salaries of the 464 Indigenous peoples from Barangay Cabangahan alone employed by MMDC amounts to P60 million annually and the workers spend it here,” Pichay said. Pichay added that the salaries of the employed in Carrascal town is P600 million annually, about 30 percent or P180 million is spent in Cantilan. Data from the DENR-Mines and Geosciences Bureau

LENDING AN EAR. South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Kim Jae Shin confers Wednesday with PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa during a consultative meeting at the Ryce Hotel in Clark, Pampanga regarding the concerns of the Korean community on the killing of nationals from the Land of the Morning Calm. Manny Palmero

provokes questions LAWMAKERS on Thursday wanted to know why Solicitor General Jose Calida has moved to acquit Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam, of illegal detention charges filed against her by whistleblower Benhur Luy. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, a staunch ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, said that he asked for an explanation but raised the possibility that it is part of the administration’s strategy that has yet to be revealed. Cayetano said the government could be working towards punishing others involved in the multi-million peso scam but were being protected. I also want the SolGen to answer, but I guarantee you that the President will not allow any corruption to happen during the administration. And he will not Next page


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