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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
PH-CHINA...
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With the significant improvement in Manila’s bilateral relations with Beijing, China is looking forward to a wider and broader partnership with the Philippines in all spheres of cooperation, which will be mutually beneficial to both countries. “Looking forward, we have every reason to synergize our development strategies and carry forward our winwin cooperation, to open up a broader and brighter vista for this path of ChinaPhilippines partnership,” Tan said, adding the Sino-Filipino relations move forward in a constructive and productive manner in 2017. Tan noted the Philippine government had been forging ahead with “Build, build, build” strategy, pursuing social-economic progress, improving the people’s welfare, and securing an excellent chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. As for China, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last October not only laid out strategies and blueprints for China’s own development, but also reaffirmed China’s sincere commitment to building a community of shared future for mankind, he said. “I am convinced that a China that enjoys stronger domestic growth and closer integration with the world will surely bring about opportunities of winwin cooperation for Asia-Pacific and the Philippines in particular,” Tan emphasized. According to the Chinese official, both countries have attained significant achievements in their bilateral relations this year. President Xi Jinping met twice with President Duterte this year, during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing last May and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting in Danang, Vietnam last November, respectively. In November, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang paid a successful official visit to the Philippines, first of this kind in a decade. During the visit, the two sides signed 14 bilateral agreements and issued a joint statement, embarking on a mission to further advance China-Philippines ties in a comprehensive and sustained manner on the basis of mutual respect, sincerity, equality, and mutual benefit. Li was the first Chinese premier who paid an official visit to the Philippines in 10 years. “Guided by such spirit, our two countries have taken concrete actions to advance our pragmatic cooperation in such priority areas as infrastructure, production capacity, investment, commerce, trade, agriculture and people-topeople exchange,” Tan stressed. During his visit in Manila, Premier Li Keqiang also announced that China would provide grants to build two bridges over the Pasig River and set up two drug rehabilitation centers in Davao region. China also committed to finance three infrastructure projects through concessional loans, namely: the New Water Resource Kaliwa Dam, Chico River Pump Irrigation Project and South Line of the North-South Railway, which are expected to start soon. “We will finance feasibility studies for the construction of Davao City expressway and a bridge linking Panay, Guimaras and Negros. We are also working on the possibility of setting up industrial parks in the Philippines, and to identify the second basket of infrastructure projects, which could be built in the following years,” the Chinese official said. “Please bear in mind that, when the Philippines prepares to take off, China would always like to be the wings that give [the] strength,” Tan said. Li’s visit resulted in the signing of 14 cooperation agreements covering the implementation of various relevant public works projects, among others. “China and Philippines are close neighbors. Both China and the Philippines are countries with large population and we are developing opportunity and a big market for each other. If we can work together, I believe, it will all bring benefits to the people of both countries and the regions as a whole,” Li said, in his speech during a ceremony in Malacañang.
CHINA...
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Those born in the Year of the Dog, according to Chinese astrology, are forthright and extremely loyal, in addition to having a strong sense of justice. But they can also be stubborn, irritable and easily angered. Last year the mall erected a large Trump-like rooster, which inspired numerous replicas, including a giant inflatable one placed not far from the White House this summer. AFP
REDS SHOW TRUE COLOR AS ENEMIES OF THE STATE By John Paolo Bencito
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HE ambitious goal of the Communist Party of the Philippines—seeking the ouster of President Rodrigo Duterte— only shows they are “enemies of the state,” the Palace said Saturday. “Kung gustong pabagsakin ng CPP-NPA-NDF ang ating Pangulo, pinapabagsak din nila ang gobyerno [If the CPP-NPA-NDF wants to oust our President, they’re overthrowing
the government as well],” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar told state-run Radyo Pilipinas. “Ibig sabihin [It only means that] they are really enemies of the state
and they are enemies of the people,” he added. The CPP, during the celebration of the communist movement’s 49th anniversary, warned that Duterte will suffer the same fate as two of his predecessors while the party built “the broadest united front” to overthrow him. “The Filipino people are suffering gravely under the Duterte regime. The entire Party and all revolutionary forces must exert vigorous efforts to unite the Filipino people in a broad united front to resist and overthrow the fascist Duterte re-
gime, as they did the Marcos dictatorship and the Estrada regime,” the communist party said. As it celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, the CPP said it want to end the current administration’s “fascist tyranny, all-out economic liberalization and bureaucratic corruption.” They likewise called on its cadres to “frustrate” the plan of Duterte to defeat the NPA before the end of 2018, and do more attacks on the guerrilla fronts in the eastern Mindanao and other regions, and then in Luzon and Visayas.
DUTERTE REJECTS 'PERSON OF THE YEAR' AWARD MALACAÑANG on Saturday rejected a “Person of the Year” label on President Rodrigo Duterte by an American nonprofit organization amid his alleged efforts to “advance organized criminal activity and corruption.” Saying they are making a mockery out of Duterte, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar decried the award given by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, which gives the title to an “individual who has done the most in the world to advance organized criminal activity and corruption,” for
'EDSA... From A1 entering via the South Luzon Expressway, and • Southwest Integrated Terminal Exchange (Switx) for provincial buses from south of Metro Manila—Batangas and Cavite entering via Coastal Road and the Manila-Cavite Expressway. With the completion of these terminals, provincial buses will no longer be allowed to enter Edsa. The construction of Switx in Parañaque City, situated along Coastal Road in Parañaque City, is now more than 50 percent complete and is expected to be inaugurated next April. Thomas Orbos, Metro Manila Development Authority general manager and concurrent Transportation undersecretary for roads and infrastructure, said traffic flow along Edsa was expected to improve once Switx, the country’s first intermodal transport terminal, was fully operational. “At least 1,000 buses will be taken out of Edsa daily for the comfort and safety of our Cavite and Batangas brothers going to Metro Manila and greatly help decongest Metro Manila traffic,” he said. The Department of Transportation is still looking for the right location of a terminal intended for provincial buses from northern Luzon while it is considering the proposal of local government offi-
waging a brutal drug war here in the country. “Teka muna, parang kabaliktaran ‘ata [It seems they have the whole thing backward],” Andanar said in an interview over state radio. He claimed the award is quite the opposite of the President, who “has done much to fight organized crime and destroy drugs in the country.” Andanar also stressed that Duterte is serious in his fight against corruption, with his sacking of several high-level officials amid pervasive corruption. “If I got the gist of the award cor-
cials in Laguna to build in Sta. Rosa City a terminal for buses coming from Laguna and Quezon. Aside from decongesting Edsa, Orbos said the terminal was also designed to make commuting more convenient for those living in the southern part of the metropolis. MMDA chairman Danilo Lim said provincial buses would only be allowed to load and unload in Switx, avoiding Edsa. “Buses entering the capital will load and unload passengers in this intermodal facility where commuters can transfer from one transport mode to another with cabs and other public utility vehicles available,” said Lim. Lim added that commuters would have access to trains when the Light Railway Transit-Line One Extension project was completed. “A station of the LRT extension project will be constructed near the Switx,” he said. Switx was designed to resemble an airport terminal with multi-level platforms. It will have passenger terminal buildings, embarkation and disembarkation bays, staging bays, ticketing and baggage handling facilities, and park-ride facilities. Catching a bus is also made easier with the On-line Bus Ticketing System, an intuitive online and on-site booking and ticketing system. Departure schedules will also be displayed on large screens.
MORE... From A1 is expected to prop up the domestic economy in 2018, Roque stressed. He also expressed confidence in the local stock market’s record-breaking run on the final trading day for 2017 when it closed at 8,558.42. In the latest SWS survey, 96 percent of Filipinos expressed they would welcome 2018 with hope instead of fear. Also on Saturday, Roque thanked the public for the “good” net satisfaction rating the Cabinet received in the SWS survey. Roque said this would “inspire and motivate” President Rodrigo Duterte’s officials to work harder in 2018. “We have to point out that this figure, considered ‘good’ by the polling firm, is the highest net satisfaction rating given to the Cabinet since 1990,” Roque said in a statement. “This will therefore inspire and motivate the members of the President’s official family to work double time in bringing a comfortable life for all Filipinos under a trustworthy government,” he added.
rectly, parang mali ‘ata ‘yung award nila [It seems their award’s a mistake],” he said. “Mali ho ‘yung award na ‘yun. Hindi ho tama ‘yun [That award is wrong. It isn’t right],” he added. Drew Sullivan, editor for the OCCRP and one of the nine judges who selected the Person of the Year for 2017 from nominations from journalists and the public, said Duterte made a “mockery of rule of law” in the Philippines. “While he is not your typical corrupt leader, he has empowered corruption in an innovative way. His
death squads have allegedly focused on criminals but, in fact, are less discriminating. He has empowered a bully-run system of survival of the fiercest. In the end, the Philippines is more corrupt, more cruel (sic), and less democratic,” Sullivan added. It was not the first time for Duterte to be considered for the OCCRP title. Last year, he was runner-up to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Previous OCCRP Persons of the Year include Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014 and the Romanian Parliament in 2013. John Paolo Bencito
Buses will likewise be equipped with Ultra-High Frequency tag for efficient managing, tracking, and monitoring inside the terminal premises. Vehicles and passengers’ queuing, loading, and unloading will all be systematized. The terminal will also be equipped with Wi-Fi and charging points. For added comfort, there will be airconditioned lounges and waiting areas for passengers, as well as retail stores and food centers. Drivers will also have their own retiring room. Closed circuit television cameras and baggage scanners will be installed and security personnel will be stationed 24/7 to ensure safety of passengers. To make the terminal more vibrant, commercial spaces and offices will be occupying the premises. This will also ensure a steady flow of passengers that will be using the new terminal. Two years ago, Metro Manila mayors agreed to the plan removing bus terminals along Edsa in line with the government’s solution to the worsening traffic situation in the National Capital Region. Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista and Pasay City Mayor Antonio Calixto, whose jurisdictions have the most numbers of bus terminals, were the first local executives who signed the resolution titled “Rationalizing the Operations of Provincial Buses and its Terminals Along Edsa.” Bautista recently called on the MMDA
NO... From A1 to Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong following an earlier shooting during an argument among residents. But they mistakenly opened fire on a van that they thought was carrying the shooter but which in fact was carrying six construction workers taking a woman injured in the incident to hospital, said Metro Manila police chief Director Oscar Albayalde. The wounded woman, Jonalyn Ambaon, later died and one of her companions, in the van, Jomar Jayaon, was also killed while two others were wounded, he told reporters. He said barangay tanods had been the first to open fire on the van but said police would investigate why they had firearms, which are not normally issued to such personnel. Albayalde said 36 shells from fired rounds had been recovered and that all the guns of the police and watchmen would be checked to see who
had fired on the van. “They said that practically all of them fired their guns. It was only some guys who arrived last who did not fire their guns,” Albayalde said, referring to the responding policemen. Videos of the incident, aired on local television, show policemen with guns drawn, surrounding the van as gunshots rang out. “We are not hiding anything here. We are not discounting the fact that there is the possibility that there may have been overkill or violation of our POP [police operating procedure],” Albayalde said. Albayalde ordered the relief of Mandaluyong City police chief Senior Supt. Moises Villaceran and 10 of his men involved in the deadly shooting on Shaw Boulevard. He said those relieved are now on a floating status and were transferred to the National Capital Region Police Office-Holding and Accounting Unit in Taguig City, pending the result of the investigation being conducted by his office and the Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Unit.
and DoTr to decide on the site of the proposed north bus terminal. The MMDA has had plans since 2013 to construct an interim northern provincial bus terminal near the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City. The facility is said to be an end-point for over 370 provincial buses. Bautista said Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan had identified a site for the proposed terminal, but said the DoTr wanted it located within a railway line. MMDA records showed there are 85 provincial bus companies in Metro Manila. Of the 85 provincial bus companies, 46 firms have terminals on Edsa, particularly in Cubao, Balintawak and Taft Avenue. Around 3,300 provincial buses and 12,000 city buses pass through Edsa daily. In 2014, the MMDA and the DoTr put up a temporary terminal in Alabang, Muntinlupa for 556 buses from southern Luzon which did not have proper terminals in Metro Manila and in 2013 on Coastal Road near the Coastal Mall in Parañaque City for about 1,000 buses from Cavite and Batangas. Traffic in the NCR caused an estimated productivity loss of around P2.4 billion a day or more than P800 billion a year. But authorities said that with the right systems from the government combined with sacrifices and discipline from the people, the worsening traffic problem in the metropolis would be resolved. Also relieved were Senior Insp. Maria Cristina Vasques, police officer 2 (PO2) Nel Lemuel Songalia, and Police Officers 1 Algred Uribe, Jave Arellano, Tito Danao, Mark Castillo, Julius Libuen, Bryan Nicolas, Albert Buwag and Kim Rufford Tibunsay. Initial reports showed the incident was a case of mistaken identity. Albayalde said they were looking into the possibility that the wrong information was given to the responding police. “They were told that the persons inside [the van] were armed,” he said. Albayade extended his condolences to the families of the victims and promised a transparent investigation into the shooting. The Justice Department has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a parallel probe into the shooting. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II also directed NBI Director Dante Gierran to conduct a case build-up on the incident, and if evidence warranted, to file appropriate charges against those responsible. With Rey E. Requejo, AFP