VOL. XXXII • NO. 147 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net
Rody says sorry to his ‘all-forgiving God’ By Nat Mariano
IN JOINT PRAYER. President Rodrigo Duterte, who met up the other day with Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Archbishop Romulo Valles, prays with Jesus Is Lord Church founder and president Eduardo Villanueva (left) after a meeting Tuesday at the Malago Clubhouse at the Malacañang Park. Presidential Photo
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has apologized to his “all-forgiving” God but noted that he was not saying sorry to any church or religious leader. Duterte made his apology in a closeddoor meeting with Jesus Is Lord founder and president Eduardo Villanueva at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang Park on Tuesday. Also present during the meeting were Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, and lawyer Angelino Villanueva. The church leader earlier urged the President to apologize for his statements about God and the Church but Duterte Next page
Sixth local official shot dead Pinoy makes the climb of his life By Evalea Casaljay
IT WAS probably the most important climb of his life. For Christoffer John “Cedjie” Aquino, a Filipino rock climber and English teacher based in Thailand, joining the rescue team for the 13 trapped Wild Boars players and
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Cedjie Aquino
Alvarez pushes No-El, cites House overload By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday said the administration should consider postponing the mid-term elections in 2019 if it is determined to push the proposed shift to a federal form of government. A postponement, he added, would be practical as Congress has a full plate with several administration measures, such as Charter change, the Bangsamoro Basic
Law, and the 2018 General Appropriations Act. “We have to work double time in passing these pieces of legislation,” Alvarez said at a news conference with House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas. This would be difficult, he said, since many legislators would be preparing to file their certificates of candidacy by October ahead of the start of the campaign season in February 2019. Next page
Leni: Incompetent? Look who’s talking By Rio N. Araja, Nat Mariano and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE camp of Vice President Leni Robredo slammed President Rodrigo Duterte Wednesday for calling her incompetent and unfit to be a president. “Incompetent? Look who’s talking,” Robredo’s legal adviser Barry Gutierrez said. He hit Duterte for the problems that continue to beset the country, such as rising inflation, a weaker peso, the plan to borrow P1.19 trillion from local and foreign creditors in 2019 and the worsening traffic woes. Inflation, he said, had risen to 5.2 percent while the price of rice has reached P42 a kilo. The exchange rate, on the other hand, has dropped to P53.51 to a US dollar. Next page
Paris erupts in a frenzy as France makes finals SPORTS A8
Japanese firm bets on Pacquiao fist cast A JAPANESE metal cast maker is making exactly 888 casts of Manny Pacquiao’s famous left fist and plans to sell them for US$2,945 (about P158,000) each starting this Sunday, a day after the Filipino boxing legend and senator faces Lucas Matthysse in a bout in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Castem Co. Ltd. announced Wednesday it would start pre-sales of Pacquiao’s fist figurine—sure to be a
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Tawi-Tawi town vice mayor Ali killed by gunmen in Zambo City
T
HE vice mayor of Sapa Sapa town in TawiTawi, Al Rashid Mohammad Ali, was gunned down by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Zamboanga City, making him the sixth local executive to be killed in 10 days. The 53-year-old Ali was onboard his vehicle, a black Toyota Innova while traversing Governor Alvarez Avenue when he was shot twice by the still unidentified gunman during a traffic stop. Ali, who sustained two gunshot wounds on the chest, was rushed to the Zamboanga Doctors’ Hospital where he died. Prior to Ali’s murder, five politicians—including two mayors—in a span of six days, prompting the Philippine National Police to order a massive crackdown on gun-for-hire syndicates even as the Palace insisted that the killings were not systematic. On July 2, Mayor Antonio Halili of Tanauan City, Batangas was killed while attending a flag ceremony at the city hall. A day after, Mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija was repeatedly shot by a motorcycle-riding suspect while he was onboard his Toyota Fortuner in Cabanatuan City. On July 7, Trece Martires City Vice Mayor Alexander Lubigan and his driver Romulo Guillemer were killed by gunmen while traversing the Indang Road. On the same day, Zamboanga City coun-
cilor Michael Magallanes and Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur municipal councilor Nassif Bansil were also shot dead in separate incidents. Halili was in the narco-list of President Rodrigo Duterte while Bote was a member of Duterte’s political party, the ruling PDP-Laban. PNP chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde earlier said authorities are still investigating all possible angles to the killings of local officials. “There are many angles that police are investigating in the recent killings like political motive, drugs and other angles. We have also considered suggestions on the need for a massive crackdown against gun-for-hire groups and gun-running syndicates,” he said. Albayalde also ordered police units to launch “early security measures” for next year’s midterm elections. “In view of the recent killings of local chief executives, I am directing the command group and the regional directors to review and launch early security measures ahead of the 2019 midterm elections in Next page May next year,” he said.
Marcos, VP renew clash over ‘party’ By Rey E. Requejo A LAWYER for Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday acknowledged that one of her revisors in the ongoing recount had attended an outing with personnel of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, but said he did so in his “persona capacity” and without the approval of his superiors. “Had we known it, we would not have allowed it to happen,” said Emil Marañon, a lawyer for Robredo. On Monday, Marcos asked the PET to investigate for possible impropriety the recent outing in a resort in Calamba, Laguna, in which PET personnel involved in the ongoing recount of votes Next page
BLACK WEDNESDAY. This black Toyota Innova failed to shield Vice Mayor Al Rashid Mohammad Ali of Sapa-Sapa town in Tawi-Tawi province from the bullets fired at him Wednesday by riding-in-tandem suspects in Zamboanga City. Police say the victim, the latest local official to die from assassins’ bullets, died in the hospital after sustaining two gunshot wounds in his chest. TV grab from ABS-CBN
Ratings drop prompts Cabinet to go into overdrive By Nat Mariano and Macon Ramos-Araneta CABINET members vowed to work double-time after President Rodrigo Duterte’s net satisfaction ratings suffered an 11-point drop in the latest Social Weather Stations opinion poll, the Palace
said Wednesday. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque assured the public that the President and the members of his Cabinet would exert an even greater effort to provide better government service. “Regardless of numbers, we assure everyone that the President and the
members of his Cabinet would continue to work double-time in bringing the fruits of a better and more inclusive economy, and in strengthening the government’s drive against illegal drugs, crime, and corruption,” said Roque in a statement sent to media Tuesday night. Next page