Manila Standard - 2019 July 20 - Saturday

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IBP, 7 FISHERMEN DROP SC PETITION FOR WRIT TO PROTECT WPS By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo THE Integrated Bar of the Philippines and seven fishermen have withdrawn their Supreme Court petition to compel the Duterte administration to protect the environment in the West Philippine Sea. The IBP on Friday asked the Court to grant its motion to withdraw the writ of kalikasan petition for eight of the petitioners, including the organization itself. IBP lawyers and collaborating coun-

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 156 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

President Rodrigo Duterte

‘Tired’ Rody told to take work break

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Jobs, wages, prices top picks to hear in SONA W S NA By MJ Blancaflor

AGES, inflation, and jobs are the top issues Filipinos want to hear from President Rodrigo Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address on July 22, a Pulse Asia survey showed.

By Nat Mariano PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte should not be spending “too much time” working “at the sacrifice of his health” for the remaining three years of his term, Malacañang said Friday Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said all members of the Cabinet had observed that the “tired” Duterte needed some time out from the presidency. “He’s working too hard, and we told him so. ‘Mr. President, you should go on a vacation for at least two weeks.’ And he said, ‘How can I go on a vacation when my work has piled up?’” Panelo said. He said a proper work-life balance was the only area that the President should improve on following his high trust and approval ratings. “He should not be spending too much time attending to all his activities at the sacrifice of his health,” Panelo said. He said the members of the Cabinet brought up the suggestion as they observed a seemingly fatigued Duterte after attending a series of engagements.

sel Chel Diokno also sought to withdraw as legal counsels for 20 of the fishermen-petitioners, the group’s national president Domingo Egon Cayosa said in a statement. “With due regard to the plight and position of the fishermen-petitioners, the views and recommendations of the handling lawyers and the IBP chapters involved, and the matters raised by the Honorable Supreme Court, a motion has been filed for the withdrawal or

The poll revealed that 17.1 percent of the 1,200 respondents want Duterte to discuss higher wages and another 17.1 percent to discuss the lowering of prices of basic goods. Meanwhile, 15.2 percent of the respondents want to hear Duterte’s accomplishments and plans on employment. The survey also showed that 9.2 percent of Filipino adults want to hear the country’s relations with China. In addition, 6.1 percent want Duterte to assert Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea in his televised speech and 3.1 percent said he should explain the country’s policy toward China. Moreover, 7.8 percent of the respondents deem illegal drugs as an important topic, while 5.9 percent want the President to discuss improvements in the agricultural sector. Among Metro Manila residents, Philippine-Chinese relations are the most important topic to be discussed. Respond- ents from Luzon were focused on wages, while those in Visayas and Mindanao want Duterte to talk primarily about inflation, the study showed. The respondents were asked: “What would you most like for President Duterte to discuss or mention in his coming State of the Nation Address or SONA?” The survey was

PULSE ASIA SURVEY.

In the run up to President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address before the joint session of Congress on Monday, the latest Pulse Asia survey showed what Filipinos want him to address, midway from his election in 2016: Wages, inflation and jobs, among other issues indicated in the collage below. Lino Santos, Norman Cruz, Ey Acasio and Andrew Rabulan with AFP

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DOJ panel to probe sedition raps vs ‘Bikoy’ accused Quit or face charges for ‘BOC 64’ By Rey E. Requejo, MJ Blancaflor, the inciting to sedition complaint filed the “Ang Totoong Narco-list” video that by the police against Vice President implicated President Rodrigo Duterte’s Macon Ramos-Araneta Leni Robredo, several incumbent and family to the illegal drug trade. and Maricel V. Cruz

former opposition senators, lawyers, The panel is composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia L. TorreTHE Department of Justice has formed and a number of bishops and priests. The vice president and others named in villas, and Assistant State Prosecutors a special panel of prosecutors to conduct a preliminary investigation into the complaint are accused of being behind Next page

By Nat Mariano PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has told several officials and employees of the Bureau of Customs they will face administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman on corruption allega-

Chief justice debunks foreign meddling in PH rights situation

ippines, particularly the death toll in the govern- human rights situation],” Bersamin told reportment’s war on drugs. ers Friday on the side lines of the launching of “I am a member of the Judiciary and what I the Supreme Court app. CHIEF Justice Lucas Bersamin on Friday said The top magistrate also shared the view of he did not see any need for international inter- need to say for now is that we don’t see any need ference on the human rights situation in the Phil- for international interference [in the country’s Next page

By Rey E. Requejo

Pacquiao wants Thurman to go toe to toe By Ponciano ‘John’ Melo Jr.

1.3-m people to storm US base to see ‘aliens’

LAS VEGAS, Nevada—Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman Jr. faced members of the media for their last press conference Thursday (Friday in Manila) before their fight

WA SHING TO N — For more than a century, scientists have scoured the known universe for signs of extraterrestrial life, an endeavor that has thus far proved fruitless—unless you believe the US gov-

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tions should they refused to resign from office, Malacañang said Friday. In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Chief Executive met with the group at the Palace Thursday night to discuss their Next page

8 school tots killed in Cebu truck crash EIGHT schoolchildren were among nine people killed Friday aboard a runaway truck that crashed in southern Cebu while transporting them to a sports activity, the authorities said. The dump truck’s brakes failed while it descended a mountain road outside Boljoon town center with about 30 children and a few parents and teachers crammed on the truck bed, town mayor Merlou Derama told AFP. “The driver tried to slow the vehicle by brushing its side against the mountain,” Derama said, adding it fell on its side instead. Three girls and five boys aged between 11 and 12 and a mother died immediately, while five other children were taken to hospital, he added. Next page


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