Manila Standard - 2020 November 11 - Wednesday

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Palace backs Calida’s action • Says siding with Marcos on poll protest in the 'interest of the people' • SC issues gag order on Marcos and Robredo, warns them of contempt

By Vito Barcelo and Rey E. Requejo

M

ALACAÑANG defended Solicitor General Jose Calida Tuesday, saying he acted in the “interest of our people” when he sided with former senator Ferdinand Marcos jr. in his poll protest against Vice President Leni Roredo.

Calida, who campaigned for Marcos in the 2016 elections, submitted a motion for inhibition against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen on Monday, Nov. 9. “The motion had to be filed because it is the interest of our people to know who really won as vice

president,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. “He is the statutory counsel for the government, and as statutory counsel, he has an interest in knowing who actually, who legally won in the vice presidential election,” Roque said. “We have an interest as a na-

tion to find out if there is merit in fact in that election protest,” he added. Marcos claimed he and Calida had not discussed the election protest, even they both filed motions to have the Supreme Court compel Leonen to inhibit himself from Next page hearing the case.

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 250 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Rody berates BI personnel over ‘pastillas’ scam By Vito Barcelo

called ‘pastillas’ scheme during a meeting But Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Tuesday at the Palace Monday and even told them the alleged mastermind of the "pastillas" bribPRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte scolded the to each swallow a rolled one 100-peso bill ery scam was not among the Immigration Next page bureau personnel Duterte met. Immigration officers involved in the so- given to them, Malacanang said.

'PASTILLAS' POWWOW. To underscore the administration’s fight against

corruption, President Rodrigo Duterte (top inset, with Senator Christopher Go and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea standing behind him) summoned officials and personnel of the Bureau of Immigration allegedly involved in the 'pastillas' controversy at Malacañang on Monday evening. The bribery scheme, symbolized by money wrapped in colored paper (above inset), was first exposed in 2017. Presidential Photo

House prioritizes Economy shrinks by 11.5% 12 economic bills but gov’t sees ‘worst is over’ to push recovery By Julito G. Rada, Vito By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE leadership of the House of Representatives has included 12 economic measures in the list of bills to be prioritized for floor and committee deliberations in its effort to help the Duterte administration jumpstart the economy and Next page

Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz

THE economy remained in the doldrums in the third quarter this year, but showed a slight improvement from the previous three months as gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 11.5 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday. The decline was better than the 16.9 percent decline a quarter ago, but was a

clear sign that the COVID-19 pandemic had a prolonged negative impact on the economy. The 11.5 percent contraction was worse that the government’s earlier projection of a 6.6 percent decline for the entire year. The industries that contributed the least to the GDP were construction, -39.8 percent; real estate and ownership of dwellings, -22.5 percent; and manufacturing, -9.7 percent. Next page

SWORN IN AGAIN.

President Rodrigo Duterte administers the oath of office to Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco (right) as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives at Malacañang on Monday night, which coincided with the lawmaker's 43rd birthday. Flanking Velasco as he welcomed guests at his birthday party were House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep.Martin Romualdez (inset right) and Lakas-CMD Party Consultant Reggie Velasco. (See story on A3) Presidential Photo with Ver Noveno

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM NOV. 10)

399,749

US vote fraud claims to be probed

TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,347 30,169 NEW

ACTIVE

7,661

14

DEATHS

361,919 RECOVERIES

WASHINGTON—US Attorney General William Barr gave federal prosecutors blanket authorization Monday to open investigations into voting irregularities, as President Donald Trump repeated unfounded claims that he lost the presiden-

NEW

187 NEW

STORM SWELL. The Masisit River in Cagayan province overflows after heavy rains induced by recent Typhoon 'Rolly', causing floodings along the riverbanks in Sanchez Mira town on Tuesday. Several roads and bridges were not passable amid the high waters. Alain Garret De La Cruz Badiang via Dave Leprozo

3 more PhilHealth execs suspended Catanduanes on storm path again By Rio N. Araja

THE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered a six-month suspension without pay of three officials from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. amid allegations of corruption, questionable procurement of overpriced information technology Next page

By Rio N. Araja MAYORS in Catanduanes were ordered to conduct mandatory evacuation of residents in coastal areas as tropical storm “Ulysses” approached the province that had just been pummeled by super typhoon “Rolly” last week.

The weather bureau placed the province under tropical cyclone warning signal no. 1. Ulysses, the country's 21st storm this year, was last estimated 475 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes as of 10 a.m., moving northwest at 15 kms per hour Next page

tial election due to fraud. Barr, long a close defender of Trump, stressed that his letter to US attorneys around the country was not an indication that the Justice Department had evidence Next page


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