Self-sustaining MUP pension pushed

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he wants a selfregenerating pension plan for both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

tended for their benefits.

“We’re working hard on making sure that we have a pension plan both for the AFP and for the police,” Mr. Marcos told reporters in a interview during the presentation of the 160-megawatt wind farm in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte on Friday.

The President said he wanted both the AFP and the PNP to have a self-sustaining pension plan to avoid a scenario where there will be no more funds in-

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National Unity Party (NUP), the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) as well as the Party-List Foundation Inc., (PCFI), reiterated their strong support for Romualdez. In a statement, Lakas-CMD cochairperson Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. said their party, being the country's most dominant political party, continues to be "united and supportive" of President Marcos Jr. under the stewardship of Romualdez.

VP...

From A1 and co-vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict or NTF-ELCAC.

“It’s true because if look at all her responsibilities, she cannot be involved in whatever it is that is going on. She has to concentrate on her job as Secretary for the DepEd and now NTF-ELCAC,” Mr. Marcos said.

“So, I can understand why she'd say 'fix this internal issue first on your own and I will do all the important things I need to do on my own," he added.

Duterte served as the chairperson of the party, alongside Speaker Martin G. Romualdez as the Lakas-CMD president. She made the announcement after former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was replaced as senior deputy speaker at the House of Representatives.

Duterte did not give a specific reason for her resignation but cited “political toxicity.”

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Navy on this important day as we conduct [a] test fire [of] our country’s first surfaceto-air missile system, the Mistral 3, and the other weapon systems that we have seen demonstrated here this morning,” President Marcos said before the firing exercise was canceled.

“With the fluid security situation in our region, it is imperative that the Armed Forces of the Philippines and of course the Navy is substantially equipped, trained, and always on alert to respond to any and all exigencies that may confront our nation. It is for this prime reason that we exert a continuous effort to strengthen the capacity of our Armed Forces,” he added.

Marcos said the administration will continue similar naval exercises while the government is completing and eventually commissioning the rest of the Navy projects in the pipeline.

“We are now working on horizon three of the AFP modernization program. As we do so, let us likewise ensure parallel training and capacity building for our personnel, especially for those who would actually operate and maneuver these major naval assets and with the backing of their highly technical training,” the President said.

“I urge the entire rank of the Philippine Navy to keep up the good work, continually guided by the national interest and the democratic ideals of the Republic of the Philippines,” he added.

Also in attendance were House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Department of Defense officer-in-charge Senior

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Rodrigo Duterte in June 2021 to implement the Mandanas-Garcia ruling, ordered that functions, services and facilities should be fully devolved to the local government no later than the end of 2024.

Mr. Marcos said his administration is currently identifying the functions that belong to the LGUs, as well as the services that should be carried out by the national government.

He noted that there are also "hybrid" areas such as health and education that the national and local governments must work on together "I think that's the right way to do it is to look at the very easily identifiable services one-half of the current system that provides a lump sum of 36 months of their salaries.

Carlito Galvez Jr. has appealed to the senators to consider the morale and welfare of the troops in tackling the proposed new pension system for the military and uniformed personnel (MUP) retirees.

Galvez asserted that 70 to 80 percent of the enlisted personnel were eyeing early retirement to avail themselves of the current pension system.

Oil prices go up next week by as much as P0.40/l

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Mr. Marcos said these funds could start to shrink in five to six years as the government continues to re-evaluate the pension system for the military and police to avert a possible fiscal collapse.

“So even before that happens, we are taking preemptive steps. We are designing a better system,” he said.

Earlier, Defense Acting Secretary

"Through the darkest of storms and greatest of tribulations, we have proven time and again that our unity will never be torn down," said Revilla.

The NUP, in a separate statement, reiterated its commitment to the supermajority coalition that Romualdez formed.

"We are witnesses to how Speaker Romualdez has steered the House in legislating key reform measures included in the 8-Point Socio-Economic Agenda of the Marcos administration," NUP chairperson Ronaldo Puno said.

A separate statement from the NPC noted that the successes of the

"I am here today because of the trust of the Filipino people in me to lead and serve them and the country, and this cannot be poisoned by political toxicity or undermined by execrable political power play," Duterte said.

She said she remains committed to serving the Filipino people.

"Nothing is more important to me than being able to meaningfully serve our fellow Filipinos and the Philippines, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leading the way. Trust that my word, my commitment will be immutable," she said.

The Lakas-CMD said it respected Duterte’s decision.

"We thank Vice President Sara Duterte for the services she rendered to our party, the Lakas-CMD, as Party Chair, and for helping us build a Unity Team aimed at bringing meaningful change to Philippine society,” said Lakas-CMD Secretary General and Agusan del Norte Rep. Joboy Aquino.

"As we respect her decision, we understand her reason for leaving the political party," Aquino added.

Undersecretary Carlito Galvez and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año.

For the firing exercise, the surfaceto-air missiles were fitted in the guided missile frigate, BRP Antonio Luna. A problem with the target drone, however, caused the main demonstration to be called off.

But the frigate fired off its Bullfighter Chaff Decoy, a 130-millimeter superrapid-booming offboard countermeasure designed to defeat radio frequency and infrared-guided missiles.

The Philippine Navy also showcased the capabilities of the Agusta Westland AW159 anti-submarine warfare naval helicopter, which demonstrated the use of its compact-FLASH dipping sonar and the BlueShark torpedo to detect, locate, and neutralize submarines.

Philippine Navy Flag Officer-in-Command, Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. said that the event has shown the Navy's increased capabilities, especially in air defense, electronic warfare, and vessel survivability.

"This modern acquisition not only signified our readiness to defend our maritime domain but also reflects the tremendous progress we have made in reinforcing our naval force," Adaci said in his speech.

"I am proud to say that our Navy remains resilient, continuously transforming into a formidable force to better safeguard our maritime nation," he added.

The weapons were acquired through the Philippine Navy's Frigate Acquisition Project Lot 2B awarded to MBDA Missile System based in France, with a budget of around P670 million. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) that should be done in the provinces," Mr. Marcos said.

"There are also hybrid services that could not be done by the provincial governments alone. It is supposed to be a joint effort between the province and the national government. So, that is what we are trying to calibrate," he added.

The President said the national government is also working toward providing "extra" funding to LGUs to give them a "breathing room" in carrying out their mandate.

"It does mean that there will be no devolution. Functions will be devolved but the difference here is there will be items, funding and training," Mr. Marcos said.

"The original concept was to give extra funding to local governments, especially those that are highly dependent on IRA

"In fact, the President also gave an instruction that he is very much concerned about the impact of this on the morale and welfare of the army personnel and policemen, and he wanted that there should be a continuous discussion to have a common ground," Galvez said.

In the proposed new MUP pension system, retirees will receive 18 months' worth of their salaries which is only

Marcos administration is largely due to Romualdez, who "worked closely with the President in realizing the administration's Eight-Point SocioEconomic Agenda."

"We continue and remain committed to be part of Speaker Romualdez’s supermajority coalition in the House of Representatives to better the Philippines’ standing on poverty alleviation and job generation," Deputy Speaker Kristine Singson Ilocos Sur and Rizal Rep. Jack Duavit of NPC said in a joint statement.

The PCFI headed by House appropriations panel chairperson and Ako-Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co said the

Opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay said the political maneuverings at the House of Representatives had something to do with the 2028 presidential elections. Lagman, Liberal Party president, said "the positioning and contest for the 2028 presidential elections have begun even before the 2025 midterm elections."

"The stripping of Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of her senior deputy speaker position and the subsequent resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte from the ruling Lakas-CMD party are obviously related," he added.

"The power play and intramurals in Lakas may result in further resignations by Arroyo and Duterte loyalists," Lagman said. "These political developments will have repercussions in the revamp of the Marcos Cabinet."

The Liberal Party, as the principal opposition party, will be keenly watchful of further developments as they unfold, Lagman said.

Speaking of Duterte, Aquino said the Lakas-CMD "also support her call for all political leaders to unite in support

3,000...

From A1 have to wait, while the fate of thousands of Filipino workers in Kuwait whose visas are expected to expire this month is not yet clear.

Kuwait is host to 280,000 OFWs with 180,000 working as domestic helpers and contributes more than $3 billion to the country’s coffers through their dollar remittances.

In 2022 more than 100,000 OFWs were deployed to Kuwait when the deployment ban to Saudi Arabia was in place from 2021-2022 over unpaid wages.

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Ople is scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia on May 20 to discuss the payment of the 10,000 OFWs and she will be part of the Philippine delegation to the Kuwait talks.

Meanwhile, Ople said that the Hong Kong government has assured assistance to the family of “Lyn” who fell to her death in Hong Kong.

Ople made this assurance after a phone conversation with Secretary for Labor and Welfare Chris Sun where the latter vowed to extend as much assistance as possible to the bereaved family.

“Lyn” was 38 years old and unmarried at the time of death, and her two siblings are now in Hong Kong under the care of the Philippine Consulate and the Migrant Workers’ Office to facilitate the repatriation of the remains and to hold a meeting with their sister’s employer as well as the HK Employees’ Compensation Division.

In a statement, Ople said the Philippine government and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region coalition remains a staunch partner of the supermajority. of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., and for all of us to work for the success of this administration for the benefit of our people." of the People’s Republic of China will work closely together to prevent similar tragic cases from happening in the future.

[Internal Revenue Allotment]," he added.

The President assured local leaders present that his administration will include LGUs "in all of our plans," adding that there will be a series of consultations with local executives.

"There should be a good coordination between the local and national government. Expect that you are not working in a vacuum. We are watching, we are asking, we are consulting with you," he told the governors.

"In that way, we will come out with a good EO at the end of the year for a good implementation of the very important Supreme Court decision we now call the Mandanas ruling to even further strengthen the coordination and the partnership between the local government and the national government," he added.

"We should really look at the middle ground so that we can see that
the morale and welfare of our people will be taken care of," Galvez.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it supports the passage of the MUP pension reform, but stressed that it should only be applied to new members of the police force.

"We laud Speaker Romualdez for his exemplary leadership, which was marked by a compassionate and fair treatment of partly-list organizations that were considered second-class solons in past Congresses," Co said in a statement.

In a statement Thursday night, Macapagal-Arroyo denied rumors that she was plotting to oust Romualdez. PDP-Laban, the Nacionalista Party, and the minority bloc earlier reaffirmed their support to Romualdez and the Marcos administration.

"We continue to believe in our shared vision that only a country united can lift the Filipino people out of poverty and ensure a better future for generations to come," Aquino said.

Lakas-CMD co-chairman Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. yesterday assured the public that the party will continue to be united.

Ahead of the 2022 national elections, Revilla offered his post as the party’s chairman to then Davao City Mayor Duterte-Carpio.

Revilla noted Lakas-CMD is the country's dominant political party.

He also said it would continue to support the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. under the stewardship of their party president, Speaker Romualdez.

“Our decades-long solidarity has witnessed and endured many trials which only strengthened our bond that is founded on our shared passion to serve our nation,” Revilla said.

“We will extend full assistance and support to her bereaved family while working closely with Secretary Chris Sun and his department to ensure that the principle of ‘safety above all else’ is carried out as part of employers’ obligations,” Ople said. The DMW recently issued an advisory for all employers to abide by the terms and conditions of the contract including the prohibition on windowcleaning.

Sun told Ople that he was “deeply troubled and saddened” by Lyn’s death.

“Secretary Sun and I discussed the need to remind employers of foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong about the prohibition in the standard employment contract on window-cleaning which has been in effect since 2017,” Ople said.

Based on the HK-approved standard employment contract for Filipino domestic workers, window-cleaning can only be allowed when the windows have grills and only the arms of the workers can stretch outside.

The Hong Kong government’s Immigration Authority said that as of April 30, 2022 there are 211,514 Filipinos in the Special Administrative Region with 181,067 working as domestic workers.

To protect overseas Filipino workers from illegal recruitment and human trafficking, Senator Robin Padilla has filed Senate Bill 2216 to tighten the screws against illegal recruitment syndicates.

Padilla's bill seeks to amend Art. 38 (b) of Presidential Decree 442 (Labor Code of the Philippines) and Section 6 of RA 8042, the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.

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From A1 clarified that arresting Filipino nationals is not within the scope of the agency, saying the monitoring was part of its protocol.

"The BI wishes to clarify that such instruction is merely a part of the BI’s protocols in monitoring individuals who are the subject of high-profile cases," the BI said in a statement.

"Coordination with local law enforcement agencies is crucial in the proper implementation of BI procedures," it added.

Teves slammed the alleged order from Tansingco to "intercept" him when he returns to the country.

In a video message he posted on his social media Friday, Teves said in

OIL prices will likely go up anew next week at around P0.10 to P0.40 per liter to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

An industry source said gasoline and diesel will likely go up by P0.10 to P0.40 per liter while kerosene is estimated to go up by P0.10 per liter or will have no movement.

DOE director for Oil Industry Management Bureau Rodela Romero said the price movement estimate is based on the four-day Mean of Platts Singapore trading of petroleum products.

"There will be an increase in the prices of gasoline and diesel," Romero said.

Romero said world oil prices went up last week amid reports that leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations plan to tighten sanctions on Russia at their summit in Japan. Reports that the US plans to purchase oil for its strategic petroleum reserve and the raging wildfires in Canada fueled supply worries and also influenced domestic pump price movement.

Canada to boost PH's maritime security, defense

CANADA will help boost the Philippines' maritime capability to defend its sovereign rights in the South China Sea, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Friday. “In the context of the Indo-Pacific strategy, the Philippines is clearly a priority country for Canada. You will see more support when it comes to security,” Joly said in an interview with GMANEWS Online.

During her meetig with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo yesterday, she said Canada has placed Philippines at the "core" of its Indo-Pacific strategy.

Joly's tour followed another top diplomat's visit from the Commonwealth. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong left Manila on Thursday after her three-day stay, where she announced new maritime cooperation initiatives and an increase in Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the Philippines.

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“Of course, what we really like to happen is to get all the comments so we can consider and further tweak the K-10 curriculum,” he said, noting that the posted curriculum guide on the DepEd website is just a draft.

He said that in reference to the guide, the mother tongue shall still be used as a “medium of instruction.”

“It’s still a working draft, that’s why we want to get the comments. According to our curriculum guide, and we would like to clarify this, we did not remove the mother tongue as a medium of instruction. What we removed was mother tongue as a subject,” Poa said.

Currently, the DepEd’s curriculum strand is still in the process of collating all comments to help finalize the revised curriculum.

The DepEd also assured that once finished, the draft of the updated curriculum guide for Grades 11 and 12 or Senior High School (SHS) shall also be released for transparency.

“Again, we are still in the consultation process, and then after that, we will first have the review proper, then the revision),” Poa said.

Last November, the DepEd started the curriculum review for SHS to adhere to the administration’s goal to ensure employable graduates.

DepEd earlier created a national task force to review the implementation of the senior high school program for one year to identify ways to improve the job prospects of SHS graduates.

Filipino: "It's finally out. So this is the real reason why they want me to return home. There's now an order for me to be intercepted if I arrive."

In his video message, Teves showed an encoded text of the order.

"This order came out before they even filed charges against me. This means that there was already an order to intercept me before I had a case," Teves said. (

He also dismissed the BI order as "obviously political persecution” and an abuse of his human rights.

Teves was tagged as the mastermind of the March 4 assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, a charge he denies. He has been out of the country since Feb. 28 and has refused to come back home for fear of his life. See full story online at manilastandard.net)