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NEWS | A2
IN MET R MANILAO
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 338 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES JANUARY 19, 2025
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WORLD | A4
‘NOT ENOUGH SUPPORT YET FOR 3 IMPEACH VP RAPS’ HOUSE EXEC SAYS TIMING TIGHT AS CONGRESS GOES ON BREAK FEB. 8
By Maricel V. Cruz
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HE three impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte do not have enough supporters yet at the House of Representatives with only six lawmakers supporting these so far, the Lower Chamber’s secretary-general Reginald Velasco said. Velasco said some House members have also asked him to wait for a possible fourth impeachment complaint before endorsing these to the Office of the Speaker so that the complaints can be consolidated. “Our problem is that if we file the first three complaints now, they may not be entertained because only six
congressmen are supporting them so far,” he said. The votes of at least one third of House members or 103 lawmakers are needed to enable a verified impeachment complaint to be automatically elevated to the Senate. “With the present support of only six lawmakers, the complaints will not
prosper. Even if these go to the Committee on Justice, they will need a simple majority of the members. It is quite difficult to muster the necessary votes at the House in both the plenary and the Committee on Justice,” Velasco added. Velasco said he is not sure if a consolidated complaint can still be processed given that Congress goes on break on February 8 for the election campaign period. The three impeachment raps cited Duterte’s alleged violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, plunder and malversation, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. Earlier, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the timing of the impeachment moves against the Vice President was “very poor” given the looming campaign season.
“Even if Congress is mandated -- the House and Senate do not have a choice once these impeachment complaints are filed -- I don’t think now is the time to do that. And besides, as a practical matter, we are entering the campaign period.” “There are no congressmen, no senators because they are already campaigning. We will not be able to form a quorum. The timing is very poor,” Mr. Marcos added. As this developed, Filipinos from various political groups gathered at the EDSA People Power Monument on Saturday to press for the impeachment of Duterte. ACT party-list Rep. France Castro lamented that the complaints have been filed for more than a month now but these have yet to be endorsed to the Speaker’s office.
FOOD SECURITY EMERGENCY DECLARATION LIKELY ON JAN. 22—AGRI EXEC By Charles Dantes
THE declaration of a food security emergency will likely happen as early as Wednesday, January 22, an official of the Department of Agriculture said. “We expect to receive the copy of the National Price Coordinating Council resolution approving the recommendation to declare a food security emergency by Monday,” DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel will review the recommendation “Monday through Tuesday,” before taking action on Wednesday, De Mesa added. The NPCC earlier approved a resolution urging the DA to declare the emergency, citing the need to address the surge in retail rice prices despite declining global costs and recent tariff reductions. Tiu Laurel said the declaration would enable the National Food Authority to release rice stocks to local government units and other agencies at lower prices, thereby freeing up warehouse space and supporting local farmers through increased palay procurement
ahead of the upcoming harvest season. Earlier, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. backed the emergency declaration to reduce rice prices and combat market manipulation and profiteering. “The reason that we are doing this is because we have done everything to bring down rice prices but the market is not being allowed to work properly,” the President said. Meanwhile, agricultural groups were split on the emergency declaration proposal. Federation of Free Farmers national manager Raul Montemayor told ABSCBN News the declaration will not solve profiteering, which he said is the root cause of high rice prices. “Prices remain high because of importers, wholesalers and retailers who are taking advantage of the market. (The declaration) is like saying, okay, we will let the profiteers be. Let’s just do something else to bring down prices. Let’s sell NFA rice,” Montemayor said.
NUISANCE CANDIDACY MUST BE CONSIDERED A CRIME – COMELEC By Vito Barcelo and Pot Chavez THE Commission on Elections called on the lawmakers to criminalize nuisance candidacies as the poll body disposes 6 million wasted ballots following a Supreme Court ruling halting the disqualification of several bets. “We should criminalize nuisance candidacies,” Comelec chairman George Garcia told dzBB on Saturday. “Every election, there are candidates running with the same names as their rivals to make the election a mockery or to confuse the people.” “It was already proposed in the 18th Congress – either imprisonment or fine of P500,000 and perpetual disqualification to hold public office,” he said. Garcia said the Omnibus Election Code should also be updated, citing a disconnect given that the elections are automated while the rules governing the polls are still for manual elections. However, Garcia acknowledged no one can stop the Supreme Court from issuing a temporary remedy. “We respect the Supreme Court and the rule of law,” he said. In a separate statement, Comelec said it would comply with the latest temporary restraining orders issued by the Supreme Court involving local candidates for the May 12 elections. Comelec said the names of Marie Grace David, Mary Dominique Oñate and Aldrin Sta. Ana will now be included in the official ballots, as reprinting begins next week.
FROM LAND TO SEA: CATHOLIC DEVOTEES CELEBRATE NATIONWIDE AHEAD OF TODAY’S FEAST OF STO. NIÑO DEVOTEES celebrated across the country on the eve of the Feast of Sto. Niño today (Sunday). Dances in colorful costumes pounded the streets of Pandacan and Tondo while over 300 vessels sailed the Mactan Channel in Cebu. Close to 50,000 people joined the “Lakbayaw” festival – a portmanteau of “lakbay” (travel) and “sayaw” (dance) in Tondo, Manila yesterday. Nine streets in Pandacan, Manila were also temporarily closed as early as 7 a.m. Saturday.
The affected streets were: Jesus St.-Palumpong St. (Quirino Ave. to Beata St.); Hilum St. (Teodoro San Luis St. to Beata St.); Beata St. (Hilum St. to T. Claudio St.); E. Zamora St. (Quirino Ave. to Hilum St.); Laura St. (Menandro to Beata St.); Labores St. (Paco-Sta. Mesa Rd. to Jesus St.); Narciso St. (Jesus St. to Hilum St.); Industria St. (Jesus St. to Hilum St.); and Teodoro San Luis St. (Jesus St. to Hilum St.). The Feast of Sto. Niño is held every third Sunday of January, with devotees traditionally bring-
ing their Sto. Niño statues and joining processions in honor of the Holy Child Jesus. In Cebu, up to 355 vessels participated in the fluvial procession marking the 460th Fiesta Señor celebration. Fr. Jules Van Almieres, media liason officer of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, told GMA Regional TV the number is more than the 329 vessels that registered earlier.
STRONG DEVOTION. Residents of Pandacan dance in the streets of Manila to honor their patron saint, the Sto. Niño de
Pandacan, on Saturday, January 18, 2025. Across the country, devotees celebrate ahead of the Feast of the Sto. Nino today (Sunday). (Below from left) Scenes from the ‘Kalibo Sadsad’ in the capital town of Aklan feature 34 contingents from the towns of Kalibo, Ibajay, Lezo, Numancia, Makato and Malinao. Catholic devotees participate in the annual ‘Lakbayaw’ celebrting the Sto. Niño de Tondo, the second-oldest image of the Holy Child Jesus in the Philippines. In Cebu, thousands of devotees aboard hundreds of marine vessels join the seaborne procession of the Holy Family, Sto. Niño de Cebu, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and St. Joseph in the Mactan Channel. Danny Pata, Joan Bondoc, Norman Cruz and Alan Tangcawan
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