The Standard - 2016 July 7 - Thursday

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VOL. XXX NO. 145 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 THURSDAY : JULY 7, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Metro traffic choke points

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‘STRONG EVIDENCE VERSUS GENERALS’ Palace widens crackdown on drug-linked officials By John Paolo Bencito, Francisco Tuyay and Florante S. Solmerin

MALACAÑANG on Wednesday said it has the necessary evidence to implicate five police generals that President Rodrigo Duterte said were protecting drug lords. “The evidence [documentary or testimonial] against the named generals should not be released yet as it may prejudice the administrative and criminal investigations and cases against them,” Communications Secretary Martin

Andanar told reporters in a text message. “A premature release of evidence through the media may also violate the constitutional right to due process of those involved,” Andanar added.

The Interior Department, which has supervision all over the police and local governments, said it is ready to validate the evidence collated by President Duterte against the police officials, who all denied the accusations against them. “We have to back him [Duterte] up. We really have to support him. He won’t say anything like that if there is no strong evidence to link them,” Interior Secretary Mike Sueno said. He added that the public should expect a wider crackdown on government officials and politicians

involved in the illegal drug trade. On Tuesday, Duterte named the five police generals that he said were protecting drug lords, relieved three of them and ordered them to report to Philippine National Police chief Director-General Ronald dela Rosa. The two other officials named were retired. Sueno said two teams have already been formed to look into the allegations against the police generals. “We have to give them due process,” Sueno said. The Interior Department held

an emergency meeting with the National Police Commission on Wednesday to establish the results of the ongoing probe against the five officials involved and “other possible names linked to the illegal drug trade, particularly politicians and other government officials.” The President said the police officials supposedly involved in illegal drugs or protection of drug syndicates committed “treason” because they destroy people’s lives, citing the government funded their education through taxpayers’ money. Next page

PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa (2nd from left) confronts three of five police generals whom President Duterte has accused of protecting drug lords during a meeting at Camp Crame. The three —Joel Pagdilao, Bernardo Diaz and Edgardo Tinio promised to cooperate in a full-dress investigation being conducted by two teams of probers.

How healthy is the typical Filipino diet

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Foreign Affairs clams up on China threat By Vito Barcelo THE Foreign Affairs Department declined to comment Wednesday on China’s threat to make the United States pay the price if it crosses Beijing’s limits in the disputed South China Sea. “We have yet to confirm the report,” the department said in a message. The Philippines has repeatedly said

it will not go to war with China and will pursue only peaceful solutions to the territorial dispute with Beijing. Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. has earlier said that a special envoy might be appointed for backchannel talks with China to resolve the issue. A UN tribunal is set to release a decision on the complaint filed by Manila

against Beijing on July 12, with many observers expecting a ruling in favor of the Philippines. China, which has rejected the jurisdiction of the court, has said it will reject any of its decisions. In an editorial of the state-owned People’s Daily, China warned the United States that there would be a price Next page


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