VOL. XXIX NO. 358 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 FRIday : FEBRUaRy 5, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph
Roxas: Duterte is my top admirer
A3
CONGRESS CLOSES, PASSiNG ‘NOTHiNG’ By Maricel V. cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta
LAWMAKERS adjourned Wednesday night without passing the Palace-backed Bangsamoro Basic Law and were heckled by angry senior citizens for doing nothing to reverse President Benigno Aquino III’s veto of a bill that would have raised Social Security System pensions by P2,000 a month.
At 7:40 p.m., presiding officer and Nueva Vizcaya rep. carlos padilla closed the session after a two-hour lull in the session hall, without lawmakers failing to tackle any measure listed on the day’s order of business—including the pension hike bill. the author of the bill, Bayan Muna party-list rep. Neri colmenares stood to speak, but his voice was cut off as the techni-
cian turned off his microphone. Before he was cut off, he managed to say: “this congress should listen to the historic override of the veto. the people need congress to convene; there is quorum, we counted 213 congressmen on the floor.” Senior citizens in the gallery shouted at the lawmakers for failing to act on the veto. “Why can’t you give us the p2,000? We need this! You don’t
care because all of you are rich!” one elderly man said. colmenares expected that the House would tackle his resolution overriding the president’s veto after gathering 50 signatories. But House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong rep. Neptali Gonzales II said the House moved to abruptly adjourn the session to preempt a “circus” as a result of colmenares’ resolution. Next page
Protest. Students trooped to the United States Embassy in Manila to commemorate the 117th anniversary of the Filipino-American War and to slam the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between Manila and Washington. Ey AcAsio
Unprecedented NPA influx seen in ComVal By Florante s. solmerin AN uNprecedeNted influx of fighters from the communist New people’s Army is making the compostela Valley look like a large “red zone,” the military said thursday. A military intelligence said the increase in communist fighters in the
region could be traced to the booming mining and agro-industrial activities there. “the NpA benefits from mining through extortion, which they call revolutionary taxes,” the source said. “NpA activities would not survive without these taxes.” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the displacement
of indigenous people in large parts of eastern Mindanao as a result of mining and palm oil operations, and militarization gave the communist rebels a pool of new recruits. the communist party of the philippines and National democratic Front have placed the number of NpA fighters at 10,000, which is in Next page
Palace gripes about poll rules
A4