Marcos tells Duterte not To resign

0
BY JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA, TMT ON AUGUST 18, 2018TOP STORIES

Twitter
Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday said it would be better if President Rodrigo
Duterte would not leave office because Filipinos continue to hold him highly as their leader.

“I urge him [Duterte] not to leave the presidency as our people still need him for the betterment of our lives
and our country,” Marcos added.

He expressed his gratitude to the President for having faith in his abilities and regarding him as one of the
better qualified leaders to succeed him.

Marcos, who has a pending election protest against Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo,
however noted that he would prefer that the President remain in his post.

“I thank the President for his faith in my abilities,” the former senator said in a statement in reaction to
Duterte’s earlier pronouncement that he was ready to step down if he or Sen. Francis Escudero would
succeed him.

Malacañang spokesman Harry Roque Jr. on Thursday clarified that the President was only expressing his
frustration over the widespread corruption in government and that he intended to relinquish his post if a
better, more qualified leader would take over.

“If [Marcos] becomes vice president, perhaps the President will make true his word that he will step
down,” Roque said, adding that Duterte did not want Robredo to succeed him because she might not be
qualified for the job.

Marcos was the running mate of the then-senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago during the 2016 elections
while Duterte ran with then-senator Alan Peter Cayetano.

Duterte, however, never mentioned Cayetano as his possible successor in any of his previous speeches.
Robredo is qualified to lead the country, according to lawyer Romulo Macalintal.

Macalintal, Robredo’s lead counsel in a pending poll protest lodged by Marcos against Robredo’s 2016
victory, was responding to recent tirades of Duterte against the vice president, especially her capability to
be president.

“Vice President Robredo is qualified to be president because she met the same requirements as you did,
in accordance with the Constitution. If you [Duterte] feel like taking a break, then do it the constitutional
way by allowing the constitutionally mandated Vice President Robredo to take the realm of the presidency
while you are having your much-needed rest days,” he said in a statement also on Friday.

Under the 1987 Constitution, no person may be elected president or vice president “unless [s]he is a
natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, at least forty years of age
on the day of the election and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding
such elections.”
The 1987 Charter states, “If the President-elect fails to qualify, the Vice President-elect shall act as
President until the President-elect shall have qualified.”

“You really need a good break, Mr. President. And when you come back, you can be assured that the
country has been that good, if not better, in the hands of the qualified Vice President Robredo,” Macalintal
said.

In July, Duterte also accused Robredo of being incompetent.

At the time, the vice president said the President should do his part in solving the country’s problems
rather than insult her.

Her response, however, failed to stop Duterte from undermining her.

Aside from claiming that she is incapable of being president, Duterte said Naga City, Robredo’s
hometown, is a hotbed of illegal drugs, specifically shabu.

Duterte’s comments on Naga came just a few days ahead of the commemoration of sixth death
anniversary of Vice President Robredo’s husband, former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

“The alleged presence of illegal drugs in a city does not disqualify her, nor could be a basis to say she is
unqualified to be President–in the same way that the presence of illegal drugs all over the country, which
you failed to eradicate in six months, as you promised during the campaign, does not disqualify you as
President,” Macalintal said.

Amid Duterte’s plan to resign, Special Assistant to the President Secretary Christopher Lawrence “Bong”
Go has urged the public to rally behind Duterte in curbing widespread corruption in the government.

Go made the statement as he assured the public that Duterte would continue with the process of
cleansing the bureaucracy despite his frustration over the rampant corruption in government.

“My fellow government workers, the President needs everyone’s cooperation. I am making an appeal. Our
President is serious in his campaign to end corruption. He doesn’t care who gets hit along the way,” he
said in a media interview.

“Of course, I can sense the President’s difficulties. He is getting old and he’s doing all he can… He wants
to discipline everyone but it is really very difficult,” Go added.

Despite Duterte’s frustrations over endemic corruption in government, he assured the public that the
President would not step down from office for now.

Go said the President was well and was continuing to fulfill his responsibilities.

“The President was very strong. We continue to work up to 2 in the morning. He’s probably stronger than
all of you. Mentally and physically, the President is strong. He can definitely finish his term,” he added.
Arroyo mulls retirement from politics in
June 2019
0
BY LLANESCA T. PANTI, TMT ON AUGUST 18, 2018TOP STORIES

Twitter
Former president and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of Pampanga is planning to retire from
politics, for the second time, when her term expires in June.

Arroyo, who said she would not run for an elective office as then President in December 2003, made the
disclosure in a television interview on Friday.

“I have no plans to run for anything. I plan to work on my memoirs… resume writing my memoirs. Other
than that, I haven’t given much thought about what to do to occupy my time,” Arroyo, who is on her third
and last term as Pampanga lawmaker, said.

In 2004, then President Arroyo was eligible for reelection since she assumed the presidency in January
2001 not by election, but in the aftermath of the popular revolt against her predecessor Joseph Estrada,
who was dogged by massive corruption charges.

Arroyo went on to win the 2004 race for president by a million votes over actor Fernando Poe Jr., but her
victory was later revealed to be fraud-marred.

She later apologized for calling poll body official Virgilio Garcillano during the canvassing of votes but
maintained that she did not rig the results.

When Arroyo stepped down from the presidency in 2010, she won a congressional seat in Pampanga and
was reelected twice (2013 and 2016).

She, however, spent more than half of her nine-year term as lawmaker in hospital detention over plunder,
graft and poll-sabotage charges leveled against her by the Aquino administration but she was later
cleared of them all by the Supreme Court.

Aiding Duterte

Arroyo also maintained that she was not after leaving a legacy because her job was to push for the
legislative agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“I am not interested in a legacy as House Speaker. I am interested in helping President Duterte with his
legacy during my short time as House Speaker,” she said.

Arroyo’s election as speaker was unprecedented as much as it is stunning since she was elected not
once but twice: first in an informal session in the plenary when lawmakers had to manually tally the votes
since the audio was cut off, and second in a plenary session convened after President Duterte’s State of
the Nation Address last July 23.
Her election had the support of the President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, whom she and
the rest of House members met over lunch one week after ousting then- Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of
Davao del Norte.

In February, Mayor Duterte had a run-in with Alvarez when the then speaker supposedly bragged to his
constituents that he can oust her father in his capacity as House Speaker.

No PM Arroyo

Arroyo reiterated that she does not intend to serve as Prime Minister under a federal system of
government.

She said such position is not even provided under the proposed federal Constitution drafted by the
Consultative Committee, whose members were appointed by the President to help Congress come up
with a proposed new federal Charter.

“There is no Prime Minister to speak of,” Arroyo noted.

Rep. Albee Benitez of Negros Occidental, the point person of ruling party PDP-Laban in Congress, earlier
said Arroyo — a PDP-Laban member — does not support the postponement of the 2019 polls to give way
to Charter change.

During her second term as president, Arroyo pushed for people’s initiative to change the 1987
Constitution.

Her supporters back then, which included Sigaw ng Bayan and the Union of Local Authorities of the
Philippines, gathered as much as six million signatures to jumpstart efforts to amend the Constitution.

NBI, PNP to hunt for Peter Lim

0
BY CATHERINE S. VALENTE, TMT ON AUGUST 18, 2018TOP STORIES

Twitter
THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has joined the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the hunt for
Cebu-based businessman Peter Lim, who has a warrant of arrest for his reported involvement in illegal
drugs.

In a news briefing in Malacañang, NBI spokesman Ferdinand Lavin said the agency’s regional units had
been ordered to hunt down and go after Lim.

The PNP has formed tracker teams to hunt Lim, who reportedly has six houses.

“We have tracker teams actually running after him. And that’s why we appeal to the public, if you have any
information that would lead to the whereabouts of Peter Lim, we’ll be happy to look into it,” PNP
spokesman Benigno Durana Jr. said during the same Palace briefing.

“But if we pull our resources together, the general public will help us, we can put Peter Lim before the bar
of justice,” he added.
The PNP and the NBI, however, have no information on whether Lim has slipped out of the country
following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra earlier said that he had received information from the Bureau of
Immigration that Lim was “supposed to be in the country” after a short trip abroad.

The arrest warrant against Lim was issued on August 14 by the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC)
Branch 65 Judge Gina Bibat-Palamos, after probable cause was found to prosecute him for violation of
Section 26 (b) in relation to Section 5, Article 2 of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs
Act), or conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade.

The Makati Court also said there was enough evidence to detain self-confessed drug trader Kerwin
Espinosa, state witness Marcelo Adorco and Rule Malindangan for trial.

Espinosa, who is under the custody of Witness Protection Program, is also facing other drug cases before
the Manila RTC.

Adorco is under the custody of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
Malindangan remains at-large.

The Makati RTC set the arraignment of the accused for the non-bailable charges in a hearing on August
28 at 1:30 a.m.

Lorenzana to US: Don’t keep bells as war

booty
0
BY DEMPSEY REYES ON AUGUST 18, 2018TOP STORIES

Twitter
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has called on the United States not to keep the looted Balangiga
bells as their trophies from a massacre, saying that returning the bells to the Philippines would redound to
a stronger relationship between Manila and Washington.

Lorenzana’s appeal came after Wyoming lawmakers opposed returning the bells taken by American
forces as war booty after Filipino revolutionaries attacked US soldiers in Balangiga, Samar, in 1901, killing
48 of them.

The US military retaliated and killed hundreds of Filipino men, women and children.

“The return of the Balangiga bells will be a strong indicator of the sincerity of the Americans in forging a
lasting relationship with the Filipino people and truly symbolic of what their government has referred to in
the past as an ironclad alliance between our two countries,” Lorenzana said in a statement.

He added that he understood the resistance of officials from Wyoming, having lost American lives in the
Balangiga incident.

Lorenzana, however, said the Filipinos suffered more than the Americans.
“It was a dark chapter in the shared history of our peoples, which should never be allowed to happen
again,” he added.

“Let us not forget, however, that the time came when we set aside our differences and fought side by side
against a common enemy in World War II,” the defense chief said.

He then called again on the US to return the bells.

“We call on the American people not to allow the bells to serve as trophies for atrocities that were
committed by both sides on Philippine soil a very long time ago,” Lorenzana said.

He thanked US Defense Secretary James Mattis for his effort to write to the US Congress, saying it was
“in the national security interest of the United States” to have the bells returned.

Last week, the US Embassy in Manila committed that the bells would be turned over to the Philippines.

US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said the US Department of Defense was coordinating with
Lorenzana and his team for the expected return of the bells.

Two of the Balangiga bells are at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, while the third one
is with the US Army in South Korea.

President Rodrigo Duterte, during his second State of the Nation Address last year, demanded the return
of the bells.

Duterte may step down if Marcos becomes

VP
0
BY RALPH VILLANUEVA ON AUGUST 17, 2018TOP STORIES

Twitter
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte might step down from office if former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong”
Marcos Jr. wins his election protest against Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, Malacañang
said on Thursday.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. clarified that the President was merely expressing his “exasperation”
at pervasive corruption in government during remarks in a Malacañang dinner on Tuesday, where he said
he was thinking of resigning but could not do so because Robredo is the constitutional successor.

Duterte last month called Robredo, titular leader of the opposition Liberal Party, “incompetent,” and on
Tuesday said he preferred either Marcos or Sen. Francis Escudero to succeed him.

“What he actually said [on Tuesday]was the real statement of exasperation and a genuine wish to step
down if there is a better, more qualified leader to take over. He said he thinks that [Marcos] is one of the
better qualified leaders to succeed him, if there are developments and he will win the protest, yes, he will
make true his word,” Roque told reporters.
“If [Marcos] becomes vice president, perhaps the President will make true his word that he will step down.
What he is worried about is if we were to use constitutional succession, then the successor may not be
qualified. And then he expressed a preference on who he thinks may be qualified,” Roque added.

Marcos is challenging the result of the 2016 vice presidential election, where he came up short by
263,473 votes against then Camarines Sur Representative Robredo.

The son and namesake of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos questioned the results in 39,221
clustered precincts before the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET).

Marcos claimed that the vice presidential election was riddled with massive electoral fraud and
irregularities such as pre-shading of ballots, pre-loaded Secure Digital cards, misreading of ballots,
malfunctioning vote-counting machines and an “abnormally high” unaccounted votes.

Duterte is close to the Marcos family, as his father Vicente served as general services secretary during
the first term of President Marcos.

Duterte however ran with Alan Peter Cayetano in the 2016 polls, while Marcos ran with the late senator
Miriam Defensor Santiago.

When asked about Duterte’s preference for Marcos on Thursday, Roque quipped: “Let’s see what Alan
Cayetano has to say about that!”

Leni won’t yield to Bongbong

Robredo, in a statement, said she would not yield her post to Marcos or anybody.

“We were elected [to our post]until [June] 2022. It is our obligation to do our best for the country. That is
our mandate,” she said in an interview with reporters in the Bicol region.

“The country has a lot of problems. It is better for us to focus on addressing these problems rather than
engage in politicking,” she added.

Earlier on Thursday, Robredo’s lawyer Romulo Macalintal said President Duterte would never be able to
resign because Marcos would never be vice president.

Rep. Tomasito Villarin of Akbayan party-list slammed Roque for using the Malacañan Palace podium to
influence the electoral protest.

“Such statement affirms the fact that Malacañang is moving heaven and earth to influence the decision of
the PET in favor of Marcos,” Villarin claimed.

“It is unconscionable for Roque to suggest that Marcos becomes the presumptive successor while the
electoral case is still being tried in the PET,” he added.

US to keep patrols in South China Sea

0
BY DEMPSEY REYES ON AUGUST 17, 2018TOP STORIES

Twitter
Despite a warning from the Chinese Navy, the United States will continue patrolling the South China Sea
(West Philippine Sea), a US Defense official said on Thursday.

Randall Schriver, US defense assistant secretary for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, said patrols are
part of their routine operations in the South China Sea.

He cited China’s occasional ‘transparency’ in conducting its affairs in territories in the contested sea.

Such demonstration of actions and challenges by China, according to him, will have no impact or effect on
how the US operates at sea.

Last Friday, the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon surveillance plane received a radio message from the People’s
Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, asking the plane to fly away from the Subi (Zamora) Reef, where the
Chinese built artificial islands and set up military installations.

“I have every confidence we will continue to fly, sail and operate where international law allows,” Schriver
told reporters in a roundtable interview at the US Embassy in Manila.

The freedom of navigation operations (Fonops) was part of the United State’s overall approach to China
and its global program, he said.

Schriver noted the US Fonops are part of a “much broader principle” but require a comprehensive
approach to the South China Sea.

He assured Southeast Asian countries who claim territories in the South China Sea that the US State
Department will provide them assistance in pursuing legal claims, as part of their government approach to
the dispute.

The American official said Washington understands Beijing’s interest to pursue drills that exclude the
United States in the disputed territories with Southeast Asian nations.

He cited the importance of individual countries in making decisions and understanding China’s aspirations
and intents for the Southeast Asian region.|

He, however, said the US could provide alternatives to China’s promotion of its interests.

“We can’t fork China’s initiatives,” Schriver said. “But we can offer alternatives and I think we can show
that we will be a reliable partner.”

‘Poor’ reeled most from high prices – UP

study
0
BY JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA, TMT ON AUGUST 17, 2018TODAY'S HEADLINE PHOTOS, TOP STORIES

Twitter
THE poor suffered the most from increasing prices of goods compared to the average household during
the first seven months of 2018 and the non-fulfillment of the rice subsidy promise of the Tax Reform for
Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law has further hurt them, a study of the University of Philippines
School of Statistics (UPSS) showed.

RICE QUEUE Hundreds queue at the Caruncho Public Market in Pasig City to buy P27 per kilo rice on Thursday.
PHOTO BY RUY L. MARTINEZ

The study was presented during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs on inflationary
effects of the Train law, which was implemented in January.

Dennis Mapa, head of the UPSS, stated that the poorest 30 percent of the country’s population, which the
study referred to as POOR, were the ones badly hurt by the increasing prices particularly food items.

Mapa explained the large price increases in food items like rice severely affected the poor since rice
accounts for 61 percent of their daily consumption, higher than the 38.34 percent consumption of average
households.

He noted that while the July 2018 inflation rate was at 5.7 percent for all households, inflation for the poor
was at 6.7 percent.

Mapa said the inflation rate for the first seven months of the year was also higher at 5.3 percent compared
to the average household’s 4.5 percent.

“Full-year average inflation rate of the POOR is expected to range from 5.5 to 6.0 percent, compared to
around 3.1 percent in 2017,” he stated in his presentation.

The study noted that current cash transfers, as provided by the Train law, were not enough to
compensate the poor.
Mapa cited as example the discounted purchase of National Food Authority (NFA) rice from accredited
retail stores in the amount equivalent to 10 percent of the net retail prices, up to a maximum of 20 kilos
per month.

Under the Train law, a poor household can avail of the P32 per kilo NFA rice at a discounted rate of
P28.80 per kilo, but in reality the poor were forced to buy expensive commercial rice because NFA rice
was unavailable.

To somehow compensate the poor because of the delay in the distribution of NFA rice, the government
needs to reimburse the amount of P200 per month.

The Train law was being blamed for the rising prices of commodities specifically the imposition of
additional excise taxes on fuel and other goods.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the economic affairs committee, in an interview after the hearing
raised the possibility of recommending the suspension of the second tranche of the Train law in 2019.

“By the end of third quarter or early fourth quarter, we will have a clearer picture on what should be done.
We still have enough time to pass a law suspending the second tranche,” he said.

Apart from the rice subsidy, fare discount was not implemented and the fuel discount for public utility
vehicles was delayed.

Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino 4th has filed a proposed measure calling for the suspension of package one
of the Train law and a rollback on the excise tax on petroleum products.

Church groups oppose federalism

0
BY CATHERINE A. MODESTO ON AUGUST 17, 2018TOP STORIES

Twitter
CHURCH groups on Thursday expressed “grave alarm” over the proposal to shift to a federal form of
government, saying it would be a sure change “for the worse” and would put people over the edge as
more taxes would be imposed on them to support a bigger political establishment.

In a statement, 13 regional ecumenical councils or RECs of the National Council of Churches of the
Philippines said: “We are gravely alarmed by the Duterte government’s move to change the 1987
Philippine Constitution for federalism.”

The RECs, ecumenical fellowships of “churches of different denominations in the provinces and regions,”
argued: “Certainly, there is no popular clamor for it; recent surveys show that there is an increasing
number of Filipinos opposed to charter change.”

They claimed federalism would only benefit a select few, and to change the constitution would be to “allow
foreign businesses to own larger shares of various ventures that were safeguarded by our present
Charter.”

The move to shift to a federal system “can also expand and strengthen the power of political dynasties
and constrict the democratic space in our society further.”
Those who signed the statement were Bishop Jerry Luls Sagun of the Cagayan Valley Regional
Ecumenical Assembly; Rev. Rocini Bakian, Regional Ecumenical Council in the Cordillera (Reccord); Fr.
Allan Caparro, Eastern Visayas Regional Ecumenical Council; Rev. Antonietta Cabral, Palawan
Ecumenical Council (PAEC); Eliza Guerrero, Reccord; Pastor Abegail Melody Obsequias, Bicol Regional
Ecumenical Council; Rev. Juliet E. Egar, Southern Tagalog Regional Affairs Movement (Stream); Bro. Lito
Latorre, Stream; Amy Barrameda, Southern Tagalog Regional Affairs Movement, Stream; Rev. Gilbert G.
Garcia, Pangasinan and Central Luzon Ecumenical Assembly (Paclea); Melba Altura, Paclea; Aurora
Gabriel, Romblon Mindoro Ecumenical Council (Rominec); Rev. Herminihildo Allera, Rominec; Gladdys
Jane Dado, Rominec; Rev. Dan San Andrea, Bicol Regional Ecumenical Council; Rev. Ely Espanola,
Cotabato Regional Ecumenical Council; Rosia Concha, Cagayan Valley Regional Ecumenical Assembly
(Cavrea); Demsen Prolet Agpaoa, Cavrea; Rommel Linatoc, National Ecumenical Council of the
Philippines-Commission on Unity and Ecumenical Relations (NCCP-CUER); Rev. Irma Balaba, NCCP-
CUER and Hannah Grace Santillan, NCCP-CUER.

Last month, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo,
called Charter change a “Trojan Horse” or a smokescreen for select people to take control of the country.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd, who
lead the President’s economic team, have warned against bigger budget deficits, credit rating downgrades
and massive government layoffs under the proposed federal charter of a Palace-appointed consultative
committee, which they said was ambiguous as regards revenue sources.

DTI chief ‘neutral’ on federalism

Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez on Thursday said that while he “concurs” with some of the
economic managers’ call to weigh the costs and risks of the possible shift to a federal government, he
was “okay” with federalism as long as it would make the government more efficient.

“What they are saying that the financial implication should be studied is correct. Nobody can dispute that,
but, from our end, we are focusing more on the functions that will be devolved, what will be in the state or
in the federal government,” Lopez told reporters at the sidelines of the 6th Regional Competitiveness
Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Lopez said he would leave the financial implications of the federalism push to the “macro managers,”
adding he was “neutral” to federalism.

But Lopez said shifting to a federal form of government could also help some localities become more
competitive.

“For example, one can attract more investments in their localities if they have the flexibility to offer more
incentives. But the overall incentives should still be aligned with the federal government. Right now we
have many incentives and whether or not they will use that is already their call,” said Lopez.

While local business groups want a careful study of the costs and risks of federalism, foreign investors are
not worried, he said.

“I guess their fear is fear of change, of the unknown. I respect their views. Forein investors, they never
ask. Not even once. Foreign investors don’t care about the system, they don’t raise it at all. They don’t
even ask what’s the status,” said Lopez.
NASA blasts off historic probe to ‘touch
Sun’
0
BY AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ON AUGUST 13, 2018TODAY'S HEADLINE PHOTOS, TOP STORIES

Twitter
TAMPA: NASA on Sunday blasted off a $1.5 billion spacecraft toward the Sun on a historic mission to
protect the Earth by unveiling the mysteries of dangerous solar storms.

“Three, two, one, and liftoff!” said a NASA commentator as the Parker Solar Probe lit up the dark night sky
aboard a Delta IV-Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 3:31 am (0731 GMT).

The unmanned spacecraft aims to get closer than any human-made object in history to the center of our
solar system.

The probe is designed to plunge into the Sun’s atmosphere, known as the corona, during a seven-year
mission.

It is protected by an ultra-powerful heat shield that can endure unprecedented levels of heat, and radiation
500 times that experienced on Earth.

NASA has billed the mission as the first spacecraft to “touch the Sun.”
In reality, it should come within 3.83 million miles (6.16 million kilometers) of the Sun’s surface, close
enough to study the curious phenomenon of the solar wind and the Sun’s atmosphere, known as the
corona, which is 300 times hotter than its surface.

The car-sized probe is designed to give scientists a better understanding of solar wind and geomagnetic
storms that risk wreaking chaos on Earth by knocking out the power grid.

These solar outbursts are poorly understood, but pack the potential to wipe out power to millions of
people.

A worst-case scenario could cost up to two trillion dollars in the first year alone and take a decade to fully
recover from, experts have warned.

“The Parker Solar Probe will help us do a much better job of predicting when a disturbance in the solar
wind could hit Earth,” said Justin Kasper, a project scientist and professor at the University of Michigan.

Knowing more about the solar wind and space storms will also help protect future deep space explorers
as they journey toward the Moon or Mars.

Heat shield

The probe is guarded by an ultra-powerful heat shield that is just 4.5 inches (11.43 centimeters) thick,
enabling the spacecraft to survive its close shave with the fiery star.

Even in a region where temperatures can reach more than a million degrees Fahrenheit, the sunlight is
expected to heat the shield to just around 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,371 degrees Celsius).

If all works as planned, the inside of the spacecraft should stay at just 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

The goal for the Parker Solar Probe is to make 24 passes through the corona during its seven-year
mission.

“The sun is full of mysteries,” said Nicky Fox, project scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Lab.

“We are ready. We have the perfect payload. We know the questions we want to answer.”

91-year-old namesake

The spacecraft is the only NASA probe in history to be named after a living person — in this case, 91-
year-old solar physicist Eugene Parker, who first described the solar wind in 1958.

Parker said last week that he was “impressed” by the Parker Solar Probe, calling it “a very complex
machine.”

NASA chief of the science mission directorate, Thomas Zurbuchen, said Saturday that Parker is an
“incredible hero of our scientific community,” and called the probe one of NASA most “strategically
important” missions.

Scientists have wanted to build a spacecraft like this for more than 60 years, but only in recent years did
the heat shield technology advance enough to be capable of protecting sensitive instruments.
Tools on board will measure high-energy particles associated with flares and coronal mass ejections, as
well as the changing magnetic field around the Sun.

A white light imager will take images of the atmosphere right in front of the Sun.

When it nears the Sun, the probe will travel rapidly enough to go from New York to Tokyo in one minute
— some 430,000 miles per hour, making it the fastest human-made object.

Bill on crime prevention in schools pushed

0
BY JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA, TMT ON AUGUST 13, 2018TOP STORIES

Twitter
SEN. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara on Sunday raised the need to pass a bill that seeks to establish a
crime prevention committee in all educational institutions to ensure the safety of students.

Angara made the call following the arrest of four college students who allegedly kidnapped a 19-year-old
student of Letran College. The student was rescued by police operatives last week.

The incident, senator said, emphasized the need for schools to reinforce and reassess their security
procedures.

“School safety is becoming a greater concern nowadays and this has raised the need for a law that would
help ensure the safety of students,” said Angara, vice chairman of the Senate education committee.

Senate Bill 946, which Angara authored, mandates all higher education and technical vocational
institutions to establish a crime prevention committee in charge of formulating policies and strategies that
would help protect the academic community from crimes such as theft, robbery, rape and other forms of
violence.

The bill also allows the monitoring and recording, through local police agencies, of criminal activities
committed by off-campus student organizations duly recognized by the institution and which count among
its members the students attending the institution.

“Schools should be conducive to learning and intellectual discourse, not venues for violence and crime,”
Angara said in a statement.

The crime prevention committee could also recommend the conduct of seminars and trainings on crime
and drug prevention and control, in coordination with the National Police Commission or the Department
of the Interior and Local Government.

Go: Duterte upbeat Pinoys will support

federalism
0
BY CATHERINE S. VALENTE, TMT ON AUGUST 12, 2018TOP STORIES

Twitter
President Rodrigo Duterte is optimistic that Filipinos would support his administration’s push for the
country’s shift to federalism, his top aide has said, amid the low public awareness about the proposed
change in the system of government.

In a radio interview, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said Duterte was
confident that he would be able to convince the public by explaining to them the benefits of a federal
government.

“Ito pong mga ganitong usapin tungkol sa pederalismo, inaasahan na ito ni Pangulong Duterte. Bukas po
ang Pangulo kung ano man ang magiging problema nito in the long run, sa mga pagbabagong, lalong lalo
na sa transition stage (President Duterte expects this kind of issue regarding federalism. The President is
open to whatever its problem will be in the long run, on the changes especially in its transition stage),” Go
said during in an interview with radio dzBB.

He added that Duterte has long been reaching out to the public across the country with hopes to increase
awareness about the federal system of government among Filipinos.

“Nasa Kongreso na ho ito. Medyo long shot nga ho ito. Kasi po alam niyo matagal na kaming umikot ng
Pangulo about sa Federalism 2015 pa hanggang 2016 at alam naman natin na ang pinaka-importante
dito ay paano natin maipapaintindi sa mga tao, sa bayan, kung ano itong pederalismo [It’s now in
Congress. It’s a long shot. Because you know we have long been going around from 2015 to 2016 to
raise public awareness about federalism. And we all know what’s important here is how are we going to
explain to the people, the nation, what really federalism is],” Go said.

“‘Yung magiging awareness nito. Kasi umiikot kami noon, hindi sila masyadong nakikinig about
federalism.

Pinapakinggan nila ‘yung Pangulo [The people’s awareness about it. Because when we’re going around,
the people did not really listen when we talked about federalism. But they listened to the President],” he
added.

Duterte has been pushing for a federal government, saying it would decentralize the government and
would empower the regions more.

Last month, the Consultative Committee (ConCom) submitted to Duterte the “Bayanihan Federalism,”
which installs a federal government strong enough to glue the various federated regions and make them
socially, economically and politically viable and sustainable.

A recent survey, however, showed that Charter change and federalism remain unpopular among Filipinos.

A Pulse Asia poll conducted last June suggested that 67 percent of Filipinos are not in favor of amending
the 1987 Constitution while 62 percent are against the proposed shift to a federal system of government.

Malacañang has admitted that much work has to be done to spread awareness on Charter change.

In a recent interview, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the information campaign for federalism
would start this month and would involve the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and
the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).
“The roadshow for federalism will commence this month of August. Kasama po ‘yung mga materyales na
ginawa ng DILG [This will include the materials created by the DILG], in coordination with academics,
‘yung mga miyembro din ng Consultative Committee [and members of the ConCom],” Roque said.

But Sen. Grace Poe, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass media, has
filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the funding of the information campaign to be spearheaded by
the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and the ConCom that drafted the proposed
federal Constitution.

Poe cited in her Senate Resolution 821 the controversial and risqué video of PCOO Assistant Secretary
Esther Margaux “Mocha” Uson that she said “reeks of impropriety” does not help “elevate public
discourse” on the government’s effort to explain federalism.

Uson earlier defended her video, saying it was meant to get Filipinos to talk about federalism.

But ConCom spokesman Ding Generoso said the video was not part of their information drive for
federalism.

In his State of the Nation Address on July 23, Duterte justified a federal Constitution, saying it would “truly
embody the ideals and aspirations” of all Filipinos and create opportunities for growth.

“I am confident that the Filipino people will stand behind us as we introduce this new fundamental law that
will not only strengthen our democratic institutions, but will also create an environment where every
Filipino, regardless of social status, religion, or ideology, will have an equal opportunity to grow and create
a future that he or she can proudly bequeath to the succeeding generations,” the President said.

Poe calls for probe into PCOO’s federalism

information drive
0
BY JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA, TMT ON AUGUST 11, 2018TOP STORIES

Twitter
Sen. Grace Poe has sought a Senate inquiry into the multimillion-peso information campaign of the
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and the Consultative Committee (ConCom) to
promote federalism.

In her Senate Resolution 821, Poe wants the committee on public information and mass media, which she
heads, to conduct the inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the information drive regarding a proposed shift to a
federal form of government.

The probe was sought over a controversial video posted by PCOO Assistant Secretary and blogger
Esther Margaux “Mocha” Uson that the senator said “reek[s]of impropriety and disrespect to the ConCom
[and which does not help]elevate public discourse.”

Uson, according to Poe, was tapped by ConCom spokesman Ding Generoso as lead campaigner for
federalism because of her more than five million followers on social media site Facebook.

It was reported that the PCOO has allocated P90 million in public funds for the information drive.
“Public office is a public trust and officials must at all times exercise professionalism in the performance of
their functions,” Poe said in the resolution.

A recent survey conducted by Pulse Asia showed that two in every three Filipinos or 67 percent opposed
federalism via Charter change and 62 percent were not in favor of the shift in the form of government.

In calling for the inquiry, Poe said her committee aims to fulfill the principle of accountability and
transparency and to ensure full disclosure of all transactions involving public interest.

The controversial video posted by Uson supposedly to help raise awareness on federalism has offended
many including those in Malacañang.

Some senators even vowed to thoroughly scrutinize the proposed P1.41-billion budget of the PCOO for
2019 and make its officials justify every peso of it.

The PCOO also on Friday said it welcomes the Senate investigation, with its chief, Martin Andanar, saying
in a radio interview that the office needs to prove that it deserves next year’s allocation.

If approved, the 2019 budget would be higher than the office’s P1.38 billion for this year.

Instead of Uson promoting the draft federal Charter, ConCom members would be best for the job, Prof.
Eddie Alih, a committee member, said also on Friday.

The video that had gone viral showed the PCOO assistant secretary filming another blogger Drew Olivar
gesturing to his crotch and chest while singing “i-pepe (vagina) i-dede (breasts) pederalismo (federalism).”

“She [Uson] has many followers, and people thought her blog would be a good platform, but I would say
that on questions on the draft federal Constitution, they should leave it to us. We know what is in it,” Alih
said in a news conference.

Alih disputed comments made by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Socioeconomic Planning
Secretary Ernesto Pernia that the federalism campaign could not be funded and could wreak havoc on the
economy.

Based on Department of Finance’s Bureau of Local Government Finance records, only the National
Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila), Region 4A (Calabarzon) and Region 3 (Central Luzon) would have
enough locally generated resources to survive a federal set-up.

At least 78 percent of the NCR’s resources are locally generated, while Region 4A’s locally generated
income is at 41 percent and Region 3, at 32 percent.

The dependence of Region 1 (Ilocos Region), Region 5 (Bicol), Region 6 (Western Visayas), Region 7
(Central Visayas) and Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) on their respective locally generated incomes
ranges from 22 to 29 percent.

The Cordillera Administrative Region, Region 8 (Eastern Visayas), Region 4B (Mimaropa), Region 9
(Zamboanga Peninsula), Region 12 (Soccsksargen) and Region 13 (Caraga) have even lower
dependence at 12 to 17 percent.

This means that at least 11 regions are largely dependent on Internal Revenue Allotment funded by the
national government, including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, whose budget is entirely
provided by the national government.
Cash-based budget to derail free tuition
0
BY LLANESCA T. PANTI, TMT ON AUGUST 10, 2018TODAY'S HEADLINE PHOTOS, TOP STORIES

Twitter
The implementation of the Free College Education law will be derailed if the proposed cash-based budget
system for 2019 is adopted, Prospero de Vera 3rd, chairman of the Commission on Higher Education,
warned on Thursday.

Prospero de Vera 3rd

De Vera made the warning when he presented CHEd’s P50.4-billion proposed budget before the House
appropriations panel.

He noted that the cash-based budget system will clash with CHEd’s mandate since the fiscal year, which
starts in January and ends in December, is inconsistent with the academic year of state universities and
colleges (SUCs).

The SUCs’ academic year consists of two semesters: June to October and November to March.

“This cash-based budget will severely hamper our implementation of the Free College Education law
because the SUCs’ enrolment date for first semester is toward the end of July. The fastest time that we
can gather the name of enrolees [for the free college tuition]is by September. There’s no problem with
that. But how about for the second semester, which starts in November? How can the students be able to
bill the CHEd for their free tuition in time?” De Vera said.
“For the second semester, do we [in CHEd]pay [for the students’ education]only until December, which is
the end of the fiscal year? Or do we pay them until April of next year? In a cash-based budget, how can
we use the 2019 budget to pay for our dues in 2020? And if we do, that would create a problem,” he
added.

The 2019 budget allotted P50 billion for the Free College Education law, P10 billion more than last year’s
P40-billion allocation.

De Vera said the cash-based budget does not give CHEd enough room to validate the status of students
who qualify for state subsidy for college tuition for the second semester.

“We need time to make sure that those who will benefit from the Free College Education law are qualified.
We can’t immediately give that to students. We need verification to ensure that public funds are
protected,” he added.

De Vera revealed that the CHeD’s scholarship fund has been reduced to P1.7 billion under the 2019
budget from P4.9 billion this year, and that there is zero budget for capital outlay of new projects for the
SUCs.

The proposed 2019 budget also did not allot a budget for the scholarship fund of medical students in eight
SUCs.

“Given the situation, we can’t do anything. We won’t have funding for these scholarships. Those in public
schools won’t be affected that much since their tuition and miscellaneous fees are already covered, but
those scholars from private schools will really bear the impact,” De Vera said.

PH-China gas search gets Duterte nudge

0
BY JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA, TMT ON AUGUST 8, 2018TOP STORIES

Twitter
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved in principle the creation of a high-level working group tasked
to formulate a framework for a planned oil and gas exploration and development with China in the
contested areas of the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea or WPS), Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan
Peter Cayetano said on Tuesday.

According to Cayetano, the President gave his approval during their meeting on Monday night and, if
everything goes well, there is a big possibility that the Philippines and China could come up with a
framework agreement by September.

“China is also ready [with its]working group and as soon as both sides have working groups, we could
start talking,” he told reporters in a news briefing in Taguig City.

The Foreign Affairs secretary earlier said China has expressed its openness to a 60-40 split on the joint
exploration in the disputed areas of the South China Sea.

Cayetano, however, declined to give more details about the planned agreement but he noted that the
working group would be composed of officials from the Cabinet level, including the Departments of
Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, Defense, Interior and Local Government and Justice, the
National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and National Security Agency.
These agencies, he said, could provide expert inputs on environmental, energy, security and legal issues.
“The working group will also advise us and help us in negotiations,” Cayetano added.

He said he wants the joint exploration to begin as soon as possible because of some factors that could
have serious impact if the project is delayed.

If the agreement would be made on the fifth year (2021) of the Duterte administration, Cayetano said,
there is a big chance that one side, or both sides, of the commercial venture would wait for the next
administration rather than proceed with the project.

Another reason is that the Malampaya gas field is expected to run out by 2024 and, because it provides
45 percent of Luzon’s power requirements, the country would need to find new sources before that
happens.

“For us, it is an urgent need and could benefit all Filipinos. I want to work double time on it and I am
hoping that our side of the working group can do a lot this August and then try to hit September or
October,” Cayetano said.