PBBM SAYS FAMILY FOR SETTLING TAX ISSUE

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said he looks forward to resolving the unpaid estate tax case against his family, which has reportedly ballooned to P203 billion.

“We are actually encouraging that this finally be resolved because I don’t want to make a legal opinion for which I am not qualified. But rather, (I want) to say that we were never allowed to argue because when this case came out, we were all in the United States,” the President said in a television interview.

“When it was the time for us to answer, we had no chance to answer because we were in Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii,” he told celebrityinterviewer Toni Gonzaga in his first one-on-one televised talk since becoming Chief Executive.

“Now we are all here, open the case and let us argue so that all of the things that we should have been able to say in 1987, ’88, ’89 that we were not able to say, (we can say now),” he added.

Mr. Marcos said he and his family would have wanted to discuss each property listed in the case.

“We would have told them that those properties are not ours – do not tax us,” he said.

The President said he does not know how the P203 billion figure was arrived at.

“I really do not know. They just lumped together a number of properties – most of which we really had nothing to do with,” he said.

“In fact, I have signed a quit claim several times now. If you want those properties, get them – those are not ours,” he said.

During the campaign period, Mr. Marcos said “there’s a lot of fake news involved” in his family’s unpaid estate taxes amid the 1997 Supreme Court ruling that they must settle their liabilities, which initially amounted to P23 billion in 1997.

A Supreme Court document showed the ruling to affirm the Court of Appeals decision on the Marcos estate tax in 1994 was final and executory and that the deficiency income was unappealable.

MARCOS TO ‘REFOCUS’ ON DRUG WAR

The Marcos administration will refocus the war on drugs to include the treatment and rehabilitation of drug users.

“The war on drugs will continue but we have to do it in a different way,” President Marcos said in a television interview on Tuesday.

“Even as we speak, there is a working group putting together (the revisions) …We are trying to formulate how, what is the latest and what’s the best way for the rehabilitation,” he added.

He said the working group is looking for “the upstream of the problem, the prevention.”

“These are all being formulated. And then even on the enforcement side, I’d like to formulate that one,” the President said as he acknowledged the drug war was not mentioned in his first State of the Nation Address as “it is an internal matter.”

Despite his intention to refocus the war on drugs, the President maintained his stance not to rejoin the International Criminal Court.

“I don’t see any reason why we should. The ICC is supposed to take action if the country has no functioning judiciary,” he said. “That condition does not exist in the Philippines. So, I don’t see what role ICC is going to play here in the Philippines.”

DFA CONFIRMS PBBM TALK AT UN ON SEPTEMBER 20

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will speak before the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.

“What is confirmed is PBBM will attend and deliver a statement at the 77th UNGA on 20 September,” DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said in a text message.

Meanwhile, the DFA has sent its recommendation to Mr. Marcos on Philippine representation to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

Daza said the Office of the President “will decide and announce its decision in due course.”

While at UN headquarters in New York, the President plans to hold several bilateral meetings with other heads of state on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week.

UN REPORT NOTES PROGRESS BUT SAYS ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR RIGHTS ABUSES 'VERY LIMITED'

MANILA — The Philippines has made progress in seeking accountability for rights abuses but victims seeking justice still face challenges, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said as it urged the government to implement rights-based solutions and to end threatening rhetoric against rights defenders.

In a report released Tuesday, the UN rights office noted the government took some initiatives to advance accountability for human rights violations. It, however, stressed that "access to justice for victims of human rights violations and abuses remained very limited."

The report said that institutional and structural shortcomings like limited oversight of human rights investigations and a lack of investigation capacity and of inter-agency cooperation have yet to be addressed. The UN rights office also noted limited forensic capacity and protracted judicial processes as hindrances to seeking justice for abuses.

“Inadequate victims and witness support and protection and fear of reprisal also impacted victims’ engagement,” the UN rights office said.

It added that while the government took steps to investigate some killings in the context of the government’s war on drugs through the establishment of an inter-agency review panel, these have so far not resulted in convictions and redress for victims.

HOUSE APPROVES BARANGAY, SK ELECTIONS POSTPONEMENT ON SECOND READING

MANILA — The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on second reading House Bill 4673, postponing the December 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) by a year.

The bill and its committee report 33 were submitted to the plenary session for deliberations. The approval came in an ayes and nays vote.

According to its congressional fact sheet, the bill seeks to move the Dec. 5, 2022 synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to the first Monday of December 2023 to allow the Commission on Elections and local government units to better prepare and to apply corrective adjustments to the honoraria of poll workers.

The same fact sheet explains that the bill mandates that subsequent BSKE be held on the first Monday of December 2026 and every 3 years thereafter.

Under the bill, the term of office of the barangay and SK officials elected in December 2023 will start at noon of Jan. 1.

It also provides that all incumbent barangay and SK officials remain in office until their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified, unless sooner removed or suspended.

PRES. MARCOS WON’T BAR EFFORTS TO GRANT ABS-CBN FRANCHISE

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed not to stand in the way of efforts to give media giant ABS-CBN Corp. a new 25-year legislative franchise, which is granted by Congress.

In a television interview, Mr. Marcos said the Lopez-owned network’s woes were due to “technical reasons” that had surfaced during previous House hearings and not because of its “political positions” against his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“I know the suspicion is that it is always because of the political positions that they took against PRRD. The actual technical reasons are these issues that were found during the hearings in the House,” he said.

“The question of the ABS-CBN franchise is really about the violations and problems they have encountered during the hearings and the investigation in the House of Representatives… So long those are attended to and those are resolved, there’s no reason actually for the Committee of Franchises in the House to deny them of a franchise,” the President added.

ABS-CBN halted its broadcast operations on May 5, 2020, following the National Telecommunications Commission’s issuance of a cease-and-desist order.

On July 10, 2020, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises rejected ABS-CBN’s bid for a new 25-year franchise because of several issues, including the alleged dual citizenship of ABS-CBN chairman emeritus Eugenio Lopez III; the possible violation of the constitutional limits on foreign ownership; reported labor and tax violations; and other violations of the terms of its franchise.

EO HALTS FARMERS’ LOAN PAYMENT FOR 1 YEAR

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed an executive order (EO) declaring a one-year moratorium on loan payments for agrarian reform beneficiaries, the Palace said Tuesday.

The one-year moratorium will write off P58.125 billion in loans and benefit about 654,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries and cover 1.18 million hectares of awarded lands.

“It is time to give back to the farmers,” the President said during the signing ceremony in Malacanang.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said the executive order is in preparation for another fulfillment of the Marcos administration’s commitment, which is for Congress to pass a law that will condone the loans of agrarian reform beneficiaries with unpaid amortization and interest.

“We always think about the farmers’ welfare. The one-year moratorium and condonation of farmers’ loan payments will lead to the freedom of farmers from debts,” Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said.

He also expressed willingness to work and cooperate with the House of Representatives in the amendment of Section 26 of Republic Act No (RA) 6657, or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988.

STATE WORKERS TO GET RICE ALLOWANCE AS PART OF SALARY

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he will institutionalize a “rice allowance” system for state workers as his administration strives to achieve food security for all Filipinos.

“We will institutionalize it. At the very least, we will have that (rice allowance). This is life and death, and the people are living very close to the subsistence level,” Mr. Marcos said in a television interview.

“We have to pull ourselves out of that. They should not be at the subsistence level. They should not be spending 60, 70, 80 percent of their income on food. That’s far, far, far too much. They have nothing left for anything else. They cannot send their children to school. They cannot pay for the electricity, the water. That’s really the scope of the problem,” he added.

The President said the rice allowance will be part of the salary of government workers.

Mr. Marcos said such a move will even create demand for local rice producers who will now have a ready market through the government.

THE REST

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PHILIPPINES REPORTS 901 NEW CASES OF OMICRON SUBVARIANTS, 2 DELTA INFECTIONS

MANILA — The Philippines has detected 901 additional cases of highly contagious offshoots of the omicron COVID-19 variant, the Department of Health said Tuesday.

The country found 839 new cases of the omicron BA.5, 11 more cases of the BA.4, one case each of BA.2.75 and BA.2.12.1, and 49 tagged as "other sublineages," latest figures from DOH show.

Of the new BA.5 cases, many were found in Metro Manila (182), Western Visayas (135), and Cordillera Administrative Region (116).

Most of the new BA.4 cases, meanwhile, were reported in Soccsksargen (7).

The new BA.2.75 case was logged in Metro Manila, and the BA.2.12.1 case was detected from a returning overseas Filipino.

Two new Delta cases were also found in Metro Manila and Calabarzon, the DOH said.

These are results of the latest sequencing run conducted from Sept. 9 to 12, the agency said.

PHILSA: CHINESE ROCKET DEBRIS MAY FALL NEAR CAGAYAN, ILOCOS NORTE

MANILA - The Philippine Space Agency on Tuesday said debris from a Chinese rocket may fall near Cagayan and Ilocos Norte in northern Luzon.

According to PhilSA, a Long March 7A (CZ-7A) rocket was launched from China's Wenchang Space Launch Center, Hainan Island on Tuesday at 9:19 p.m. (Manila time).

The agency said it was able to verify the estimated drop zones of the rocket debris from a notice by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

"Two drop zones within the Philippine territory have been identified based on the NOTAM: Drop zone 1 is approximately 71 kilometers from Burgos, Ilocos Norte, while drop zone 2 is approximately 52 kilometers away from Sta. Ana, Cagayan," PhilSA said in an advisory.

The agency warned that the falling rocket debris poses a "considerable threat to ships, aircraft, fishing boats, and other vessels that will pass through the drop zones", but noted it is unlikely to fall on inhabited areas or land features.

PhilSA noted that in July this year, the core stage debris of a Long March 5B rocket landed on Philippine waters in uncontrolled reentry.

"In the case of Long March 7A, the possibility of a similar uncontrolled reentry of the rocket’s upper stages cannot be ruled out at this time," it said.

The agency called on the public to immediately inform local authorities if suspected rocket debris is found.

"PhilSA also cautions everyone against retrieving or coming in close contact with these materials," it said.

COPS TO STRICTLY ENFORCE HEALTH POLICY INDOORS

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday directed police and local officials to enforce the wearing of face masks inside commercial establishments and other crowded areas.

“Local government units and the PNP (Philippine National Police) should coordinate closely in ensuring that the public continues to wear face masks indoors and in public transportation,” said DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. “We are still in the middle of the pandemic, and we cannot let our guard down.”

Despite an executive order making the wearing of face masks voluntary outdoors, Abalos reminded senior citizens, immunocompromised people, and those who are not fully vaccinated to continue masking up.

“For your own safety and health, please wear your face masks at all times. The threat of COVID-19 cannot be discounted by anyone, more so, our vulnerable population,” he said.

Ablos said local government units (LGUs) should take the lead in ensuring compliance with the indoor mask mandate.

EO No. 3 issued by the Office of the President on Sept. 12, 2022, allows the voluntary wearing of face masks in open spaces and uncrowded outdoor areas with good ventilation.

The same EO states that face masks are still mandatory in indoor settings, public transportation by air, land, and sea; and in outdoor settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained.

Abalos said that the signing of the EO is a clear signal to all LGUs to move in one accord in implementing the face mask mandate in their localities. He said the focus of LGUs now should be “ensuring that the policy will not be abused, and that people are still protected from the virus.”

OFW BAN ON KSA LIFTED BY NOV. 7

The Philippine government will lift its deployment ban on Overseas Filipino Workers to Saudi Arabia on November 7 after finishing bilateral discussions, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople said Tuesday.

Ople and other DMW officials reached an agreement with Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmad Bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, under which both countries would undertake measures “to facilitate the decent and productive employment of OFWs and ensure the protection of their rights.”

She said the date was chosen so the DMW would have time to prepare for its meetings with Philippine recruitment agencies, strengthen its coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in ensuring the deployment of fully trained domestic workers, and complete their automation process.

TROPICAL DEPRESSION INTENSIFIES INTO STORM OUTSIDE PAR

MANILA -- A tropical depression outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has intensified into a storm.

The storm, with the international name Nanmadol, was last seen 1,910 km east of extreme northern Luzon. It has maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gusts of up to 80 kph.

It is moving east northeastward at 10 kph. State weather bureau PAGASA said Nanmadol is expected to keep moving in that direction before sharply turning northwestward later Wednesday as it speeds up towards PAR.

Nanmadol is expected to enter PAR Thursday evening or Friday morning, at which point it will be named Josie.

PAGASA said the storm is expected to remain far from the Philippine land mass and may not directly affect the weather in the country. It may, however, enhance the southwest monsoon, according to the state weather bureau.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

GERALD ANDERSON, NAGBIGAY REAKSIYON TUNGKOL KAY KYLIE PADILLA

MAYNILA -- Nagbigay reaksiyon ang aktor na si Gerald Anderson sa balitang nag-uugnay sa kanila ng aktres Kylie Padilla, kasama niyang bida sa isang bagong pelikula.

Sa pinakabagong vlog ng talent manager at showbiz writer na si Ogie Diaz, ibinahagi nito ang naging pagkikita nila ni Anderson.

Nang mabanggit ni Diaz kay Anderson na ang aga lumabas ng publicity para sa pelikula, tugon ng aktor: "Sana nga ipinalabas na agad 'yung pelikula para sumabay doon, 'di ba? So hintayin natin nine months from now."

Nang tanungin naman ni Diaz si Anderson tungkol sa balitang may namamagitan at nabuntis 'di umano niya si Padilla, tugon ng aktor: "Tingnan nga natin nine months from now, 'yun nga ang sinasabi ko."

Noong nakaraang buwan, itinanggi na ito ni Padilla.

Si Anderson, bida ng Kapamilya serye na "A Family Affair” ay nobyo ng aktres na si Julia Barreto.

Salamantala, nitong Mayo lamang ay kinumpirma ni Padilla na nakikipag-date na siya, isang taon matapos maghiwalay sila ni Aljur Abrenica, ama ng kanyang dalawang anak.

SPORTS

PBA: BLACKWATER FIRST TEAM TO TEST BAY AREA IN COMMISSIONER'S CUP

MANILA -- Local fans will get their first look of the guest team Bay Area Dragons when the PBA Commissioner's Cup opens next Wednesday, September 21, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Blackwater Bossing will face off against the Dragons in their first game of the conference at 3 p.m., with NorthPort and Phoenix Super LPG playing in the main game of the double-header at 5:45 p.m.

The PBA released the schedule of the tournament on Wednesday morning.

Bay Area is the first guest team to play in the PBA in 19 years. They will represent Greater China in the East Asia Super League (EASL), and made Manila their temporary base due to COVID-19 restrictions in Hong Kong.

The Dragons are bannered by veteran Duncan Reid, China's 7-foot-5 center Liu Chuanxing, and former NBA player Andrew Nicholson of Canada. Nicholson will be Bay Area's import for the Commissioner's Cup.

The second game day of the conference will see TerraFirma vs. Converge, followed by a must-see match-up between NLEX and Rain or Shine. Yeng Guiao, back as coach of the Elasto Painters, will take on his former team for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Manila Clasico for the Commissioner's Cup is scheduled for October 23, Sunday, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Several PBA games will be held at the Philsports Arena, including next Friday's double-header. A handful of games will take place at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

The PBA will also hold games during the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers in November, though they have confirmed that players chosen by Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes will be made available for the national team.

INDICATORS

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

No endeavor that is worthwhile is simple in prospect; if it is right, it will be simple in retrospect. - William Teller