MARCOS SEALS $285M IN DEALS FROM MALAYSIAN EXECS BEFORE GOING HOME

Malaysian business leaders on Thursday pledged a total of $285 million in investments during a roundtable meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malaysia.

“I had the benefit of meeting a number of Malaysian [business leaders] in the key sectors of agriculture, transportation, and technology,” President Marcos said before leaving for Manila, where he was expected to arrive at 11 p.m.

The Malaysians expressed interest in investing in the food processing industry, multi-service digital platforms, aviation, aviation maintenance support services, logistics, manufacturing, infrastructure, and water and wastewater treatment in the country, he said.

Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said five companies that signed letters of intent with the Philippine government will help develop industries in the country and create more than 8,000 new jobs.

“We are optimistic that these signed LOIs will materialize in the coming months,” Pascual said.

MARCOS JR. ON SABAH: PH, MALAYSIA TALKED ABOUT 'SOLVABLE' ISSUES

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Thursday said the Sabah issue was raised during his meeting with top officials, adding that they tackled "solvable" issues first.

In an interview with reporters, Marcos said the issue on Sabah "cannot be avoided" as Philippines and other parties have outstanding claims.

Despite this though, the Philippine leader stressed the importance of looking at the two countries' relationship beyond the territorial dispute.

"Lagi namang nababanggit yan... hindi naman natin binabawi. So what... I think it is clear to all the parties involved na hindi naman made-decide yan ngayon," Marcos told reporters.

"As usual, when it comes to these diplomatic issues, it is up to us to define what our relationship is and I think we have agreed that there is a tacit agreement at the very least that we talk about all of the things that are solvable," he added.

For now, Marcos Jr. said the Philippines must do something and be "much larger and much more involved" with Malaysia, when it comes to trade and the contributions of the neighboring country to the nation's development.

The President cited Malaysia's efforts for the Bangsamoro region and the people-to-people aspect of the two countries' bilateral relations.

"It is something neither the Philippines or Malaysia is withdrawing but we still find the modus vivendi (mode of living) so that we can work with each other without coming into conflict into one single issue," he added.

"When the time comes, perhaps we'll come back to the issue... I am sure it will come together.

The Philippines lays claim over Sabah, citing a land lease agreement in 1878 between the Sultanate of Sulu and the British North Borneo Chartered Co. It is located east of Malaysia's northern Borneo and southwest of Sulu.

The late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., actively pursued the Sabah claim years after it was federated into Malaysia.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, for his part, had said the issue must "rest for a while."

CHINA PROPOSES WAR GAMES WITH PH; AFP EYES MORE ‘MULTI-ROLE’ HARDWARE

Beijing has proposed possible war games with Manila amid continued Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea.

“They offered us that prospect but we’ll have to study it further,” Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner said.

“They said they submitted some white papers so we’ll have to study it first,” Brawner added.

The military chief cited President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s policy statement that when it comes to foreign policy, the Philippines is “a friend to all and an enemy to none.”

For his part, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian urged Manila to “resist external interference” in addressing matters concerning the Indo-Pacific region, citing the need to maintain “good neighborliness.”

Huang made the statement during the 96th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on Wednesday which was attended by Brawner.

According to Huang, countries in the region “must keep abreast with the changing times” and “avoid Cold-War mentality and ‘bloc’ confrontation.”

He underscored the need to “resist external interference and jointly safeguard the regional peace dividend.”

“China is willing to work with the Philippines to adhere to independence and good neighborliness, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, properly manage differences through consultation and dialogue, and ensure China-Philippines relations remain healthy and move steadily into the future, so as to write a new chapter of friendship and cooperation between the two countries,” Huang said.

DEATH TOLL IN RIZAL BOAT MISHAP RISES TO 26

MANILA - At least 26 people died after a passenger vessel capsized off Binangonan, Rizal, authorities said Thursday, as typhoon Egay continued to bring bad weather over parts of Luzon.

The boat overturned less than 50 meters away from Barangay Kalinawan at around 1 p.m., the PCG said.

PCG spokesperson Armando Balilo earlier told ABS-CBN News at least 21 people died, while 31 others were rescued.

As of 7 p.m., the death toll rose to 27, with 40 survivors, according to the local government.

The PCG later adjusted the figure to 26 dead.

Search and retrieval operations were suspended due to poor visibility in the area.

Families and relatives of the victims are still waiting for possible updates from the local government.

The boat mishap struck hours after Egay left the Philippine area of responsibility.

Egay will continue enhancing the habagat, which would bring occasional to monsoon rains over the western portions of Northern and Central Luzon and Southern Luzon in the next three days, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

IMF HIKES PHILIPPINE GROWTH FORECAST TO 6.2 PCT ON BACK OF STRONG PROSPECTS

MANILA — The International Monetary Fund on Friday said it raised the 2023 economic growth outlook for the Philippines due to the stronger-than-expected first quarter expansion as well as the positive indicators for the rest of the year.

The IMF expected the Philippines' gross domestic product (GDP) to expand by 6.2 percent this year from its earlier projection of 6 percent.

The Philippines posted a 6.4 percent growth in Q1.

"The IMF has adjusted up its growth projection for the Philippines from 6.0 percent to 6.2 percent for 2023. Stronger-than-expected first quarter data and leading indicators for Q2 has shown demand and growth dynamics remaining strong in 2023," IMF Mission Chief for Philippines Jay Peiris told ABS-CBN News.

MIF also cited the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' "decisive" action to tighten rates in order to reduce inflation.

Inflation reached a 14-year high of 8.7 percent in January. It has since eased to 5.4 percent in June but it remains above the government target of 2 to 4 percent.

The BSP in June, meanwhile, kept the interest rate at 6.25 percent as inflation decelerated.

Inflation is seen to moderate to 5.6 percent on average this year, the IMF said.

"The BSP has acted decisively to tighten rates and reduce inflation, and we see the impact of tightening bringing inflation back to within target around 3 percent by early next year," Peiries said.

But upside risks for inflation could stem from El Niño as well as the volatility in global commodities, he said.

"This will also safeguard against potential capital outflows, which is still a relevant concern. Keeping this stance is also important to guard against the risk of excessively fast currency exchange rate depreciation," Peiris said.

'EGAY' DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 13; SUPER TYPHOON LEAVES P62-M AGRI DAMAGE

MANILA — Super typhoon Egay has so far killed 13 people and left around P62 million damage to agriculture, the country's state disaster risk reduction and monitoring agency said Friday.

In its 8 a.m. situation report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 6 deaths have been confirmed but they were still validating the 7 reported fatalities due to "Egay."

NDRRMC said 5 of those confirmed dead were from the Cordillera Administrative Region, while the other one was from Western Visayas.

The storm has also affected around 502,000 people all over the country, equivalent to 141,000 families.

Nearly a day since Egay left the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), around 42,831 people were still displaced from their homes, many of whom were still in evacuation centers.

The NDRRMC said nearly P38.8 million worth of food and non-food items have been distributed to affected residents, noting that the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Office of Civil Defense still have P2.7 billion worth of standby funds and prepositioned stockpile.

Damage to infrastructure was estimated at P656 million, with Ilocos Region having the most number destroyed structures, roads, and facilities at 48.

A total of 2,002 houses were also damaged, with the cost of damage pegged at P195,000.

Egay has so far left P62 million worth of damage in the agriculture sector, with production loss in volume estimated at 2,035 metric tons.

A total of 3,679 farmers and fisherfolk were still reeling from the impact of the storm to their farms and fish pens, the Department of Agriculture's Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office said in its latest report.

Corn and rice fields were the most affected by Egay's onslaught, with damage recorded in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Caraga.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. earlier vowed to provide seedlings and aid to those farmers affected by Egay, with the Department of Agriculture saying loans would be made available to them.

KHANUN NOW A TROPICAL STORM, WILL BECOME TYPHOON BY SATURDAY

A tropical depression spotted outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) has intensified into a tropical storm and is forecast to reach typhoon intensity by Saturday evening or Sunday morning, weather bureau PAGASA said.

As of 4 a.m., Tropical Storm Khanun was estimated based on all available data at 1,315 km East of Eastern Visayas and moving west southwestward at 15 kph.

Packing 65 kph winds and gusts of up to 80 kph, the tropical storm is forecast to continuously intensify within the next 5 days.

"It is forecast to become a typhoon tomorrow late evening or on Sunday early morning and reach its peak intensity by late Monday or early Tuesday," PAGASA said.

Khanun is forecast to enter the PAR region between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Once inside the PAR, the domestic name Falcon will be assigned to this tropical cyclone, according to the weather bureau.

The bureau said hoisting of wind signal over any portion of the country due to Khanun is unlikely. However, the storm may enhance the southwest monsoon, which will trigger occasional or monsoon rains over the western portions of Luzon and Visayas beginning Saturday or Sunday.

EX-ARTA CHIEF FOUND GUILTY OF GRAVE MISCONDUCT OVER DITO COMPLAINT

MANILA - Former Anti-Red Tape Authority Director General Jeremiah Belgica and other officials were found guilty of grave misconduct by the Office of the Ombudsman based on a complaint filed by DITO Telecommunity Inc. The complaint accused the officials of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by improperly assigning frequencies to NOW Telecom Company, Inc. The Ombudsman ordered fines, penalties, and disqualifications for the guilty officials. They were previously suspended for six months due to the same complaint. As of now, there is no statement from the officials regarding the Ombudsman's decision.

MANILA COURT ACQUITS REINA MAE NASINO, 2 OTHERS DUE TO INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

MANILA — A Manila court has acquitted an activist who lost her baby while undergoing trial, in a case that highlighted concerns over the plight of pregnant women under detention.

In a resolution dated July 17, 2023, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 47 Judge John Benedict Medina acquitted Reina Mae Nasino and her two companions, Ram Carlo Bautista and Alma Moran, of illegal possession of firearms and explosives due to “insufficiency of evidence.”

Nasino was pregnant when she and her companions were arrested in November 2019. She gave birth while under detention.

Her baby, named River, died after being separated from her mother.

In acquitting the three, the court reconsidered its earlier ruling which dismissed their demurrer to evidence, essentially a motion to dismiss due to lack of prosecution evidence.

The court cited the conflicting testimonies of witnesses and the failure of the prosecution to present the seized items in court.

"The Court finds that the unmistakable conflicting testimonies of the prosecution witnesses generate serious doubt as to whether the firearms with ammunitions and explosives were really found in the rooms of the accused as they were not identified with sufficient particularity,” the resolution said.

“These inconsistencies on the material details of their discovery are so striking that this Court ought not to have ignored or brushed aside. They are contradictions that not only undermine all efforts of the Prosecution to reconstruct the event at hand, but altogether erode the evidentiary value of the prosecution evidence,” it added.

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GLOBE OFFERS FREE CALLS, CHARGING, WIFI STATIONS TO EGAY-HIT AREAS

MANILA — Globe Telecom on Friday said it set up stations for free calls, charging, and WiFI in areas affected by typhoon Egay.

In a statement, the telco giant said its clients in Apayao, Cagayan, and Ilocos could reach their loved ones and charge their gadgets at stations in certain locations.

Globe also said it was offering free unli calls and texts to all networks, free 100MB for all apps and sites, and another 100MB to connect to Facebook, Viber, Whatsapp and Twitter to all their affected users in northern Luzon.

Meanwhile, Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi users in typhoon-affected areas will get free 5GB of data that they may use within three days.

Globe Postpaid and Globe At Home customers will enjoy extended payment due dates as a reprieve from the economic impact of the typhoon.

Super typhoon Egay has so far killed 13 and left around P58.3 billion damage to agriculture, the country's state disaster risk reduction and monitoring agency said Friday.

Egay left PAR at 8 a.m., Thursday, after it toppled trees, knocked out power, and forced thousands to evacuate in northern Luzon this week.

NEW EASTWEST BANK APP ALLOWS USERS TO DO AWAY WITH PHYSICAL CREDIT CARDS

MANILA —       Eastwest Bank and Visa launched a new tap-to-pay app in the Philippines, catering to the increasing demand for cashless transactions post-pandemic. The EastWest Pay app allows users to link their EastWest VISA credit card to their Android smartphones, enabling contactless payments by tapping their phones on merchant POS terminals. This app combines the benefits of a credit card and a mobile wallet, as indicated by a recent Visa study showing consumer preference for mobile wallet payments. The app will also be available to debit cardholders in a few months, and security measures like biometrics and tokenization are in place to prevent fraud. Businesses will also benefit from faster transaction processing with this technology compared to QR code-based payments.

1,000 BILIBID PERSONNEL SACKED AFTER PRISON FIGHT LEAVES INMATE DEAD

MANILA — Some 1,000 personnel of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa have been relieved from their posts following a gang fight inside the state penitentiary that left an inmate dead and 9 others injured.

NBP deputy director Angelina Bautista said that the staff members were sacked for allegedly "conniving" with inmates. Among those relieved were the camp commander and officers who were on duty when the fight broke out.

"Ngayon po nadagdagan natin ang mga personnel na magbabantay sa maximum [security] compound," Bautista told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) earlier said the incident stemmed from two members of the Bahala Na Gang and Batang City Jail who had a quarrel that was eventually settled before they parted ways. But one of the inmates pulled out a gun and started shooting, injuring fellow inmates.

During the commotion, another inmate was stabbed with an ice pick, killing him. But authorities are still confirming if the stabbing had anything to do with the fight.

Bautista admitted that they have yet to determine which of the inmates started shooting.

A caliber .45 handgun with 12 rounds of ammunition was recovered after the fight, but Bautista said they have yet to determine if the gun had been used in the shooting.

She also said that authorities were also looking into how inmates managed to smuggle firearms into the NBP, even with K-9 dogs deployed at the state prison's gates.

MORE MASS GRAVES MAY BE INSIDE BILIBID, SAYS REMULLA

MANILA — Authorities are looking into more possible mass graves at the New Bilibid Prison following the discovery of "human bones" in the state penitentiary, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla said Friday.

The bones, identified by the National Bureau of Investigation as human remains, were found in a septic tank at the penitentiary's "Sputnik" area, Remulla told ANC's "Headstart."

He said the human remains were discovered while authorities were searching for inmate Michael Angelo Cataroja, who was reported missing since July 15.

However, authorities have yet to ascertain if the remains were that of the missing inmate, Remulla said.

During the search efforts, the justice secretary said "a lot of oral history came out about the mass graves" inside Bilibid's 10-hectare maximum security prison.

Inmates who have stayed in Bilibid "for a long time" claimed some people who disappeared ended up in "septic tanks or in one more mass graves," which Remulla said they have yet to locate.

"But the two septic tanks have been pointed out as possible areas where human remains have been put in the past and we are looking into it," he added.

Remulla said they were seeking the help of experts from the archeology and forensic departments of the University of the Philippines to investigate the matter and "look at the timelines."

This week, Bilibid was placed under red alert status after a fight inside the maximum security compound left one inmate dead and 9 more injured.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

ARJO ATAYDE, MAINE MENDOZA SHARE NEW PHOTOS AHEAD OF WEDDING

MANILA -- Celebrity couple Arjo Atayde and Maine Mendoza turned to social media to share their newest photos together.

The two, who are expected to get married this month, uploaded their beautiful photos on Thursday through a shared post on Instagram.

Just weeks ago, Atayde expressed his excitement as his wedding day with Mendoza nears.

Atayde's mother, actress Sylvia Sanchez, recently posted snaps taken from a bridal shower they organized for Mendoza.

Mendoza and Atayde got engaged in July 2022 after nearly four years as a couple. They first went public with their relationship in March 2019 and celebrated their fourth anniversary as a couple on December 2022.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. - C Nanton