TODAY’S TOP STORIES (from online and print media monitoring)
19 September 2023, Tuesday, as of 5:00 p.m.
1. Rice supply issues
-Marcos leads the distribution of seized
smuggled rice in Zamboanga City
-Bongbong Marcos: No place for smuggled rice
in local market
-PBBM-led NFA sets new buying price range for
palay to help local farmers
-Marcos Jr. defends rice price cap: Public
must be able to buy affordable rice
-Marcos on P20 per kilo of rice: May chance
lagi 'yan
-Diokno: Tariff cuts on rice imports
discussed with eye on ‘greatest good’
[CNN PHL, Manila Bulletin, Manila Times,
Daily Tribune, Inquirer, Business Mirror, People’s Journal, Pilipinos Mirror,
Philstar, GMA News, ABS-CBN News]
https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/19/pbbm-distributes-smuggled-rice-to-zamboanga-peninsula-indigents
2. Diokno: Fuel tax suspension favors wealthy
-Giving confiscated rice to poor families
'best deterrent' vs smuggling, says lawmaker
-Speaker Romualdez to oil players: Find ways
to reduce fuel prices – or else
[Daily Tribune, GMA News, Manila Bulletin,
CNN PHL, Manila Standard, Rappler, Philstar, Business Mirror]
https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/19/diokno-fuel-tax-suspension-favors-wealthy
3. Missing activists
-Environmental activists deny surrendering to
authorities, claim military abducted them
-Parents of Jonila Castro arrives with lawyer
at Plaridel, Bulacan Municipal Hall
[ABS-CBN News, CNN PHL, Rappler, GMA News,
Philstar]
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/9/19/Environmental-activists-deny-surrender-military-.html
4. 13.2M Filipinos rated themselves poor in 2nd quarter of 2023 —OCTA survey
[Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, GMA News, CNN
PHL]
https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/09/19/news/poverty-incidence-up-in-q2-octa/1910763
5. National Budget
-House plenary opens debates on Marcos
government’s proposed 2024 budget
-Co, Quimbo to House members: Help us craft
best budget bill for 2024
-Solon proposes tighter audit of confidential
funds in 2024 budget law
-Quimbo: VP Sara entitled to P125M
confidential fund in 2022
-DMW’s proposed P15.542-billion budget in
2024 gets Senate nod
-Senate panel approves CHR budget for 2024
-DICT seeks add’l P5.6 billion in 2024
national budget
[ABS-CBN News, CNN PHL, GMA News, Inquirer,
Rappler]
6. West PHL Sea
-Gibo wants to know if coral destruction in
WPS a prelude to artificial island reclamation
-DFA expresses ‘serious concern’ over massive
coral harvesting in WPS
-Senators warn of China ‘playbook’: Reef
damage, then reclamation
-Destruction at Rozul Reef, Escoda Shoal
troubling: US ambassador
[Inquirer, The Philippine Star, GMA News,
ABS-CBN News, Daily Tribune, Manila Times]
7. Maharlika investment fund
-Pimentel, ex-solons file petition vs.
Maharlika
-Diokno on quit calls: I serve at the
pleasure of the President
[Manila Standard, Remate, Daily Tribune,
Pilipino Star Ngayon]
https://tribune.net.ph/2023/09/18/declare-mif-unconstitutional-group-asks-sc
8. Marcos Jr. administers oath-taking of newly promoted star rank PNP officers; says “no room for cops who tarnish PNP reputation
Marcos to newly appointed PNP officials: Lead
by example
[Philstar, Manila Times, CNN PHL, GMA News]
9. House bill excluding active MUPs from mandatory pension contribution OK'd on 2nd reading
[Rappler, CNN PHL, Philstar, Inquirer]
10. 'This sorcery should stop': Senate probe sought to vs 'cult' in Surigao town
[ABS-CBN News, Inquirer, Philstar, GMA News]
11. Phl gets brand-new C-208B from US
[Daily Tribune, ABS-CBN News, Inquirer]
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/19/23/us-turns-over-new-surveillance-aircraft-to-ph-air-force
© Philippine Information Agency Monitoring Unit
