logo
PH Consulate in LA finds supposed report on Tantoco death 'altered' —Palace

PH Consulate in LA finds supposed report on Tantoco death 'altered' —Palace

GMA Network17-07-2025
The Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles verified with American authorities the veracity of the police report on Rustan's executive Paolo Tantoco's death and found out that it was "altered."
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro disclosed this during a press briefing. She mentioned that the Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Philippine CRonsulate in Los Angeles, coordinated with US police on the matter.
''Some of the terms used in the purported letter were not in line with the BHPD's (Beverly Hills Police Department) standard language and protocol. BHPD would not include terms such as 'expected to be drug overdose,' 'suspected to be cocaine,' and 'summoned to BHPD,''' Castro said.
''With reference to Mr. (Rigoberto) Tiglao's post on the screenshot of the purported report surrounding the circumstances of the death of Mr. Paolo Tantoco in Los Angeles, the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles had verified with the Beverly Hills Police Department on the veracity of the alleged report and found the police report posted by Mr. Tiglao was altered,'' she added.
Earlier, Malacañang denounced efforts to link First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to the death of Tantoco in March.
Castro, in particular, branded as "a huge lie" the portion of a Beverly Hills Police Department report that was posted on Facebook.
The said portion adverted to "drug overdose" and the companions of the deceased getting summoned for questioning. She also disclosed that the Palace was studying to take legal action against those behind the allegations against the First Lady.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Concessions in trade deal with US won't result in 'significant damage to local industries'
Concessions in trade deal with US won't result in 'significant damage to local industries'

GMA Network

time8 hours ago

  • GMA Network

Concessions in trade deal with US won't result in 'significant damage to local industries'

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., July 22, 2025. REUTERS/ Kent Nishimura The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI), an umbrella organization of 48 various agriculture industry groups, on Friday welcomed the government's move not to give zero duties for American agri-fisheries entering the country following the recent tariff negotiations between President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and United States President Donald Trump. 'We commend the government's trade negotiators for protecting critical local agriculture industries in the negotiations,' PCAFI said in a statement. 'Secretary [Frederick] Go clearly stated that vital agricultural industries like sugar, corn, rice, chicken, pork, and seafood were not part of the concessions, thus keeping their current protection in the form of tariffs and other measures,' the agribusiness group said. Go, Marcos' special assistant for investment and economic affairs, announced that the Philippines did not include key agricultural commodities in the concessions it gave out when it negotiated to lower the reciprocal tariff for the country's exports to the US. Early morning on Wednesday (Philippine time), Trump announced a new 19% tariff rate for Philippine goods entering America. This is lower than the 20% announced in a letter earlier this month but higher than the 17% rate announced last April on what the US president referred to as Liberation Day. Trump initially said the Philippines was going "open market" with the US with zero tariffs, while the Philippines would pay a 19% tariff. Marcos, however, has since clarified that the zero tariffs on US products would only apply to certain markets, such as automobiles. The President also committed to increasing imports of soy, wheat, and pharmaceuticals from the US. 'The two clear concessions that the Philippines made—wheat and soy products—will not result in significant damage to local industries but may even yield positive results in the form of cheaper animal feed products,' PCAFI said. 'It is also worthy to note that these two products are not produced locally and are already among the top agricultural imports of the country from the United States,' it added. The agribusiness group said it hopes the government will continue to protect the interests of local farmers and fisherfolk 'who remain as the lifeblood of our country's food security.' 'We will remain vigilant in the ongoing bilateral negotiations since the final trade deal has yet to be finalized,' it said. On the reduction of the tariff rate the US will charge on goods from the Philippines from 20% to 19%, PCAFI said it is still a 'positive development' but expressed 'hope that the US tariffs can be reduced further for the benefit of our agricultural exporters.' 'The silver lining of the recent developments is the fact that the Philippines has the second-lowest tariff rate among Southeast Asian countries, giving us a tariff advantage against neighboring countries that produce and export almost the same agricultural products as ours,' the group said. 'They were able to lower the tariff rate at minimal costs to the country compared to other countries like Vietnam and Indonesia that had to sacrifice a lot, as what Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go mentioned,' it added. —VBL, GMA Integrated News

US provides P13.8M relief aid for PH
US provides P13.8M relief aid for PH

GMA Network

time15 hours ago

  • GMA Network

US provides P13.8M relief aid for PH

The United States is providing approximately P13.8 million to the Philippines to help the govenment's disaster response operations in areas affected by more than a week of back-to-back typhoons and severe tropical storms. At least 25 were reported dead and hundreds were evacuated due to landslides and flooding across Metro Manila and central and northern Philippines. 'We are tracking the devastation caused by the storms and floods and are deeply concerned for all those affected,' US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said. The US funding equivalent to $250,000 intends to augment the Philippine government's "life-saving response to severe rains and flooding caused by consecutive storms and the enhanced southwest monsoon," a US Embassy statement said. Assistance will be coursed to the United Nations World Food Programme. "This funding, provided through the US Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, will support government relief operations by facilitating the transport of food to flood-affected communities in Metro Manila, Northern and Central Luzon, and Calabarzon," the US Embassy said. An embassy interagency team is coordinating closely with the Philippine government and the WFP to ensure aid reaches those in need, Carlson said. — BAP, GMA Integrated News

Cerberus eyes P15-B new investments in PH
Cerberus eyes P15-B new investments in PH

GMA Network

time16 hours ago

  • GMA Network

Cerberus eyes P15-B new investments in PH

Cerberus' investment announcement came following the meeting between President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Jr. and US President Donald Trump in Washington D.C. early this week. American alternative investment firm Cerberus Capital Management is investing an additional P15 billion ($250 million) for new projects in the Philippines over the next 12 months. Cerberus' investment announcement came following the meeting between President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Jr. and US President Donald Trump in Washington D.C. early this week. The investment firm said its planned investments in the Philippines include further upgrades to the Agila Subic Shipyard, as well as new projects in logistics, energy, and transport infrastructure. 'We're encouraged by the progress we've seen and by the strong support from the Philippine government,' said Cerberus Managing Director Alexander Benard. 'We believe the Philippines holds significant long-term potential as a regional hub for industrial and logistics activity. We look forward to building on this momentum and supporting the development of our key strategic assets in the Philippines,' said Bernard. Cerburus recalled that in 2022 it made a landmark investment in the Philippines by acquiring and revitalizing the former Hanjin Shipyard in Subic Bay — now known as the Agila Subic Shipyard. The investment firm acquired the Hanjin Shipyard for $300 million. The shipyard now hosts major tenants including HD Hyundai Heavy Industries — the world's largest shipbuilder — SubCom, a global leader in subsea cable systems, V2X, a publicly listed logistics firm, and the Philippine Navy, which operates a portion of the facility. Cerberus said that HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, originally slated to begin shipbuilding operations in January 2026, is now set to commence ahead of schedule, with a steel-cutting ceremony planned for the last quarter of 2025. Beyond Subic, the company said it is pursuing additional investments in critical infrastructure and logistics projects across the country. — BAP, GMA Integrated News

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store