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Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Monday, May 24, 2021.

READ: Smartmatic snags P1B new deals

The Venezuelan multinational Smartmatic has snagged P1.04 billion new deals with the Commission on Elections that supplied electronic voting equipment and software in the last four national elections while deflecting persistent allegations, linking it to poll fraud.

READ: A decent home: Manila mayor's dream for poor

Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso has a compelling reason behind his strong push for public housing ‒ he once was a squatter and had endured the misery and discomfort of not having a house of his own.

READ: Iloilo city, 3 provinces placed under MECQ

Iloilo City and three provinces were placed under modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ because of the rising Covid-19 transmission rate in these areas.

Meanwhile, in other news...

Former senator Juan Ponce Enrile exposes the

READ: Scarborough fiasco

READ: Flexible learning will be the norm ‒ CHEd

The Commission on Higher Education or CHEd said flexible learning for higher education institutions will be here to stay.

READ: CHR to probe CPP-NPA atrocities

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has submitted to the Commission on Human Rights or CHR a report on the alleged atrocities committed by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front or CPP-NPA-NDF from 2010 to 2020; some of which allegedly violated international humanitarian law.

READ: Raps filed vs 3 Ebeng 'killers'

The Quezon City police filed rape with homicide and robbery charges before the Prosecutor's Office against three suspects in the rape-slay of Ebeng Mayor, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said in a press briefing in Camp Karingal.

In regional news,

READ: Maternal mortality up in Baguio

Local Health authorities have raised concerns over a sudden increase in maternal mortality in the Summer Capital during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

In world news,

READ: Gazans take a breather after ceasefire

Gazans tried to piece back their lives on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) after a devastating 11-day conflict with Israel that killed more than 200 people and made thousands homeless in the impoverished Palestinian enclave.

In business,

READ: LandBank extends P20-B loans in April

The Land Bank of the Philippines or LandBank has extended P20.07 billion in loans to entities adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

And in sports,

READ: Barbosa clinches Tokyo Olympic spot

Filipino jin Kurt Barbosa made it to the Tokyo Olympics in July after a nerve-wracking win in the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament in Amman, Jordan on Saturday evening.

Rigoberto Tiglao and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino are the featured columnists on the front page of The Times.

Tiglao wonders if

READ: Trillanes' Magdalo putschists behind retired generals' anti-Duterte group?

Fr. Aquino lectures on

READ: Logical analysis and democracy

In The Times editorial, it is encouraged that the

READ: DepEd's pivot to quality deserves public support

Read all about it.

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With Aric John Sy Cua, this is Dafort Villaseran reporting. Have a great week!