Good day. Here are the Top Stories of The Manila Times on Thursday, Feb. 3. 20, 2022 brought to you by Wilcon Depot, the country's leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer. Shop conveniently 24/7 with Wilcon online store, just go to shop.wilcon.com.ph.
READ: 'Senate panel ignored truth'
HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd on Wednesday assured the public of the Health department's full cooperation in the ongoing investigation on the alleged misuse of government's pandemic response fund even as he deplored the recommendation of the Senate's blue ribbon panel, saying it did not reflect the truth. Duque made the comment a day after the Senate blue ribbon committee recommended the filing of plunder and graft charges against him and officials of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for their alleged involvement in the overpriced purchase of medical supplies from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. Duque lamented that the Senate ignored the truth bared during the inquiry, stressing that the Department of Health's (DoH) role during the Covid-19 pandemic was concentrated on the medical aspect.
READ: Robredo vows to clean govt
VICE President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo vowed to clean the government and focus on health if she is elected president in May this year. During the "Bakit Ikaw? The DZRH Presidential Job Interview" in partnership with The Manila Times, Robredo said that cleaning the government will be her first act if she gets elected. She said that she will carefully select her Cabinet members. mere lip service)," she said. Robredo also vowed to giv priority to health during her first 100 days as president. Robredo also said that the government can offer free antigen tests, citing her experience in the implementation of her anti-Covid programs that include free swab testing.
READ: CONCEPCION WANTS ALERT LEVELS SCRAPPED
PRESIDENTIAL Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd on Wednesday pushed for the scrapping of the Covid-19 alert level system as part of the country's "exit plan" from the pandemic. At the Kapihan sa Manila Bay, the Go Negosyo founder said the government may be ready to remove all alert levels in areas with high vaccination rates and shift to standard minimum health protocols instead. Concepcion highlighted the critical role of Covid-19 vaccines, including booster shots, to provide protection for Filipinos. He added the private sector is doing its part by inoculating workers and their household members, and by giving booster shots. The Go Negosyo founder said the proposals will be incorporated in the government's exit plan which includes further reopening of industries.
READ: GMA launches memoir
FORMER president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday launched her memoir titled Deus Ex Machina. The book has seven parts. Arroyo said that the first part is about her roots, from her birth to her marriage. Part 2 covers the period from her marriage to the time she entered public service. Part 3 is about her tutelage in public service, starting from the Department of Trade and Industry up to the senatorial elections in 1995. The fourth part is about her path to the presidency, which includes the senatorial polls, when she became acting president in January 2001 and finally her election as president in 2004. The fifth and sixth parts are about the presidency while the last part tackled Arroyo's life after she left Malacañang. Dr. Dante Ang, chairman emeritus of The Manila Times, introduced Arroyo during the virtual event.
Topping Business
READ: Peso seen ranging P50-52:$1
ON the heels of the expected interest rate hikes in the United States, analysts expect the Philippine peso to weaken further against the US dollar this month. Analysts see the peso to trade between P50 and P52 to the US dollar in February after closing January at P50.95:$1. For 2022, ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Antonio Mapa told The Manila Times that the local unit will most likely be driven by global developments rather than domestic trends. The peso is forecast to be under pressure for the majority of the year, as the US dollar is expected to appreciate as the Federal Reserve's rate hike cycle approaches. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, on the other hand, is sticking to its guns with its dovish rhetoric, which could drive some foreign assets to flee the country, Mapa added.
In Sports
READ: Bucks bulldoze Wizards
MILWAUKEE: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists for his fourth triple-double of the season as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Washington 112-98 on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) to hand the Wizards their sixth straight loss. Jrue Holiday scored 22 points, Bobby Portis 17, Khris Middleton 13 and Grayson Allen 10 for the Bucks. The Bucks squandered a 17-point lead before rallying in the fourth quarter as they bounced back from a 136-100 home loss to the Denver Nuggets, their second-most lopsided defeat of the season. The Wizards were playing without star guard Bradley Beal due to a sprained left wrist, and had announced Monday that he would miss at least the rest of this trip, which ends Wednesday at Philadelphia. Kyle Kuzma scored 25, Montrezl Harrell had 20 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 12 for the Wizards.
READ: Opinion and Editorial
The Editorial discusses the proposed Department of Economics and Development Planning, which will abolish the National Economic Development Authority, as potentially a step in the right direction. Read the full version in the Opinion Section or listen to the Voice Of The Times. The featured columnists on the front page are Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Edcel Lagman. Contreras writes about an election where issues may no longer matter; Makabenta on the liberation from Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon vs the liberation from Covid; and Lagman on BBM's fearing the lion's den of public scrutiny.
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This is Christian Crow Maghanoy reporting.