Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for April 28, 2022.

READ: Marcos solidifies lead

SUPPORT for the presidential candidacy of former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. remains solid as he again led the latest survey conducted by Laylo Research. Based on the survey held from April 14 to 20, Marcos got the vote of 64 percent of the respondents. The poll showed Marcos gaining 3 percentage points from his March performance of 61 percent, putting him 43 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival. Trailing Marcos at a very distant second place is Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo, who garnered 21 percent voter preference. The other presidential contenders got single-digit voter preference from the 3,000 respondents of the survey, particularly Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso and Sen. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao, who tied for third place with 5 percent each. They were followed by Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson who obtained 2 percent voter preference.

READ: Court rules: BGC belongs to Taguig

THE Supreme Court has ruled that the city government of Taguig is the rightful owner of Fort Bonifacio, which includes the posh Bonifacio Global City (BGC) financial and lifestyle district. The high court denied the petition for review on certiorari filed by Makati City questioning the ruling of the Court of Appeals (CA) that junked with finality its bid to acquire territorial jurisdiction over Fort Bonifacio. In a 53-page decision dated Dec. 1, 2021 which was released only recently, the Supreme Court reinstated with modification the verdict of the lower court.The case arose from Taguig's territorial dispute with Makati over the areas comprising the Enlisted Men's Barangay (EMBOs) and the entire Fort Bonifacio, headquarters of the Philippine Army. The city government of Taguig argued, among others, that the areas comprising the EMBOs and the inner fort in Fort Bonifacio are within its territory and jurisdiction.

READ: Divisoria vendors sue Domagoso for graft

PRESIDENTIAL candidate and Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso and five other city officials are facing graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the sale of the Divisoria Public Market. Also named respondents were Vice Mayor Maria Sheilah "Honey" Lacuna-Pangan, City Council Majority Floor Leader Joel Chua, Councilor Ernesto Isip Jr., Secretary to the Mayor and Chairman of the Asset Appraisal and Disposition Committee Bernardito Ang, and Assistant Secretary to the Mayor Manuel Zarcal. The complaint was filed by the Divisoria Public Market Credit Cooperative, represented by vendors Emmanuel Plaza, Eduardo Fabrigas, Rogelio Bangot, Jr., Betty de Leon and Lourdes Estudillo. In a 14-page complaint, the vendors group charged Domagoso and company for violation of Republic Act (RA) 3019 or the "Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act."

READ: PH logs first Omicron sub-variant case

THE Health department reported on Wednesday the detection of the first case of BA 2.12 Omicron sub-variant of Covid-19 in the country. The carrier was a 52-year-old Finnish woman who arrived in the Philippines on April 2 and was not required to undergo quarantine because she was fully vaccinated and asymptomatic. The woman visited a university in Quezon City and later traveled to Baguio City to conduct seminars. She began experiencing mild symptoms nine days after her arrival, including sore throat and headache. A succeeding reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test revealed she was positive for Covid-19. The woman recovered and was later discharged after a seven-day isolation. She returned to Finland on April 21. The Department of Health's (DoH) epidemiology and surveillance unit's contact tracing, yielded nine asymptomatic individuals. So far, two of them were tested negative for the virus.

READ: QC richest LGU despite pandemic – Belmonte

QUEZON City Mayor Maria Josefina "Joy" Belmonte attributed her city's success as the country's richest local government unit (LGU), with a total asset of P452.333 billion, to reform-oriented governance. The mayor, who is seeking reelection on the May 9 national polls, said the city's revenue collection dramatically increased even during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Belmonte said that her first executive order when she became mayor in 2019 was the creation of an internal audit service. Belmonte reported that the city's funds were properly spent based on the programs or agenda submitted by concerned sectors like solo parents, senior citizens, youth, tricycle operators and drivers through constant consultation with the city government. She said the city's method of governance has improved the quality of life of its residents and boosted its economy.

In Business

READ: Govt trims budget deficit

THE government's budget deficit narrowed in March as revenues outpaced spending, the Bureau of the Treasury reported on Wednesday. At P187.7 billion, the shortfall was down 1.97 percent from P191.4 billion a year earlier. Year to date, it also improved to P316.8 billion, 1.44 percent lower compared to the P321.5 billion posted in the comparable 2021 period. The March result was due to a "35.96-percent acceleration in revenue collection alongside an 18.14-percent increase in government spending," the Treasury said in a statement.

Revenues totaled P293.9 billion, up from P216.2 billion a year earlier, while spending increased to P481.5 billion from P407.6 billion. The Bureau of Internal Revenue collected P170.4 billion in March, 27.76 percent higher year on year, while the Bureau of Customs raked in P70.8 billion for a 29.33-percent gain. Tax receipts from other offices surged 85.58 percent to P2.9 billion.

Topping Sports,

READ: Ja's last-second layup gives Memphis 3-2 lead

Ja Morant scored on a layup with a second left, and the Memphis Grizzlies rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to edge the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-109 on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) and grab a 3-2 lead in their first-round Western Conference series. Morant, named the NBA's most improved player on Monday, struggled mightily much of the game. But he turned it on in the fourth quarter, scoring 18 points — including 9 of 10 at the free-throw line. Morant finished with 30 and had 13 rebounds and nine assists. Desmond Bane added 25 points, and Brandon Clarke had 21 off the bench for Memphis, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 12 before fouling out. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Anthony Edwards had 22, and D'Angelo Russell added 12 and Taurean Prince 10.

READ: No slowing down for Diaz, Obiena

ACCOMPLISHED athletes as they are in their respective sports, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, pole vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena and the Philippine Filipinas women's national football team are not about to slow down. Speaking at the Summit #ThirstForGold virtual press conference, Diaz, Obiena, and football players Inna Palacios, Tahnai Annis and Hali Long said that they still want to reach greater heights to further cement their legacy in Philippine sports. These athletes are set to compete in the 2022 Vietnam Southeast Asian Games slated from May 12 to 23, and they see the regional competition as a springboard for higher goals. For Olympians Diaz and Obiena, that goal is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris while for Palacios, Annis and Long, the mission is to play well and hopefully, win a match in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

READ: Man City tops Real in epic semis match

Pep Guardiola said he had to reiterate to his players they had beaten Real Madrid 4-3 in a Champions League classic on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) despite the disappointment of not killing off their semifinal tie at the Etihad. Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva were on target for Guardiola's men, who held a two-goal lead three times.But Karim Benzema's double and a brilliant individual effort from Vinicius Junior gave Madrid hope of another famous Champions League fightback at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 4.

READ: Opinion and Editorial

Renewable energy as key to energy security is the subject of the Times editorial. For its full version, read the Opinion Section on print, its Digital edition or listen to the Voice Of The Times. Yen Makabenta and Antonio Contreras are featured columnists on the front page. Makabenta writes about the culture of confidence and the Filipino future; Contreras on Facebook acting like the truth police.

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This is Christian Crow Maghanoy reporting.