Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

READ: Ombudsman sacks 45 BI personnel

THE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of 45 officials and employees of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) implicated in the "pastillas" scheme. The Ombudsman found them liable for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. On June 6, 2022, the Office of the Ombudsman filed a graft complaint before the Sandiganbayan against former BI deputy commissioner Marc Red Mariñas and other individuals in connection with the pastillas scheme. The scheme, which was exposed during a Senate inquiry in January, allowed arriving foreigners to enter the country without going through the usual immigration procedure after travel agencies handed bribes to immigration agents wrapped like the local candy pastillas.

READ: Inoculate or vaccinate? Court seeks doc's opinion

A PHYSICIAN told a Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Monday what the government has been doing all along is inoculating children against Covid-19, not vaccinating them. The opinion of Dr. Benigno Agbayani Jr., co-founder and past president of the Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines, was sought by Judge Maria Cherell de Castro-Sansaet, who is hearing the petition of some parents to stop the mandatory administration of Covid shots to their children. In an interview with The Manila Times after he gave his testimony, Agbayani said there is a big difference between inoculation and vaccination. What the government is doing is inoculating children, he declared, and that it could only be classified as vaccination if a vaccine has been issued a certificate of product registration by the Food and Drug Administration.

READ: Time to get rid of pandemic mindset – Concepcion

WITH consumers continuing to reel from the surging prices of fuel, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd on Monday said the public must break out of the mindset that the country cannot escape the grip of the coronavirus pandemic. Underscoring the importance of keeping focus on health and the economy, Concepcion warned against the onset of stagflation — stagnation and inflation — amid fears over rising infection rates.

READ: DoH: Alert Level 2 in Metro possible

THE Department of Health (DoH) said on Monday that placing Metro Manila under Alert Level 2 remains a possibility if Covid-19 cases continue to increase. The DoH recorded 1,682 new cases between June 6 and June 12, which translates to 240 daily average cases. This is 30.4 percent higher than the cases recorded the previous week. Based on data, 13 out of the 17 cities and municipality in Metro Manila recorded a slight positive growth rate in Covid-19 cases last week. However, she pointed out that the numbers have not yet translated to more severe cases, a significant rise or more hospital admissions. She said stricter quarantine restrictions will only be put in place if more severe and critical cases are recorded, leading to a significant increase in hospital admissions.

BUSINESS: FDI net inflows hit 10-month low in March

Topping business, net inflows of foreign direct investments (FDIs) hit a 10-month low in March, data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday showed. The net inflows during the month amounted to $727 million, down by 9.8 percent than the $806 million recorded in March last year and the lowest since the $452 million in May 2021. It was also lower than the $893 million seen in February.

SPORTS: Ramos bags 2 golds at World Youth tilt

Over to sports, Rose Jean Ramos successfully defended the women's 45kg title on Sunday (Monday in Manila) at the World Youth Weightlifting Championships at the Domo de la Feria in Leon City, Guanajuato, Mexico. Ramos, who hails from Zamboanga City, won two gold medals coming from the clean and jerk (85kgs) and total (155kgs) and the silver medal in the snatch (70kgs). Kerlys Montilla of Venezuela finished second with a total lift of 153kgs. She bagged the gold medal in the snatch (71kg) but only managed a bronze medal in the clean and jerk (82kg) after her second (84kg) and third attempts (86kg) were declared bad lifts.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta are today's front page columnists. Contreras analyzes on Prof. Clarita Carlos as national security adviser, while Makabenta discusses on the date of Philippine Independence.

Today's editorial honors the new batch of national artists. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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On behalf of The Manila Times, this is Aric John Sy Cua reporting. Have a safe Tuesday ahead.