Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Monday, Nov. 7, 2022.
READ: Lapid case 95% solved -- Remulla
JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has said the killing of radio commentator Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa is "90 to 95 percent solved" and it is only a matter of time before the mastermind is identified. He said the joint investigation of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is proceeding smoothly and additional cases relevant to the killing might be filed Monday before the Department of Justice (DoJ). Charges are expected to be filed against those involved in the death of National Bilibid Prison (NBP) detainee Cristito Villamor Jr. or Jun Villamor, who has been implicated as the "middleman" in the Lapid killing. Remulla did not identify the personalities to be charged. Self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial had submitted an extra-judicial confession to the DoJ identifying a certain "Bantag" as the alleged mastermind and naming three others as his accomplices. Remulla said he has not seen the confession of Escorial who surrendered on October 18, two weeks after Lapid was killed.
READ: Catch-up jab drive for babies launched
THE Department of Health's (DoH) Metro Manila Center for Health Development rolls out today, November 7, a 10-day immunization campaign against diseases commonly affecting babies. The "Vax-Baby-Vax" campaign, to be launched at the Lakeshore Hall in Taguig City, aims to inoculate around 137,000 infants ages 0 to 23 months old who have not been immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). The list of VPDs includes polio, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, and hepatitis B, according to a DoH advisory. Data from the DoH shows that more than half of the vaccine-eligible children born during the Covid-19 pandemic, or around 1.4 million, have not had a single vaccine dose.
READ: Villar won't seek Cabinet post
SEN. Cynthia Villar said she has no plans to join the Cabinet of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., particularly as secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), when her term ends in 2025. Guesting in the "Business and Politics" program on SMNI, Villar told the program host, The Manila Times Chairman and CEO Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd, she has not decided on her next move after her consecutive terms in the Senate. She also said her husband, former Senate president Manny Villar, has no intention to return to politics. She said she will focus on the passage of her remaining priority bills during her last two years as senator.
READ: Twitter starts rolling out new paid subscription
Twitter began rolling out a controversial new paid subscription system on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) that the social network's unpredictable new owner, billionaire Elon Musk, ordered staff to build after taking over last week. Days into the Tesla boss's stewardship of one of the world's leading platforms for discourse and activism, his promises and provocations are prompting a wave of reactions — including warnings from the United Nations and an apology from Twitter's co-founder. His plan to dial back content moderation on the site is causing such concern that UN rights chief Volker Turk on Saturday urged him to make respect for human rights central to the social network. Jack Dorsey, who co-founded Twitter in 2006 and stepped down as CEO last year, tweeted to apologize for growing the site too quickly a day after roughly half the company's 7,500 employees were fired by Musk.
Topping Business
READ: 'Peso depreciation not necessarily bad'
THE Philippine peso can still be considered a competitive currency despite its depreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of this year, according to Cielito Habito, chairman of Brain Trust Inc. He said the peso's depreciation is an "advantage" not only to the export sector but also to others, including families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and non-exporters like producers who produce for the domestic market and compete with imports. The local currency weakened to P59 to a US dollar last October 17, the fourth time it touched that level. Last Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, the peso closed at P58.55 versus the dollar.
In Sports
READ: Astros bag 2nd World Series crown
WASHINGTON: Yordan Alvarez smashed a three-run homer and the Houston Astros captured their second World Series in six seasons on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) with a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia. The Cuban slugger's sixth-inning blast off Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado gave Houston the lead for good as the Astros took Major League Baseball's best-of-seven championship final four games to two. The home victory brought 73-year-old Astros manager Dusty Baker his first World Series crown in 25 seasons as an MLB bench boss. The Astros, in their fourth World Series in six seasons and fifth overall, won their only prior title in 2017.
READ: Fox beats buzzer as Kings top Magic
ORLANDO, Florida: De'Aaron Fox beat the buzzer from just inside halfcourt to give the Sacramento Kings a 126-123 overtime victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) after the Kings wiped out a 20-point deficit in the third quarter. Fox's 37 points included the first six in overtime. The Kings needed three more at the end after throwing away a pass in the backcourt with 6.6 seconds left, allowing the Magic's Chuma Okeke to tie the game with a dunk. Fox then dribbled the ball up and launched his shot with his feet inside the Magic logo at center court, a shot that was officially listed at 31 feet. Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 33 points and 15 rebounds. Franz Wagner added 31 points and six assists, and Bol Bol finished with 23 points and seven rebounds. Domantas Sabonis had 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings.
Today's Times editorial expresses concern that North Korea, with its increasingly provocative military flexing, could distract regional leaders from their economic agenda at the Asean Summit in Cambodia next week. Read the full version on print or its digital edition or listen to the Voice of the Times. Rigoberto Tiglao and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino are the featured columnists on the front page. Tiglao writes about how Lady Justice finally ruled the late Chief Justice Renato Corona innocent; Aquino on the abduction of college and university students.
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This is Kim Dignadice reporting.