Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, January 14, 2023.
BANNER: 43 policemen probed as 'cleansing' begins
AT least 43 officers from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) were summoned for an "initial screening procedure" as the drive to purge the Philippine National Police (PNP) of members who are in league with drug traffickers begins. The policemen, who were not named, were on the NCRPO's drug watch list compiled by its counterintelligence unit, according to NCRPO spokesman LtCol. Dexter Versola. They were called by NCRPO Acting Regional Director MGen. Jonnel Estomo to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City for a chance to clear their names, Versola said. The screening of the Metro Manila police force is expected to remove doubts over the integrity, particularly of its anti-narcotics teams
P19-M smuggled sugar seized at Manila port
AT least P19 million worth of smuggled sugar was seized at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported on Friday. Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Inspectorate and Enforcement James Layug said the contraband cargo was discovered on January 11 in five shipping containers. Layug said the shipment was declared as insulators, surge arresters, slippers outsoles, and styrene butadiene rubber. The shipment had been ordered held last November 29 and inspected by a team from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (CAIDTF), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Services (CIIS). Layug said DA is preparing charges against the shipment's consignee, Burias Jang Consumer Goods Trading, for misdeclaration and violation of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.
Foreign business execs approve of wealth fund
FOREIGN business leaders in the country agree that if properly implemented, the Maharlika Wealth Fund (MWF) could be very beneficial for the Philippines. Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines Executive Director Lorens Ziller believes a sovereign wealth fund will make the country an attractive destination for investors from all over the world. The MWF is a sovereign fund, which the government will use to invest in a wide range of outlets such as foreign currencies, fixed-income instruments, domestic and foreign corporate bonds, commercial real estate, and infrastructure projects. Chris Nelson, executive director and trustee of the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, also underscored the benefits of institutionalizing the proposed MWF during the roundtable, which was hosted by The Manila Times Chairman and CEO Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd. Nelson noted that many wealth funds have been successfully managed and delivered results. Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Executive Director Jesper Svenningsen, who joined Ziller and Nelson in the roundtable, also agreed the wealth fund can reap benefits for the country. But Svenningsen said that if there is another key issue that President Marcos should raise in Davos, it should be the impact of climate change on the Philippines.
DA wants to know why egg prices are surging
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is trying to figure out why the retail prices for eggs have soared to as high as P10 apiece. Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesman Kristine Evangelista on Friday said the department was investigating after Philippine Egg Board Chairman Gregorio San Diego said that farmgate price remains generally low, between P6.70 and P7.20 per piece.
Red-tagging still threat to Church
RED-tagging remains a threat to missionaries of the Church according to a Church official, even after a local court cleared a Catholic missionary nun and several human rights activists of perjury charges that were filed by a former national security adviser in 2019. Fr. Christian Buenafe, O.Carm., chairman of the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), said in an interview on Friday that although the court dismissed the perjury charges, the case has many implications for those who promote justice, equality and freedom in the Philippines. Fr. Buenafe, who is also the executive secretary of the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP), said that the Church's desire to serve the poor is clear. However, they are not safe from red tagging and allegations of membership in a rebel group.
NDRRMC: Infra, agri damage up P418M
THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Friday reported P418 million in damage to agriculture and infrastructure due to the floods that have been brought by the combination of the shearline phenomenon and a low-pressure area (LPA) since January 2. The damage to agriculture is pegged at P252,698,531 and P165,745,496 for infrastructure. The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) reported P25,610,000 worth of damage. The report also said that the number of deaths has reached 17. It said that of the fatalities, five came from Bicol, four each in Zamboanga and Northern Mindanao, three in Eastern Visayas and one in Davao.
BBM seeks private sector help on Natl ID
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has asked the private sector to help "get the National Identification out," saying it has the technology and capability for new digital IDs. Marcos issued a directive on Thursday to speed up the digitalization of the national ID system during his meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) on Digital Infrastructure in Malacañang.
BUSINESS: Key role for PH in Indo-Pacific growth
Topping business, better regional ties, supply chains and infrastructure will allow the Indo-Pacific region to grow — especially in these trying times — and the Philippines can play a central role in achieving this, Cabinet officials said. At a panel discussion during Thursday's forum, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said, "The Philippines has a lot of factors going for it when establishing supply chains. With the Philippines' central location, it has become a logical gateway to north and Pacific countries."
SPORTS: Dindin inks with Akari Chargers in PVL
In sports, former Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Crossovers player Aleona Denise "Dindin" Santiago-Manabat has signed a deal with the newest Premier Volleyball League (PVL) team, the Akari Chargers. The team announced her signing on Friday, January 13. The 29-year-old Manabat had played for numerous PVL teams from 2013 to 2022, and had also played for two Japanese teams between 2018 and 2020. She was a member of the Chery Tiggo team that won the PVL Open Conference championship in 2021. Manabat last played in Thailand last year, for the Nakhon Ratchasima Women's Volleyball Club. Manabat joined Camille Victoria, Bang Pineda, Eli Soyud as the new recruits for Akari that also sports its holdovers in Trisha Genesis, Erika Raagas, Lycha Ebon, Michelle Cobb, Jaja Maraguinot, and Dani Ravena, and Janine Marciano. Meanwhile, Myla Pablo is headed to the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers.
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras weighs in on the latest political situation in the US, Contreras continues his series on the country being an onion, and Remoto talks about the Library Renewal Partnership.
Today's editorial believes that President Marcos tackling the controversial sovereign wealth fund of the country in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland sends a wrong message. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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This is Peter Steven Llevares reporting.