Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Thursday, February 16, 2023.
READ: 'Cartel manipulating onion prices, supply'
FARMERS' group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) on Wednesday said that the investigation of the Committee on Agriculture and Food of the House of Representatives showed that the cartel that killed the garlic industry is also manipulating the supply and prices of onions. In an interview with The Manila Times, Sinag Executive Director Jayson Cainglet, who attended the hearing, said that the Senate investigated the cartel in 2014. In his testimony on Tuesday, Bonena Multipurpose Cooperative Chairman Israel Reguyal said Lilia Leah Cruz, tagged as "Mrs. Sibuyas," cornered the supply of onions to justify the importation of the bulbs. Reguyal testified that Cruz bought all the stocks in the cold storage facilities and hoarded the supply. He added that officials of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) are allegedly in cahoots with Cruz. Reguyal requested for a closed door executive session when he was asked to identify the BPI officials.
READ: OFW remittances hit record high in December
THE remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) rose to a record $3.49 billion in December, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Wednesday, bringing the full-year tally to an all-time high of $36.14 billion. The December result — up 5.7 percent from $3.3 billion a year earlier — was attributed to higher remittances from land-based workers with contracts of a year or more and sea- and land-based OFWs with contracts of less than a year. The cumulative count for 2022, meanwhile, was 3.6 percent higher than 2021's $34.88 billion.
READ: 3 nations blast China's SCS intrusion
THREE countries, through their ambassadors in the Philippines, have joined the United States in expressing concern over the aggressive encroachment of China in the South China Sea (SCS). Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Australian Ambassador to Manila Hae Kyong Yu and Canadian Ambassador David Hartman, in separate tweets, called for "respect for international law." The three envoys made the call following an incident involving a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) patrol aiming a military-grade laser at a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel on a re-supply mission to Ayungin Shoal on February 6. The laser caused temporary blindness on the crew of BRP Malapascua.
READ: Ex-generals urge govt to fight corruption
A group of retired military generals and senior government officials on Tuesday called on public leaders to fight corruption, saying the problem remains the same even under the Marcos administration. Calling their group "Advocates for National Interest," some 20 former military officials, including past chiefs of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, released a signed statement, a copy of which was furnished to The Manila Times. Aside from swinging strongly at corruption, the statement also pushed for urgent electoral reforms. Those who signed the statement included Ramon Farolan, Renato de Villa, Rodolfo Biazon, Edilberto Adan, Emmanuel Bautista, Guillermo Cunanan, Plaridel Garcia, Alejandro Flores, Victor Librado, Emilio Narayag, Eduardo Oban, Alexander Yano, Plaridel Abaya, Roberto Yap, Mariano Santiago, Renato Valencia, Recaredo Sarmiento, Mariano Santiago, Niceto Festin, and Eliseo Rio. The group cited a 2012 report by the Transparency International that ranked the Philippines 105th in the Global Corruption Index. In 2016, during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, the country was ranked 85th. However, it slid further down to 117th out of 180 countries in 2021. The group said the worsening state of corruption was supported by the statement of the Deputy Ombudsman in 2019, when he estimated that the country was losing P700 billion annually to corruption.
READ: Time to change PH, China relations
A FORMER senior Philippine government official said with the latest incident of harassment in the West Philippine Sea by China, the diplomatic relations between Manila and Beijing needs to drastically change. Former national security adviser Clarita Carlos said the Philippines has filed too many diplomatic protests against China because of its aggression in the West Philippine Sea, but the Chinese government remains "unmoved." Based on her count, the Philippines has sent 203 notes verbales to China for its aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea, 195 in 2022 and eight this year.
READ: New LTO system makes car registration renewal a breeze
LAND Transportation Office (LTO) chief Jose Arturo "Jay Art" Tugade said on Wednesday online vehicle registration renewal will now only take 10 minutes to complete using the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) portal. Tugade said the technology will eliminate the need for motorists to visit LTO offices to renew their vehicle registration. The LTO chief added online registration will separate transactions at district offices and thus prevent fixers.
BUSINESS: Costs, policies key hurdles for LNG
Topping business, prices and policy changes are the biggest risks facing the Philippine natural gas industry in light of the impending depletion of the Malampaya gas field, Fitch Solutions said. In a February 14 report released on Wednesday, the Fitch unit noted that the country would soon have to depend on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, with a maiden shipment expected to arrive during the first quarter of 2023. With Malampaya output expected to be depleted in 2024, the Philippines will no longer be self-sufficient in natural gas, which is mostly used for power generation. While the domestic market is small, it is expected to expand beginning this year given plans to build more gas-fired power plants. But while the government wants to expand the gas-fired generating capacity, it also is pushing the development of renewable energy (RE), Fitch Solutions noted.
SPORTS: SBP 'hoping against hope' for Kai, Japeth
In sports, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Sonny Barrios said they are "keeping the window open" for young big man Kai Sotto and veteran slot man Japeth Aguilar in the event both players "suddenly" become available in time for the sixth window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers scheduled on February 24 and 27. The 7-foot-2 Sotto, according to Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes, has "opted out" of the games in the sixth window, while the 6-foot-9 Aguilar is down with an MCL sprain on his right knee, which he sustained last week.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about the President's foreign policy, Makabenta discusses Washington's game plan, and Remoto honors the late film director Lualhati Bautista.
Today's editorial believes that the public's views on climate change are a policy opportunity. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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For The Manila Times, this is Kim Luden Salinas reporting.