Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
READ: PH, US set course for defense alliance
THE Philippines and the United States will set the long-term direction of their security and defense alliance with the holding of the Two-Plus-Two (2+2) Ministerial Dialogue in Washington, D.C. next week. The high-level meeting between the Defense and Foreign Ministers of the US and the Philippine governments will be held on Tuesday, April 11, Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Department of National Defense officer in charge, said on Tuesday during The Manila Times roundtable. Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will meet with his American counterpart US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while Galvez will have a bilateral dialogue with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin 3rd. This year's dialogue will be the third such meeting after the earlier meetings in 2012 and 2016.
READ: Tanker's certificate of registry questionable
ASIDE from lacking a permit to operate in the form of a certificate of public convenience (CPC), the certificate of Philippine registry (CPR) of the oil tanker MT Princess Empress that sank off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro also appeared spurious. A copy of the vessel's CPR showed that the documentary stamp was dated "08/17/2020" or Aug. 17, 2020, while the issuance of the CPR was dated Sept. 23, 2022. Both CPR and CPC are issued by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina).
READ: Taguig has jurisdiction over Fort Bonifacio – SC
A LAND dispute between the city governments of Makati and Taguig in connection with the 729-hectare Fort Bonifacio Military Reservation where the Bonifacio Global City complex is located has been resolved. In a two-page resolution dated Sept. 28, 2022, the Supreme Court's Special Third Division said the disputed reservation is within the territorial jurisdiction of Taguig City. It denied a motion for reconsideration filed by the Makati City government seeking the reversal of its Dec. 1, 2021, favoring the Taguig City government in the case. In the decision favoring Taguig, the court denied Makati's omnibus motion to refer the instant case to the court en banc, as the court en banc is not an appellate court to which decisions or resolutions of a division may be appealed. It said no further pleadings, motions, letters or other communications shall be entertained in this case, as it ordered the immediate issuance of an entry of judgment.
READ: Transport groups to file case vs LTO
ORGANIZED transport groups across the country will file this month a petition in court seeking to stop the operation of the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS), an online portal of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), because of the inconvenience it causes to stakeholders. Ariel Lim, president and national convenor of the National Public Transport Coalition, on Tuesday, said they already sent a demand letter to the LTO, copy-furnished the Office of the President, the Senate and the House of Representatives, for the suspension of the operation of the LTMS.
READ: Holy Wednesday: Jesus betrayed by Judas
TODAY's observance of Holy Wednesday or Spy Wednesday reminds the faithful how Jesus was betrayed to the Romans by his apostle Judas Iscariot in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. Holy Wednesday is called Spy Wednesday to describe Judas' betrayal despite the trust reposed in him by Jesus in choosing him as one of his apostles to help spread the good news about the Son of God. It was a reference to Judas' action as written in the Gospel of St. Matthew (26: 14-16).
BUSINESS: 'Healthy expansion' seen for PH economy
Over to business, Philippine economic growth will stay healthy this year and the next despite continued challenges, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Tuesday. In its latest outlook for the region, the Manila-based ADB maintained its 2023 gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for the country at 6.0 percent and also projected a pickup to 6.2 percent next year. Growth last year was 7.6 percent, beating the 6.5- to 7.5-percent target and driven by robust consumption and investments. A slowdown is expected to follow given heightened global headwinds, with the government targeting an easing to 6.0 to 7.0 percent this year and an improvement to 6.5 to 8.0 percent for 2024-2028.
SPORTS: Cone: Bay Area was a confidence booster
In sports, Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone was the first to admit that the experience the Gin Kings gained playing against foreign guest squad Bay Area during their PBA Commissioner's Cup title series last January will come in handy as the Gin Kings collide with TNT Tropang Giga for the Governors' Cup trophy. The American mentor noted that discipline and focus are just two of the many qualities they learned to develop as a team on their way to the Commissioner's Cup title conquest. Cone has high hopes that even though Ginebra enters the Finals starting this Easter Sunday possibly, still without injured Japeth Aguilar, along with LA Tenorio, who is still recovering from stage 3 colon cancer, the Gin Kings will be able to bring in their experience as they collide with the TNT Tropang Giga.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao discusses former president Rodrigo Duterte's stance on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, Fr. Aquino reflects on the Chrism Mass, while Tatad asks who the Philippines is really allied to.
Today's editorial believes that activism against liquefied natural gas is misguided. 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 Isabelle Dignadice.