Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, August 2, 2023.
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READ: Govt freezes Teves assets
THE government is freezing all assets of Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves and 12 others who were tagged as terrorists by the AntiTerrorism Council, an official said on Tuesday. Teves and his brother Pryde Henry Teves, as well as 11 others, were designated as terrorists by the A.T.C through Resolution 63 for allegedly being involved in the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and other political killings in the province. In a press briefing in Malacañang, Anti-Money Laundering Council legal officer Luis Anthony Warren said the terrorist tag will allow the A.M.L.C. to automatically freeze their assets based on Section 25 of Republic Act 11479 or the "Anti-Terror Act."
READ: PH rice stocks to last 39 days
MALACAÑANG gave assurances that the country's rice stocks will last 39 days despite the massive destruction suffered by the agricultural sector from two recent typhoons. Agriculture Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla said that the rice stocks will be augmented by rice imports. She added that the Agriculture department had already scheduled the importation of 1.3 million metric tons of rice to add to the country's stockpile.
READ: Arjo, Maine to honeymoon in Switzerland
REP. Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde and his wife Maine are embarking on a trip to Europe following their highly-publicized wedding. However, this won't be an ordinary honeymoon, as Atayde's visit will also serve as a work trip. As the vice chairman of the Special Committee on Creative Industry and Performing Arts of the House of Representatives, he will engage in official duties related to his role during their time in Europe. The official trip will start August 5 and will last until August 27. They will be attending the 76th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland as Atayde's action-packed thriller "Topakk" (directed by Richard Somes) was recognized anew by another international film institution.
READ: 'Govt should elevate WPS issue before UN'
THE Senate has adopted Resolution 718 urging the Philippine government to elevate before the United Nations General Assembly the West Philippine Sea issue if China continues to harass Philippine vessels despite Manila's diplomatic efforts. Crossing party lines, the senators on Tuesday urged the Philippine government to "take appropriate action in asserting and securing the Philippines' sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf." It condemned the continued harassment of Filipino fishermen and the persistent incursions in the W.P.S. by the China Coast Guard and militia vessels.
READ: NCR tanker breaks record in Palarong Pambansa
KRYSTAL David of the National Capital Region posted a new record in the Palarong Pambansa elementary girls 100-meter breaststroke event at the Marikina Sports Center on Tuesday. An incoming Grade 7 student at Colegio San Agustin, David clocked 1:17.98 to establish the new Palaro record and seize the gold medal. The previous Palaro 100-meters breaststroke elementary girls standard of 1:19.4, was set by Raine Gavino, also from N.C.R., in 2013.
SPORTS: Gilas leaves for China sans Thompson, Kai Sotto
AN all-Filipino Gilas Pilipinas left Manila for Guandong, China on Tuesday, August 1, to participate in the 2023 Heyuan W.U.S. International Basketball Tournament. P.B.A. Most Valuable Player Scottie Thompson no longer joined the team in China as he continues to recover from a metacarpal fracture on his shooting hand, which he sustained during the national squad's Europe training camp. The do-it-all Ginebra guard joins young big man Kai Sotto and naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame among the Gilas pool members, who are staying in Manila. The 7-foot-3 Sotto was a lastminute scratch in the pocket tournament in China as the young slotman will be focusing on rehabbing his back, which his representatives relayed to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Monday. Brownlee, meantime, will undergo a minor ankle procedure as Gilas coach Chot Reyes said in a previous interview, while the 6-foot11 Kouame has been loaned to Rain or Shine, which will represent the Philippines in the William Jones Cup in Taiwan. Also not joining Gilas is Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson, who will instead arrive in Manila by August 8. Reyes indicated that the 31-year-old sweet-shooting N.B.A. star will be leaving Los Angeles on August 6.
BUSINESS: PH debt expands to P14.15-T high
Over to business, the national government's outstanding debt hit a new record of 14.15 trillion pesos as of end-June due to local borrowings, the Bureau of Treasury reported on Tuesday. Compared to the previous month, 51.31 billion pesos was added to the debt tally due to the "net issuance of domestic securities," the Treasury said in a statement. Counted from the end of last year, 729 billion pesos was added to outstanding debt. Year on year, meanwhile, the total increased by 1.36 trillion pesos. In percentage terms, the national government's debts rose by 0.4 percent from May, 5.4 percent from end-December 2022 and 10.6 percent from a year earlier.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao believes that Vietnam could be the more serious threat in the Spratlys dispute, while Tatad discusses the Supreme Court's decision against former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Today's editorial believes the plans on the country's railway systems are an opportunity for improvements. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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