Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, September 27, 2023.
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READ: PCG removes shoal barrier
THE Philippine Coast Guard said it has removed the floating barrier installed by the China Coast Guard off Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal). In a report issued late Monday night, the P.C.G. said it "executed a special operation" to remove the floating barrier that obstructed the southeast entrance of Bajo De Masinloc in compliance with the instruction of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The P.C.G. said the directive was issued by National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, who also sits as chairman of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea. It did not specify the exact time the operation was conducted.
READ: China warns PH not to 'stir up trouble'
BEIJING warned Manila on Tuesday not to "stir up trouble" after the Philippine Coast Guard said it had removed a floating barrier at a disputed reef that was allegedly deployed by China to block Filipinos from the traditional fishing ground. Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea has long been a source of tension between the countries. China seized the ring of reefs from the Philippines in 2012 and has since deployed patrol boats to keep out Filipino fishermen.
READ: Marcos vows full force of law vs smugglers, hoarders
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday warned that the government will use the full force of the law against smugglers and hoarders whom he described as "weevils" that destroy the balance of rice supply and demand in the country. In his speech during the distribution of rice at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila, the President ordered government officials to strictly implement policies and laws to address rice issues in the country.
READ: Marcos, Duterte trust, performance ratings dip
THE performance and trust ratings of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte dipped in the second quarter, independent pollster OCTA Research said on Tuesday. Its second quarter Tugon ng Masa Survey conducted from July 22-26, 2023, showed Marcos' trust ratings at 75 percent, 8 percent lower than the 83 percent trust rating in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Duterte's rating, though high at 83 percent, was also lower than the 87 percent she got in the previous quarter. Only 2 percent of the respondents distrust her, and 14 percent were ambivalent. Her trust rating in Mindanao was highest — 97 percent, while her trust rating in Luzon was the lowest at 75 percent.
BUSINESS: Holcim looking to quit stock exchange in Nov
Topping business, cement firm Holcim Philippines Inc. is looking to voluntarily delist from the Philippines Stock Exchange late in November after shareholders ratified the move last week. In a filing on Tuesday, Holcim said that it had petitioned the P.S.E. to approve a November 27 delisting as the bourse's conditions had been met despite a second tender offer still to be completed. Shareholders holding at least two-thirds of the firm's total outstanding and listed shares voted in favor of delisting last Friday, September 22, with no more than 10 percent voting against.
SPORTS: Gilas off to hot start, routs Bahrain
Over to sports, Gilas Pilipinas got its gold medal bid off to a winning start after beating Bahrain 89-61 in the opening day of the 19th Asian Games on Tuesday at the Zijingang gymnasium inside Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. Naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame presided over Gilas' huge second quarter run that saw the Filipinos outscore the Bahrainis, 29-15 en route to a comfortable win and the early lead in Group C. Brownlee and Kouame combined for 24 points in the first half as Gilas took a 51-33 halftime lead and never looked back. The Philippines will be shooting for a second straight win but is expected to fight through adversity against Southeast Asian rival Thailand on Thursday, September 28. The Thais remain a threat for the Filipinos considering they'll be bannered by veteran Thai-American Tyler Lamb, the team's leader, along with 6-foot-4 forward Moses Morga, who helped Thailand clinch the bronze medal in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games last May.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao and Fr. Aquino weigh in on the issues on China and the West Philippine Sea, while Tatad pays tribute to former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chief Bayani Fernando.
Today's editorial checks on the EDSA Greenways project. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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