Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, January 11, 2024.
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BANNER: Probe Cha-cha 'payoff'
SEN. Maria Josefa Imelda "Imee" Marcos urged the Senate to investigate the alleged "payoffs and misrepresentation" in the signature campaign to push for Charter change. The senator on Wednesday filed Resolution 902 to probe reports that 20 million pesos was allegedly offered to each congressional district that could deliver the needed number of signatures to support the people's initiative to amend the Constitution. She denounced the "blatant manner by which ordinary citizens, particularly those in need of government aid, are being misled and exploited" to gain support for Cha-cha.
Senators urged: Heed clamor for Cha-cha
HOUSE Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. on Wednesday urged senators to heed the clamor of the business sector for economic and investment reforms in the 1987 Constitution to create more jobs and income opportunities for the people. Gonzales made the appeal following the Philippine Statistics Authority report that the number of jobless Filipinos fell to 1.83 million in November 2023 from 2.09 million in October 2023.
Marcos questions storage of US Navy fuel in Subic
SEN. Maria Josefa "Imelda" Imee Marcos has expressed concern about the reported storage of 39 million gallons of fuel of the United States Navy in Subic, Zambales. The senator sought an explanation from the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the transfer of the military fuel from Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Subic, which is not a designated Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site.
Marcos, Widodo to boost defense cooperation
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday agreed to boost defense cooperation and agreements on border cooperation between Manila and Jakarta as they discussed developments in the South China Sea. Marcos and Widodo held a bilateral meeting in Malacañang, where they agreed to continue the two countries' cooperation on political and security matters. They acknowledged that complying with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) is crucial to maintaining peace and stability in the oceans and the seas, including the South China Sea.
Free Mary Jane, mother begs Widodo
THE family of Mary Jane Veloso appealed to Indonesia's President Joko Widodo to free her from death row. A letter written by Veloso's mother, Celia, and addressed to Widodo was hand-delivered to the palace by a lawyer representing the family.Veloso's supporters claim she went to Indonesia for a job as a maid and was duped by an international drug syndicate into carrying heroin. Neither Marcos nor Widodo mentioned Veloso's case in their prepared remarks delivered to the media after their meeting. It is unclear if she was discussed during their talks or if Widodo received the letter. Widodo is set to leave office in October after reaching the end of a two-term limit.
BUSINESS: PH growth to remain one of region's highest
Topping business, the Philippines will remain one of the fastest-growing East Asia and Pacific economies even as a slowdown in China weighs on the region's expansion, the World Bank said on Tuesday. In its latest Global Economic Outlook, the Washington-based financial institution retained its estimate of 2023 growth of 5.6 percent and 2024 forecast of 5.8 percent for the country. Both fall short of the government's 6.0-7.0 percent and 6.5-7.5 percent targets for both years, respectively, but are still among the highest among 23 E.A.P. emerging market and developing economies that include China and Pacific Island states. The 2023 estimate of 5.6 percent, unchanged from October when the World Bank trimmed its forecast from 6.0 percent, matches that for Mongolia and is only surpassed by Samoa (8.0 percent) and Fiji (7.6 percent). It is the highest among the eight Southeast Asian nations in the list — Cambodia is second at 5.4 percent — and also surpasses the 5.2-percent expansion seen for China. Full-year gross domestic product results will be announced by the Philippine Statistics Authority at the end of this month. Growth as of the end of the third quarter was a below-target 5.5 percent.
SPORTS: Mikey Williams out for Strong Group in Dubai International – Tiu
In sports, Strong Group Athletic coach Charles Tiu bared that T.N.T.'s explosive guard Mikey Williams won't be part of the Philippine club team that's already preparing for the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championship set to fire off on January 19. Tiu said the 6-foot-2 Williams is still in talks with his mother squad in the P.B.A. in a bid to "get clearance."
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about unconstitutional acts, Makabenta checks on European countries' energy problems, while Remoto discusses an English translation of a well-known Filipino novel.
Today's editorial tackles the final warning from Earth's climate. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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