Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, January 13, 2024.

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READ: AFP to investigate Subic fuel transfer

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will investigate the attempted shipment of 39 million gallons of fuel from a United States military base in Hawaii to a commercial storage facility in the Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales. Sen. Maria Josefa Imelda "Imee" Marcos had urged the A.F.P. and the Department of National Defense to explain the fuel shipment. The 39 million gallons are part of the 104 million gallons of military fuel from the U.S. Navy-run Red Hill Underground Storage Facility in Honolulu being transported by a commissioned tanker, Yosemite Trader, to the Philippine Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corp. in Subic. On Friday, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, which manages the freeport, said the fuel transfer did not push through because the Yosemite Trader failed to obtain clearance from the Philippine government.

READ: Marcos: PH back on its feet after pandemic

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said the Philippines has recovered from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the shocks from the Russia-Ukraine war, and the conflict in the Middle East. In his remarks during the vin d'honneur he hosted in Malacañang for the diplomatic corps on Thursday, the President acknowledged the positive developments in the country's relations with its foreign partners, as well as in its economic performance.

READ: Marcos: Recto has a key role in govt's growth plans

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is confident that, as Finance secretary, Ralph Recto will be a key player in helping the government meet and surpass its development targets. The President swore in Recto in ceremonies at Malacañang on Friday, along with Frederick Go, the special assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs. Recto replaced Benjamin Diokno, who has moved over to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as head of the Monetary Board.

READ: Drought could hit Metro Manila by end-February

METRO Manila and 26 other provinces will likely experience a drought by the end of February as the El Niño sets in, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). Aside from Metro Manila, the other drought-threatened provinces in Luzon are Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province, Ilocos, Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Aurora, Cavite, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan. Negros Occidental in the Visayas and Basilan in Mindanao are also like to experience drought, Pagasa Administrator Nathaniel Servando said.

READ: PH, German foreign ministers meet in Manila

AHEAD of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s visit to Germany on March 12, 2024, Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock met in Manila on Thursday. During the meeting, key discussions on political and economic relations were held, with a focus on Germany's peace initiatives and development cooperation with the Philippines and the two countries' shared dedication to the rules-based international order. Also, the two top diplomats explored avenues to boost bilateral trade, promote investments, and foster maritime cooperation. Labor cooperation was also discussed during the meeting, focusing on the placement of skilled Filipino workers and other professionals to live and work in Germany. Moreover, the two leaders exchanged views on several regional and international issues, encompassing climate policy, human rights, strategic partnerships, and security concerns around the world.

BUSINESS: Biz groups welcome Recto's appointment

BUSINESS groups have expressed support for new Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, who was named on Thursday to replace Benjamin Diokno following months of speculation that the latter was on his way out. Recto, who took his oath on Friday and vacated the posts of House of Representatives deputy speaker and Batangas representative, was described by business executives as qualified to handle the Finance portfolio, having been behind reforms such as the 2005 Expanded Value-Added Tax Act. The unpopular law, which raised the sales tax to 12 percent from 10 percent, had cost Recto a seat in the Senate when he ran for reelection in 2007. The lawmaker from Batangas, who started his legislative career as congressman from 1992-2001 before moving to the Senate in 2002 to 2007, is known for pushing economic measures. Recto spent the next two years as socioeconomic planning chief under then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and then made another run for Senate, winning two more terms from 2010 to 2022 and both times also becoming Senate president. Term limits led to a return to the House of Representatives in the 2022 elections. Talk that he would replace Diokno began late last year due to alleged policy differences.

SPORTS: Tiu aiming for championship in Dubai

Over to sports, with the composition of the Strong Group Athletics now complete and formidable on paper, head coach Charles Tiu's next big hurdle is to mesh the club team together in preparation for the tough grind in the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championship later this month. S.G.A. has a solid squad led by former N.B.A. players Dwight Howard, Andray Blatche and Andre Roberson, along with former TNT import McKenzie Moore and U.A.A.P. stars Kevin Quiambao of La Salle and J.D. Cagulangan of the University of the Philippines. M.P.B.L. champion and M.V.P. Justin Baltazar and former Gilas Pilipinas gunner Jordan Heading will also play for S.G.A.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about counterproductive and discriminatory policies against faculty research, Makabenta analyzes a comment on China's "goal" in the South China Sea tensions, and Remoto looks into a translator's notes.

Today's editorial looks into the implications of a wider Middle East war. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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