Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, February 18, 2024.
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BANNER: Marcos to PCG, BFAR: Stay put in disputed waters
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Philippine Coast Guard to continue its rotational deployment of ships in the West Philippine Sea in a move that "does not intend to provoke anybody" but will merely ensure that Filipino fishers are protected against China's harassment and incursions. The President's order comes as Chinese vessels moved to block access to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal on Saturday morning as Philippine ships conducted another Rotation and Resupply (RoRe) mission to Filipino troops stationed on board B.R.P. Sierra Madre. Before Saturday's incident, Raymond Powell, a retired United States Air Force colonel and founder and director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project monitoring and reporting South China Sea activities, lauded the President's policies in dealing with Beijing and its aggressive actions in the contested waterway.
Military told: Be 'peacemakers' amid internal conflict
The President, meanwhile, called on the military to take a new approach in addressing internal conflict, encouraging them to become "peacemakers" even as they fight rebel groups. Speaking to troops during his visit to Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, on Friday, Marcos cited the need for the government forces to seek peace as much as possible to avoid possible armed conflict with insurgents. Speaking in Filipino at the headquarters of the 401st Infantry Brigade, Marcos said the government has a "different approach" to addressing internal conflicts in the Philippines. He said that while the government is asking its troops to be war fighters, "there is an additional dimension to the job," which is also to be "peacemakers." Marcos also urged the military to support government programs providing livelihood, land and shelter assistance to rebels wanting to return to the fold of the law. This is as he lauded the soldiers for their efforts to improve the security situation in the Caraga Region.
SC issues guidelines on criminal accountability of minors
THE Supreme Court issued guidelines for determining the accountability of minors who have committed crimes. According to the high tribunal, there is a different standard in determining a minor's culpability, hence the need for guidelines to streamline the "discernment determination process" for crimes involving children in conflict with the law. The Supreme Court said discernment, in this case, is the capacity of the child at the time of the commission of the offense to understand the difference between right and wrong and the consequences of the wrongful act. The task of ascertaining discernment is done preliminarily by a social worker, and finally, by the court, the Supreme Court said.
Biden's trade team to visit PH
UNITED States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said Friday that President Joe Biden would send a delegation to Manila to advance trade relations between the two countries. The delegation, led by Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, would arrive in Manila in early March for the Presidential Trade and Investment Mission from March 11 to 12.
BUSINESS: High demand in BSP bill auction
In business, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said total demand for its 28-day and 56-day debt papers increased to 148.55 billion pesos. In a statement on Friday, the central bank said it continued to lower the total volume offering for the B.S.P. bill auction to 110 billion pesos, with the allocation for the 28-day and 56-day tenors reduced to 80 billion pesos from 90 billion pesos and 30 billion pesos from 65 billion pesos, respectively.
SPORTS: JMF doubtful for FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers
Over to sports, Philippine Basketball Association seven-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo could possibly miss the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers 2025 due to a partial tear on his left calf, which he sustained during Game 4 of the just-concluded Commissioner's Cup won by San Miguel Beer. The Beermen's team physiotherapist Edward Bacason said the 6-foot-10 Fajardo played hurt during Games 5 and 6, but managed to contribute enough route to helping S.M.B. score a 4-2 title series win against Magnolia and capture the franchise's 29th league title in all.
Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, as he discusses the recent Davao de Oro landslide that killed 85 people.
Today's editorial says a legislated wage hike could pose economic risks. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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