Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
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READ: Biden to host Marcos, Kishida
United States President Joe Biden will hold a three-way summit with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida next month, the White House said Monday, as the United States boosts its alliances against China. Marcos on Tuesday said his visit to Washington, D.C., to meet with Biden and Kishida would be an opportunity for the Philippines to strengthen further its already "very strong foundation" with the two allies. He added that the country's ties with the United States were "something we attach very great importance to." His visit in April will be Marcos' fourth to the U.S. since he became president. The last time was in November, when he joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit held in San Francisco, California. Biden's meeting with Marcos and Kishida at the White House on April 11 is the latest in a series of meetings with Asia-Pacific allies. It also comes against a backdrop of clashes between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the South China Sea, where the countries have contested maritime claims.
READ: US, PH alliance more than rock-solid – Blinken
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday assured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the alliance between Washington and Manila was "more than rock-solid" and that it was President Joe Biden's "absolute priority." Blinken, who arrived in Manila late Monday after a stop in South Korea, reaffirmed this commitment during a courtesy call on Marcos in Malacañang.
READ: Senate orders Quiboloy's arrest
THE Senate on Tuesday ordered the arrest of Kingdom of Jesus Christ Leader Apollo Quiboloy for unduly refusing to appear, despite due notice, at the hearings of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on Jan. 23, Feb. 19 and March 5, 2024. Quiboloy merely sent his counsel to appear on his behalf, for which the Senate panel saw no justifiable reason — thereby delaying, impeding and obstructing the inquiry into the reported violation of human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence, and child abuse. The arrest order was issued following the motion of Sen. Ana Theresia "Risa" Hontiveros, chairman of the Committee on Women, and seconded by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel 3rd, during the March 5 hearing. Hontiveros signed the arrest order that was consequently approved by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri. Once arrested, Quiboloy will be detained at the Office of the SergeantAt-Arms until he appears and testifies in the committee.
READ: World Anti-Doping Agency clears PH
THE Philippine flag can be waved in its full glory at the Paris Olympics in July after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) cleared the Philippines of allegations that it failed to take corrective actions on testing and results management. WADA's Chief Compliance Manager Emiliano Simonelli informed the head of the Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization (PHI-NADO), Dr. Alejandro Pineda, that the country's doping organization's corrective actions have been completed.
SPORTS: UST aims to sustain unbeaten run vs Ateneo
THE U.S.T. Golden Tigresses aim to sustain their unbeaten run as they face the Ateneo Blue Eagles at the start of the U.A.A.P. Season 86 women's volleyball second round at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today. Leading the league with a 7-0 slate, U.S.T. battles the fifth seed, 2-win, 5-loss Ateneo at 4 p.m. in the main event of a double-header that starts with the contest between the third running N.U. Lady Bulldogs (5-2) and the seventh seed U.P. Fighting Maroons (1-6). The Golden Tigresses stopped the Adamson Lady Falcons 25- 18, 22-25, 25-15, 28-26 last Saturday to sweep the first round and post their best start in the Final Four era.
BUSINESS: WEF bullish on PH economic prospects
Over to business, the Philippines could become a $2-trillion economy in the next decade given the country's continued growth and provided that proper groundwork is done, World Economic Forum President Børge Brende said. The Philippines is currently far from hitting the trillion-dollar level, with gross domestic product valued at $475.95 billion as of 2024 according to the International Monetary Fund. Growth last year was a below-target 5.6 percent but was still one of the highest in the region. The government is targeting 6.5- to 7.5-percent growth for 2024 and 6.5 to 8.0 percent up to 2028.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao looks into nationalism's eclipse, while Tatad asks if the President is in danger of being "unhorsed".
Today's editorial looks into an oil exploration in Cebu. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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