Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Tuesday, April 2, 2024.
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READ: Marcos to PNP chief: Address new threats
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday challenged newly installed Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil to address emerging threats and "champion a police that is pro-God, pro-country, pro-people, [and] pro-environment" in line with his vision of a new Philippines. During the P.N.P.'s change of command ceremony in Camp Crame, the Commander in Chief called on Marbil to foster closer collaboration between the 232,000-strong organization and his administration to address cybercrime, terrorism and transnational crimes.
READ: Region 3 has highest adolescent pregnancies
REGION 3 (Central Luzon) has recorded the most pregnancies — more than 400 — involving adolescents below 15, based on the 2022 Civil Registry and Vital Statistics data. Births among girls 10 to 14 years old in the region totaled 409, making up 33.66 percent of all cases in the country. Region 3 also remained second in pregnancy among those ages 10 to 19 with 17,107 cases, making up 11.4 percent of the nationwide tally.
READ: Acosta: PAO, BJMP pact boon to prisoners
PUBLIC Attorney's Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta on Monday cited the importance of the partnership her agency and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology have forged in helping prisoners return to normal life. Rueda-Acosta made the observation at the joint flag ceremony with officials and personnel of BJMP's National Jail Management and Penology Training Institute in Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba City, Laguna, where she was the guest of honor and speaker. She told the N.J.M.P.T.I. director, Senior Supt. Ronaldo Senior, that the jail personnel's training school contributed to the well-being of the prisoners.
READ: Jerusalem dethrones Shigeoka, wins WBC crown
Melvin Jerusalem put an end to the Japanese' mastery over Pinoy boxers after he dethroned Yudai Shigeoka via split decision in their World Boxing Council minimumweight crown match at the International Conference Hall in Nagoya, Japan, on March 31. Fittingly, Philippine boxing has risen above the Japanese on Easter Sunday in the Land of the Rising Sun. After knocking down Shigeoka twice, one each in the third and sixth round, Jerusalem, 30, got two judges scoring identical 114- 112 cards for him as Shigeoka had one judge favor him at 114-113.
SPORTS: Titans, High Speed Hitters seek lead share
RIGHT after the Holy Week break, a heated action returns in the Premier Volleyball League as Choco Mucho and P.L.D.T. face their respective foes for a share of lead in the P.V.L. 2024 All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig today, April 2. With the Flying Titans and High Speed Hitters tied with a 5-1 win-loss slate, the two teams will further improve their chances for a semifinal slot, pushing for a three-way log jam at the top with Creamline (6-1). Choco Mucho seeks to fend off the improved Galeries at 6 p.m.
BUSINESS: BSP sees above-target inflation
Over to business, inflation could have exceeded target last month due to higher food and energy prices, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said on Monday. The central bank released a 3.4- to 4.2-percent estimate for March inflation, data for which will be issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority on Friday. A 3.4-percent result would be unchanged from February, while 4.2 percent means the end of three consecutive months of inflation having stayed within the central bank's 2.0- to 4.0-percent goal.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Orlando Mercado are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about rotected areas, flawed laws and bureaucratic malpractice, Makabenta asks what Pablo Picasso and Winston Churchill would say if caught in the middle of the South China Sea maritime issue, while Mercado weighs in on the activation of a National Maritime Council.
Today's editorial looks into the Department of Education's restoration of heritage school buildings. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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