Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, May 19, 2024.
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READ: PH to vigorously defend what is ours – Marcos
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the Philippines would "vigorously defend what is ours" against "intruders who have been disrespecting our territorial integrity," in an apparent reference to China's continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea. In his speech during the graduation ceremony of the Philippine Military Academy's Bagong Sinag Class of 2024 in Baguio City, Marcos said, however, that while doing this, "our conduct would always be guided by law and [by] our responsibility s a rules-abiding member of the community of nations." Marcos did not identify the intruders, but tensions between China and the Philippines have sharply escalated in recent months over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. China has repeatedly impeded Philippine resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal, using aggressive maneuvers, military-grade lasers, and water cannons during past incidents. The President's statement also comes on the heels of media reports saying that China has issued a regulation empowering its coast guard to detain foreigners trespassing in the South China Sea.
READ: PFP, NPC forge alliance for 'genuine unity'
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the forging of an alliance between the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) and the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) was a "strong, united front" that was crucial in shaping the future of the Filipino people. The President witnessed the signing of the "Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas" on Saturday in Makati City as part of his quest for a strong coalition for the 2025 midterm elections. In his speech, Marcos said the alliance signing was "another breakthrough in the history of politics and public service in the nation."
READ: DILG recommends Guo's preventive suspension
THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Saturday recommended to the Office of the Ombudsman the preventive suspension of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo due to possible severe legal implications of her alleged connection with illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in her town. The recommendation was based on the findings of the probe conducted by the seven-man task force created by the DILG on April 5.
READ: Yulo's 3rd floor exercise gold in Asian Championships
FOR the third straight year, Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo ruled the floor exercise event of the Men's Senior Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships. Yulo topped the final event in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Saturday when he scored 14.933 points as the 2019 world champion stayed as the bar in Asian floor exercise tiff. The 24-year-old defeated Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan and Yang Yanzhi of China, who claimed the silver medal with 14.600 points and the bronze with 14.200, respectively. Yulo's teammate and compatriot John Ivan Cruz missed the podium by a notch as he placed fourth with 13.966 points. Yulo and Cruz finished first and third, respectively, in the qualification round. With his floor exercise conquest, Yulo made it a personal double gold medal haul after he ruled the individual all-around on Friday. Yulo also competed in the still rings medal round on Saturday but could not make the podium, placing sixth with a score of 13.533 points. The 4-foot-11 Yulo looks to salvage more medals as he competes in the vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar finals this Sunday.
SPORTS: Gin Kings, Beermen eye 2-0 semis lead
BARANGAY Ginebra and San Miguel Beer (SMB) eye 2-0 bulge as both squads resume their respective PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series against separate opponents on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena. The Gin Kings opened the series with a hard-earned 92-88 win over the Meralco Bolts last Friday. Both squads square off anew at 3 p.m. On the other hand, San Miguel survived Rain or Shine's (ROS) fightback late in Game 1 to carve out a 101-98 triumph. The Beermen will be shooting for their second straight victory against the Elasto Painters at 6:15 p.m. Ginebra coach Tim Cone is well aware that the team is facing a new and improved Meralco side that has been benefiting largely from active consultant Nenad Vucinic. In fact, the American mentor said Vucinic's influence has been evident with the way the Bolts guards are playing, being active on the defensive end.
BUSINESS: Marcos reorganizes crop insurance agency
Over to business, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reorganized the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) to make it more responsive to the needs of small farmers, fisherfolk and other agricultural stakeholders, Malacañang said on Saturday. The President, through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, issued Executive Order (EO) 60 on May 13, reorganizing the PCIC and transferring it from the Department of Finance (DoF) to the Department of Agriculture (DA). Under the reorganization, the PCIC Board shall now be composed of the presidents of the Land Bank of the Philippines and the PCIC; executive director of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council; and one representative from the private insurance industry appointed by the president upon nomination by the secretary of finance.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, in which he praises the occasional judicial victories.
Today's editorial scrutinizes the identity of Bamban mayor Alice Leal Guo. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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