Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
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READ: Court moves cases vs Quiboloy to QC
THE Supreme Court has ordered the transfer of venue of the child abuse and human trafficking cases against evangelist Apollo Quiboloy from Davao City to Quezon City to avoid a miscarriage of justice. The decision came following the request of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to move the venue of two criminal cases against Quiboloy from the Regional Trial Court of Davao City to the RTC of Quezon City. In its decision, the Court found compelling reasons to justify the transfer of venue as the cases involve public interest, with the accused, a wellknown and influential religious leader in the area. As this could cause local biases and a strong possibility that witnesses cannot freely testify due to fear and influence of the accused, the Court found it prudent and judicious to order the transfer of the cases to Quezon City.
READ: Bohol gov, 68 others suspended over resort
BOHOL Gov. Erico Aris Aumentado and 68 other officials have been suspended for six months over the controversial resort built in the middle of three Chocolate Hills. In an announcement from the provincial capitol on Tuesday, Aumentado said he, mayors, former and incumbent officials, village officials, and regional directors were handed preventive suspensions from the Office of the Ombudsman over cases filed over the Captain's Peak Garden and Resort in the famous Chocolate Hills.
READ: Indian groups defend businessman linked to PDEA leaks
LOCAL Indian groups on Tuesday defended businessman Manjinder Kumar after he was linked to allegedly leaked documents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). In a manifesto, the groups attested to Kumar's integrity and cited his contribution to the Filipino and Indian communities. The Indian community called for a "fair and just resolution [of the controversy]" and cited the need to "protect those who dedicate their lives to the betterment of society."
READ: PH Navy boosts WPS patrols
THE Philippine Navy has deployed more vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid China's threat to arrest "trespassers" in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal). Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said Tuesday that maritime patrols inside the country's exclusive economic zone had been increased to protect Philippine sovereign rights.
BUSINESS: BSP again expects below-target growth
Over to business, economic growth could still fall below target this year and in 2025 despite recent downward revisions, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said in its latest Monetary Policy Report. The outlook of missed gross domestic product (GDP) growth targets has been included in the policy reports since August of last year, with the central bank citing factors such as the impact of policy rate hikes that are only expected to peak in 2024. GDP growth fell below the 6.0- to 7.0-percent target in 2023 at 5.6 percent, and the first-quarter result for this year is also below the same goal — adopted in March from 6.5 to 7.5 percent previously. Next year's target has also been trimmed to 6.5-7.5 percent from 6.5-8.0 percent.
SPORTS: Bacyadan advances in Olympic qualifiers
In sports, Filipino boxer Hergie Bacyadan advanced to the women's 75kg round of 16 at the 2nd World Qualification Tournament after scoring a 5-0 win over Spanish Dunia Martinez in Bangkok, Thailand late Monday night. Bacyadan and Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam (men's 57kg) are the last two Philippine bets standing in this final Paris Olympics boxing pathway. Bacyadan needs to finish at least fourth to claim an Olympic berth. On the other hand, Paalam, who faces Turkmen Shukur Ovezov on Tuesday night, has to place at least third in his division to make his Olympiad return.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao thinks the notion that China's claims being based on the nine-dash line is not true, Fr. Aquino reads into persons and promises, and Tatad weighs in on the Absolute Divorce bill.
Today's editorial looks into the Senate hearing on Bamban mayor Alice Guo. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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