Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
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BANNER: PNP to file murder charges vs 2 ex-cops
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is set to file murder charges against two principal suspects — two former policemen — and an accomplice for the killing of beauty queen contestant Geneva Lopez and her Israeli boyfriend Yitzak Cohen. In a press briefing at Camp Crame, Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos presented the two former policemen that investigators identified as the principal suspects in the killing of Lopez, 27, and Cohen, 37. The two former policemen were identified as Rommel Abuzo and Angelo Guiang, who were taken off the PNP roster for being absent without leave (AWOL). Abalos said Abuzo was dismissed in 2019, while Guiang was dismissed in February 2020. Abalos identified the third suspect as Jeffrey Santos, alias Jun Jun. Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief MGen. Leo Francisco said the surrender of alias Jun Jun was the key to the identification of the suspects.
P10M offered for Quiboloy's arrest
A 10 MILLION PESO reward has been offered for the arrest of fugitive evangelist Apollo Quiboloy, who is wanted for child abuse and human trafficking, Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said Monday. A 1 million peso bounty was also offered for the arrest of Quiboloy's co-accused, identified as Crisente, Paulene and Ingrid Canada, Sylvia Cemañes and Jackielyn Roy. Abalos said the rewards were raised by private individuals whom he declined to name. He said that the donors were frustrated at Quiboloy's continued ability to evade arrest and wanted to help.
PH, Japan OK defense cooperation deal
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday witnessed the signing of the landmark Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which ramps up defense cooperation between the Philippines and Japan amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea. Marcos, joined by other key government officials from both countries, was present as the deal was formally sealed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Japan's Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko in Malacañang. The signing took place following the courtesy call of Kamikawa and Japan's Defense Minister Kihara Minoru on President Marcos — in the country for the 2nd Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting (2+2), the highest consultative mechanism to further deepen security and defense policy coordination and security cooperation between the two countries.
Show up or else, senator warns Guo
SEN. Risa Hontiveros warned that she might seek the arrest of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo if she continues to snub the Senate inquiry on her alleged link to illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs). enator that Guo was not keen on attending the next inquiry on the controversy scheduled on July 10 because the mayor was "traumatized" by the previous public hearings that she had attended. Hontiveros, chairman of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, is set to resume the probe on the reported involvement of POGOs in Bamban town in human trafficking and other illegal activities.
Social pension gets public support
THE universal social pension for senior citizens and enhanced cybersecurity and data privacy measures for all government agencies earned the highest approval ratings among all national issues, with 90 percent of respondents in favor, survey shows. Conducted from June 15 to 19, Publicus Asia's Pahayag second quarter survey revealed the public's strong support for policies aimed at improving social welfare and securing sensitive government information. Social pension and cybersecurity were closely followed by a second group of issues (81 percent approval) revolving around peace and order, including the passage of the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act and the Senate probe into an illegal drug seizure in Alitagtag, Batangas, last April. The proposed abolition of Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) and the arrest of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy earned the nod of 75 percent of the respondents randomly drawn from the market research panel of over 200,000 registered Filipino voters maintained by the Singapore office of PureSpectrum, a US-based panel marketplace with multinational presence. Meanwhile, inflation remains a critical concern, with 81 percent of Filipinos supporting the revival of the National Food Authority-Food Terminal Inc.-Kadiwa system to better connect farmers with marketplaces, providing consumers with affordable agricultural products.
BUSINESS: Unemployment rises; job quality improves
Topping business, unemployment edged up in May from a month earlier but job quality also improved, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Monday. The country's jobless rate rose for a third straight month to 4.1 percent from 4.0 percent in April, PSA data showed. It was lower, however, compared to the 4.3 percent posted in May last year. The number of Filipinos without work numbered 2.11 million, 70,000 more than April's 2.04 million, but was lower than the year earlier 2.17 million. Underemployment — which counts those looking for more work or an extra job — markedly improved to 9.9 percent from 14.6 percent a month earlier and 11.7 percent in May 2023. The underemployed were said to number 4.82 million, down from 7.04 million in April and 5.66 million a year earlier. The employment rate declined to 95.9 percent from 96.0 percent in April but was higher than May 2023's 95.7 percent.
SPORTS: Brownlee earns FIBA OQT All-Star 5 nod
Over to sports, Justin Brownlee was named to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) digital All-Star five in Riga, Latvia, following his all-around efforts that vaulted the Philippines to the crossover semifinals. The Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player averaged 23 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists in the tournament. The 36-year-old Brownlee, whom Gilas teammate described as the "Michael Jordan of the Philippines," joined newly minted Most Valuable Player Bruno Caboclo and Leo Meindl of Brazil, Rihards Lomazs of host country Latvia, and Cameroon's energetic guard Jeremiah Hill.
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Orlando Mercado are today's front page columnists. Contreras thinks the Department of Environment and Natural Resources got triggered by comments of Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio over the Masungi Georeserve issue, Makabenta looks into the vision of a visible future, and Mercado discusses the country's education problems.
Today's editorial talks about new Education Secretary Sonny Angara's new tasks ahead. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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