Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
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READ: 2 new mpox cases found
TWO new mpox cases have been detected in the country, bringing the total cases to 12, the Department of Health (DoH) reported on Monday. The Health Department said the 11th case is a 37-year-old male from Metro Manila who exhibited symptoms starting August 20 — rashes on his face, arms, legs, thorax, palms and soles. He had no known exposure to any person with similar symptoms "but admitted to close, intimate and skin-to-skin contact within 21 days before the start of his symptoms." The patient was admitted to a government hospital two days later and remains there. A skin sample was taken from him and subsequently tested at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). Meanwhile, the 12th case is a 32-year-old male, also from the National Capital Region, with symptoms that started manifesting on August 14. The DoH said he noticed skin lesions or clear, fluid-filled vesicles in his groin area, followed by a fever a few days later. He also admitted to close, intimate and skin-to-skin contact with one sexual partner. He was then advised to seek consultation at a DoH hospital, where a skin sample was taken on August 23. He was advised home isolation while awaiting results and has been staying at home since then. Local government units where cases 11 and 12 are from have been informed and have the power and authority by law to disclose more detailed information, including response actions, at their discretion.
READ: Shiela Guo taken to Senate, Ong to House
THE Senate on Monday took custody of Shiela Guo, sister of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) turned her over to ensure her attendance at a Senate inquiry on illegal online gaming. At the same time, the NBI turned Cassandra Ong, a business partner of the fugitive ex-mayor, over to the House of Representatives, which was looking into the operations of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and cited her for contempt. Both Shiela Guo and Ong had traveled out of the country with Alice Guo but were arrested in Indonesia and sent back to Manila. The Senate assumed custody of Shiela at 12:29 p.m., where she underwent a medical checkup by Senate medical personnel. Senate President Francis Escudero said Shiela "will be released once the committee recommends her release after she relieves herself of the contemptuous act against the committee and after I sign the release order." The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, led by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, cited Shiela and Alice in contempt for their refusal to attend the Senate investigation on the alleged illegal operations of POGOs Tarlac. Shiela and Ong — who fled the country in mid-July but were arrested in Batam, Indonesia, last week — are scheduled to appear at a Senate hearing on the alleged illegal activities of POGOs.
READ: Palace on KoJC raid: No politics
EXECUTIVE Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Monday denied that the hunt for Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy is politically motivated and insisted that efforts to collar the fugitive evangelist are justified because the "law must take its course." The Palace executive made the statement following allegations that attempts to arrest Quiboloy were "overkill" because the religious leader is on the other side of the political fence. On Saturday, around 2,000 Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel stormed the KoJC compound in Davao City to serve the arrest warrant against Quiboloy, who is facing human trafficking and sexual abuse charges. One KoJC member was confirmed to have died due to a heart attack, while "many others" required medical attention. This earned the ire of Quiboloy's staunchest supporters, among them former president Rodrigo Duterte, who has been very vocal in criticizing the present administration. But Bersamin maintained that Quiboloy must be brought to justice.
READ: Galvez pays tribute to soldiers as 'warriors, guardians of peace'
PRESIDENTIAL Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday paid tribute to the country's unsung heroes, including soldiers whom he described as "warriors and guardians of peace." Speaking at The Manila Times' tribute to Filipino soldiers at the Manila Hotel, Galvez said that the country will always remember "our great heroes of all time" who served, fought, and died for the country's freedom and independence.
READ: Strong military will deter WPS attacks – Teodoro
INSTEAD of avenging China's harassment of Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the government should focus more on boosting the country's capability to deter armed attacks, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said on Monday. Teodoro made the comment a day after the China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese maritime militia rammed and fired water cannons at the BRP Datu Sanday, a ship of the Bureau of Aquatic Resources (BFAR) that was bringing fuel, food and medicines to Filipino fishermen at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal.
BUSINESS: Asia currencies seen rising against dollar
Topping business, Asian currencies will likely strengthen against the greenback as the United States Federal Reserve signals a possible rate cut next month, providing a supportive environment for policymakers considering a strategy change in monetary policy. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Friday said that the US central bank could start cutting rates next month, adding that "the direction of travel is clear, and the timing and pace of rate cuts will depend on incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks." Most economists are forecasting a 50-basis-point (bps) rate cut by the Fed this year, which could lead to a weaker dollar.
SPORTS: Obiena ends 5th as Mondo nails new WR
In sports, Filipino pole vault ace Ernest John "EJ" Obiena placed fifth in the Silesia leg of the Wanda Diamond League at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzow, Poland on Monday (Manila time). Obiena could only clear 5.82 meters as back-to-back Olympic champ Armand "Mondo" Duplantis of Sweden reset the world record to 6.26 m in his second try for the gold, topping the 6.25 m he posted at the Paris Games three weeks ago. Sam Kendricks of the United States, the silver medalist in Paris, finished second to Duplantis anew with his season best 6.0-m clearance in his second attempt. Emmanouil Karalis of Greece, who beat Obiena for the last podium place in Paris, placed third again with a personal best 6.0 m, losing to Kendricks due to one extra try at the said height. KC Lightfoot of the United States finished fourth with a season best 5.92-m clearance. Obiena, owner of the Asian record clearance of 6.0 m, incurred back-to-back fouls at 5.92 m before using his last attempt at 6.0 m which he likewise failed to clear.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Orlando Mercado are today's front page columnists. Contreras defines what politicizing is, while Mercado learns about the candidacy of Donald Trump.
Today's editorial calls for zero tolerance for bullying in schools. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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