Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, September 4, 2024.
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BANNER: CHR probes raid on Quiboloy base
THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is investigating police operations inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) compound in Davao City. On August 24, about 2,000 police officers raided the compound to serve an arrest warrant against Apollo Quiboloy, who is accused of sexual abuse of children and human trafficking.
JV, Jinggoy slam Zamora on relief donations
FORMER San Juan City mayors and now Sens. JV Ejercito and Jinggoy Estrada on Tuesday slammed Mayor Francis Zamora for an ordinance that penalizes anyone extending aid to residents in evacuation centers if they do not go through the Office of the Mayor. City Ordinance 26, which set the guidelines on the operation and maintenance of evacuation centers during manmade or natural disasters, states that donations from private and public individuals or nongovernmental organizations for victims of calamities should be coursed through the Office of the Mayor "for proper documentation and fair distribution." All visitors at the evacuation centers or donors should first secure an "entry permit" from the mayor's office "to ensure the safety of evacuees." Violators of the ordinance would be fined 5,000 pesos.
Comelec poll budget P14B less than sought
THE budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the "superelection year" 2025 is 14 billion pesos less than the poll body proposed. In the budget deliberations at the House of Representatives (HoR) on Tuesday, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said that Comelec "is preparing for next year's superelection year." Garcia said the country would hold national and local elections and the first Bangsamoro parliamentary polls simultaneously in May 2025, and later in the year, it will hold BSK or Barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK or youth council) polls. Data cited during the House Committee on Appropriations' budget deliberations indicated that the Comelec proposed a 49.7 billion peso budget.
Binay to DoH: What's action plan on mpox?
SEN. Nancy Binay wants to know the action plan of the Department of Health (DoH) on mpox, a disease declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a public health emergency. The senator filed Resolution 1159 seeking an inquiry amid the WHO's pronouncement that the mpox virus is an orthopoxvirus that causes mpox, a disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, although less severe. The DoH reported on Sunday that the number of mpox cases in the county has risen to 17. Two new cases were reported in Metro Manila and one in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region. All three have the milder clade 2 strain. The common symptoms of mpox include fever, headaches, muscle pain and backache, low energy, swollen lymph nodes and rash with blisters on face, hands, feet, body, eyes, mouth or genitals.
203 Chinese ships in West PH Sea
A TOTAL of 203 Chinese ships were spotted in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) from August 27 to September 2, the Philippine Navy (PN) said Tuesday.This is significantly higher than the 163 vessels observed from August 20 to 26, the PN said. Of the figure, 71 were spotted in the Sabina (Escoda) Shoal, composed of 53 Chinese Maritime Militia Vessels (CMMVs), nine China Coast Guard Vessels (CCGVs) and nine People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships.
BUSINESS: NG debt balloons to P15.7T
Over to business, the national government's (NG) outstanding debt hit a new record high of 15.69 trillion pesos in July, the Bureau of the Treasury reported on Tuesday. A total of 206.49 billion pesos was added to the debt tally from June's 15.48 trillion pesos, the Treasury bureau said, and the count was also 1.45 trillion pesos higher than year-earlier 14.24 trillion pesos.
SPORTS: EJ to hold meet and greet on Sept 15
In sports, due to unexpected circumstances that includes his spine injury, Filipino pole vault ace Ernest John "EJ" Obiena said he and the organizing team decided to postpone the World Athletics-sanctioned pole vault event scheduled on September 20 at the Ayala Triangle in Makati City to next year. To compensate for the event that would have showcased Obiena competing against the likes of reigning Olympic champ and world record holder Armand Duplantis and silver medalist Sam Kendricks at home, he's going to hold a meet and greet event instead. Obiena, who had to end his outdoor season prematurely due to his injury, said the event is set on September 15 at 10 a.m. at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay Activity Center. The world No. 3 pole vaulter said the event includes an exhibition of pole vault, a panel discussion with not-yet-named world-class athletes, as well as other activities for the fans.
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao thinks investments are not coming in, Fr. Aquino looks into the eclipse of ideals, while Tatad asks if Pasig can become a mini Singapore.
Today's editorial says the country's dispute with China is with policy and not people. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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