Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, September 11, 2024.
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READ: Judge: Move Quiboloy to jail
A QUEZON City trial court judge has ordered the transfer of evangelist Apollo Quiboloy and other co-respondents from the custodial center of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to the Quezon City jail. Dated Sept. 9, 2024, the order was signed by Judge Noel Parel of QC-Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 106. Quiboloy's co-respondents were Cresente Canada, Jackielyn Roy, Sylvia Cemanes and Ingrid Canada, according to the one-page order. The judge directed the chief of the Headquarters Support Service of the PNP to transfer and commit Quiboloy and Cresente Canada to the new QC jail in Barangay Payatas. His three female co-respondents — Ingrid Canada, Roy and Cemanes — were ordered transferred to the QC Jail-Female Dormitory in Camp Karingal. Facing criminal cases including child abuse and human trafficking, Quiboloy and his four co-accused were expected to appear before Parel's sala on Sept. 13, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. for arraignment and a pre-trial via videoconference hearing. The PNP, meanwhile, said a Pasig court had also ordered that Quiboloy and the others remain at the PNP Custodial Center. Offenses under Republic Act or the Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act of 2003 are non-bailable. Quiboloy and his co-accused were presented to the media on Monday, but their faces were covered, and the pastor wore shades. The PNP on Tuesday said Quiboloy was adjusting to his custodial facility inside Camp Crame. Fajardo said that she visited Quiboloy inside his quarters. She said that she also talked to a female member of the KOJC who was also arrested with Quiboloy on Sunday. The arrest warrants were turned over to the RTC in Quezon City and in Pasig City. She said Quiboloy's physical presence in Pasig RTC wasn't required since one of his charges was non-bailable.
READ: No executive session for Guo - Hontiveros
THERE is no reason to grant dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo's request for the Senate to hold an executive session when she refuses to tell the truth, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Tuesday. Guo's lawyer, Stephen David, in a television interview on Tuesday, said "if the Senate wants to pursue their investigation in aid of legislation, they can get all the information that they want from Alice Guo — she wants an executive session." Hontiveros, chairman of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, led the investigation into the escape of Guo and her siblings Shiela and Wesley and their alleged link to illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in Tarlac.
READ: Lawmakers sought kickbacks, Sara says
VICE President Sara Duterte said unnamed lawmakers had demanded a kickback from the 5 billion peso budget that she sought to build classrooms when she was still secretary of the Department of Education. Duterte said this mechanism firmed up her conviction not to subject the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to a budget hearing as she believed that Co and Romualdez were the only ones who controlled the budget. She said this was the main reason for leaving the Department of Education. During the second deliberation of the OVP's budget at the House of Representatives, Co slammed Duterte for her remarks, calling it a "diversionary tactic" from the issues that were raised against her, specifically on the use of 125-million peso confidential funds used over 11 days, which he said was far worse than the length convicted plunderer Janet Lim-Napoles spent her money. Unlike in the previous hearing, Duterte and the entire Office of the Vice President snubbed the second hearing, opting instead to send a letter addressed to Co and Romualdez. This, however, did not stop legislators from asking the Commission on Audit and the Department of Budget and Management questions over the implementation of the OVP's satellite and extension offices, which they said was an "additional expense" to the public. Because of her non-appearance at the hearing, Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon moved to defer the termination of the OVP's budget subject to revisions in its budget, such as removing certain allocations and placing several items for funding on hold. OVP Budget Sponsor and Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the non-attendance of Duterte was "frustrating" but said that he was still committed to defending the budget in the plenary despite little information regarding its programs.
READ: Marcos names Viado as Immigration OIC
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed lawyer Joel Anthony Viado officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Malacañang confirmed on Tuesday. Viado, deputy commissioner of the BI, took over the post of former immigration chief Norman Tansingco, who was fired by Marcos, following the escape of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.
READ: New operator takes over NAIA on Saturday
THE Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) would be under its new operator, the NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), beginning Saturday, said Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista. The NNIC, under the leadership of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramon Ang, aims to transform NAIA into a globally competitive and modernized airport.
BUSINESS: Net FDI declines to $394M in June
Topping business, net foreign direct investments (FDI) hit an over four-year low in June, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Tuesday. At $394 million, the net inflow is the lowest since April 2020's $314 million. It is also lower compared to the year-earlier $555 million and May's $499 million. Commenting on the results, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said that the drop in inflows was due to higher prices and interest rates. Year to date, net FDI rose to $4.4 billion, up 7.9 percent compared to the $4.1 billion seen in January-June 2023. June's drop was said to be primarily due to lower net inflows across all major FDI components. In particular, nonresidents' net investments in debt instruments plunged by 30 percent to $213 million from $304 million.
SPORTS: Jaja ineligible to play for Japan
In sports, Jaja Santiago, now a Japanese citizen who goes by the name Sachi Minowa, worked hard in pursuit of her Japan national team dreams. However, the new FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) rule may halt Minowa's aspiration to suit up for Japan. Philippine National Volleyball Federation and newly elected Asian Volleyball Confederation president Ramon "Tats" Suzara explained the technicalities when it comes to changing federations. Minowa played for eight years in the Philippine national team which made her not eligible to play for Japan according to the FIVB rule that was updated last year.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao looks into the latest in the Israel-Hamas conflict, Fr. Aquino explains the right against self-incrimination, and Tatad says hearings in the Senate are being a distraction.
Today's editorial says a new warning on methane emissions is a call for more of its reductions. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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