Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

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READ: Court puts Guo transfer on hold

A PASIG City court put on hold on Monday the transfer of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame to the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory — but only after she had already been moved. The order was issued by Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 187 Presiding Judge Annielyn Medes-Cabelis after Guo's camp filed a motion opposing her transfer due to the alleged threat to her life. Judge Medes-Cabelis said that while a commitment order had already been issued on September 19, the National Capital Region Criminal Investigation and Detection Group was directed to "hold in abeyance the transfer of the custody of the accused-movant pending the resolution of the subject motion."

READ: Ex-mayor's lawyers may be liable – DoJ

THE Department of Justice (DoJ) is assessing the liability of the legal counsels of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo after it was discovered that they submitted fake documents in relation to the complaints that their client is facing. Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said the submission of fake documents by Guo's lawyers in the DoJ proceedings was a "serious concern." Ty said they had already tasked government prosecutors to look into the possible administrative or criminal liability of Guo's counsels. There is also the possibility of filing a disbarment case against the lawyers who committed the act, said Ty.

READ: Seafarers' magna carta signed into law

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday led the ceremonial signing of the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, an initiative aimed at further uplifting the lives and welfare of the nation's mariners. Stressing his administration's commitment to protect the rights and overall welfare of domestic and overseas Filipino seafarers, as well as promote their full employment, the Chief Executive certified as urgent the legislation last year. In signing the Magna Carta, Marcos expressed confidence that the country would further improve its compliance with the Standards for Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention, benefiting Filipino seafarers.

READ: Rules for filing of certificates of candidacy finally out

HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued the guidelines for the filing of the certificate of candidacy (CoC) of candidates who will run in the 2025 national and local elections. Up for grabs in the May 2025 polls are positions for 12 senators, 254 district representatives, 63 party-list organizations, 82 governors, 82 vice governors, 1,682 members of city council, 800 members of provincial council, 11,948 members of municipal council, 149 city mayors, 149 city vice mayors, 1,493 municipal mayors, 1,493 municipal vice mayors, 25 members of parliament in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and 40 BARMM party-list representatives. To be filed by candidates along with the CoC is their Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination (CAN).

READ: Transport groups begin 2-day strike

DRIVERS of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) in Metro Manila started on Monday a two-day transport strike to dramatize their opposition to the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP). The Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operaytor Nationwide (Piston), who, along with Manibela, organized the strike, asked the Supreme Court to act on its December 2023 petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the PTMP. Piston National Chairman Mody Floranda called on the court to resolve the petition "to avoid serious and irreversible damage on the part of the petitioners, other operators and drivers, commuters, and all their families."

BUSINESS: Declining oil prices to boost disinflation

Topping business, a continued drop in global oil prices will accelerate inflation declines in the Philippines and other Asian countries and facilitate interest rate cuts, ANZ Research said. Global oil prices have dropped significantly this month, ANZ Research noted, with average Brent crude prices down 7.0 percent from August. The decline was said to reflect weak sentiment due to concerns about demand from sluggish Chinese activity and slowing US growth, despite production disruptions in Libya and an oil producers' decision to extend output cuts through November. ANZ Research said that the fastest impact of falling global oil prices was usually seen in inflation, but added that this would also depend on the weight of fuel in the overall price basket.

SPORTS: Jerusalem scores convincing victory

Over to sports, fighting in front of his countrymen in a title fight and facing a confident Mexican opponent who has not lost a bout before this match, Melvin Jerusalem made sure that he would be the one raising his arms after the match at the Mandaluyong City College Gymnasium in Mandaluyong City on Sunday night. The Filipino champ outplayed Luis Castillo, scored a unanimous decision victory and retained the World Boxing Council minimumweight crown in his first title defense. In the first round, Jerusalem made a strong counter punch, followed by a straight right punch that sent Castillo to his knees. The Filipino boxer kept his intensity in the second and third rounds by throwing combination punches that hit Castillo on the face. The Mexican retaliated in the fourth as he matched the aggressiveness of Jerusalem but the judges still gave the round to the Filipino champ. Both sluggers traded punches from the fifth to eighth rounds to the delight of the Filipino crowd. Behind the cheers of his countrymen, Jerusalem turned on the heat in the last two rounds in a bid to score a knockout win but the Mexican survived the attack and held his ground until the sound of the final bell. All three judges favored the Filipino champion in the score cards: 118-109, 120-107 and 120-107.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Orlando Mercado are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about the incessant talk on impeachment and coup d'etat, Makabenta weighs in on Vice President Sara Duterte's decisions to skip House of Representatives hearings, while Mercado looks into the technology being used in warfare.

Today's editorial weighs in on the inclusion of coding into the education curriculum. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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