Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
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READ: DILG chief wants to shake up PNP
FORMER Cavite governor Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday said making the Philippine National Police (PNP) a more effective and cohesive police force, restructuring the National Police Commission (Napolcom), and ensuring the safety of all candidates for next year's elections are his top three priorities as secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). These concerns were raised during his long meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after he was chosen to replace Benhur Abalos, who resigned to run for senator in the 2025 midterm elections.
READ: Chinese use water cannon on BFAR ship
A CHINESE vessel reportedly fired a water cannon at a ship of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the shallow lagoon in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), a ranking Philippine Navy official said on Tuesday. But Philippine Navy spokesman Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad failed to provide the incident date of the renewed water cannon attack.
READ: Isko launches bid for Manila mayor
FORMER Manila mayor Isko Moreno on Tuesday filed his certificate of candidacy for his old post. For this campaign, Moreno will run with Angela Atienza-Valdepeñas. He will be facing off against his former running mate and current mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan and Tutok to Win Party-list Rep. Sam Verzosa.
READ: Alice Guo was a Chinese spy, witness tells panel
CHINESE crime gang leader She Zhijiang's friend and former cellmate confirmed that dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo or Guo Hua Ping was a Chinese spy. Zhejiang appeared in the Al Jazeera documentary, revealing that Guo, like him, was also a spy for China's state security. At the same time, his friend and former jailmate Wang Fugui was made the guard of the top-secret files. In Tuesday's 15th hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality into the illegal operations of POGOs, a Zoom interview with Wang was aired where he said he would fully cooperate with the Senate investigation. The committee hearing was presided over by its chairman, Sen. Risa Hontiveros. According to Wang, Guo Hua Ping was a spy, but it cannot be considered unique or special because they are in the same situation as She. Wang said that state security controls those who become field agents abroad through their secrets and weaknesses, like Guo, who used a fake Filipino identity. It is the same in She's situation. When Wang was asked how the POGOs are used for espionage in the country, he said it is part of the big intelligence strategic plan for colonization around the world.
READ: Pangilinan eyes Senate return; Quiboloy files CoC
SEVERAL personalities filed their certificates of candidacy (CoC) for senator on the last day of the eight-day filing period for the 2025 midterm elections, announcing their splendid reasons for joining the race. reasons for joining the race. Former senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, accompanied by his wife, actress/singer Sharon Cuneta, said that if prices of basic commodities were successfully reduced in 2014, there's no reason it can't be done now. He said that as presidential assistant for food security and agricultural modernization from 2014 to 2015, with the help of the Bureau of Customs, National Bureau of Investigation and other government law enforcement agencies, they ran after smugglers, traders and hoarders, which led to the confiscation of P500 million worth of rice, filing of cases, cancellation of permits of erring importers, and filing of cases against corrupt NFA [National Food Authority] officials. He added that they also changed the system of importation and stopped the overpricing of imported rice, effectively halting under-the-table deals and eventually bringing down the rate of inflation to 15 percent from 48 percent. Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) religious group, on Tuesday also filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) while being a detainee at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Quiboloy filed his COC on Tuesday through a representative, Atty. Mark Tolentino. Tolentino said that the pastor decided to run for senator because he wanted to be part of the solution, focusing on God and country.
READ: Marcos signs new defense law
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday signed into law a measure meant to develop and promote the country's defense industry. Republic Act (RA) 12024, also known as the Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) Revitalization Act, is one of Marcos' priority legislations.
BUSINESS: Jobless rate drops to 4.0% in August
Headlining business, an influx of women workers led to a drop in the jobless rate in August, the chief of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. Unemployment fell to 4.0 percent from 4.7 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively, a month and year earlier, the PSA reported on Tuesday. This was equivalent to 2.07 million Filipinos without jobs, 310,000 less than July's 2.38 million and August 2023's 2.22 million.
SPORTS: SMB, Ginebra begin semis showdown
Over to sports, sister teams San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra duke it out in the opening game of their PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup bestof-seven semifinal series on Wednesday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. The match up between two of the winningest squads over the past decade began at 5 p.m. The other semifinal pairing will feature TNT and Rain or Shine at 7:30 p.m. Both squads split their elimination round tussle.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao gives his commentary on the October 7, 2023 massacre, while Tatad weighs in on the new Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David.
Today's editorial says the new Condominium Redevelopment Act can give a boost to the property sector and communities. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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