Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
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READ: 117 senatorial bets get 'nuisance' tag
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has heeded the recommendation of its Law Division to declare 117 senatorial aspirants as nuisance candidates. This is more than half the 183 aspirants who filed their certificates of candidacy for the position. Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that while the motu proprio petition had been granted, the aspirants could still file a motion for reconsideration before the Comelec en banc or seek a restraining order from the Supreme Court. Six of the 117 aspirants have already filed a motion for reconsideration, which the Comelec en banc will decide next week, Garcia said. Meanwhile, nuisance petitions against 300 local candidates are still being deliberated and will be decided by the end of November. Garcia said he was hopeful that everything would be settled before the Comelec started printing the official ballots, which was why they decided the cases early, so the affected aspirants could get due process by going all the way to the Supreme Court.
READ: Tuguegarao still submerged
FLOODWATERS reaching more than 4 meters high swamped thousands of houses in the storm-battered Northern Luzon on Tuesday after rivers overflowed following heavy rain and a dam release. Typhoon Pepito drenched swaths of the country over the weekend, swelling the Cagayan River and tributaries and forcing the release of water from Magat Dam. The Cagayan River broke its banks, spilling water over already sodden farmland and communities, affecting tens of thousands of people. Buildings, lamp posts and trees poked through a lake of brown water in Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province, where provincial disaster official Ian Valdepenas said floodwaters reached more than four meters in some places. Pepito was the sixth major storm in a month to strike the Philippines, which had left at least 171 people dead and thousands homeless, as well as wiped out crops and livestock.
READ: Marcos tells govt agencies: Avoid lavish Yule parties
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday called on all government agencies to avoid lavish Christmas celebrations this year in solidarity with victims of the recent tropical cyclones. In a statement, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said this was in line with the President's call to exemplify the spirit of Christmas by helping those affected by the calamities.
READ: Belmonte is CSC's top lingkod bayan awardee
QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has received the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award in recognition of her dedication and commitment as a public servant. In a simple awarding ceremony, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) conferred the award to Belmonte as the regional winner and semifinalist in the national level, the city's Public Affairs and Information Service Department (PAISD) said. The mayor received that award accompanied by her father, former mayor and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.
BUSINESS: BSP: Rate cuts still ahead but pause possible
Topping business, more interest rate cuts can be expected as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is still in an easing mode, its top official said, but a pause next month cannot be ruled out just yet. The BSP's benchmark rate currently stands at 6.0 percent following two 25 basis point (bps) cuts in August and October. Most analysts expect another 25-bps reduction to be ordered on Dec. 19, especially with economic growth having markedly slowed in the third quarter. Central Bank governor Eli Remolona said that growth was expected to rebound in the fourth quarter and that inflation would remain within the 2.0- to 4.0-percent target, which would warrant a continued easing.
SPORTS: Edu will not play vs New Zealand – Cone
In sports, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone said 6-foot-10 center AJ Edu will not be playing for Gilas Pilipinas when the national squad opens the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers against New Zealand on Thursday at the Mall of Asia Arena. It is uncertain if Edu will be included in the Gilas Pilipinas roster when the national squad closes its home swing versus Hong Kong on Sunday. Edu has been undergoing treatment after hurting his right knee during his Japanese squad Nagasaki Velca's 71-68 defeat to the Akita Northern Happinets early last week. The 24-year-old Edu however, showed up at the national team's three-day training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna. Gilas Pilipinas, meanwhile, defeated Meralco, 96-82, in a tuneup game last Monday. Without Edu, the Gilas Pilipinas mentor is expected to utilize the presence of Kai Sotto, who has cleared the concussion protocol set by the Japan B.League. The 7-foot-3 former Batang Gilas standout will be teaming up with eight-time PBA Most Valuable Player 6-foot-10 June Mar Fajardo at front court to form the national squad's twin towers as they face a tall and rugged New Zealand Tall Blacks on Thursday. Other bigs in the Gilas 15-man pool include 6-foot-10 Japeth Aguilar and former University of the Philippines standout 6-foot-8 Carl Tamayo. Gilas Pilipinas heads to its Nov. 21 match tied with New Zealand at 2-0 in Group B team standings.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino are today's front page columnists. Tiglao asks if the Philippines is better off with Marcos or Duterte, while Fr. Aquino looks into videos from recent storms of people asking for God's presence.
Today's editorial says a balanced energy mix is the right way forward for the country. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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