Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, November 23, 2024.
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READ: Defiant Sara starts camp-out at House
VICE President Sara Duterte said she is ready to stay "indefinitely" at the office of her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, in the House of Representatives as long as officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) are cited in contempt by the chamber's blue ribbon committee. In a hastily organized press briefing on Friday night, Duterte said she defied the order of House Office of Sergeantat-Arms Napoleon Taas to leave her brother's office because she has her brother's permission to stay. The vice president went to the Batasan Pambansa complex Thursday to visit her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, who was ordered detained by the blue ribbon committee. During the committee's hearing last Wednesday, Lopez was cited for contempt by ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro for refusing to answer questions regarding a memorandum that prevents officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) from attending hearings regarding the use of its confidential funds.
READ: Pagasa: Brace for more storms in December
THE spate of strong typhoons that devastated the country this month may be over, but expect one or two more storms in December, the national weather agency said Friday. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Administrator Nathaniel Servando said no low-pressure area or potential storm is predicted to form inside or outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility for the rest of November. Servando said the approaching northeast monsoon or "amihan" will determine if the December storms will be as powerful as Severe Tropical Storm Kristine and Super Typhoon Pepito.
READ: China cautions US, PH on military intel pact
CHINA has reminded the United States and the Philippines that the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) that they signed should not be aimed at any third party. In a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Tuesday, Lin Jian, the spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that the agreement should not target China or any other nation.
READ: BuCor bans use of social media inside its facilities
THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has implemented a nationwide ban on the use of all social media platforms within its facilities. BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said this decision, which was announced a day after a similar prohibition on cellphone use, underscores the government's commitment to minimizing distractions and maintaining operational integrity in correctional institutions. The new directive, issued as an addendum to the initial nocellphone policy, mandates strict compliance among all personnel, including superintendents, directors of operating prisons, and heads of offices across BuCor's network of correctional facilities.
BUSINESS: PCC extends review of Mynt-ECPay deal
Topping business, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), noting potential issues, has decided to conduct a deeper review of GCash parent firm Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc.'s plan to take full ownership of Electronic Commerce Payments Inc. (ECPay). In a statement on Friday, the PCC said that it had started a Phase II review of Globe Fintech's move to acquire 100 percent of ECPay, ownership of which is currently shared with Payment One Inc. Globe Fintech, also known as Mynt, notified the PCC in April this year that it was looking to make ECPay a wholly-owned subsidiary. The transaction had been flagged late in 2023 when Globe Telecom Inc. said it was selling its ECPay stake to Mynt for 2.3 billion pesos. Globe Telecom is one of the firms behind Mynt.
SPORTS: Cu gears up for chess tourney in Singapore
In sports, FIDE Master Ivan Travis Cu is gearing up for a major chess tournament in Singapore. The 15-year old Cu is set to compete in Group A division in the Singapore International Open 2024 slated from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5, 2024 at the Resorts World Sentosa Convention Centre where the FIDE World Championship Singapore 2024 match between champion Ding Liren of China and 18-year-old challenger Dommaraju Gukesh of India will also be held. Ding and Gukesh will clash in a 14-game duel for the prize fund of $2.5 million. The Singapore International Open 2024 is held in conjunction with the FIDE World Championship 2024. Group A is for players with a minimum rating of 1800.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, Danton Remoto, and Leonor Briones are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about falling idols, Makabenta discusses McCarthyism, Remoto analyzes the novel "Murder and Mamon", and Briones reflects making room for 'children of a lesser god'.
Today's editorial says solar energy is going "big-time" in the Philippines. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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