Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, November 24, 2024.

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READ: Security up amid threat to kill Marcos

THE Presidential Security Command (PSC) on Saturday said it had "heightened and strengthened its security protocols" for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the first family following an "active threat" made by Vice President Sara Duterte. In a statement, the PSC said it was also closely coordinating with law enforcement agencies "to detect, deter, and defend against any and all threats to the president and the first family." The statement was issued after Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin referred to Duterte's threat to the PSC for "immediate proper action." In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said that the Palace took the threats made by Duterte seriously.

READ: Lopez transfer triggers fiery tirade from Duterte

VICE President Sara Duterte's chief of staff was at the center of a test of wills between the vice president and the House of Representatives, which ordered Zuleika Lopez transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women from the Batasang Pambansa detention center. The move triggered an angry response from the vice president, including a threat to have an assassin kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez if an alleged plot to kill her succeeded. Lopez had been detained at the House after being cited for contempt, but House Blue Ribbon committee chairman and Manila Rep. Joel Chua said his panel had agreed to move her because her presence at the Batasan complex was "alarming" to some members after Duterte said she wanted to stay indefinitely there, too, using her brother Rep. Paolo Duterte's office to sleep so she could be near her chief of staff. Lopez turned emotional when staff from the House sergeant-at-arms served an order from the House panel for her transfer to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City. She refused to follow the order and called Duterte who at that time was inside her brother's office. When Duterte came in, they held a virtual press conference to protest the "harassment," saying it was a threat to Lopez's life.

READ: President off to UAE for one-day work visit

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will embark on a one-day working visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, Nov. 26, Malacañang said Saturday. In a statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez said Marcos' trip would only have a "lean party" but with a "high purpose."

READ: 'Hello, Love, Again' now PH's highest grossing film

THE romantic drama film "Hello, Love, Again," starring Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, shattered local box-office records, earning an impressive 930 million pesos just 10 days after its release. The latest Bernardo-Richards starrer dethroned Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera's "Rewind," which previously held the record with 924 million pesos, making "Hello, Love, Again" the highest-grossing Filipino movie of all time. The announcement was made on Friday night by ABS-CBN Films and Star Cinema.

READ: Las Piñas leaders press for 2nd legislative district

LAS PIÑAS City leaders are pressing for the creation of a second legislative district, citing the local government's growing population and the need for broader representation in the House of Representatives. City Councilors Mark Anthony Santos and Henry Medina filed a resolution urging Congress to establish an additional congressional district for Las Piñas, a city that has seen significant population growth since it became a city in 1997. According to the 2020 census conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Las Piñas had a population of 606,293, way above the constitutional requirement of 250,000 residents to qualify for another legislative district. Section 5, Article VI of the Philippine Constitution provides that each legislative district "shall comprise, as far as practicable, contiguous, compact, and adjacent territory. Each city with a population of at least two hundred fifty thousand, or each province, shall have at least one representative." Currently, Las Piñas is represented by a single congressional seat despite its population and administrative structure. The city has two councilor districts that are used for electing six city councilors from its 20 barangay (villages), but this bifurcation has yet to translate into additional representation in Congress. Las Piñas' journey to cityhood began in 1997 under then-president Fidel V. Ramos, with residents overwhelmingly supporting the change in a plebiscite. Since then, the city has undergone rapid urbanization and population growth, further strengthening the case for additional representation.

BUSINESS: 'Best feeling ever'

Sunday's edition of "Keep in View" looks into a farm school started by John Lei Ganiron in Ilocos Norte. Read more about this on the Times' print, digital, and online editions.

SPORTS: Gilas Pilipinas guns for Asia Cup berth

BUOYED by its win against New Zealand last Thursday, Gilas Pilipinas guns for another victory to secure a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup when it faces Hong Kong in its final game for the second window of the qualifiers on Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The Filipinos are fresh off a 93- 89 triumph over the Tall Blacks and will enter the 7:30 p.m. game against Hong Kong with an impeccable 3-0 record in the group. Hong Kong, which suffered a 94-64 beating from the Philippines in the first window last February, is winless in three starts. Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone lauded his players for their sacrifices in the second window.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, claiming that the country is "dedicated to propping up the superrich".

Today's editorial discusses the recent figures on the cash remittances sent by overseas Filipino workers. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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