Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Wednesday, December 4, 2024.

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READ: Palace: No hand in impeach rap

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had nothing to do with the impeachment complaint filed by civil society groups against Vice President Sara Duterte before the House of Representatives, Malacañang said Tuesday. In a statement, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the impeachment complaint was "clearly the complainants' independent initiative." He added that endorsement of the complaint was the prerogative of any member of the House of Representatives.

READ: China says PH ships 'illegally' in its reef

China on Monday said it had taken "control measures" against Philippine ships it accused of "illegally gathering" near a disputed reef in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said a Chinese navy helicopter with tail number 65 had "harassed" Philippine fishing vessels in Iroquois Reef. The coast guard shared video footage taken by a Filipino fisherman on Nov. 27, purportedly showing a helicopter hovering over a Philippine fishing boat.

READ: NCCA, TMT sign deal to promote culture, arts

THE National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and The Manila Times signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday to promote Filipino culture and the arts. The agreement, formalized by Victorino Mapa Manalo, chairman of the NCCA, and Blanca Mercado, president and COO of The Manila Times, aims to amplify the visibility and accessibility of cultural initiatives and artistic endeavors across the country. The signing of the agreement, held at the NCCA Building in Intramuros, Manila, signals a collaborative effort to integrate media and culture in disseminating crucial information about the arts to Filipinos nationwide.

READ: War against corruption far from over, Marcos says

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said that the war against corruption is "far from over" due to gaps in implementation, evolving political climates, and systemic vulnerabilities in the bureaucracy. Marcos issued the statement as he reiterated the Philippines' position to collaborate with the United Nations in fighting corruption. Speaking during the 5th State Conference on the United Nations Convention against Corruption (Uncac) Implementation and Review in Malacañang, Marcos stressed the country would remain as a "proactive member of the global community" in fighting corruption.

READ: 13 PH women convicted in Cambodia

Thirteen women from the Philippines have been convicted on human trafficking-related charges for acting as surrogates in Cambodia for a ring selling babies to foreigners for cash. The women were each sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of selling, buying or exchanging a person for cross-border transfer, the Kandal Provincial Court said late Monday. According to the verdict, two of the four years in prison were suspended, meaning they won't have to be served unless they're found guilty of another crime. The women are held at a police hospital outside Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, and authorities have previously said they would not have to serve prison time until after giving birth. The women can appeal the verdict, said court spokesman So Sarin. He refused to comment on how many were still pregnant, or what would happen to the babies after they had given birth.

READ: BI to foreign POGO workers: Leave now

OF the more than 30,000 registered foreign workers of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), more than 10,000 have already left the country in compliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to stop all internet gaming operations by end-December, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said. Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado disclosed on Tuesday that of the 21,757 foreigners associated with POGOs — also known as Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) — who voluntarily downgraded their work visas to temporary visitor's visas — 10,821 have left the country. Viado said that the BI wanted to ensure a smooth and orderly process for affected foreign workers, hence the reminder to meet the deadline.

BUSINESS: Weaker peso blamed as NG debt tops P16T

Headlining business, the peso's weakening pushed the national government's (NG) outstanding debt to a new record high of 16.02 trillion pesos in October, the Bureau of the Treasury reported on Tuesday. A total of 126.95 billion pesos was added to the debt tally from September's 15.89 trillion pesos, and the count was also 1.54 trillion pesos higher than the year-earlier P14.48 trillion. The increase was attributed to the "valuation impact of peso depreciation against the US dollar from 56.017 at end-September 2024 to 58.198 at end-October 2024."

SPORTS: Fernandez bags 4 golds in BIMP-EAGA

Over to sports, swimming at the very pool she used to swim at growing up and with familiar faces cheering her on, Quendy Fernandez splashed her way to four gold medals at the 2024 Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines – East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Friendship Games at the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Representing Philippines E, Fernandez on Tuesday ruled the girls 100m backstroke event after clocking 1:07.21 and the team event with Maglia Dignadice, Pearl Dagano, Frachesca Jimenez, in the girls 4x50-meter freestyle relay where they registered 1:55.76. The UP Diliman student also topped the 4x50 medley relay with Dignadice, Aniyah Austria, and Nastassja Austria to complete her Tuesday golden treble. Fernandez, 19m grabbed her first gold medal at the 50-m backstroke event where she submitted a time of 30.22 seconds on Monday.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Rigoberto Tiglao and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao tries out writing an article in the Filipino language, while Tatad weighs in on the attempt to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.

Today's editorial looks into the recently-concluded Manila Times Outsourcing and Offshoring Forum. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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