Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Monday, January 6, 2025.
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READ: Hunt on for defiant ex-POGO workers
THE government has launched a massive manhunt for 11,000 illegal workers in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) industry who failed to leave the country by the end of 2024 as directed. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Sunday issued a stark warning to these individuals, urging them to surrender or face severe consequences, including permanent blacklisting, deportation, and other legal penalties. The Department of Justice (DOJ), in collaboration with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and other law enforcement agencies, is spearheading the crackdown. Dubbed a "guerilla-style campaign," operations are being carried out to locate and apprehend illegal workers who have overstayed their visas or failed to comply with visa downgrading requirements.
READ: Comelec: Poll preparation not derailed by pressing issues
THE Commission on Elections' (Comelec) preparations for the May elections continue even as it addresses concerns over disqualification cases and ballot printing schedules. In an interview over the weekend, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the names of candidates with pending disqualification or cancellation cases might still be excluded from the final ballot list, provided their cases were resolved before printing. He gave assurances that the Comelec would abide by Supreme Court decisions on disqualification cases but cited the logistical challenges of altering ballot configurations mid-process.
READ: PNP prepares for Traslacion
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday said it had made extensive security preparations for the Traslacion, the procession on Thursday that is the high point of the annual fiesta in Quiapo, Manila. The security plan is being carried out in coordination with the Manila city government, religious organizations and other government agencies. Around 15,000 policemen will be deployed in key areas, including the procession route, high-density locations, and designated entry and exit points.
READ: Carlos Yulo is Times' Athlete of the Year
HE may just be 4-foot-11, but Carlos Yulo was the giant among Filipino athletes in 2024. Yulo pulled off a feat no Filipino has done before: winning two gold medals in one Olympic year. He dominated the floor exercise and the vault events at the Paris Games in July to achieve glory as the greatest Filipino Olympian ever. For this remarkable accomplishment, The Manila Times has named the gymnast from Malate, Manila, its Athlete of the Year. After a medal-less campaign in the Tokyo Olympics and beset by family problems, Yulo started his quest for redemption in Paris on Aug. 3 by amassing 15.000 points in the floor exercise, his favorite event, to win the gold. Barely getting any sleep, he was back in the arena the following night and ruled the vault with an average of 15.116 points.
SPORTS: PH gears up for FIVB World Championship
WITH nine months to go, all hands are on deck for the historic solo-hosting of the Philippines of the 2025 FIVB Men's World Championship. Ramon Tats Suzara, Philippine National Volleyball chief (PNVF), and Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) president, expressed his positive outlook on the nation's hosting responsibilities. Thirty-two nations will compete at the Mall of Asia Arena and the Smart Araneta Coliseum from September 12th to 28th.
BUSINESS: Poll: Inflation up slightly in Dec
INFLATION could have edged up in December due to higher food and power costs, analysts polled by The Manila Times said, but still averaged within target for the entire year. The median forecast was 2.6 percent, slightly higher than November's 2.5-percent result and in line with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' (BSP) 2.3- to 3.1-percent estimate. If realized, 2024 consumer price growth would have settled at 3.2 percent — also the same as the BSP's full-year forecast — in 2024, substantially lower than the year-earlier 6.0 percent.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao looks into the Marcos-Duterte feud, Fr. Aquino discusses the bicameral conference committee, while Tatad asks if it was a stormy year for the Marcos administration's "Bagong Pilipinas" program.
Today's editorial weighs in on the recent political issues in South Korea. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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