Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
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READ: Comelec stops printing of ballots
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said it would stop printing ballots after the Supreme Court issued temporary restraining orders to stop the disqualification of five candidates in the May 12 midterm elections. Aside from stopping the printing of official ballots at the National Printing Office (NPO), the Commission en banc also agreed to effect changes to the candidates' database, the election management system (EMS), the automated counting machines (ACM), and the consolidation and canvassung system (CCS), all of which have already been the subject of a trusted build that ensures the integrity, security and accuracy of the automated election system. This process involves compiling the final, verified and approved source code into "executable machine-readable code" that will be deployed in the election systems.
READ: VP Sara considering 2028 run for presidency
VICE President Sara Duterte said she is "seriously considering" a possible run for the presidency in 2028, her first public acknowledgment of her political plans for the next three years. Her statement came as her trust and performance ratings continued to decline, reaching below the majority level for the first time since she became vice president. It also came on the heels of three impeachment complaints filed against her for allegedly misusing public funds — a charge she has denied. In a video posted on SMNI News owned by Duterte ally Apollo Quiboloy, who himself is facing human trafficking charges, a supporter asked whether she would run for president in 2028.
READ: Pasig court disallows TV interview for Quiboloy
A PASIG court junked the motion of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy to be allowed to attend a live television interview in relation to his decision to run for senator. The Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 159 said in its decision that there are certain risks associated with any public statements that will be made by Quiboloy during the interview. He said that any statement may influence public perception of the ongoing proceedings.
READ: PNP denies covering up shady drug raids
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday denied allegations of a "grand conspiracy" within its ranks to cover up questionable drug raids and reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy on misconduct. The statement was issued after the Department of the Interior and Local Government said it was investigating an apparent conspiracy to cover up suspicious drug raids, such as the one in October 2022 worth 6.7 billion pesos.
BUSINESS: Car sales hit new record high
Topping business, automotivesales hit a new high last year as demand remained strong during the holiday season, but were not enough for the industry to achieve its 2024 target. A total of 467,252 units left showrooms, up by 8.7 percent from the previous peak of 429,807 in 2023, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) and the Truck Manufacturers Association reported on Tuesday. The result, however, was below Campi's initial target of 468,300 and its hopes of hitting 500,000 by the end of 2024.
SPORTS: Tolentino named PSA Executive of the Year
Over to sports, the man who sparked the renaissance of Philippine sports today gets a piece of the spotlight in the Jan. 27 staging of the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Annual Awards Night at the grand ballroom of the Manila Hotel. Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino will be recognized as Executive of the Year during the traditional gala night by the country's sports writing fraternity for the hands-on job he did overseeing the participation and performance of the Filipino contingent to the Paris Games as head of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). With Tolentino, current Tagaytay City mayor, at the helm and weaving the baton, Team Philippines achieved its best-ever showing in its century of Olympic participation, highlighted by the country's very first double gold medal courtesy of wonder boy Carlos Yulo in gymnastics.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino are today's front page columnists. Tiglao dismisses a survey against Vice President Sara Duterte, while Fr. Aquino shares a pastoral commentary on the new national budget.
Today's editorial says the Armed Forces of the Philippines conducting background checks for candidates is necessary but not desirable. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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