Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, January 16, 2025.
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READ: New court TROs worry Comelec
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is worried that more Supreme Court decisions could derail preparations for the May 12 midterm elections after it temporarily stopped the printing of ballots to include the names of five candidates who obtained temporary restraining orders (TROs) from the Court against their disqualification by the poll body. Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Wednesday that the commission was hoping to restart the printing of ballots next Monday to make up for lost time. Garcia said they had no problem with TROs as long as they were issued before they resumed printing. A new court order after the printing has resumed would again derail the entire process and bring them back to square one, he said.
READ: Marcos signs law to boost PH natural gas industry
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law a measure establishing a framework to develop the country's natural gas industry and to promote natural gas as a safe, efficient, and cost-effective source of energy. Republic Act (RA) 12120, or the Philippine Natural Gas Industry Development Act, seeks to establish the Philippine downstream natural gas industry (PDNGI) and increase the share of natural gas in the country's energy mix by promoting it as a safe, efficient, and cost-effective source of energy and an indispensable contributor to energy security. RA 12120 also promotes the conversion of the existing fossil fuel-operated equipment and facilities to natural gas use, provided that the conversion is technically and financially feasible. The measure, principally sponsored by Sen. Pia Cayetano, aims to enhance energy security for future generations by creating an investor-friendly environment. The new law positions natural gas as a transition fuel toward renewable energy. Cayetano said securing a steady and reliable local supply of indigenous natural gas will reduce the country's vulnerability to global disruptions.
READ: PH, Japan agree to boost security cooperation
JAPAN and the Philippines vowed Wednesday to strengthen security cooperation to counter China's actions in key sea trade routes amid speculation incoming US President Donald Trump could scale back security commitments in Asia. Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met with his Filipino counterpart Enrique Manalo and with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila to affirm security commitments. Iwaya and Manalo discussed Beijing's efforts to assert control over the South China Sea, a strategic trade route, as well as Beijing's territorial and sovereign rights claims in the East China Sea that overlap with Japan's.
READ: Marcos wants DOT's P400M branding budget returned
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to reinstate the 400 million pesos branding budget for the Department of Tourism (DOT) to sustain the country's global standing and lure more tourists. The president issued the directive during a meeting with Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco in Malacañang on Wednesday. Marcos said the Philippines was off to a strong start in boosting its international image, citing recent accomplishments by Filipino talents, including gymnast Carlos Yulo, a two-time world champion, and Sofronio Vasquez, winner of "The Voice US."
BUSINESS: BSP seen cutting just twice this year
Topping business, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) could markedly slow the pace of easing this year to just two rate cuts in the first half given inflationary pressures and possible currency volatility, Bank of America (BofA) said on Wednesday. he BSP, which reduced its policy rate by 75 basis points (bps) to 5.75 percent last year, was earlier expected to cut by as much as 100 bps in 2025 given a benign inflation outlook. Rising global concerns following protectionist threats by US President-elect Donald Trump, however, led analysts to trim their outlooks to 75 bps as last year ended. The BSP cuts lagged those of the US Federal Reserve (Fed), which lowered interest rates by a total of 100 bps in 2024. The US central bank, which in December expressed concern over the inflationary impact of likely Trump policies and indicated that fewer cuts could be ordered in 2025, is now expected to pause during its first meeting on Jan. 28-29.
SPORTS: Amores sells jersey to 'Boss Toyo'
Over to sports, controversial basketball player John Amores gained 67,500 pesos after pawning his Jose Rizal University (JRU) jersey and Vice President Sara Duterte's letter addressed to him to Jayson Luzadas, more popularly known as "Boss Toyo" of "Pinoy Pawnstars." Amores sold the JRU jersey he wore in a game against College of Saint Benilde in NCAA Season 98 back in November 2022 when he infamously charged at the opposing team's bench and punched multiple players. Days after the incident, Duterte wrote a letter to Amores as she gave the player words of encouragement and told him that he has a friend at the Office of the Vice President.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras says students' grades are protected data, Makabenta wants to rethink government, and Remoto talks about a high school reunion.
Today's editorial hails the National Rally for Peace and Unity of the Iglesia ni Cristo as a success. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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