Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Friday, January 24, 2025.
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READ: Ballot printing starts Saturday
SAYING it is running out of time, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has decided to push through with the printing of ballots on Saturday "regardless of any developments." Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said he will write Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo to inform him about the commission's decision, with the assurance that the names of nine candidates who are the subjects of temporary restraining orders (TROs) issued by the Supreme Court, would be included in the ballot.
READ: 'China's behavior undermines regional peace'
UNITED States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said China's behavior in the South China Sea undermined regional peace and stability and is inconsistent with international law. Rubio made the statement when he spoke with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo in Washington Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce said Rubio and Manalo spoke about "issues of mutual concern, including the China's dangerous and destabilizing actions in the South China Sea."
READ: High prices, corruption key issues for partylist groups
SURGING prices of essential goods and corruption in government are the primary concerns for party-list groups, according to the latest pre-election survey by Tangere. The survey highlights the pressing issues that voters want their party-list representatives to address, with 75 percent of the respondents calling for measures to curb the cost of basic commodities, while 74 percent demanded stronger legislative action to fight corruption. Health care improvements also rank high among voter concerns, with 73 percent stressing the need for better services in public hospitals, 70 percent prioritizing enhancing rural health care.
BUSINESS: Marcos: PH to boost engagement with ADB
Over to business, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said the Philippines would increase its engagement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to further advance the country's development. Marcos issued the statement as he met with outgoing ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa during a farewell call in Malacañang. In his remarks, the president noted that the ADB was consistently at the forefront of foreign-assisted projects in the country.
SPORTS: Strong Group begins title bid in Dubai
In sports, a souped-up Strong Group Athletics (SGA) team, led by former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins, begins its title bid against host United Arab Emirates (UAE) when the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championships kick off on Friday at the Al Nasr Club Basketball Court in Dubai. One of two Philippine representatives to the annual tournament, SGA makes its keenly-awaited debut against UAE at 11 p.m. (Philippine time). The other team from the Philippines is Zamboanga Valientes, reinforced by 7-foot-6 Maltese big man Samuel Deguara and former UAAP Most Valuable Player Malick Diouf. The Valientes play their first game on Saturday, 11 p.m. Philippine time, against Sharjah SC. SGA coach Charles Tiu said he expects a lot from the 6-foot-10 Cousins, given his wealth of basketball experience, having been a fourtime NBA All-Star and a member of the US men's squad that won the gold medal in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain, as well as the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao asks why does the country allow a Chinese firm to earn billions from a Filipino monopoly company, while Tatad looks into the two genders of man.
Today's editorial talks about the expulsion of so-called sleeper agents of China. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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