Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Monday, February 3, 2025.
Today's episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines' leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner.
READ: Trump unveils tariffs on 3 trade partners
US President Donald Trump announced broad tariffs Saturday (Sunday in Manila) on major US trading partners Canada, Mexico and China, claiming a "major threat" from illegal immigration and drugs — a move that sparked promises of retaliation. Canadian and Mexican exports to the United States will face a 25 percent tariff starting Tuesday, although energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10 percent levy. Goods from China, which already face various rates of duties, will see an additional 10 percent tariff.
Trump's orders also suspended exemptions, allowing low-value imports from the three countries to enter the US duty-free. The announcement threatens upheaval across supply chains, from energy to automobiles to food.
READ: 2 China coast guard ships spotted off Pangasinan
THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday detected two China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels sailing near the coast of Pangasinan.
The PCG said the ships with bow numbers 3301 and 3104 were tracked through its Dark Vessel Detection program 34 nautical miles from the Pangasinan coast. PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan has ordered a PCG plane to visually confirm the presence of the ships and issue a radio challenge to them. Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said the PCG plane sighted the vessels around 9:30 a.m. The Chinese vessels did not respond to the PCG's radio challenge, Tarriela said. Two PCG vessels, the BRP Cabra and BRP Bagacay, have been dispatched to Bolinao, Pangasinan.
READ: Chinese 'spies' living in PH for decades
THE Chinese arrested recently for allegedly spying for China have been living in the Philippines for decades, Bureau of Immigration (BI) Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said on Sunday. Based on immigration records, the suspects have embedded themselves in the community and even married Filipino women, Viado said. At least three Chinese have been arrested for espionage in the past days, along with their Filipino companions. The bureau is working with the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the military to gather more information about the suspects, he said.Viado said the deportation of the alleged spies will be deferred until criminal cases against them are filed.
READ: 2 Comelec commissioners retire
TWO Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioners are retiring today, Feb. 3, after serving out their seven-year term. Despite the retirement of Commissioners Socorro Inting and Senior Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, the Comelec en banc still has more than enough members to decide on pending election cases and other operational nuances that needed the commission's approval, Chairman George Erwin Garcia said over the weekend.
BUSINESS: Inflation likely lower in January – analysts
Headlining business, steady food prices coupled with manageable transport and utility costs could have led to inflation edging down last month, analysts said. The median forecast among nine analysts polled by The Manila Times was 2.8 percent, easing from December 2024's 2.9-percent result and in line with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' (BSP) 2.5- to 3.3-percent estimate for the month. If realized, inflation — which has stayed within the 2.0- to 4.0-percent target since August last year — will also have snapped a three-month rise.
SPORTS: Mikee Romero, Globalport qualify for US Open Polo
Over to sports, the Philippine flag will fly for the first time at the 2025 US Open Polo Championship when Rep. Mikee Romero and his Globalport Polo team face off against the world's best in Wellington, Florida. Globalport will be making history as the first team based in Asia to compete in this renowned championship from March 24 to April 20, 2025. For the first time, the tournament will feature a Filipino and a team carrying the Philippine flag. The team's qualification signals the growing influence of the Philippines in international polo and is expected to bring new excitement to the sport in the country and the Southeast Asian region.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao asks if the President is uninformed over maritime developments, Fr. Aquino also asks to whom erring Philippine bishops should be held accountable to, while Tatad looks at setting the terms for the South China Sea.
Today's editorial talks about the prevailing issue on scam farms in the country. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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