Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Wednesday, February 26, 2025.
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READ: DOTr revamp takes shape
SIGNALING a sweeping reorganization at the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Secretary Vince Dizon has directed all incumbent undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors to submit their unqualified courtesy resignations by Feb. 26, 2025. This directive, issued through a memorandum dated Feb. 24, aims to grant Dizon free hand in leading the department.The affected officials will still be required to continue reporting for work unless otherwise directed by the secretary. The memo also said any personnel changes will adhere to civil service laws and regulations.In a media briefing on Tuesday, Dizon confirmed the directive, emphasizing that it applies only to the DOTr central office and not its attached agencies or government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs). He said the move is a standard practice to allow the leaders to assess personnel and make necessary adjustments. During the same press briefing, Dizon acknowledged that the Philippines lags behind other Asian nations in infrastructure development, saying that "the first step to solving a problem is recognizing that there is one."He cited the ongoing Metro Manila Subway project as a major step toward addressing this issue but stressed the need for continuous investment and planning.Comparing the Philippines to Japan, Dizon noted that Tokyo's subway system has undergone nearly 80 years of continuous development.
READ: Cabinet members under 'evaluation'
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is "still evaluating" his Cabinet secretaries, Malacañang said Tuesday, amid speculation of a looming shakeup of the official family. Speaking to reporters, Malacañang Press Officer Claire Castro said no changes have been made in the leadership of departments and agencies since Vince Dizon was appointed to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to replace Jaime Bautista, and Jay Ruiz took over from Cesar Chavez as the head of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) earlier this month.
READ: Party-list group accused of vote buying
A DISQUALIFICATION case has been filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) party-list group over allegations of vote buying. The petition, filed on Tuesday by Mataas na Kahoy Vice Mayor Jay Manalo, also sought the disqualification of incumbent CWS Rep. Edwin Gardiola. The complaint stemmed from "BarakoFest 2025" held in Lipa City, Batangas, from Feb. 13 to 15, 2025, where CWS allegedly conducted a "Last to Take Hands Off Challenge," awarding three brandnew Toyota Vios cars as prizes. Manalo, who is also running for governor of Batangas, pointed out in his petition that the CWS' awarding of threebrand new cars was in violation of the Omnibus Elections Code (OEC) because it constitutes an attempt to influence the voters, which is a clear act of vote buying. The CWS being a party-list group, he further said, is already covered by the 90-day campaign period leading up to the May 12 elections.
READ: Start impeachment trial, Tolentino urged
SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III urged Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino to act on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte. The senator said his letter to Senate President Francis Escudero seeking preparation for the impeachment trial was referred to the Committee on Rules, which Tolentino leads. Escudero maintained that no impeachment trial will be conducted while Congress is in recess. The Senate and the House of Representatives will resume session on June 2. Escudero also belied the allegations made by lawyer Howard Calleja, a law professor at Ateneo and La Salle, and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jill Bungallon that China was the unintended beneficiary of the delay of the impeachment trial.
READ: Supreme Court petitioned to throw out budget law
HEALTH reform advocate Dr. Anthony Leachon filed a petition before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Feb. 25, challenging the constitutionality of Republic Act 12116, or the General Appropriations Act for 2025. Leachon argued that the absence of government funding for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) violates the Sin Tax and the Universal Healthcare (UHC) laws. Named as respondents in the case are the House of Representatives, the Senate, and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. Leachon asked the high court to stop the implementation of the budget law. He said that the lack of government funding for PhilHealth threatens millions of Filipinos who depend on the state-run insurance agency for essential health care laws.
BUSINESS: BSP seen shifting peso-dollar stance
Headlining business, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) could opt to pick up the pace of interest rate cuts late this year, HSBC Global Research said, potentially allowing greater peso volatility to support economic growth. The report by economist Aris Dacanay and foreign exchange (FX) strategist Lenny Jin said the BSP would be prioritizing economic expansion over currency stability by narrowing the policy rate differential with the US Federal Reserve (Fed). The central bank has kept a defensive stance with regard to the peso, intervening in foreign exchange markets and keeping a wide interest rate gap with the Fed's rates. Shifting to a more flexible exchange rate policy, HSBC said, could help strengthen the country's exports, particularly services.
SPORTS: Shibutani sibs believe in Filipinos' ice skating potential
Over to sports, American figure skaters Alex and Maia Shibutani mentored aspiring Filipino ice skaters at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Tuesday. The two-time Olympic bronze medalist siblings paid a visit to the Philippines and showed new drills and tricks to the young Filipino dreamers. After a thorough session of gliding and swerving on the ice, Alex saw the local skaters' determined efforts to learn and absorb their instruction. The 33-year-old figure skater shared words of encouragement and soon wants to see more Filipinos thrive in the sport.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao and Tatad give their EDSA 39th anniversary thoughts, while Fr. Aquino emphasizes the ban on political dynasties.
Today's editorial looks at the transitions at the Asian Development Bank. Read more on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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