Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Thursday, March 20, 2025.
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READ: Come home, work, Palace tells VP
MALACAÑANG on Wednesday urged Vice President Sara Duterte to come home to perform her duties and face the controversy surrounding the use of her office's confidential funds. Speaking to reporters, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Duterte should address the veracity of new questionable receipts for the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) confidential funds. Castro issued the statement after it was reported that more questionable names such as "Jay Kamote" and "Miggy Mango" were listed as recipients of the vice president's funds, raising more questions about the legitimacy of the transactions.
READ: ICC looking for Filipino transcribers
THE International Criminal Court (ICC) is looking for transcribers proficient in Filipino and Cebuano, who can do remote work under the tribunal's Office of the Prosecutor Language Services Unit on an individual contractor and short-term basis. The job openings were posted on Jan. 28, and are believed to be connected to the tribunal's preparation for the trial of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing trial for crimes against humanity in connection with his bloody war on drugs.
READ: Duterte's lawyer expects acquittal
FORMER president Rodrigo Duterte's lead counsel, British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, said his client is optimistic and eager to defend himself before the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he faces trial for crimes against humanity in connection with his bloody war on drugs. Kaufman, who said that he had "been involved in quite a few cases" before the ICC, expressed confi dence that the defense team had a strong enough case for the former president's acquittal. He said they are developing a strong defense strategy, which may involve presenting arguments about Duterte's rights being violated in the Philippines.
READ: Dela Rosa considers hiding from arrest
SEN. Ronald Dela Rosa is contemplating whether to go into hiding to evade arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a phone interview, Dela Rosa said hiding is one of the "courses of action" he may consider if the ICC issues an arrest warrant for him, saying this would be similar to the actions taken by former senators Panfi lo Lacson and Gringo Honasan. The lawmaker emphasized that if he does not see justice in this country, why would he surrender to authorities? But for now, Dela Rosa said he will wait for the Supreme Court's decision on his petition challenging the legality of the ICC's arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
READ: Comelec tags 167 areas of concern
In other news, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday identifi ed 167 cities and municipalities as areas of concern in connection with the upcoming national and local elections. Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the 167 areas were classifi ed as red, orange, yellow and green, depending on the peace and order situation of a particular town, city or province. The poll chief said that based on the March 11 update, 11 were placed under the red category or areas of grave concern, 50 were in the orange category (with serious threats), 41 were in the yellow category (with a history of electionrelated incidents) and 63 were in the green category with no security concerns. Two areas had no update. Topping the list of areas under the red category is the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region with eight, followed by Negros Oriental with two and Lanao del Norte with one. Garcia said the number could still increase or decrease in every category as the elections near.
BUSINESS: 7% growth seen with rate cuts
Topping business, Philippine economic growth could accelerate to 7.0 percent due to reforms and if the key interest rates are further reduced, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said on Wednesday. The government, which has missed its growth targets for the last two years, is aiming for 6.0- to 8.0-percent growth this year. Last year's result was 5.6 percent, just marginally higher than 2023's 5.5 percent.
SPORTS: PH elated as IOC keeps boxing in LA
In sports, Philippine boxing on Wednesday welcomed the decision to keep the sport as part of the Olympic program in the 2028 LA Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday, through its executive board, included boxing in the Olympic program for the 2028 LA Olympics, with World Boxing serving as the governing body for the edition. While the Philippines is yet to win a gold medal in Olympic boxing, the country won four silver medals and six bronze medals in its history from 1932, which was also held in Los Angeles, to the 2024 edition in Paris.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists, as they continue to talk about the latest developments on former president Rodrigo Duterte in the International Criminal Court.
Today's editorial talks about The Manila Times' commitment to sustainability. Read more on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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