Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Monday, March 24, 2025.
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READ: Marcos drops Imee in rallies
For the second time, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday left out his elder sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, as he rallied support for the Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas' 11 senatorial candidates. In his speech, the president referred to the administration's ticket as having only 11 members, fueling speculations that Imee is no longer part of the coalition. Senator Marcos did not attend the rally.
READ: Bets push for more aid for PWDs
TWO senatorial candidates agreed that Filipino persons with disabilities (PWDs) deserve more assistance and support. During the program TownHall: The 2025 Election Series by The Manila Times and radio station DZRH, former National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) convenor Liza Maza said PWDs who are poor do not get enough aid. She added that they are always left behind and underserved, so there should be an investigation into who are really the PWDs among the poor and deserve proper assistance.
READ: 'ICC DETENTION UNIT A PRISON WITHIN A PRISON'
THE quiet fishermen's village of Scheveningen in The Hague in the Netherlands is home to one of the most scrutinized detention facilities in the world: the International Criminal Court's (ICC) Detention Unit. Here, in stark contrast to his years of dominance in Philippine politics, former president Rodrigo Duterte, facing charges related to crimes against humanity, is detained under the ICC's authority while awaiting trial. In an interview, a legal expert with access to the detention facility told The Manila Times that visiting Duterte requires going through a rigorous security screening.
READ: TMT School of Journalism holds news writing workshop
THE TMT School of Journalism concluded its first run of the masterclass for this year last March 22. The class had 37 participants from various universities, agencies and companies. The one-day workshop aimed to sharpen the skills of media professionals and their journalistic abilities. The resource speaker was Chin Wong, a veteran journalist with over 40 years of experience in the field and 20 years of teaching at the Ateneo de Manila University.
BUSINESS: Fewer BSP rate cuts expected
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to limit interest rate reductions to just two 25-basis point (bps) cuts this year after the US Federal Reserve said that borrowing costs could be reduced by half a percentage point by the end of 2025, a Maybank economist said. Maybank Investment Banking Group chief economist Suhaimi Ilias told The Manila Times that With US Fed signaling shallower easing this year at 50 bps (vs 100 bps [in] cuts last year), we also expect a narrower quantum of BSP rate cuts this year of 50 bps. The US central bank last week kept its benchmark interest rate steady at 4.25 to 4.50 percent, marking the second consecutive pause since January after it cut rates by 100 basis points in 2024.
SPORTS: Draper back down to earth, Zverev advances
In Sports, Britain's Jack Draper, the winner at Indian Wells, came back down to earth with a bump on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), beaten by 54th ranked Czech Jakub Mensik in his opening match at the Miami Open. Draper moved into the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time in his career with his triumph over Holger Rune in the Indian Wells final last Sunday, having beaten Carlos Alcaraz in the last four. But the 19-year old Mensik rose to the occasion, winning two tie-breaks to enjoy a 7-6 (7/2) 7-6 (7/3) win.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino and Francisco S. Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao says that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is starting to suppress the press while Aquino talks about fake news. Former senator Tatad's column is about former president Rodrigo Duterte's ICC woes.
Today's editorial is about the Gaza ceasefire being shattered beyond repair.
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