Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
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READ: Dela Rosa says his security detail pulled
SEN. Ronald dela Rosa on Tuesday said the Philippine National Police (PNP) withdrew his security detail just days after the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his extradition to The Hague, Netherlands to stand trial for crimes against humanity in connection with his bloody war on drugs. Reacting to dela Rosa's claim, the Palace said he may have been stripped of his security detail because the senator, who has expressed fears that he might be arrested by the ICC too, was nowhere to be found. Speaking to reporters, Castro said that dela Rosa's security detail would not be an issue if he resurfaces.
READ: Duterte's admissions to hurt his defense
FORMER president Rodrigo Duterte will have trouble defending himself before the International Criminal Court (ICC) because his many public admissions directly implicate him in the extrajudicial killings that marked his bloody war on drugs, former Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio said Tuesday. Over the years, Duterte has made numerous remarks acknowledging the deadly crackdown on suspected drug offenders. In some instances, he even boasted about personally pulling the trigger during his tenure as Davao City mayor and later as president. These statements, Carpio said, are invaluable to the prosecution. Carpio also said it was unlikely that the former president would be returning to the Philippines any time soon, as the shortest time for a trial before the ICC was two years, and bail would not be an option.
READ: Paolo Duterte gets clearance to travel
DAVAO City Rep. Paolo Duterte has been issued a travel clearance for 16 countries and Hong Kong from March 20 to May 10, 2025, House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco said Tuesday. Among the countries that Duterte will visit is The Netherlands, where his father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is detained at the Scheveningen Prison where he is awaiting trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity in connection with his bloody war on drugs. Other countries the congressman is cleared to travel to are People's Republic of China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, United States of America, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Singapore. Velasco told The Manila Times in a phone interview that there was "nothing wrong" in Duterte's itinerary since it was being held during the congressional recess and he will use his personal funds for his travels.
READ: Eala barges into Miami Open quarterfinals
ALEXANDRA Eala from the Philippines was handed a place in the quarterfinals after her fourth round opponent, Spain's Paula Badosa, pulled out with a lower back injury on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) in the Miami Open. In the last eight Eala, the 19-year-old who upset Australian Open champion Madison Keys on Sunday, will face second seed Iga Swiatek who battled past Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 7-6 (7/5) 6-3.
SPORTS: Eala assured of P10.8M for reaching quarterfinals
Eala's winnings could now reach close to 11 million pesos after reaching the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. According to the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) website on the tournament, Eala is expected to receive $189,075 (10.8 million pesos) because of advancing to the quarterfinals, as well as getting 215 points. Should Eala win in the quarterfinals, she is expected to receive $332,160 (19 million pesos) and 390 points for advancing in the semifinals. The young Filipina was expected to face off against Spain's Paula Badosa, but the Spaniard withdrew because of injury, causing Eala to take the walkover victory and advance to the Miami Open quarterfinals, where she is expected to face World No. 2 Iga Swiatek.
BUSINESS: Bangko Sentral revises BOP outlook to deficit
Over to business, uncertainties over the impact of US President Donald Trump's trade war and geopolitical developments could push the Philippines' balance of payments (BOP) into a deficit this year and in 2026, the central bank said late Monday. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) changed its BOP outlook for 2025 to a $4.0-billion shortfall, reversing from the $2.1-billion surplus projected at the end of last year, and also said that this could widen to $4.3 billion next year. The country posted a $609-million surplus last year, well below the targeted $2.1 billion and the 2023 result of $3.7 billion. The BOP — a record of an economy's transactions with the rest of the world — will weaken "due to slower global trade and subdued investor confidence linked to increased uncertainty in global trade policy and geopolitical developments," the central bank said in a statement.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao dismisses a survey thinking former president Rodrigo Duterte should be held accountable to his actions, Fr. Aquino looks at what was not in the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber, while Tatad recalls a book that talks about "hard facts for hard times".
Today's editorial talks about the Department of Justice's next steps in bringing back former Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. home to face justice. Read more on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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