Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
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READ: VP security men face court martial
THE former commander and deputy commander of the dissolved Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) could face court martial proceedings over their alleged involvement in disbursing confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. A document obtained by The Manila Times from sources inside the office of the Provost Marshal General (PMG) noted that the office is now creating a fact-finding committee to investigate the involvement of former VPSPG Commander Col. Raymund Dante Lachica and his deputy commander, Col. Dennis Nolasco, over the disbursements. Two ranking military officials confirmed the authenticity of the document. The PMG is tasked to conduct investigations to establish whether there is probable cause for them to be subjected to a general court martial, which would try the respondents based on the information and evidence held by the PMG, which would act as the prosecutor. The current Provost Marshal General is Brig. Gen. Ferdinand Marcelino of the Philippine Marines. The undated document also said that due to the impact of the issue, the PMG found it "appropriate and proper to propose ... the creation of a fact-finding committee to investigate ... the subject officers." The source also said that under instructions from AFP Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner Jr., both Lachica and Nolasco are on "floating status" due to the investigation.
READ: Sara flying back as Hague job 'done
VICE President Sara Duterte said her work at The Hague in the Netherlands is now done, and she is excited to fly back to Manila as soon as her siblings arrive to visit their father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained at Scheveningen Prison. The elder Duterte is facing charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody war on drugs in which thousands of suspects were killed without benefit of a trial. In an interview with reporters and supporters outside the prison, the vice president said her job of assessing the lawyers for her father's defense is now done and that the full list of lawyers will be announced by his lead counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, in the next few days. She said she was excited to fly back to the Philippines to attend to her obligations as vice president. Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte will be the next to arrive at The Hague, taking over from her in the coming days once her father's current partner, Honeylet Avanceña and her daughter, Veronica, fly back to the Philippines. Duterte also said their travel is funded through personal funds and asked supporters not to create donation drives for the family.
READ: US tariffs may hurt sugar industry
Stakeholders of the country's sugar industry expressed concern over the recent announcement of US President Donald Trump that he will be imposing a 17 percent reciprocal tariff on imported goods from the Philippines. Negros Occidental Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo said that the steep tariff will have a drastic effect on the sugar industry. Yulo said that the Philippines has been exporting raw sugar to the US with zero tariff but with the imposition of the 17 percent tariff, "it will no longer be profitable to the exporters." Manuel Lamata, president of United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines (Unifed), agreed with Yulo, who used to be a representative of sugar planters to the Sugar Regulatory Administration board. Lamata said 17 percent is too much for Filipino exporters.Lamata said the Philippines is scheduled to ship out 30,000 metric tons of raw sugar to the US next month. Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona of the Sugar Regulatory Administration said that the Philippines received a raw sugar allocation of 145,235 MT under the US tariff rate quota (TRQ) system that allows entry of commodities at a lower tariff rate. The Philippines is shipping out the first half of the allocation in May and the second half in June, he said. Earlier, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro described as "very minimal" the potential impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs on Philippine products.
READ: Pinoy, 73, a poster boy for seniors pickleball
HIS name is Zack Munoz. But the growing circle of pickleball players in the country knows him by his sobriquet — Zack Attack. At 73 years old, Zack may well be the poster boy for senior Filipino PIMPs, as dedicated pickleball players label themselves. PIMP stands for Pickleball Is My Passion. Zack has been a fixture at amateur pickleball tournaments in the US and other countries where the sport is fast catching on. And the 50 or so medals and trophies he has racked up is a sign that he's no stranger to podium finishes. Last year, he was ranked No. 1 in the US among amateur pickleballers in the 70-year-old bracket. Zack, who's based in Chicago, Illinois, is spending a few weeks in Manila on a brief break.
In Business
READ: Govt measures to control inflation effective – NEDA
GOVERNMENT efforts to control inflation are showing results as the country's inflation rate continues to ease, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said. In a statement on Friday following the 1.8-percent inflation rate in March 2025 reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the lower inflation shows that the government's efforts to keep prices stable are working. Inflation in March 2025 eased from a 2.1-percent rate in February mainly due to substantial decrease in rice prices since the Marcos administration implemented the tariff reduction on imported rice in July 2024. PSA Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa, in a press briefing, said rice prices have decreased by around P3 to P5 per kilogram between July 2024 and March 2025. The NEDA chief cited government proactive measures to reduce the impact of risks and rising food prices, which include the partnership between the Insurance Commission and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to give better insurance to farmers in case of disasters, pests or plant diseases as well as the Department of Science and Technology's supporting research to detect African swine fever quickly to protect local livestock. The Department of Agriculture (DA) alone has partnered with Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Foods PLC through its state-owned corporation Food Terminals Inc. to help stabilize pork prices in Metro Manila and DA's partnership with the National Housing Authority to open Kadiwa stores in housing areas to give residents access to affordable goods.
Topping Sports
READ: Bolts, Dyip dispute early lead in PH Cup
OPENING-day winners Meralco and Terrafirma dispute the early lead in the standings as both squads clash in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup on Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The Bolts squeaked past the Converge FiberXers, 91-89, while the Dyip dumped the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 95-87, on opening night last Friday. The two squads collide at 5 p.m. Facing off in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. are Converge and Phoenix. Chris Newsome and Bong Quinto will lead the way for the Bolts, who scaled a 20-point deficit en route to the victory against the FiberXers. Other Meralco locals expected to step up are veteran big man Raymund Almazan, who had a double-double of 13 points and 12 boards on opening day, along with Aaron Black, Anjo Caram and Brandon Bates. Meralco, the reigning Philippine Cup champion, is expected to face tough opposition from a Terrafirma side that now has three-time PBA Scoring king Terrence Romeo back in harness.
READ: UST gets back at Ateneo, bolsters F4 bid
THE UST Golden Spikers got back at the Ateneo Blue Eagles with a 26-24, 25-17, 25-22 sweep at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday to bolster their Final Four (F4) bid in the UAAP Season 87 men's volleyball second-round action. Reigning two-time Most Valuable Player Josh Ybañez pumped 24 points, including the clincher to power University of Santo Tomas (UST), which claimed its third straight triumph to rise to 7-4 in third place of the standings. Ybañez, who drilled 20 of his 33 attacks, also added nine excellent receptions and five digs to his name. Dux Yambao dished out 21 excellent sets to orchestrate the Golden Spikers' offense, while Paul Colinares and Jay Rack De La Noche chipped in 13 and nine points, respectively. Batas hammered 20 points and logged eight digs for Ateneo which fell to its second straight defeat to fall at 6-5 in fifth place, its Final Four bid taking a huge hit. Jeric Sendon tossed 13 excellent sets and Amil Pacinio racked up nine markers in a losing effort.
READ: Rockets bomb Thunder, Celtics nail NBA record
JALEN Green and Alperen Sengun combined for 65 points as the Houston Rockets halted Oklahoma City's 11-game winning streak on Friday (Saturday in Manila) with a statement 125-111 victory. In a potential Western Conference finals preview, the Rockets produced a dominant all-round performance to jolt the top-seeded Thunder's all-conquering preparations for the postseason. Green finished with 34 points from 11-of-24 shooting while Turkish big man Sengun made 31 points as second-placed Houston improved to 51-27. The Boston Celtics claimed a piece of NBA history by setting a new record for the number of three-pointers scored in a single season. The NBA champions eclipsed the Golden State Warriors' record of 1,363 threes set in the 2022-2023 season after adding 14 threes to their season tally in a 123-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Boston's three-point barrage left them with 1,370 for the season. Jaylen Brown led Boston's scoring with 31 points while Jayson Tatum finished with 23 in a win that dealt another blow to the Suns' hopes of forcing their way into the postseason reckoning. The Suns' fifth straight defeat leaves them in 11th place in the Western Conference with a 35-42 record, two wins behind the 10th-placed Sacramento Kings (37-40), 125-102 winners over Charlotte on Friday.
READ: Opinion
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.'s directive that our military should "be prepared for war" amid signs of increased Chinese aggression toward Taiwan is an expression of prudence not provocation, according to the Times in its editorial today. Read the full version on print and digital or listen to the Voice of the Times. Marlen Ronquillo is the featured columnist on the front page and he asks to "Send in more clowns."
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