Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Monday, April 7, 2025.
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READ: Thousands march vs Trump 'devastation
Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of major US cities on Saturday to oppose the divisive policies of President Donald Trump, in the largest demonstrations since his return to the White House. Opponents of the Republican president's policies — from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and eroding civil liberties — rallied in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado and Los Angeles, among other locations. The rallies even extended to some European capitals, where demonstrators voiced opposition to Trump and his aggressive trade policies.
READ: Duterte case seen to gain momentum
THE International Criminal Court (ICC) case against former president Rodrigo Duterte is poised to gain significant momentum now that his defense team has been fully assembled, according to one of only five Filipino lawyers accredited by the international tribunal. In an interview over the weekend, Joel Butuyan, president of the human rights organization CenterLaw and a veteran litigator with extensive international experience, provided crucial insights into the legal strategies, procedural hurdles and political dimensions shaping the landmark case. Butuyan said the completion of Duterte's defense team marks a critical turning point that will allow the case to progress more swiftly through the ICC's complex judicial machinery.
READ: Pasig's Sotto tops survey for Metro Manila mayors
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has not only solidified his position as Metro Manila's most trusted leader; he also has become a symbol of the kind of leader residents in the region demand, the latest survey by Tangere showed. The April 2 to 4 survey revealed a striking disconnect between what the public wanted and what many local governments are delivering, with Sotto's transparency, tech-driven solutions and hands-on leadership setting a new benchmark. With a staggering 95 percent satisfaction and trust rating from Pasig residents, Sotto's appeal lies in his track record: from streamlining bureaucratic processes through digital platforms to his visible presence during crises, such as the 2024 floods, where he was photographed wading through waist-deep water to assist evacuation efforts.
READ: Honasan, Verceles tackle digitalization
SENATORIAL candidates former senator Gringo Honasan and Leandro Verceles Jr. agreed that digitalization is one of the country's most pressing yet ignored concerns. Honasan and Verceles guested at the seventh installment of "Bakit Ikaw," the town hall-style election series co-produced by DZRH and The Manila Times. The two shared their views on the country's digital future and the obstacles it faces. For Honasan, the issue is not the technology but the mindset. Drawing from his stint as secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, he described a bureaucracy still unsure of what digitalization even means. Verceles, a former congressman and early internet advocate, echoed the sentiment. He said the concept of the internet puzzled even lawmakers, who once asked him if it was a kind of fishnet.
BUSINESS: Rate cut seen this Thursday
In Business, The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will likely resume cutting interest rates this Thursday, analysts said, after inflation slowed even further last month and with economic growth expected to be weighed down by US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Consumer price growth decelerated to 1.8 percent in March, down for a second straight month from February's 2.1 percent and prompting all those polled by The Manila Times to forecast a 25-basis-point (bps) policy rate reduction on April 10. The BSP's policymaking Monetary Board unexpectedly paused last Feb. 13, keeping the benchmark rate at 5.75 percent, in the wake of Trump's pushing through with campaign promises to unilaterally raise tariffs on US imports.
SPORTS: Fully recovered Eala braces for clay season
In sports, Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala said she has now fully recovered from the ankle injury she sustained in her Miami Open semifinal match against American Jessica Pegula, which ended on a 6-7 (3), 7-5, 3-6 loss on March 28. Eala said on Saturday in an interview with "Power and Play," hosted by his uncle and former PBA and PSC commissioner Noli Eala, that she's perfectly healthy. Eala's semifinal defeat to Pegula ended her historic run at the Miami Open, where she toppled three Grand Slam winners starting with world No. 25 and 2017 French Open titlist Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the round of 64, 7-6 (2), 7-5, on March 22. The 19-year-old then took down reigning Australian Open champ and world No. 5 Madison Keys of the United States in the round of 32, 6-4, 6-2, on March 24. Eala got a walkover in the round of 16 as world No. 11 Paula Badosa of Spain withdrew from the match due to a back injury. Eala then pulled off the biggest upset in Philippine tennis after topping world No. 2 and 5-time Grand Slam champ Iga Swiatek of Poland in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 7-5, on March 27 to enter the semifinals — the deepest stage a Filipino player has reached at the tourney.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino and Francisco S. Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao talks about the effect of US tariffs on the economy while Aquino's column is about friendship in the time of political campaign. Tatad's piece, meanwhile, talks about the possibility of China invading Taiwan.
Today's editorial talks about preparing workers to harness the full potential of AI.
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