Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Sept. 9, 2021
READ: Go, Duterte proclaimed
The ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Wednesday officially proclaimed Sen. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go and President Rodrigo Duterte as its standard bearers for the 2022 national elections. During the party's national convention held in Pampanga on Wednesday, PDP-Laban members voted and proclaimed Go as its presidential candidate with Duterte as his running mate. But Go, a former aide of Duterte, again declined the nomination, insisting that he is not interested in running for president in next year's elections. The senator said he will continue to support the party and urged officials to prioritize other personalities who are interested in running for president.
READ: Lacson, Sotto launch 2022 tandem
SEN. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto 3rd on Wednesday launched their tandem for the 2022 elections, vowing to cleanse the government of misfits to restore public trust. Lacson and his longtime ally, Sotto, announced their candidacy for president and vice president, respectively, in next year's polls. Lacson said he and Sotto were "in the process of drawing up a roadmap or a master plan that will serve as our platform of government that we intend to present to our people." Sotto said it has reached a point that he can no longer ignore what is happening to the government and the economy.
READ: Duterte to Gordon: Where did Red Cross funds go?
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday demanded an investigation into the use of funds by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) led by its chairman Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon, who has been the subject of his recent public tirades. In his address aired on Wednesday, Duterte insisted the humanitarian agency can be audited by the Commission on Audit (CoA), as it supposedly sources government funds. Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. cited the "legal basis" for Duterte's claim, saying even private companies, so long as they made use of the "people's money," can be subject to the scrutiny of state auditors. Duterte said Gordon was "afraid" of being investigated by the CoA, as he accused him of funding his electoral campaigns with PRC funds.
READ: 'Bakuna bubble safest way to reopen economy
Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd again stressed the importance of a "bakuna (vaccine) bubble" to open the economy safely amid the pandemic. The founder of Go Negosyo made the pitch during the 53rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Economic Ministers' Meeting. Concepcion presented to his counterparts in other Asean countries how countries can strike a balance in preventing Covid-19 infections while safely recovering economically. Go Negosyo spearheaded private sector procurement of vaccines from pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, majority of which came from Thailand. He shared to the Asean community that "it is the unvaccinated who are at serious risk in terms of landing in hospitals for treatment and immediate medical attention, some even falling to critical state." The official said the model he proposed "is to only allow the fully vaccinated to create economic activity."
READ: Management group backs 'bakuna bubble'
Topping Business, FEWER restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals, proposed as a means of reopening the economy, have gained the support of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP). Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd is pushing the establishment of "bakuna bubbles" in Metro Manila cities that have achieved high vaccination rates. Concepcion last month said that unvaccinated people should be restricted to homes and workplaces, with Metro Manila business establishments only opened to the fully vaccinated. Malacañang has said it would consider the proposal but the Justice department warned that discriminatory treatment could be challenged in courts.
READ: Fernandez reaches US Open semifinal
In Sports, Leylah Fernandez continued her run at the US Open as she beat No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina in three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) to become the youngest player since Maria Sharapova in 2005 to reach the semifinal round. Fernandez's victory against Svitolina was preceded by wins over past US Open champions and former No. 1s Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber. The 73rd ranked player, who was born to a Filipino-Canadian and an Ecuadorean father, will next face No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, a Wimbledon semifinalist in July, who defeated French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-1, 6-4. Meanwhile, Spanish teen Carlos Alcaraz, the youngest US Open quarterfinalist in 58 years, was forced to retire from his match with a right adductor injury. Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime led 6-3, 3-1 when 18-year-old Alcaraz retired from the match, sending his 21-year-old rival into his first Slam semifinal against Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev.
READ: Opinion and Editorial
Yen Makabenta, Antonio Contreras and Edcel Lagman are the columnists on the front page. Makabenta writes about the end of Covid-19 while Contreras takes the view that the world will have to learn how to live with it. In his column, Lagman commemorates the International Day of the Disappeared.
The Times, in its Editorial, slams the Inter Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, for flip-flopping on its announcement regarding the quarantine classification in Metro Manila.
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This is Christian Crow Maghanoy. Have a good day everyone and stay safe.