Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, October 10, 2021.
Sara: 'No substitution' in May 2022 elections
THERE will be "no substitution," Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said, after she refused to be swayed by her supporters' clamor for her to run for president in the 2022 national elections. Duterte-Carpio's statement comes as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reminded political organizations that they only have until November 30 to substitute their official candidates who either withdrew, died or were disqualified. Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. on Saturday echoed this statement of Duterte-Carpio as he backed out from his Senate bid in 2022 after the mayor did not submit a certificate of candidacy (CoC) for president at the Sofitel Hotel in Manila on Friday, the deadline for filing.
'Don't use vaccination as political weapon'
VACCINE czar Carlito Galvez Jr. urged local government units (LGUs) to unite and not use the government's vaccination program against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) as a "political weapon," especially when the campaign period begins for the May 2022 elections. Galvez made the statement after officials attending the inauguration of a mega Covid-19 vaccination site in Valenzuela City on Thursday drew flak for turning the event into a campaign sortie when they heaped praises for a possible vice presidential candidate. In his remarks during the arrival of 2,793,240 doses of Moderna and AstraZeneca jabs in Parañaque City on Friday, Galvez urged government officials to set aside politics in implementing the government's vaccination program.
Declining cases mean 'better' Christmas – DoH
The Department of Health (DoH) on Saturday said the declining number of Covid-19 cases could mean a "better Christmas" for Filipinos. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said a better Christmas could be expected, citing a Fassster (Feasibility Analysis of Syndromic Surveillance using Spatio-temporal Epidemiological Modeler for Early Detection of Diseases) projection that the number of daily cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) could be down to 1,100 by November 15.
CHR chief Gascon succumbs to Covid-19
COMMISSION on Human Rights (CHR) Chairman Jose Luis Martin "Chito" Gascon has succumbed to Covid-19, CHR spokesman Jacqueline Ann de Guia confirmed on Saturday. Gascon, who succeeded Loreta Ann Rosales, was the seventh chairman of the CHR. He was appointed by the late President Benigno Aquino 3rd in 2015 to serve as CHR chairman from 2015 to 2022. Gascon also served as a member of the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board, holding a rank equivalent to justice of the Court of Appeals. He was the youngest member of both the 1987 Constitutional Commission and the 8th Philippine Congress, where he helped pass Republic Act 10742, or the "Sanggunian Kabataan Act," and RA 7610, or the "Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act."
Show cause orders sent to 516 BoC staff
THE Bureau of Customs (BoC), in line with its anti-corruption campaign, has issued show-cause orders against 516 employees who were linked to corruption and other forms of irregularities. The show cause orders, issued from January to September 2021, led to the dismissal, suspension, relief and reshuffling of errant customs employees. In a report to Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) said that it conducted 126 personnel investigations, which resulted in the filing of 31 administrative cases before the Legal Service. In addition, the BoC was also able to transmit 57 cases to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and one to the Office of the Ombudsman. Three customs employees were also dismissed, 12 were suspended, six were reprimanded and another six were relieved, while 543 were reshuffled or transferred to various offices and ports due to irregular and unlawful activities.
BUSINESS: Digital banking to double in 2026
Over to business, digital-only banking penetration in the Philippines is expected to double in the next five years, according to a survey. Finder.com's Digital Banking Adoption Report said 18 percent of Filipinos presently have a digital bank account, with another 18 percent planning to acquire one within the next five years. By 2026, 36 percent of Filipinos, or around 26 million people, will have a digital-only bank account, it underscored. Digital-only banking usage in the Philippines is expected to increase far faster than the global average, Elizabeth Barry, Finder's global fintech editor, remarked.
SPORTS: FilBasket finds new home in SBMA
In sports, the first tournament of the newly formed FilBasket League will be held at Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), not in Batangas as earlier planned. League commissioner Jai Reyes confirmed the news to The Manila Times on Saturday. The FilBasket's first season was originally set at Splendido in Laurel, Batangas, but plans did not push through because the province is still under general community quarantine (GCQ). FilBasket will have 11 teams competing with the confirmation of Puma-Medical Depot and the Bacoor Strikers.
Marlen Ronquillo is our front page columnist. He discusses the lessons that can be learned from the recent revelations of the Pandora Papers.
Today's editorial believes the Senate probe on Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. could harm public interests. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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For The Manila Times, this is Paulo Dimaapi.