Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Friday, October 15, 2021.
READ: Lockdowns don't work – Lacson
IF elected president, Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson will consider putting an end to lockdowns, which he said were ineffective in slowing down Covid-19 transmission. Lacson, who is seeking the presidency in next year's elections with Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd as his running mate, also deplored the government's apparent preference for a particular brand of vaccine against Covid-19, which he said has "efficacy problems." During a media forum on Thursday, he said that despite implementing the world's longest lockdown, the country has not prevented the spread of Covid-19, much less helped it recover economically.
READ: Lunch with former President Erap
Times chairman emeritus Dr. Dante Arevalo Ang recently caught up with former president Joseph Estrada at the latter's Greenhills home and discussed their lunch together. Read Dr. Ang's full story on the Times' print, digital and online editions.
READ: Marcos a runaway winner in street survey
FORMER senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will be a runaway winner in the 2022 presidential race, based on the series of Kalye (street) Survey conducted by different vloggers. Marcos is running for president under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas banner. The Kalye Survey, conducted from October 1 to 11, showed Marcos is the preferred choice over six other candidates, with over 60 percent of respondents saying they will vote for him. Also in the list were Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo, Senators Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao, Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa; Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio; and Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso.
READ: Lacson blasts gov't hospitals' 'hidden' budget
SEN. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson slammed the alleged huge off-budget income of some government hospitals which they do not fully use. Lacson raised the issue on Wednesday during his interpellation of the Department of Health (DoH)'s proposed budget for 2022. He reiterated his concern during a media forum on Thursday, saying that state hospitals such as the National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI) and the Philippine Heart Center of the Philippines (PHCP) have "hidden or reserved funds which were not being used."
READ: 'Substitution no mockery of electoral process'
THE ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) on Thursday said there was nothing wrong with political parties availing the period for substitution of their standard-bearers in the 2022 national elections. Melvin Matibag, secretary general of the PDP-Laban led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, made the statement as he rejected claims that the substitution option for candidates is a mockery of the electoral process. He brushed aside speculations that the ruling party's presidential candidate, Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, is merely a "placeholder" for Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Caprio, who has already rejected running for the country's top post. He stressed that dela Rosa is not a "last minute candidate" as he is on the shortlist of possible presidential candidates of the ruling party since it began the internal selection process.
BUSINESS: GDP growth to hit target – Dominguez
Topping business, economic growth will still hit the government's downwardly adjusted 2021 target despite an expected third quarter slowdown, a Cabinet official said on Thursday. When asked about the possibility of meeting this year's 4-5 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth target, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd said the Finance Department will be sticking to that growth target and expects that they will reach it.
SPORTS: Wong staying in shape for next year's competitions
In sports, Agatha Wong, a three-time Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist in wushu, is trying to do her best to stay in shape for next year's international meets. Wong is looking forward to competing in a physical platform for the first time since the 2019 Southeast Asian Games next year at the SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Ruben Torres are today's front page columnists. Tiglao continues his tirade over Maria Ressa's Nobel Peace Prize, while Torres discusses the no vaccination, no work policy of the government.
Today's editorial believes a shift to clean energy needs a shove, not just a push. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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On behalf of The Manila Times, this is Aric John Sy Cua reporting. Have a safe Friday ahead.