Good day. Here are the Top Stories of The Manila Times for Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021.

READ: Lakas adopts BBM as presidential bet

THE partnership b e t w e e n t h e Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) was officially sealed on Wednesday when the former adopted a resolution adopting Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. as its presidential candidate. The party also officially adopted a resolution confirming Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio as its vice presidential bet. The resolutions were adopted during the virtual meeting of the party's Executive Committee late Wednesday afternoon.

READ: Isko also wants to undergo drug test

FOLLOWING the lead of other presidential candidates, Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer and Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso announced on Wednesday he will also voluntarily undergo a drug test. In a letter to Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Wilkins Villanueva, the local chief executive requested the anti-illegal drugs body to facilitate his drug testing. Earlier this week, Senators Panfilo "Ping" Lacson Jr. and Vicente "Tito" Sotto 3rd, as well as former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., voluntarily submitted themselves for a drug test.

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READ: Nov 29 to Dec 1 declared natl vaccination days

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has declared November 29 to December 1 as the "Bayanihan, Bakunahan National Covid-19 Vaccination Days" as the government intensifies its inoculation drive against Covid-19. Duterte signed Proclamation 1253 on Thursday, November 24, mandating the conduct of the three-day national vaccination drive headed by the Departments of Health and the Department of the Interior and Local Government. The "Bayanihan, Bakunahan" program aims to vaccinate 15 million Filipinos across 16 regions outside Metro Manila. At present, 32.9 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

READ: SC upholds Duterte's discretion in WPS

THE Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that President Rodrigo Duterte has the discretion to address maritime disputes, including those involving the West Philippine Sea (WPS), as it dismissed a mandamus petition filed by lawyer Romeo Esmero. The tribunal said that it cannot constrain the President to act in a particular manner in defending Philippine territory. All justices agreed in the ruling penned by Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda. In his petition for mandamus, Esmero said that the filing of diplomatic protests against China cannot be considered a "defense."

READ: TMT forum highlights MSMEs' role in economy

THE Manila Times will host a virtual forum today, November 25, titled "MSMEs: Rising Enterprises, Raising the Economy." The online forum aim to get insights from among the best and brightest young entrepreneurial minds in the pandemic era. Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez will be the keynote speaker at the forum. Other speakers are Gcash Chief Commercial Officer Frederic Levy, J&T Express Philippines Vice President Zoe Chi, and Multisys Technologies Corporation CEO & Founder David Almirol. Broadcast live on The Manila Times Facebook page and YouTube channel, and Dailymotion from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, the forum will be moderated by The Times Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd and editor Dafort Villaseran.

READ: Next president to inherit unfinished drug war

Also on page one is Part 1 of the Times three-part series on the next president inheriting President Duterte's unfinished drug war.

In Business

READ: BoP hits 6-mo high surplus in Oct

THE country's balance of payments (BoP) surplus reached a six-month high of $1.14 billion in October, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data. The result, which was released on Tuesday night, was lower than the $3.43 billion surplus in October 2020, but it more than made up for the $412-million shortfall in September this year. It was also the biggest surplus since April of this year, when the payments position was $2.61 billion in the surplus.

Topping Sports

READ: Knicks hold off short-handed Lakers

LOS ANGELES: Evan Fournier scored 26 points and Immanuel Quickley put up 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) as the New York Knicks thwarted the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers' comeback bid in a 106-100 NBA victory. The Lakers, playing without suspended superstar LeBron James, trailed by 25 in the second quarter. They rallied to tie the score twice in the third period, but never managed to get in front despite a triple-double of 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists from Russell Westbrook. In Detroit, Tyler Herro scored 31 points and pulled down eight rebounds off the bench as the Miami Heat rallied for a 100-92 victory over the Pistons.

READ: Beijing Olympics preps overshadowed by issues

BEIJING: From human rights to coronavirus and now tennis star Peng Shuai, preparations for February's Beijing Olympics have been overshadowed by several controversies. China's ruling Communist Party is however determined to frame the Winter Games as a chance for the country to showcase its prowess and help the world unite in the face of the pandemic. The International Olympic Committee has lauded Beijing for making history in becoming the first host of a Summer Games, in 2008, and now a Winter one.

READ: Opinion and Editorial

In today's Editorial, the Times questions whether the Department of Finance coal plan, while imaginative, will work. Read the full version in the Opinion Section of the paper or subscribe to its Digital edition. Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Edcel Lagman are the columnists on the front page. Contreras writes about universities as safe political spaces. Makabenta proposes that instead of testing for drugs or IQ, rate leadership intelligence or strategic humility. Lagman says that the 'formidable' tandem of BBM and Sara is bound to flounder. Also on page one is Bienvenido Gonzalez who writes about convicting the corrupt.

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This is Christian Crow Maghanoy reporting.