Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, November 12, 2022.
READ: Bantag denies hand in Lapid slay
SUSPENDED Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag surfaced on Friday, armed with revelations related to the killing of broadcaster Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa and accusations against Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. He also said a convicted drug trafficker, German Agojo, could be behind the killing of Mabasa last October 3. Agojo has been serving a life sentence since 2002. Bantag said self-confessed gunman Joel S. Escorial and Cristito Villamor, the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate implicated as the middleman in the Mabasa murder, have direct connections with Agojo.
READ: Marcos: Asean must be more responsive
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) must be more responsive to the challenges posed by geopolitical developments if it wants to achieve more inclusive and resilient growth in the region. Speaking before his fellow leaders at the 40th Asean Summit Plenary in Cambodia, Marcos underscored the need for Asean to reassert its "centrality" to cope with "geopolitical dynamics and tensions in the region and the proliferation of Indo-Pacific engagements."
READ: East Timor gets nod to join Asean
Southeast Asian leaders agreed on Friday to allow East Timor to join the 10-nation Asean regional bloc, according to a statement released by summit host Cambodia. East Timor is the youngest country in Southeast Asia, having gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 after 24 years of occupation. During their gathering in Phnom Penh, regional leaders agreed to grant East Timor observer status and the right to attend Asean meetings and summit sessions, according to the statement. The bloc will now draw up a roadmap setting out the criteria East Timor must hit before being granted full membership. The former Portuguese colony is one of the poorest countries in the world and is grappling with high levels of inequality, malnourishment, and unemployment. President Jose Ramos-Horta has long campaigned for Asean membership and an application was first submitted in 2011.
READ: Booster jabs in Metro reaches 126 percent
THE Department of Health (DoH) said that Metro Manila, through the unifying policies of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), has attained 126 percent of booster jabs. The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao had the lowest vaccination turnout, but DoH Officer in Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the region is slowly catching up. She added that DoH and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and its counterparts and MMDA are crafting strategies on the Covid-19 response which will be endorsed on the first week of December. This will be in preparation for the Christmas season. Vergeire said the plans under Covid-19 booster vaccination drive will focus on students and pediatrics because of the resumption of face-to-face classes. She added the DoH is mulling pursuing a one-day or three-day national vaccination drive. The official called for vigilance in light of the policy on the optional wearing of face masks.
BUSINESS: Fitch recasts PH forecasts
Topping business, full-year Philippine economic growth will likely turn out better than earlier expected given surprisingly strong third-quarter results, Fitch Solutions said on Friday. In a report, Fitch Solutions said the better-than-expected economic performance in the year to September has prompted the group to raise their 2022 growth forecast to 7.4 percent, from 6.6 percent previously. The government on Thursday reported gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 7.6 percent, up from 7.5 percent in the second quarter and beating analysts' expectations of a slowdown to around 6.0 percent. Average GDP growth now stands at 7.8 percent, above the government's 6.5- to 7.5-percent target for 2022. Fitch's 7.4-percent forecast for the year means growth will have to slow to 6.1 percent in the final quarter.
SPORTS: Creamline looks to regain bearings
In sports, Creamline looks to get back on the winning track when it faces United Auctioneers Inc. Army in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference today, November 12, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Grand Slam-seeking Cool Smashers battle the Lady Troopers at 2:30 p.m., with their game serving as the appetizer for the main event of the double-header between defending champion Petro Gazz and Chery Tiggo at 5:30 p.m.
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras tackles climate change, Makabenta believes the Percy Lapid murder is more than just a police case and Remoto discusses a new "boys love" series phenomenon in Thailand.
Today's editorial discusses the events at the Asean summit in Cambodia. Read the full version in 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 weekend ahead.