Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Sunday, November 13, 2022.
PH, Asean partner on food security
THE Philippine government is ready to work with the partners of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to ensure food security in the region, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said on Saturday. Marcos made the statement as he joined his fellow leaders during the 25th Asean Plus Three (China, Japan, South Korea) Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Bantag cooperation in Lapid slay case assured
THE counsel of suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag, Rocky Thomas Balisong, said his client is "ready and willing" to actively participate in the preliminary investigations being undertaken by the Department of Justice (DoJ) on the murder of Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa and the death of a New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate tagged as one of the middlemen in the killing of the broadcaster. The problem, Balisong pointed out, is that a subpoena has yet to be issued by the Department of Justice for Bantag.
Fortun: Most corpses from BuCor funeral home mummified
FORENSIC pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun said on Saturday that more than half of the 120 cadavers of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) left unclaimed at a Bureau of Corrections (BuCor)-accredited funeral and due for pathological examination at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) were already mummified because of neglect. She told reporters that she saw 50 remains, which are those that have recently died. There are still 166 cadavers of PDLs unclaimed at the Eastern Funeral Services. Fortun said the autopsy of the remains might start next week, noting that the examination of 50 bodies could take a month to finish. BuCor records said most of the inmates died of acute myocardial infarction or heart attack, pneumonia, cardiorespiratory arrest, cardiovascular accident and suicide. Fortun said she is not discounting foul play in some of the fatalities.
Covid-19 cases continue to decline
THE Department of Health (DoH) has confirmed that cases of Covid-19 have continued to decrease as epidemiologists noted the decline of the Omicron subvariant in many parts of the country. Dr. Rontgene Solante, an infectious disease expert, said in a briefing on Thursday that the "worst" of the Omicron subvariant-fueled surge has subsided in most parts of the country, however, there remains the possibility that surges will reemerge in 2023. Acting Health Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Friday said that based on their observations, cases have started to plateau in Mindanao, while there have been decreases in cases in the National Capital Region and Luzon areas. However, the Visayas is experiencing an uptick in cases, despite having a decrease in the past few weeks. Despite the decrease in the number of cases, the situation in the country entering into 2023 remains fluid, as they can still see a number of increases as the virus that causes Covid-19 will continue to stay.
Good governance resolves wars – Sara
VICE President Sara Duterte-Carpio stressed the importance of good governance in resolving conflicts such as wars, noting that government officials working with integrity and dedication to public service will allow the public to disengage themselves from violence. In her speech at the Kusog Mindanaw Conference in Davao City on Friday, Duterte-Carpio said that Mindanao is now experiencing "peace time," which would allow the government to address the problems that could be exploited by terror groups to foment anger and incite people to resist the government. Duterte-Carpio is the highest Philippine official to attend the group's annual conference.
DTI, ILO accelerate digital training
In business, the Department of Trade and IndustryRegional Operations Group, represented by the Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, and the International Labor Organization (ILO) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to execute several digital entrepreneurship and productivity training in collaboration with the DTI's regional and provincial offices nationwide. Through this partnership, over 20,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and informal businesses will have access to information and training that will allow them to digitalize their businesses at start-up and implementation phases.
Gilas takes on host Saudi in FIBA WCAQ
Over to sports, Gilas Pilipinas looks to build on its confidence-building win over Jordan as the Filipinos face off with host Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Monday morning (12 midnight Manila time) in the fifth window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. The national squad under coach Chot Reyes demonstrated a muchimproved defensive effort, limiting Jordan to just 25 second-half points to hammer out a 74-66 win in Amman. The Jordanians, who drew a huge number from their 1-2 punch of Dar Tucker and big man Ahmad Al Dwairi, shot a miserable 37.3 percent from the floor. Young big man Kai Sotto, Scottie Thompson, Ray Parks and CJ Perez led Gilas' attack, churning out solid all-around performances to win the first of the national team's two away games. But as Gilas' focus now shifts to Saudi Arabia, the Filipinos hope to keep the momentum going against a team they handily defeated, 84-46, during their first meeting last August.
Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, as he looks at the country's map that is pockmarked with areas left behind.
Today's editorial calls on President Marcos to press China on issues surrounding the South China Sea. Read the full version in 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.