Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, February 15, 2024.

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BANNER: Coalition vs Charter change launched

A NUMBER of religious and civic organizations on Wednesday formed a coalition against attempts to amend the 1987 Constitution. The Koalisyon Laban sa Cha-cha (Coalition against Charter change) said revising the Constitution will not solve the country's problems, as claimed by its proponents. The coalition refuted claims of pro-Chacha lawmakers that the Constitution and its economic provisions are to be blamed for chronic poverty. It said there is no reason to change the Constitution if President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself is "in denial of the corruption and human rights abuses of his father's dictatorial regime."

Lawmakers wrangle over aid program

MEMBERS of the Senate and the House of Representatives continue to wrangle, this time over an aid program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development allegedly being used to woo poor families to support the people's initiative being pushed by congressmen to amend the Constitution. Sen. Maria Josefa Imelda "Imee" Marcos questioned the validity of the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP), which she said was brought to her attention through a "text blast" last Friday.

Zubiri, Romualdez OK 'ceasefire' on JPE's birthday

SENATE President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez agreed to a truce, temporarily stopping the Charter-Change (Cha-cha) row in Congress. Enrile advised Zubiri and Romualdez to support the Marcos administration. Marcos issued a warm greeting for Enrile, who turned 100 years old on Valentine's Day. The President said that Enrile, whose full name is Juan Valentin Furugganan Ponce Enrile Sr., "has attained the status of an icon in the pantheon of Philippine history."

DoJ to charge owners of sunken MT Princess Empress

THE Department of Justice has recommended the filing of criminal charges against the parties responsible for the 2023 sinking of the M.T. Princess Empress that resulted in an oil spill in Oriental Mindoro. The DoJ said the panel of government prosecutors uncovered irregularities in certain documents related to the construction and certificate of public convenience of M.T. Princess Empress. Among those to be charged were R.D.C. Reield Marines Services Inc., the shipping company that owns and operates MT Princess Empress; some of its corporate officers and employees; 19 Philippine Coast Guard personnel; two Maritime Industry Authority personnel; and a private individual. The charges include multiple counts of falsification of public documents by a private individual, multiple use of falsified documents, and multiple counts of falsification of public or official documents.

Economic Cha-cha 'good as dead' if delivered late

BATAAN 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman said the proposed economic Charter change (Cha-cha) would be "good as dead" if delivered only by October. Resolution of Both Houses 6 is pending in the Senate. Roman said at a press conference on Wednesday that if it is "only delivered by October, it's as good as dead because" the filing of certificates of candidacy for the 2025 midterm elections will start in October.

BUSINESS: Govt to amend privatization rules

Topping business, the government is looking to relax privatization rules to allow it to facilitate the sale of idle assets and raise more revenues, Finance Undersecretary Catherine Fong said on Tuesday. The Privatization Council is the policymaking body tasked with overseeing the government's privatization program. It is chaired by the Finance secretary with the Finance, Budget, Trade, Justice and Socioeconomic Planning secretaries as voting members and the National Treasurer and Presidential Commission on Good Government chairman as non-voting members.

SPORTS: Cone: Balance-wise, we put best team together

TIM Cone knows the risk that goes with just naming 12 players in the latest Gilas Pilipinas iteration. Age, injuries during the process of preparation and even tournament games, among others, could play a big factor as Gilas dives into international competitions beginning this February 22 in the FIBA Asian Qualifiers 2025. But the American coach believes the advantages outweigh the disadvantages as he accepts the challenge of piloting Gilas through troubled waters.

Opinion and editorial

Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras calls for the legalization of medical marijuana, Makabenta says the adoption of an official name for the republic should be top priority of the government, while Remoto looks into what is the most coveted on Valentine's Day.

Today's editorial says the end is in sight for the so-called Philippine offshore gaming operators. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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