Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
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BANNER: 4 hurt as China steps up 'attack'
THE government said Tuesday that China Coast Guard vessels caused two collisions with Philippine vessels and water cannoned a boat, leaving four crew members injured during a resupply mission near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said China's aggressive behavior was a "clear and present challenge" to the Philippine Navy after reporting that "China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia vessels harassed, blocked, deployed water cannons, and executed dangerous maneuvers in another attempt to illegally impede or obstruct a routine resupply and rotation mission."
Dimalanta keeps a steady hand on energy sector
AS chairman of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Monalisa Dimalanta has earned generally high marks from the power industry and consumers alike — not an easy task when trying to balance interests that, more often than not, are diametrically opposed to one another. Last week, she sat with The Manila Times for an exclusive, one-on-one interview, sharing insights into some of the hot-button issues affecting the country's energy sector and providing a glimpse of what lies ahead for her agency, the industry and consumers.
Jinggoy denies being offered Zubiri's post as Senate chief
SEN. Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada on Tuesday denied being a part of an alleged plot to oust Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri from the upper chamber's top post. Estrada said he was ready to sign the resolution of support for Zubiri's leadership that was being passed to some senators for signature.
Senate panel orders arrest of Quiboloy
SEN. Ana Theresia "Risa" Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, on Tuesday cited Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy for contempt after repeatedly snubbing the subpoena issued by the panel. Hontiveros said her panel also sought the arrest of Quiboloy for refusing to appear at the Senate probe into the alleged human trafficking and sexual abuses involving his religious group in Davao City. Quiboloy, who is also wanted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation for sex trafficking of children and a string of other criminal cases, has snubbed invitations by the Senate panel to appear in its hearings.
Court upholds MM single ticketing system
LOCAL government units in Metro Manila can no longer issue their own traffic violation tickets after the Supreme Court ruled that only the single ticketing system of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority shall be used in the National Capital Region. In a decision penned by Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa dated July 11, 2023, but was only made public this week, the Court voided the ordinances of 15 Metro Manila L.G.U's that allowed them to issue traffic violation tickets, ordinance violation receipts and confiscate licenses of erring motorists. However, it added that other local ordinances remained valid and unaffected by the ruling.
BUSINESS: Inflation ticks up to 3.4% in Feb
Over to business, inflation rose to 3.4 percent in February, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday, snapping a four-month decline as prices of key food items — particularly rice — increased at a faster pace. The result — within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' 2.8- to 3.6-percent estimate for the month but higher than the 3.0-percent median in a Manila Times poll of analysts — picked up from January's 2.8 percent. Inflation a year earlier was 8.6 percent, marking the start of a six-month deceleration from January's 14-year high of 8.7 percent. The rate rose anew in August and September and then slowed for the rest of the year, finally returning to the central bank's 2.0- to 4.0-percent target in December. Inflation fell further at the start of 2024, and the latest figure brought the year-to-date average to 3.1 percent. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy items, slowed to 3.6 percent in January from the 3.8 percent seen in the previous month and 7.8 percent a year earlier.
SPORTS: Lady Bulldogs aim for 4th straight win
In sports, after a season-opening loss to the U.S.T. Golden Tigresses, the N.U. Lady Bulldogs racked up three straight wins, showing their deadly form in the U.A.A.P. Season 86 women's volleyball tournament. The Lady Bulldogs look to continue their fine play as they face the F.E.U. Lady Tamaraws at the Mall of Asia Arena today.
Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao recalls on the day former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. was murdered, Fr. Aquino reads into the spirit of the law, while Tatad looks into the real challenge of the President.
Today's editorial discusses a new approach to development and environmental care. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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