Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.

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READ: 'Russia, China blocked Asia leaders' statement'

WASHINGTON — Russia and China blocked a proposed consensus statement for the East Asia Summit drafted by Southeast Asian countries, mainly over objections to language on the contested South China Sea, a US official told Reuters on Saturday (Sunday in Manila). A draft statement arrived at by consensus by the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations was put to the 18-nation East Asia Summit meeting in Laos on Thursday evening, the official said on condition of anonymity. The United States, Japan, Australia, South Korea and India all said they could support it, the official said, adding: "The Russians and the Chinese said that they could not and would not proceed with a statement." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference in Vientiane Friday the final declaration had not been adopted because of "persistent attempts by the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand to turn it into a purely political statement." China's Washington Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment The US official said there were a couple of issues of contention, but the key one was how it referred to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), going further than in the previous 2023 EAS statement China claims nearly all of the South China Sea and has stepped up pressure on rival claimants, including several Asean countries, notably the Philippines. Asean has spent years negotiating a Code of Conduct with Beijing for the strategic waterway, with some Asean states insisting it be based on Unclos.

READ: Miru document to prove its capability to handle polls

MIRU Systems has submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) a crucial document attesting that it is fully qualified to handle the 2025 elections. The joint-venture company presented its Net Financial Contracting Capacity (NFCC), a financial compliance document required in government procurement processes, serving as proof that a contractor has the financial capacity to carry out large-scale projects.The submission of the NFCC came in the wake of the withdrawal of St. Timothy's Construction Company (STCC), one of Miru's partners in the joint-venture deal to digitalize next year's polls. The remaining partners — Integrated Computer Systems (ICS) and Centerpoint Solutions — gave assurances they could comply with the terms of the contract. Ken Cho, Miru Systems' vice president for overseas sales, said that while STCC had helped facilitate the submission of previous compliance documents, it did not provide direct financial backing or technical input to the electoral systems or automated counting machines (ACMs). The joint venture remains 60 percent Filipino-owned, incompliance with local ownership laws, Cho said, adding that STCC's shares have been reallocated to the remaining partners, strengthening their role in the consortium. ICS took the lead in submitting the replacement NFCC to Comelec, he said.Cho vouched that ICS is well equipped to meet the financial and operational requirements of the election project.

READ: Asia-Pacific meet on disaster risk reduction starts

THE Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction begins today, October 14, at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, the first time the country is hosting the biennial event. To run until Friday, the conference is the main platform in the region for monitoring, reviewing and enhancing cooperation in disaster risk reduction, as prescribed by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. The framework calls for "the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries," according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. This year's conference has the theme "Surge to 2030: Enhancing Ambition in Asia-Pacific to Accelerate Disaster Risk Reduction."More than 4,000 delegates from 69 countries are expected to discuss ways to enhance disaster risk reduction strategies, adopt best practices from other countries, and fast-track mitigation programs.Marcos will host a ministerial reception in Malacañang on Monday night before leading the grand opening ceremony the next day.Classes and government work in Manila and Pasay will be suspended from October 14 to 15 in anticipation of the "numerous participants expected to travel to and within" the two cities. Agencies involved in the delivery of basic health services preparedness and response to disasters and calamities, and/or performance of other vital services are not covered by the suspension. Private companies will have the discretion to call off work during the duration of the conference.

READ: Spacecraft to scour Jupiter moon for ingredients for life

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — A NASA spacecraft is ready to set sail for Jupiter and its moon Europa, one of the best bets for finding life beyond Earth.Europa Clipper will peer beneath the moon's icy crust, where an ocean is thought to be sloshing fairly close to the surface. It won't search for life but rather determine whether conditions there could support it. Another mission would be needed to flush out any microorganisms lurking there. Its massive solar panels make Clipper the biggest craft built by NASA to investigate another planet . It will take 5 1/2 years to reach Jupiter and will sneak within 16 miles (25 kilometers) of Europa's surface — considerably closer than any other spacecraft.Liftoff is targeted for this month aboard SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center — mission cost: $5.2 billion.One of Jupiter's 95 known moons, Europa, is almost the size of our own moon. It's encased in an ice sheet estimated to be 10 miles to 15 miles or more (15 kilometers to 24 kilometers)thick. Scientists believe this frozen crust hides an ocean that could be 80 miles (120 kilometers) or more deep. The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted what appear to be geysers erupting from the surface. Discovered by Galileo in 1610, Europa is one of the four so-called Galilean moons of Jupiter, along with Ganymede, Io and Callisto.

READ: Go defends Duterte's war on illegal drugs

Sen. Bong Go defended the Duterte administration's war on drugs and called for an impartial Senate inquiry on the alleged human rights violations committed in executing the campaign against drug suspects.Go dismissed as "diversionary tactic" the allegation of retired police colonel Royina Garma that Duterte wanted to replicate the so-called Davao model drug war, which gave law enforcers P20,000 for each street-level drug suspect killed. The senator on Sunday slammed efforts to tarnish the legacy of former president Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs amid allegations made against him during the House of Representatives quadcomm hearings. In a statement, Go underscored the public's right to truth and fairness but at the same time defended the integrity of Duterte's administration and his role during that period. He said combating illegal drugs and crime "was the cornerstone" of Duterte's campaign that led to his presidential victory in 2016.While he prefers to focus on public service work, Go said he would "not allow his name to be tarnished by baseless accusations."

Topping Business

READ: BSP likely to deliver another 25-bps cut

MONETARY authorities will likely order another 25-basis point (bps) rate cut this Wednesday given slowing inflation, analysts polled by The Manila Times said. Central bank Governor Eli Remolona Jr. has said even if some risks materialize, inflation was likely to remain within target over the medium term, averaging 3.3 percent this year, 2.9 percent in 2025 and 3.3 percent the year after that. In a magazine interview published last week, he said that "with inflation now on a target consistent path, we have room for a calibrated shift to a less restrictive monetary policy stance." While another 25-bps rate cut will only put the BSP level with the US Federal Reserve, which last month announced a jumbo 50-bps reduction and could again cut next month, Remolona has said that 50 bps will only be considered if the economy was at risk of a hard landing — a marked slowdown.

In Sports

READ: PH bets cop 2 more golds in Asian Kickboxing

FILIPINO Olympic pugilist Hergie Bacyadan and Carlo Von Buminaang clinched one gold medal each at the 2024 Asian Kickboxing Championships in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In her first tournament since the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, at the final of the women's K1 -70 kilogram division, Bacyadan defeated China's Teng Jinwei via abandonment, to seal the gold. The Paris Olympian clinched the gold medal when it appeared that Teng backed out from the final bout. In the semifinals, she already defeated Raksa Samnang of host nation Cambodia after knocking her out three times to advance to the gold medal bout.Ironically at the Paris Olympics, in her only bout of the women's 75 kg division, Bacyadan lost via unanimous decision to Li Qian, who is from China. Li would win gold after defeating Panama's Atheyna Bylon via split decision in the final back in August. Earlier on Saturday, the Philippines already secured its first two gold medals from the tournament, both of them coming from Jovan Medallo in the musical form events.

READ: Opinion

The Times, in its editorial, says calls for Mideast truce must not be drowned out by war drums. Read the full version on print or digital or listen to the Voice of the Times. Featured columnists on the front page are Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco Tatad. Tiglao claims Congress probes are intended to destroy Duterte for May 2025 elections; Aquino on Royina's book of revelations; Tatad says BBM engages China on South China Sea issues.

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