Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for today, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022.
READ: Marcos signs law to fight text scams
PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday signed the SIM Card Registration Act, the first legislation enacted under his administration. The law aims to curb text scams and spam. The ceremonial signing was held in Malacañang with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Speaker Martin Romualdez and other stakeholders standing as witnesses. Republic Act 11394 mandates all public telecommunications entities (PTE) or direct sellers to require buyers of subscriber identity module cards to present a valid identification document with a photo. It likewise directs telecommunication companies to disclose the registered full name and address of the subscriber upon a duly issued subpoena or order from a court. The PTEs are also given 30 days to submit a list of their authorized sellers or dealers to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). This should be updated quarterly.
READ: PNP custodial chief relieved
delivered to your inbox
THE chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial center where former senator Leila de Lima was briefly held hostage by a detainee on Sunday has been relieved. The PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. announced the relief of LtCol Patrick Ramillano in a radio interview on Monday. Azurin said the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is also checking if there were lapses that led to the hostage-taking. He said de Lima was transferred to the PNP General Hospital Sunday night to help her rest and recover from the incident. Her cell in the custodial center is also being cleaned up, Azurin said.
READ: Times chairman bags outstanding publisher award
THE Manila Times’ Chairman Dante “Klink” Ang 2nd has been named Outstanding Publisher by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO). Bianca Mercado, The Times president and chief operating officer, accepted the award on behalf of Ang during the opening of the 7th Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Accredited National Convention of Public Attorneys at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on Monday. The award was presented by Dr. Persida Rueda-Acosta, PAO’s chief public attorney.
In Business
READ: Peso touches 59.98 vs dollar
THE Philippine peso closed weaker again at P59 to a United States dollar on Monday and touched the P59.98 level at intraday, according to Bankers Association of the Philippines data. The average level for the day stood at P58.999. The volume was lower at $402 million from the previous session’s $483.35 million. Since the start of 2022, the peso depreciated against the US dollar by a total P8.00, or 15.7 percent. Meanwhile, the country’s foreign direct investment (FDI) slumped by 64.4 percent year on year to $460 million in July, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data on Monday showed. BSP’s data indicated that the Philippines’ FDI net inflows in July brought the cumulative net inflows to $5.1 billion for the first seven months of 2022, down 12 percent on an annual basis. All major FDI components yielded lower net inflows in January-July 2022 as foreign investors remained cautious amid continued adverse global conditions.
Topping Sports
READ: Nothing to celebrate after win over AdMU – Pumaren
DE La Salle University finally ended its losing skid to rival Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), as the Green Archers scored an 83-78 win over the Blue Eagles on Sunday in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 men’s basketball at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. While the La Salle community is definitely happy, winning over its rival for the first time in five years or since Game Two of the Season 80 Finals on Nov. 29, 2017, Green Archers head coach Derrick Pumaren isn’t hyped at all. In the grand scheme of things, Pumaren believes that winning over Ateneo means nothing if his team, now at the second spot with a 2-1 slate, won’t win it all. Pumaren said that he motivated the Green Archers heading into their game against the Blue Eagles by reminding his players, although none of them have yet to play for La Salle five years ago just as none of the current Blue Eagles, aside from Bryan Andrade, played for Ateneo half a decade ago, that it’s been a while since the green has beaten the blue.
READ: Rahm bags third Spanish Open title
Jon Rahm became the first three-time winner of the Spanish Open since Seve Ballesteros 27 years ago by cruising to a dominant six-shot victory in Madrid on Sunday (Monday in Manila). The former world number one poured in eight birdies and an eagle in a brilliant nine-under-par 62 to finish well clear of second-placed Frenchman Matthieu Pavon. The 27-year-old, who also won the tournament in 2018 and 2019, is only the second three-time champion of the tournament since it became a European Tour event, after Spanish great Ballesteros. He finished 25-under for the week, having only led by one stroke from Australia’s Min Woo Lee overnight. Lee had to settle for third on 18-under after a 68.
The Times, in its editorial, features South Korea’s cultural industry as a model and how KDramas, K-pop music and films have taken the world by storm. Read the full version on print, on its digital edition or listen to the Voice of the Times. Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta are the featured columnists on the front page. Contreras writes about academic freedom, pandemic protocols and logic; Makabenta on the Ombudsman’s double standard, citing the outrage over guard’s bank deposits and its silence on the 2019 SEA Games funds mess.
The Manila Times is celebrating its 124th Anniversary today. We would like to thank our readers for your continued support as we strive to be your news source of choice across all platforms.
For more news and information, get a copy of The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and Keep Up With The Times.
This is Kim Dignadice reporting.