Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
Today’s podcast is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, the Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer — your trusted building partner.
READ: Comelec dares critics: Sue us
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is standing by its decision to award the P18-billion automated counting machine (ACM) lease contract to the lone bidder and challenged its critics to file a case in court. The contract was awarded to the joint venture of Miru Systems.Comelec Chairman Erwin Garcia said the poll body is on a tight schedule and needs at least six months to prepare the 110 ACMs it will use in the 2025 elections. The election watchdog Democracy Watch Philippines questioned the awarding of the contract to Miru Systems, citing unaddressed concerns about the firm’s technology and questionable record. Democracy Watch warned the Comelec that the South Korean vendor’s proposed system is illegal and could threaten the future of Philippine elections. Democracy Watch convenor Lloyd Zaragoza said his group has repeatedly asked the same questions before the post-qualification evaluations began, but Comelec did not answer them satisfactorily. What was presented during the post-qualification evaluation and demonstration to the Comelec en banc and stakeholders was a prototype of the machine that has never been used in an official election, he said. Zaragoza said the Comelec’s own admission that the machine evaluated was a prototype runs against the Automated Elections Law of 2007, which requires that “the system procured must have demonstrated capability and been successfully used in a prior electoral exercise here or abroad.”
READ: House starts Cha-cha hearings
THE House of Representatives, acting as a committee of the whole, will start on Monday deliberations on the economic Charter provisions proposed under Resolution of Both Houses 7 (RBH 7). Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., one of the RBH 7’s authors, said noted economists were among those invited to the deliberations. Gonzales said the House would hold three hearings a week and try to obtain a vote before Congress’ Holy Week break in March. The Constitution states any amendment can be proposed through a three-fourths vote of Congress or a constitutional convention. It also allows direct proposal of amendments by the people through initiative upon a petition of at least 12 percent of the total number of registered voters, “of which every legislative district must be represented by at least three percentum of the registered voters therein.” The RBH 6 in the Senate seeks practically the same amendments as the RBH 7. The Senate started its deliberations on RBH 6 earlier this month. Both resolutions cover Article XII (Section 11), Article XIV (paragraph 2 of Section 4), and Article XVI (paragraph 2 of Section 11). They both seek to add the words “unless otherwise provided by law” to the provisions and the word “basic” before the words “educational institutions” in the first sentence of paragraph 2, Section 4 of Article XIV. RBH 7, however, does not have the words “each House voting separate.””
READ: PAO chief thanks people for ‘overwhelming’ trust
PERSIDA Rueda-Acosta, the chief of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), said the agency continues to enjoy the confidence of millions of Filipinos, especially the underprivileged and indigents who have been provided by PAO with free legal services. Rueda-Acosta, who celebrated her 23 years as head of PAO, said on Sunday she was thankful for the public’s overwhelming trust. She was appointed by then-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to head PAO in 2000. A survey in 2021 by the Social Weather Stations showed that PAO garnered the highest net trust rating in the justice sector. Commissioned by the Justice Sector Reform: Governance in Justice II through the United Nations Office for Project Services, the poll showed that 57 percent of the 3,900 respondents trust PAO. Among professionals in the justice sector, PAO lawyers were the most trustworthy at 58 percent, followed by private lawyers (43 percent) and judges (37 percent). Rueda-Acosta credited the recognition to the agency officials and personnel, particularly the public attorneys dedicated to helping the indigent people.
READ: Dancing with robots: How teachers can use AI in schools
WITH all of these worries and uncertainties, it’s no wonder that some educators are overwhelmed by the coming of AI. Read the conclusion of Danton Remoto’s report on How teachers can use AI in schools.
In Business
READ: Recto: PH to exit ‘gray’ list this year
THE Philippines’ having been kept on a global dirty money watchlist has underlined ongoing government efforts to implement reforms and achieve an exit this year. Finance Secretary Ralph Recto expects the country to be removed from heightened Financial Action Task Force monitoring, telling The Manila Times on Sunday that “President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed relevant government agencies to do what’s necessary to comply with [the] FATF.” IMF Resident Representative Ragnar Gudmundsson, meanwhile, told The Times that “the efforts of getting out of the list have been acknowledged, and I think there’s a strong commitment — there’s been a request for an action plan to get out of the list — so we’re hopeful that progress will be made.” Gudmundsson, who ahead of the FATF decision had urged the government to step up efforts during a Manila Times economic forum, also said, “I think there’s an impetus to get out of the list by the end of the year.” Last Friday, the intergovernmental FATF announced that the country would remain on the “gray list” of states requiring heightened monitoring of their anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorists (AML/CFT) systems.
Topping Sports
READ: La Salle tames UST for 2nd win
DE La Salle University frustrated the error-prone University of Santo Tomas, claiming a rousing 26-24, 23-25, 25-21, 25-15 win in the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Volleyball Tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Sunday. In a battle of preseason champions, the 2023 V-League champions Green Spikers prevailed to forge a tie at the second spot with the 2023 PNVF Challenge Cup holders Golden Spikers at 2-1, leaving Far Eastern University as the lone undefeated team in the eight-team field. After the first three sets went tight until the end, the Green Spikers unleashed all their blows in the fourth as Noel Kampton and Vince Maglinao linked up for the blowout 25-15 clincher. It was also Kampton along with multiple errors from UST that lifted La Salle to a 2-1 set lead, turning a 16-14 affair to a huge 24-19 lead before Josh Ybañez’s pipe attack error ultimately ended the set. Kampton led the Green Spikers in scoring with 18 points and 14 excellent receptions while JM Ronquillo and Maglinao got 16 points apiece as well. The latter also had 20 excellent receptions and five digs. Reigning MVP Josh Ybañez paced the Golden Spikers with 20 points and 22 excellent receptions but his team committed 40 errors, including 15 right away in the opening period.
READ: PH routs Iran, stays perfect in Hockey Worlds
THE Philippine national ice hockey team continues to roll in the 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships Division 3B on Saturday by defeating Iran 14-2 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Forwards Kenwrick Sze and Steven Füglister had multiple points in the game, with Sze (3 goals, 2 assists) and Füglister (3 goals, 5 assists) each tallying hat tricks during the game. Sze and Füglister each had two goals in the 7-goal first period, along with goals from forward Jan Aro Regencia, defenseman Eishner “EJ” Sibug, and captain Manvil Billones.
READ: Opinion
Time, in its editorial, makes a call for an end to Ukraine’s ‘days of pain.’ 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 says the Constitution is not to blame for the economic woes that the country is facing but the EDSA people power revolution’s ramifications that have created obstacles to economic growth; Aquino on a dismal report on education and Tatad’s tribute to Jerry Tiu whom he describes as a ‘brother to all.
For more news and information, read The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Linked In; and be part of our communities on Viber, Telegram, and Mastodon.