HEADLINES: Wescom chief agreed to China's 'new model' | May 8, 2024

HEADLINES: Wescom chief agreed to China’s ‘new model’ | May 8, 2024

Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner.

READ: Wescom chief agreed to China’s ‘new model’

A RANKING Chinese official on Tuesday presented a recorded phone conversation purportedly between an embassy diplomat and Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, chief of the Western Command (Wescom), who said the entire chain of command of the Philippine military was on board with the “new model” for peacefully managing the situation in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. There was no way to immediately confirm if it was Carlos on the recording played for The Manila Times, as the vice admiral had gone on personal leave. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said Carlos’ leave had nothing to do with the “new model” that the Chinese Embassy in Manila said he agreed to, with the approval of ranking Philippine officials. In the recording made on July 5, 2023, Carlos told the Chinese diplomat that his “bosses” concurred with the proposal, referring to the “new model” that China submitted to the Philippine government.

READ: 104 Chinese vessels spotted in West PH Sea

A TOTAL of 104 assorted Chinese vessels have been monitored in Philippine-held or claimed features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) from April 30 to May 6. Based on data provided by Philippine Navy spokesman for the WPS, Commo. Roy Vincent Trinidad, on Tuesday, these vessels were seen in seven features in the WPS. Spotted in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) during the period were three China Coast Guard vessels (CCGVs), two People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships, 16 Chinese maritime militia vessels and two rigid-hulled inflatable floats.

READ: Maricel Soriano denies reports alleging drug use

VETERAN actress Maricel Soriano on Tuesday denied allegations that she was involved in illegal drugs after documents purportedly leaked from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) named her and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as users. Testifying before the Senate Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs, Soriano said she did not know why she was invited to the hearing and that she had not seen the documents until they were shown to her. However, she admitted owning the condominium unit — Unit 46C in Rizal Tower in Rockwell in Makati City — mentioned in the reports as being the site of drug-related activities. But Soriano said she had sold the unit in 2012. In 2011, two former household workers filed a complaint of severe physical injury against Soriano, saying they fled from the condominium unit because of her alleged cocaine use, a charge the actress denied.

READ: House panel OKs bill amending RTL

THE House Committee on Agriculture and Food on Tuesday approved the substitute bill that seeks to amend the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL). The bill — which substituted House Bills 212, 405, 1562, 9030 and 9547 — has been approved by the panel subject to style and amendments. In an interview last week, Speaker Martin Romualdez told reporters that the House of Representatives is set to cut the price of rice “by at least 10 or even 15 pesos… by ordering the National Food Authority (NFA) to bring affordable rice to the market.”

BUSINESS: Inflation up anew but beats forecast

Headlining business, inflation rose for a third straight month in April on account of higher food and transport costs, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday, but beat expectations that it would once again breach the target. Consumer price growth picked up from 3.7 percent in March to 38 percent — within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) 3.5- to 4.3-percent forecast but lower than the 4.1-percent median in a Manila Times poll of analysts. Year to date, inflation stayed within the central bank’s 2.0- to 4.0-percent target at 3.4 percent. Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, also decelerated to 3.2 percent from 3.4 percent, leading to a three-month average of 3.5 percent.

SPORTS: FEU, NU dispute last finals berth

Over to sports, the FEU Lady Tamaraws and the NU Lady Bulldogs dispute the last finals berth in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament as they battle in a do-or-die Final Four match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today, May 8. FEU and NU collide at 4 p.m. with their game serving as the main event of a triple-header that starts with Game 1 between twice-to-beat NU and La Salle in the men’s semifinals at 12 p.m. followed by another men’s Final Four match — Game 2 between UST and twice-to-beat FEU at 2 p.m. The Lady Tamaraws stunned the favorites and twice-to-beat Lady Bulldogs with a 25-23, 25-17, 25- 23 sweep last Saturday, forcing another do-or-die match as they try to reach the championship round where the UST Golden Tigresses are already waiting. Second seed UST made it to the Big Dance after capitalizing on its win-once advantage and dethroning the third seed De La Salle Lady Spikers last Sunday. Momentum is definitely on FEU’s side which looks to be the first no. 4 seed team to make the finals in the women’s division.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, and Francisco Tatad are today’s front page columnists. Tiglao cites a former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency agent that supposedly confirms President Marcos’ drug use, Fr. Aquino continues talking about what an arbitral judgment is, and Tatad looks into the “Bagong Pilipinas” moniker and the current Constitution.

Today’s editorial opposes candidate substitutions in subsequent national elections. Read the full version in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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