Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, May 25, 2024.

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READ: Marcos to military: Foil ouster attempts

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the military’s “mission is not over,” as they still needed to thwart attempts to overthrow the government. In his speech during his visit to the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi headquarters in Bongao town, Tawi-Tawi, on Thursday, Marcos said he has been going around military camps to stress the urgency of fighting destabilization. Marcos made the statement amid claims that a group of police officials was plotting to unseat him.

READ: Masinloc fishers seek help from lawmakers

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Filipino fishermen on Friday made an impassioned plea to lawmakers to help them return to their traditional fishing grounds in Bajo de Masinloc. The two panels went to Masinloc town for a public consultation with the fisherfolk and local officials as part of their investigation into the “gentleman’s agreement” said to have been reached by the Duterte administration and the Chinese government to defuse tensions in the West Philippine Sea. Masinloc fisherfolk complain that fishing in Bajo de Masinloc has become more difficult because their movements are restricted by the China Coast Guard and the Chinese maritime militia. The Chinese coast guard has even been directed to detain “trespassers” who venture into Bajo de Masinloc beginning next month. China has taken control of the shoal, claiming it is part of its territory, despite being well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

READ: ‘Aghon’ affects wide swathe of central Philippines

SIGNAL No. 1 was raised Friday over a wide area in central Philippines due to Tropical Depression “Aghon,” the first storm to hit the country this year. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Signal No. 1 is up over Sorsogon, Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Masbate, including Ticao and Burias Islands in Luzon. Aghon was tracked 135 kilometers north-east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, on a west-northwestward track at 30 kilometers per hour.

READ: ‘Divorce won’t solve abusive marriages’

AN official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) says absolute divorce is not the answer to abusive marriages. Speaking on The Manila Times’ Reel Times program, CBCP Executive Secretary on Public Affairs Fr. Jerome Secillano said divorce should not be a “quick fix” to abusive marriages. Earlier this week, the House of Representatives approved, on third and final reading, House Bill (HB) 9349, or the Absolute Divorce Act. Secillano reiterated the Catholic Church’s opposition to the divorce bill as “anti-family” and “anti-marriage.” He said divorce will be a panacea or a “cure-all” to abusive relationships, and that laws should be crafted to curb physical violence. Secillano said existing laws against physical violence in a marriage lack enforcement.

BUSINESS: Rate cuts could spur PH growth

Over to business, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) bid to lower interest rates ahead of the US Federal Reserve (Fed) could help spur economic growth, an analyst said. The central bank’s tempering of its hawkish tone, ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Antonio Mapa said, appears to be driven by an assessment that growth could be slowing faster than expected and that inflation may not be as problematic as initially seen.

SPORTS: Facing Catantan would be an honor – Esteban

In sports, there is a good chance for Filipino fencers Samantha Catantan and Maxine Esteban to face each other at the 2024 Paris Olympics in July. Catantan is representing the Philippines in the Games while Esteban is fencing for Ivory Coast as a naturalized athlete. Whether it be in the elimination round or in the final, Esteban said it would be an honor to fence against her friend and former Philippine national fencing teammate.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Danton Remoto are today’s front page columnists. Contreras says the Senate is not a secret society, Makabenta asks if carbon dioxide was put on trial for overheating the planet, and Remoto looks into what books can be offered for Filipino readers.

Today’s editorial calls for more flexibility on policies on the country’s micro, small and medium enterprise policies. Read the full version in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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