Elected, not selectedOfficials of constitutional bodies such as the Comelec and the Office of the Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan etc., should be elected not selected. Given the various controversies that now hound constitutional bodies, this idea has become quite attractive as far as insuring the independence and competence of such bodies. There was a time when you could not even imagine casting doubt, much less suspicion on those who head such respected institutions. But in the last year alone, the competence and integrity of such offices have been put under question. For the longest time, we have treated the work of constitutional bodies as simply prosecutorial of the corrupt or the independent body that holds court over election matters.

Higher for longerLast Friday, Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell made his much-awaited keynote speech at the Jackson Hole economic symposium. Woodstock for economistsThe annual symposium in Jackson Hole is considered the holy grail for economists and central bankers. It is, therefore, essential for investors to take their cues from Powell’s latest Jackson Hole statement. The hawkish stance of central bankers, coupled with the recent credit rating downgrades (see Fitch downgrade hurts markets, Aug. 7, 2023; Moody’s downgrades US banks, Aug. 14, 2023) results in a scenario where interest rates will remain higher for longer. Higher interest rates would indeed tame inflation eventually, but these would also hamper economic growth, increase recession risk, and usher financial market volatility.

The Philippine team is all set to compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Under-18 Women's Softball Asia Cup to be held in Pingtan, Fujian, China from August 29 to September 3, 2023. Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asaphil) president Jean Henri Lhuillier is optimistic and enthusiastic of the team's chances in the tournament. Get the latest newsdelivered to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyThe Asia Cup is also a qualifying tournament for the WBSC Under-18 Women's Softball World Cup to be held in 2024. 3 China, will vie for one of the three available tickets for the 2024 World Cup. Lizviminda Jalandoni, assistant coach Sheirylou Valenzuela, pitching coach Kaith Ezra Jalandoni and head of delegation Dino Bernardo Lee.

Tier 1 ranking is an indication that a country is fully compliant with the minimum standards aimed to eliminate human trafficking and is actively working to address the issue. Human trafficking is one of the pressing issues President Marcos is expected to raise in the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia next month, Malacañang said. Marcos has been given a situation update on human trafficking and he "understands very clearly the depth and how widespread this problem is." While the country seeks to create more jobs for Filipinos, it must also limit — if not totally eradicate — human trafficking. They also identified hotspots for human trafficking.

Such a finish would grant the team an automatic berth to the 2024 Paris Olympics — a goal that is surely in the mind of every Asian team in the tournament. So far, all Asian teams have dropped their first assignments, with Gilas Pilipinas being the lone team that managed to put up a fight and avoid being blown out by higher-ranked opponents from the Americas and Euro qualifiers. Co-host Japan came the closest to Gilas Pilipinas' feat, being able to put up a fight in the early going against Germany. Jordan was also one of the other Asian teams that held its ground, but stunningly lost steam in the end. The rest of the Asian teams absorbed complete blowouts.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: A white man driven by racial hatred shot dead three Black people in a Florida discount store Saturday before taking his own life after a standoff with police, authorities said. "He targeted a certain group of people and that's Black people. And that's very clear," Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters told a news conference about the gunman, who was in his early 20s. The shooting took place near Edward Waters University, a historically Black college in the southern US state. "An on-campus Edward Waters University security officer engaged an unidentified male in the vicinity of the Centennial Library on campus," it said.

Thirty percent of the world's population – about two billion people – have no access to safe drinking water. A major reason is the high cost of water treatment plants. We meet a researcher whose low-cost method for purifying water using natural ecosystems is now in use in over 30 countries. In an alternative approach, another researcher developed an artificial crystal for use in water bottles that removes harmful heavy metals like lead. It's contributing to one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals of safe water for all.

GILAS Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes had no intentions of benching Kai Sotto in the Philippines-Dominican Republic FIBA World Cup game at the Philippine Arena on Friday evening, August 25. He was playing really, really well," explained Reyes. Gilas Pilipinas’ Kai Sotto (left) and Dominican Republic’s Angel Delgado battle for the rebound during the Philippines-Dominican Republic FIBA World Cup game at the Philippine Arena on Friday evening, Aug. 25, 2023. He was a minus 4 in the plus minus category. Edu, who shot 3-of-3 from the field, was a +4 in the plus minus department.

The prelate said the Kidapawan diocese’s website and social media accounts of several religious personalities, including himself, in Cotabato were hacked on August 20 and were still unrecovered as of Saturday, August 26. ADVERTISEMENTBagaforo reported that a check on the transparency section of the Kidapawan diocese’s Facebook account on Saturday morning indicated that the page is being managed from Pakistan. The Kidapawan diocese’s Facebook page has been a source of religious news and information as well as live novena and Holy Masses. He also recommended inviting the presence of telecommunication firms and social media firm Meta, which runs Facebook, to shed light on the phenomenon that largely happens on their platform. Aside from being Kidapawan bishop, Bagaforo is also the current president of the Caritas Pilipinas of the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines.

Five of them were core members of the syndicate, and the rest were holders of stooge bank accounts. The premises were used for keeping their crime proceeds, and police seized about HK$600,000 in cash there. Investigations found that the arrestees used at least 52 bank accounts to launder over HK$124 million between last October and this August. Police added they are now actively investigating the whereabouts of other crime proceeds. Police also remind citizens not to rent or sell their bank accounts, securities accounts, or accounts on other payment platforms to handle sums and assets of unknown origin.

PLAYING in front of a record crowd of 38,115 fans in his FIBA World Cup debut, Jordan Clarkson did all he could for the home team Philippines against the Karl-Anthony Towns-led Dominican Republic. Clarkson poured 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists but his efforts went down the drain as the Dominicans escaped with an 87-81 triumph at the Philippine Arena. Just kind of upset we didn't come out with the win. Some things didn't go our way but we fought hard," said Clarkson, who shot 9-of-24 from the field. Like I said, some things didn't go our way toward the end.

He should have spared his officials all the hewing and hawing by saying the price goal for rice was misspoken. Given price stickiness, it is unlikely rice prices will turn around and head south. Palay, unmilled rice, is now selling at about P35 per kilo. The simple reason unmilled rice is selling at that price is the higher cost of farm inputs. If we force the farmers to sell unmilled rice at a lower price than what is currently prevailing, they will simply stop farming.

President Marcos wants simplified visa application for foreignersPhilippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr delivers his speech during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 24, 2023. MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has directed government agencies to simplify visa application for foreign tourists and students to encourage them to come to the country. Also part of the recommendations is allowing online submission of student visa applications. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were five million foreign students who applied for visas, he said. As of Aug. 14, the country has welcomed 3.4 million foreign visitors, representing 71.4 percent of the 4.8 million baseline industry target for this year.

The FIBA Basketball World Cup got underway in three Asian countries on Friday, with co-hosts the Philippines losing to Dominican Republic 87-81 in a game that shattered the tournament's 29-year-old attendance record. FIBA said a record crowd of 38,115 attended the world's largest indoor arena north of the capital Manila, erasing the previous record of 32,616 fans that watched the US-Russia final at the 1994 World Cup in Toronto, Canada. The basketball-obsessed and boisterous Filipino fans went home disappointed, however, following the defeat of the 40th-ranked Philippines to 23rd-ranked Dominican Republic. "We found a way to stay disciplined tonight," Dominican Republic center Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters. Seven teams, two each from the Americas and Europe as well as one apiece from Africa, Asia and Oceania, will qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics based on their World Cup finish.

BOEING and a key supplier say that a new manufacturing flaw could delay deliveries of the 737 Max, Boeing's best-selling plane. Airline supplier Spirit AeroSystems, along with Boeing, have discovered a new issue affecting the 737 Max jetliners that could delay its deliveries to clients. Airline supplier Spirit AeroSystems, along with Boeing, have discovered a new issue affecting the 737 Max jetliners that could delay its deliveries to clients. Boeing said the issue does not affect safety of flight, and 737 Max planes already in service can keep flying. Spirit AeroSystems builds the fuselage for Boeing's 737 Max narrowbody jet and substantial sections of aircraft bodies in other Boeing models.