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Wolves rout Nuggets, extend run

ANTHONY EDWARDS scored 29 points, Julius Randle added 25 and the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 115-95 on Wednesday for their season-high sixth win in a row.

Jaden McDaniels contributed 16 points, Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Donte DiVincenzo added 10 points for Minnesota, which has beaten Denver five straight dating back to the 2024 playoffs.

Nikola Jokic had 34 points and eight rebounds, Russell Westbrook scored 19 points, Jamal Murray finished with 12 points and eight assists and Michael Porter Jr. logged 10 points and nine boards for the Nuggets.

Denver struggled from deep, making just seven of 30 shots (23.3%) and fell into a tie with the Memphis Grizzlies for second place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Minnesota used a smothering defense to take a 57-48 lead at intermission. The Nuggets shot 42.6% in the first half despite Jokic and Westbrook combining to go 17-for-25 from the field. — Reuters

Winning is everything

Not a few quarters found themselves wanting in the aftermath of the supposedly marquee matchup between the Celtics and the Thunder on Thursday. Not that the set-to wound up being a blowout; on the contrary, the scores were close from start to finish. Rather, the disappointment was borne of the manner in which the proceedings unfolded. When the battlesmoke cleared, the defending champions had a record 63 three-point attempts to their name. Meanwhile, the Western Conference pacesetters went to the charity stripe a whopping 35 times. In other words, style got in the way of substance.

To be sure, the Celtics have ample reason to believe their preferential option for the trey resoundingly redounds to their benefit. For one thing, it enabled them to claim their 18th title last year. For another, they continue to boast of the personnel required to employ a devastating five-out offense that counters the Thunder’s propensity to pack the paint. The flipside is that head coach Joe Mazzulla’s predilections invariably invite significant variance. On Thursday, for instance, they stayed true to the so-called scorer’s mentality and kept on chucking from behind the arc regardless of their misfires; a full two-thirds of their field goal tries were for threes.

Not coincidentally, the Thunder opted to be just as stubborn with their strategy; per bench tactician Mark Daigneault, they sought seams in the Celtics’ interior defense and feasted on twos even from the dreaded midrange. As with the green and white, previous successes fortified their belief in the efficacy of their methods. And, to this end, it certainly helped that they had Move Valuable Player candidate (and frequently fouled) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to lead them. Whether or not he’s a whistle merchant depends on perspective, but there can be no questioning the results; not for nothing was he able to trek to the line 11 times, just one short of the opposition’s aggregate.

Perhaps the contest would have been as aesthetically pleasing as conventional wisdom desired had it featured more fastbreak points. That the Celtics and the Thunder ultimately generated a mere 23 between themselves and instead resorted to rinse-and-repeat uglyball served to fuel critics’ views on why pro hoops ratings are down. They couldn’t care less, of course. After all, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Appearances are secondary. Winning is everything.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Workshop teaches Filipino kids the ABCs of money

The earlier you start learning how to manage money, the better you become with it, said Brian H. Snoeck, a finance expert who led a financial literacy session for children organized by Skill Builders Academy PH.

Skill Builders Academy PH is a social enterprise startup that offers life skills programs for children. For every workshop held in villages where kids can afford to enroll, it also organizes a free workshop for underserved students in public schools.

Interview by Patricia Mirasol
Video editing by Jayson Mariñas

Duterte takes responsibility for Philippines drug war, anticipates long ICC battle

RODRIGO DUTERTE — PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/ ROBINSON NIÑAL

MANILA – Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he takes full responsibility for his administration’s “war on drugs”, in a video message posted on his Facebook account, as he braces for a legal battle at the International Criminal Court.

“Whatever happened in the past, I will be the front of our law enforcement and the military. I said this already, that I will protect you, and I will be responsible for everything,” Mr. Duterte said. His remarks were his first since being put on a plane to The Hague.

Mr. Duterte was taken into custody by the ICC on Wednesday following his arrest in Manila on murder charges linked to his “war on drugs” in which thousands of purported dealers and users were killed.

The video, which has been viewed 10 million times, showed only Mr. Duterte speaking, while wearing a plain white shirt. It appeared to have been recorded inside the plane, with the faint hum of the engine audible in the background.

In a statement, the ICC said Mr. Duterte was “surrendered to the custody of the International Criminal Court. He was arrested by the authorities of the Republic of the Philippines…for charges of murder as a crime against humanity”.

He will be brought before an ICC judge in The Hague in coming days for an initial appearance, the statement said. He was transferred to a detention unit on the Dutch coast.

“This will be a long legal proceeding, but I say to you, I will continue to serve my country. And so be it, if that is my destiny,” Mr. Duterte said, while assuring his supporters he was well.

“I am okay, do not worry,” the 79-year old former Philippine leader said in the more than two-minute video clip.

Mr. Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 , will face allegations of crimes against humanity for overseeing death squads in his anti-drugs crackdown. He could become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC.

The ICC arrest warrant says that as president, Mr. Duterte created, funded and armed the death squads that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers.

During his six years in office, 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations, by the police’s count.

Mr. Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte, the Philippines’ vice president, arrived in The Hague on Wednesday evening, her office said.

Lawyers and academics said the arrest and transfer were a big moment for the ICC, which is targeted by U.S. sanctions and does not have any police of its own to arrest people.

A State Department spokesperson said the United States is aware of Philippine authorities’ arrest of Mr. Duterte. — Reuters

2025: The year businesses integrate generative AI

After years of exploring AI, 2025 is expected to be the year when businesses integrate generative AI into their operations, said Paul Chen, Head of Solutions Architects, ASEAN, AWS.

Interview by Edg Adrian Eva
Video editing by Arjale Queral

South Korea charges air force pilots with criminal negligence in accidental bombing of village

PIXABAY

SEOUL – South Korean military investigators charged two Air Force pilots on Thursday with criminal negligence over an accidental bombing of a village last week during a training exercise, which injured at least 29 people and caused extensive property damage.

Defense ministry investigators have confirmed that errors by the pilots when they entered coordinates into the aircraft systems were “direct factors” behind the accidental bombing, the ministry’s Criminal Investigation Command said in a statement.

The pilots were charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, the command said, adding the investigation of the incident is ongoing.

Eight unguided air-to-surface bombs were launched from two fighter jets and landed on a village in Pocheon near the border with North Korea during live-fire exercises.

Several areas in Pocheon and neighboring regions have training grounds used by the South Korean and U.S. militaries.

Residents have for years complained about potential safety risks and disturbance from military units being mobilized in the area.

The two pilots have been taken off flight duties and a review of their flight mission certification has been scheduled, a ministry official said.

The Air Force chief of staff has apologized for the accident and pledged to review mission procedures to prevent similar incidents.

North Korea, which routinely denounces military drills by the South Korean and U.S. militaries, has said the accident showed the risk of the drills triggering armed conflict, citing the possibility the bombs could have dropped north of the border. – Reuters

FTC no longer seeks DOGE-related delay in Amazon trial

REUTERS

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday it does not need to delay a September trial against Amazon, reversing an attorney’s statement earlier in the day that resource shortfalls due to cost-cutting required an extension.

Jonathan Cohen, an attorney for the FTC, said he was wrong about the lack of resources in a statement addressed to U.S. District Judge John Chun in Seattle.

“The Commission does not have resource constraints and we are fully prepared to litigate this case. Please be assured that the FTC will meet whatever schedule and deadlines the court sets,” Mr. Cohen said.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson reiterated the agency’s commitment to the consumer protection case.

“I have made it clear since Day One that we will commit the resources necessary for this case. The Trump-Vance FTC will never back down from taking on Big Tech,” Mr. Ferguson said in a statement.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr. Cohen had outlined a “dire resource situation,” describing the effect of cost-cutting measures enacted under President Donald Trump.

“We have lost employees in the agency, in our division and on our case team,” Mr. Cohen said during the morning hearing.

Other agencies – including the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Education and United States Agency for International Development – have faced drastic cuts under Trump advisor and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s campaign to shrink government. The FTC, which enforces consumer protection and antitrust laws, has not seen large-scale reductions in force.

However, Mr. Cohen said at the hearing that some employees on the case took a resignation offer sent out in January, and others have resigned for other reasons, or are scheduled to be on leave during the trial, with a hiring freeze in force.

Mr. Trump signed an executive order in February forbidding government agencies to hire more than one employee for every four who leave.

The FTC accused Amazon in 2023 of using “deceptive user-interface designs known as ‘dark patterns’ to trick consumers into enrolling in automatically renewing Prime subscriptions.”

Mr. Cohen said the case over what he called the world’s largest subscription program – which Amazon says has more than 200 million subscribers worldwide – involves claims worth at least $1 billion.

Amazon has denied any wrongdoing. The lawsuit also names three of its senior executives as defendants.

Mr. Cohen cited new rules limiting FTC attorneys to buying legal proceeding transcripts on the cheapest delivery schedule, which means they may take weeks to arrive.

The Trump administration has also decided not to renew the lease on the building where most FTC attorneys work, so staff may be required to move offices in the middle of trial preparation, Mr. Cohen said. Travel accounts for FTC staff have been limited, he said.

“If you are in crisis now as far as resources, how are things going to be different in two months?” Mr. Chun asked.

“I cannot guarantee that things won’t be even worse,” Mr. Cohen replied. But he said a delay would relieve strain on attorneys.

Amazon attorney John Hueston had urged the judge not to reschedule, saying trial attorneys come and go in every case, “DOGE or no DOGE,” referring to Mr. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

US Senate Democrats fume over Trump-backed stopgap bill as shutdown deadline nears

By United_States_Capitol_-_west_front.jpg: Architect of the Capitolderivative work: O.J. - United_States_Capitol_-_west_front.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17800708

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democrats huddled for hours on Wednesday plotting a course forward on a stopgap funding bill passed by the Republican-controlled House, with only two more days remaining before a partial government shutdown would be triggered.

In a gambit that is unlikely to succeed, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called for a one-month extension of existing spending with the aim of providing time to complete more comprehensive appropriations bills for this year.

Mr. Schumer warned that his caucus of 47 senators “is unified” in opposing the 6-1/2 month funding bill passed by the House with only one Democrat there voting in favor of it.

Blocking the bill would require at least 41 of Mr. Schumer’s Democrats to vote against limiting debate on it, which could stop the measure dead in its tracks and could lead to a partial shutdown, which Democrats have long opposed as needless chaos. Their wariness of a shutdown comes amid Trump’s rapid-fire campaign to unilaterally shutter many federal operations, which Democrats note is already causing disruption.

“I hope our Republican colleagues will join us to avoid a shutdown on Friday,” Mr. Schumer said in a short speech to the Senate.

Republicans moved to place the blame squarely on Democrats.

“If they decide to shut down the government, it’s 100% a Schumer shutdown at that point,” Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin told Reuters.

The bill would achieve some reductions in non-defense programs and beef up military spending, while handing Mr. Trump more say over how the money would be spent.

Democrats are seeking votes that could highlight spending cuts that many of their voters oppose.

Americans are broadly supportive of the idea of cutting the size of the federal government, with 59% of respondents to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Wednesday saying they supported that goal. But they expressed concern about the way Trump was going about doing so, with a similar 59% saying the opposed the moves to fire tens of thousands of federal workers.

Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who did not attend his party’s mid-day meeting, downplayed options for his party.

“I’m not sure how realistic you’re going to have any other choices than the one that’s in front of us,” Fetterman told reporters, referring to the House-passed funding bill.

Mr. Fetterman criticized elements of the House-passed bill, such as a nearly $1 billion cut to the District of Columbia’s budget, which Democrats argued is financed with city residents’ and businesses’ tax payments.

Nonetheless, Mr. Fetterman said he is willing to vote for the House-passed bill, adding, “I will never vote for chaos — or even more chaos than we are already in right now by forcing a government shutdown.”

Congressional brinkmanship, including repeated near-misses with shutdowns and over the nation’s $36 trillion in debt, has contributed to global ratings agencies’ moves to downgrade the U.S. federal government’s once-pristine credit rating. – Reuters

Ireland donates $16 million to Brazil’s Amazon Fund

STOCK PHOTO | Image by Justus from Pixabay

Ireland announced on Wednesday a donation of 15 million euros ($16.3 million) to Brazil’s Amazon Fund, the Brazilian government said.

The donation to the fund, which aims to stop deforestation and preserve the world’s largest tropical rainforest, will be made over the next three years, Brazil’s Environment Ministry said in a statement.

The donation is Ireland’s first to the fund, raising the list of donors to eight countries, the statement added.

The Amazon fund, which is managed by Brazil’s development bank, supports the prevention, monitoring and combat of Amazon deforestation and fosters sustainable development.

It has funded 123 projects with a total investment of 3.1 billion reais ($534.6 million), the ministry said.

Norway, Germany, United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Switzerland and Japan have also donated to the fund.

The announcement of Ireland’s donation was made in a meeting in Sao Paulo between Brazil’s Environment Minister Marina Silva and Ireland’s Transportation Minister Sean Canney, according to the statement. – Reuters

Britain warns Iran sanctions could be reimposed as UN Security Council meets

Britain-Flag
The British union flag flutters on the Victoria Tower at the Houses of Parliamen, in London, Britain Dec. 30, 2020. — REUTERS/TOBY MELVILLE

UNITED NATIONS – Britain warned on Wednesday that it would trigger a return of U.N. sanctions on Iran, if needed, to prevent it from getting a nuclear weapon as the Security Council met to discuss Tehran’s expansion of its stock of uranium close to weapons grade.

Iran has denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon.

However, it is “dramatically” accelerating enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% weapons-grade level, the U.N. nuclear watchdog – the International Atomic Energy Agency – has warned.

Western states say there is no need to enrich uranium to such a high level under any civilian program and that no other country has done so without producing nuclear bombs. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.

“We are clear that we will take any diplomatic measures to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, that includes the use of snapback (of sanctions), if needed,” Britain’s deputy U.N. Ambassador James Kariuki told reporters ahead of the meeting.

The closed-door meeting was called by six of the council’s 15 members – the U.S., France, Greece, Panama, South Korea and Britain.

Iran’s U.N. mission accused the United States of seeking to weaponize the U.N. Security Council “to escalate economic warfare against Iran,” adding in a post on X: “This dangerous abuse must be rejected to protect the council’s credibility.”

The U.S. mission to the U.N. said in a statement after the council meeting that Iran was “the only country in the world without nuclear weapons producing highly enriched uranium, for which it has no credible peaceful purpose.”

It accused Iran of defying the Security Council and violating IAEA obligations, calling on the council to “be clear and united in addressing and condemning this brazen behavior.”

 

‘SEIZE THE LIMITED TIME’

U.S. President Donald Trump last month restored a “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran in a bid to stop Tehran from building a nuclear weapon. But he also said he was open to a deal and was willing to talk to Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Mr. Trump wrote a letter to Iran calling for nuclear talks, which was delivered on Wednesday, but Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected holding negotiations.

China will hold a meeting on Friday in Beijing with Russia and Iran on the Iranian “nuclear issue”, its foreign ministry said, with both nations sending their deputy foreign ministers.

“We still hope that we can seize the limited time we have before the termination date in October this year, in order to have a deal, a new deal so that the JCPOA can be maintained,” China’s U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong told reporters ahead of the Security Council meeting.

“Putting maximum pressure on a certain country is not going to achieve the goal,” he said.

Iran reached a deal in 2015 with Britain, Germany, France, the U.S., Russia and China – known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – that lifted sanctions on Tehran in return for restrictions on its nuclear program.

Washington quit the agreement in 2018 during Mr. Trump’s first term as U.S. president, and Iran began moving away from its nuclear-related commitments.

Britain, France and Germany will lose the ability to trigger the so-called snap back of all international sanctions on Iran on October 18 when the 2015 U.N. resolution on the deal expires. Trump has directed his U.N. diplomats to work with allies to snap back international sanctions and restrictions on Iran.

Under the complex two-month JCPOA dispute resolution process, the European parties to the deal effectively have until early August to trigger a snapback of U.N. sanctions on Iran. – Reuters

ICC takes Philippines’ Duterte into custody to face murder charges for drug war killings

FORMER PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. DUTERTE — PCOO

ROTTERDAM – Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was taken into custody by the International Criminal Court on Wednesday following his arrest in Manila on murder charges linked to his “war on drugs” in which thousands of purported dealers and users were killed.

The ICC said in a statement Duterte was “surrendered to the custody of the International Criminal Court. He was arrested by the authorities of the Republic of the Philippines…for charges of murder as a crime against humanity”.

The 79-year-old arrived at Rotterdam airport on a chartered plane earlier on Wednesday. He will be brought before an ICC judge in The Hague in the coming days for an initial appearance, the statement said. He was transferred to a detention unit on the Dutch coast.

Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, will face allegations of crimes against humanity for overseeing death squads in his anti-drugs crackdown. He could become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial there.

The ICC arrest warrant says that as president, Duterte created, funded and armed the death squads that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers.

Speaking in a video shot during his arrest in Manila on Tuesday, Duterte asked: “What is the basis for my detention? What is the crime committed?”

An official who read Duterte his rights told him that it was on the basis of a warrant from the ICC accusing him of murder, to which Duterte replied: “It must be murders,” indicating it must be plural.

About 20 anti-Duterte protesters gathered earlier outside the ICC in The Hague with banners, including one that said: “We demand justice and accountability, Rodrigo Duterte is a war criminal!”.

A protester held a big cardboard mask depicting Duterte as a vampire.

“This is great news for Filipino people,” anti-Duterte protester Menandro Abanes said of Duterte’s arrest and transfer to the court. “I’m here to show my appreciation to (the) ICC for doing its job to end impunity.”

Another protester, Mary-Grace Labasan, said: “Actually, he is lucky, because he is experiencing the due process of law compared to the victims who were just being shot and killed without any due process.”

A handful of pro-Duterte protesters also gathered at the court building.

“They handed our president to foreigners,” protester Janet Suliman said. “They brought shame to our (country).”

Back home, for families of Philippine drug war victims, Duterte’s arrest has revived hopes for justice.

The war on drugs was the signature campaign platform that swept the mercurial Duterte to power in 2016. During his six years in office, 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations, by the police’s count.

Activists say the real toll was far greater, with many thousands more slum drug users, some of whom were on community “watch lists” after they signed up for treatment, gunned down in mysterious circumstances.

‘BIG MOMENT’ FOR ICC

Lawyers and academics said the arrest and transfer were a big moment for the ICC, which is targeted by U.S. sanctions and does not have any police of its own to arrest people.

“This is an opportunity for the court to show that it can deal with a big case and can have arrests,” said Iva Vukusic, an assistant professor of international history at Utrecht University.

Other notable fugitives are Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is accused of being criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution and using starvation as a weapon of war in the Gaza conflict, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. Both deny the allegations.

In recent months the ICC prosecutor has also requested arrest warrants for senior Afghan and Myanmar leaders.

HABEUS CORPUS

The former president’s daughter Sara Duterte, the country’s vice president, boarded a morning flight to Amsterdam, her office said, but it did not say what she intended to do there or how long she planned to stay in the Netherlands.

Silvestre Bello, a former labour minister and one of the former president’s lawyers, said a legal team would meet to assess options and seek clarity on where Duterte would be taken and whether they would be granted access to him.

Duterte’s youngest daughter, Veronica, plans to file a habeas corpus request with the Philippine Supreme Court to compel the government to bring him back, Salvador Panelo, his former chief legal counsel, said.

The arrest marks a stunning change of fortunes for the influential Duterte family, which forged a formidable alliance with Marcos to help him win a 2022 election by a huge margin.

But Marcos and his vice president have since had a bitter fallout, culminating in Sara Duterte’s impeachment last month by a lower house led by loyalists of Marcos.

His arrest “means that international justice is not just a Western construct. It’s not just a Western idea. It’s universal,” said Gilbert Andres, a lawyer representing families of victims of drug-related killings. — Reuters

BSP could cut by 50 bps this year

High-rise buildings are seen in Manila, Dec. 23, 2024. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has “greater motivation” to reduce borrowing costs further, analysts said, with expectations of up to 50 basis points (bps) worth of rate cuts this year.

“As we look at our gross domestic product (GDP) figures and inflation rates, we can see that there’s more of a greater motivation for the central bank to actually cut rates now,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Equity Analyst Alexandra G. Yatco said on Money Talks with Cathy Yang on One News.

In a report, Bank of America (BofA) Global Research said it expects a total of 50 bps worth of easing this year.

“We currently see one 25-bp cut in the second quarter and then one more in the fourth quarter, bringing the overnight borrowing rate to 5.25% by end-2025,” it said.

“Central banks across ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) have adopted a wait-and-watch approach, looking for periodic opportunities to ease monetary conditions to mitigate growing uncertainty, emanating from US trade policy, a steady yet slow China, and falling inflation.”

Despite keeping the benchmark rate steady at 5.75% last month amid “global trade uncertainties,” BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. said they are still on an easing mode.

He signaled that a rate cut is still on the table at the Monetary Board’s next rate-setting meeting on April 10.

“With capital outflows dominating capital markets, central banks have stepped up to inject liquidity both to domestic money markets and foreign exchange markets, while tactically cutting policy rates as and when they can,” BofA said.

“We expect this behavior to continue for some time, especially since real rates remain high, growth is uninspiring, and currencies are under pressure.”

BofA said central banks in the region will look to cut rates given the opportunity, as long as this does not disrupt domestic and external stability parameters

“Despite the meandering path central banks have chosen to take, the macro backdrop and our baseline forecasts still point towards broadly stable growth rates, low inflation, and stable fiscal positions,” it added.

BofA expects Philippine inflation to remain within the central bank’s 2-4% target band. So far, headline inflation has averaged 2.5% in the first two months.

“Most importantly, real rates remain high across all economies, giving space to cut rates and ease monetary conditions if needed,” it added.

Meanwhile, BofA said ASEAN banks are expected to “slowly diverge from the Fed.”

“As such, with significant uncertainty, we expect ASEAN central banks to keep balancing between global factors such as US policy rates and the (US dollar index), and domestic growth and inflation backdrop.”

This could make the path of monetary policy “more erratic and uncertain, resulting in increased policy divergence between the Fed and the ASEAN economies, contrary to previous business cycles.”

TARIFF CONCERNS
Meanwhile, BofA also flagged the potential impacts from retaliatory tariffs on the Philippines.

“The concerns around tariffs seem to be affecting the growth side more than the inflation front. As the export demand falls or global trade slows, ASEAN economies could be at a greater risk of a growth slowdown than the risk of an immediate inflationary spiral.”

“Thus, economies such as Philippines and Thailand where domestic demand has remained sub-par could face further headwinds on the external front requiring a more initiative-taking policy,” it added.

Reuters reported President Donald J. Trump’s increased tariffs on all US steel and aluminum imports took effect on Wednesday, stepping up a campaign to reorder global trade in favor of the US and drawing swift retaliation from Europe.  (Related story “Global trade war looms as Trump’s metal tariffs kick in”).

“For the Philippines, the benefit of being a domestic-oriented economy and having a less binding relationship with the US provides it some respite, but tariffs on Philippine exports to the US, especially if aimed at electronics, could diminish its surplus with the US and worsen its overall trade deficit.”

The Philippines’ trade-in-goods deficit widened to $5.09 billion in January, the widest deficit in three months. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

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