President-elect Bongbong Marcos has committed to use the July 2016 arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to assert Philippine territorial rights.

“We have a very important ruling in our favor and we will use it to continue to assert our territorial rights. It’s not a claim, it is already our territorial right. And that is what (sic) the arbitral ruling can help us,” Marcos said in a Facebook live interview with select media.

These remarks will inevitably get compared to past pronouncements made by President Duterte on the topic. But Marcos in the same interview bared a similarity between him and Duterte when it comes to the WPS issue--they are both opposed to war.

"We’re talking about China and how do we do that? We talk to China consistently with a firm voice and we say na, ‘Eh hindi naman natin puwedeng gyerahin, gusto ba natin gawin ‘yun manggyera pa tayo ngayon?’ Papasok tayo sa gyera? (We can’t go to war against them, do we want to go to war at this point? We’ll enter in a war?) That's the last thing we need right now,” he said.

But this external threat is just one concern of the incoming Marcos administration. There are more local problems to take care, and PBBM needs the help of his team--his Cabinet--for that.

In the same interview, Marcos said he has tapped the services of Ben Diokno and Fred Pascual to take on the position of Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) secretary, respectively.

The President-elect is expected to reveal the rest of his economic team in the coming days.

These are among the top stories this busy Thursday afternoon, May 27, 2022.

1) Living with Covid-19

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/ph-red-cross-bakuna-bus-continues-its-vaccination-drive-in-aklan/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/doh-reiterates-covid-19-vaccines-effective-safe/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/metro-manilas-covid-19-reproduction-number-at-1-25-doh/

2) Comelec Corner

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/pangarungan-says-may-9-polls-surpassed-expectations/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/55-party-lists-proclaimed/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/comelec-issues-urgent-memorandum-asking-poll-officers-to-explain-missing-cocs/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/comelec-says-its-unfair-not-to-proclaim-winning-party-lists-with-pending-cases/

3) BBM interview

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/bongbong-bares-fiscal-policy-codifying-tax-making-distribution-of-wealth-equitable/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/marcos-ph-wont-give-up-maritime-territory-but-wont-go-to-war-either/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/duterte-asked-me-to-continue-drug-war-my-own-way-marcos/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/bongbong-picks-this-ex-solon-as-his-own-bong-go/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/marcos-names-his-dof-dti-secretaries-bares-pick-for-dpwh-post/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/marcos-on-being-called-pbbm-that-will-work/

4) The Marcos Cabinet series

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/the-marcos-cabinet-bienvenido-laguesma-department-of-labor-and-employment/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/the-marcos-cabinet-fred-pascual-department-of-trade-and-industry/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/the-marcos-cabinet-benjamin-diokno-department-of-finance/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/25/the-marcos-cabinet-toots-ople-dmw-secretary/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/25/the-marcos-cabinet-benhur-abalos-dilg-secretary/

5) From the Palace

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/malacanang-ok-with-new-taxes-planned-by-next-administration/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/duterte-approves-investment-plan-for-2022/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/pcoo-presents-duterte-legacy-report-on-may-30-31/

6) Congress Corner

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/sotto-no-more-masks-at-the-senate-on-monday/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/senate-oks-bill-penalizing-wilful-indiscriminate-firing/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/hontiveros-confirms-senate-minority-bloc-for-19th-congress-now-discussing-future-direction/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/hontiveros-hopes-senate-panel-report-on-pharmally-sponsored-adopted-next-week/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/senate-ratifies-report-harmonizing-bills-on-management-of-waste-plastic-packaging/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/drilon-cites-urgent-to-do-list-for-president-elect-marcos-jr/

7) Monkeypox update

8) Foreign Affairs Corner

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/marcos-presidency-an-advantage-in-boosting-ph-us-relations-ambassador-romualdez/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/romualdez-stays-as-ph-envoy-to-us/

9) Education Corner

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/specialized-programs-needed-to-address-equity-gaps-in-education-briones/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/sign-edcom-to-prevent-collapse-of-ph-education-system-duterte-told/

10)  PNP Corner

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/napolcom-to-hold-qualifying-exams-for-mnlf-milf-members-who-want-to-be-cops/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/mimaropa-cops-plant-almost-300000-trees/

11.) New civil engineers

12) World Roundup

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/who-countries-seek-better-guard-for-next-pandemic/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/pope-heartbroken-over-texas-shooting-condemns-arms-trade-2/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/trump-to-address-gun-lobby-meeting-in-wake-of-texas-massacre/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/spain-reports-59-monkeypox-cases/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/four-bombs-kill-at-least-12-in-afghanistan/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/horror-and-pain-as-texas-town-mourns-school-victims/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/the-victims-of-the-tragic-texas-school-shooting/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/pfizer-offers-to-sell-medicines-at-cost-to-poorest-countries-2/

13) Metro Roundup

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/paranaque-lgu-receives-donation-of-2000-doses-of-moderna-vaccines/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/muntinlupas-mayor-elect-biazon-congressman-elect-fresnedi-prepare-for-transition/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/mandaluyong-lgu-to-boost-city-affairs-children-welfare-initiatives/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/antipolo-lgu-opens-vaccination-sites-for-1st-2nd-covid-19-booster-shots/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/sabay-savaxx-kontra-covid-launched-in-mandaluyong/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/luzvimin-heads-seek-mayor-vicos-tips-on-good-governance/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/pateros-mayor-urges-parents-to-hav-their-children-vaccinated-vs-preventable-diseases/

14) Business Corner

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/business-community-lauds-appointment-of-economic-team/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/ph-petrochem-industry-presses-safeguard-duties-on-resin-imports/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/proposed-rice-sale-to-poor-contradicts-rtl-farmers/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/ready-for-bsp-top-position-medalla-2/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/dominguez-suggests-naia-property-sale/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/diokno-is-finance-chief-medalla-takes-over-bsp/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/psei-up-slightly-after-economic-team-named/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/gsmi-sustains-growth-momentum-in-q1/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/diokno-to-focus-on-debt-and-deficit-reduction/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/aboitizland-shifts-to-pre-cast-technology/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/govt-raises-local-borrowings-in-june/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/doe-sees-p0-80-liter-hike-in-oil-prices-with-higher-biodiesel-blend/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/ngcp-energizes-p6-b-mariveles-hermosa-transmission-line-project/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/ayala-lists-p15-b-bonds-at-pdex/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/sec-google-cracks-down-on-crypto-scams/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/megaworld-launches-p6-5-b-village-in-cavite/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/palay-output-improves-on-rtl/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/7-filipinos-in-forbes-30-under-30-list/

15) Provincial Roundup

https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/murder-rap-filed-against-councilor-for-killing-barangay-chairman-in-cagayan-town/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/benguet-slay-suspect-arrested-in-manila/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/farmhouse-drug-den-in-nueva-vizcaya-raided-three-suspects-arrested/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/over-p1b-released-to-200000-displaced-workers-in-cordillera-under-tupad-program/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/tricycle-driver-yields-p340000-shabu-in-negros-buy-bust/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/man-back-in-jail-for-drugs-2-years-after-release/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/nbi-raids-networking-firm-in-lapu-lapu-city-for-fraud/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/maasin-relaunches-tourism-campaign-crippled-by-covid-19/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/one-dies-as-two-former-policemen-engage-in-gun-duel-in-leyte/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/npa-vice-commander-supply-officer-surrender-to-govt-troops-in-bukidnon/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/4-5-magnitude-quake-hits-surigao-del-sur-province/