DUTERTE: GOVERNMENT WORK TO GO ON DESPITE RISING COVID-19 CASES
MANILA — Work in government should continue despite the rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 infections, President Rodrigo Duterte said late Monday, even as he claimed that the risk of catching the virus is part of the job of state workers.
Duterte said he and his officials would continue to appear before the public through television to provide information about the pandemic.
"If you prohibit everybody from working, then the machinery of government will stop to grind. Then...what is the face of government at this time? We in the public (sector)... we do not want to do it, one is really for our safety, public health... Somebody has to communicate to the people what government is doing," Duterte said during a pre-recorded public address.
"Now, if we get compromised, that's part of the game. That's our job. If we catch COVID, then so be it. That's part of the job. Now, if I die, and then so be it," he added.
Under the current COVID-19 alert system, government offices are expected to operate but with allowance for remote work if needed. Under Alert Level 3, for example, remote work is allowed but at least 30% of workers must report on site.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said government offices are following protocols to ensure the delivery of services despite the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases.
PALACE: NO TIME TO TALK ABOUT CHARTER CHANGE, LONGER TERMS FOR OFFICIALS
MANILA — Congress will not have enough time to tackle proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution, Malacañang said, days after an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte pushed for a longer term for the chief executive and other officials.
Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. (Pampanga), a member of the PDP-Laban faction composed of Duterte's allies, is seeking to amend the charter to allow the president, the vice president, members of the House of Representatives, and elective local officials to serve for five years with one reelection.
He proposed that the changes in the constitution be made through a constituent assembly.
At present, the president can only have one six-year term without reelection.
In a statement issued last Sunday, Gonzales claimed that a six-year term is "too short for a good president, especially if he is confronted with a crippling crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic."
"There is an upcoming election in May 2022 and I think Congress has no time for this proposal," Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said at a press briefing Tuesday.
SARA BUCKS DUTERTE’S ORDER VS UNVAXXED PINOYS
DAVAO CITY — Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is against President Duterte’s order for barangay officials to ”restrain” unvaccinated people or arrest them if they insist on going out of their homes.
”I am pro-vaccination and boosters. But in this case, I will not agree with the exclusion or restriction of the unvaccinated. This is because they were given the freedom to choose,” Carpio said in a statement.
She said people could not be restrained in their house because the government did not make COVID vaccination mandatory.
“They were given the freedom, so why make things hard for them?” Carpio asked.
She said she is leaving it up to business establishments and heads of government offices to decide whether or not to bar unvaccinated persons.
Carpio reiterated her call for her constituents to get vaccinated, saying there are enough vaccines in various inoculation sites.
DILG WANTS INVENTORY OF VAXXED, UNVACCINATED AMID COVID SPIKE
MANILA - Local governments with ordinances restricting the movement of unvaccinated individuals are directed to conduct an inventory of those with and without jabs, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Wednesday.
Aside from Metro Manila, other regions have also agreed to pass an ordinance restricting the movement of unvaccinated persons, said DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya.
In these areas, barangays are directed to conduct an inventory of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals which they will submit to the local DILG office monthly, he added.
"First step is for them to do an inventory, DILG has already issued a directive to the barangays to conduct an inventory of the vaccinated in the barangays and the unvaccinated. They are supposed to prepare this on a monthly basis and submit to the DILG field office in their area," he told ANC's Headstart.
"The guidance of Secretary (Eduardo) Año to them and the President also is
to request those (unvaccinated) individuals in a courteous manner to stay at home... The reason is if you're unvaccinated you are prone to hospitalization, critical illness and maybe even death and the second reason is we don’t want to overwhelm our healthcare system," he added.
"Only if they refuse, only if they have been violating this several times only then can an arrest be made. There are fines for first, second and third offenses, and there are penalties that require a prison term at the discretion of the court."
Gatherings inside a home must be limited to household members and gatherings outside must take into consideration the alert level, Malaya said. Currently, Metro Manila is under Alert Level 3 until January 15.
CHED: DON'T HOLD IN-PERSON CLASSES IF CONDITIONS UNFAVORABLE
MANILA — Colleges and universities in areas under COVID-19 Alert Level 3 can defer the start of their limited in-person classes if "conditions on the ground" are unfavorable, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, the CHED issued an advisory saying higher education institutions (HEIs) in Alert Level 3 areas can start holding limited in-person classes for all of their degree programs by Jan. 31.
The announcement drew criticism from social media users, who raised concerns given that the country continues to face a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.
In an interview with ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo, CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera said Jan. 31 was the earliest date that HEIs can hold in-person classes.
"Iyong Jan. 31, ang ibig sabihin, 'yon ang pinakamaaga na puwede kang magbukas. Pero kung 'yong conditions on the ground [are] not favorable, siyempre, 'wag ka magbukas," he said.
"Hopefully, by Jan. 31, you have a better grip on the data, makikita natin kung pababa na [ang COVID cases]. Kung mabagal ang pagbaba, ang magiging desisyon dapat nila ay mag-adjust doon sa conditions on the ground," he added.
De Vera said big public universities in the National Capital Region, which is on Alert Level 3 until Jan. 15, decided that they would start holding in-person classes in February.
"Minove nila para panigurado, bagama't handa na sila," he said.
HOUSE PANEL OKS RAPS VS EX-DICT CHIEF
MANILA — A committee of the House of Representatives has recommended the filing of charges against former Department of Information and Communications Technology secretary Eliseo Rio over the implementation of the government’s P1.3-billion free WiFi program.
“I am proud to report that we have recommended to file charges against former secretary Rio for his negligence in entering into agreements with the UN (United Nations) Development Program,” Diwa party-list Rep. Michael Edgar Aglipay, who chairs the House committee on good government, said.
Aglipay added that they have reached the conclusion after “three hearings and almost five months of deliberations and committee report preparation.”
PHILHEALTH EYES PAYMENT OF P25 BILLION PENDING HOSPITAL CLAIMS IN NEXT 6 MONTHS
MANILA - State insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is eyeing the payment of the remaining P25 billion it owed hospitals in the next 6 months, its president Dante Gierran told lawmakers on Tuesday.
Several hospitals have threatened to cut ties with PhilHealth due to unpaid claims.
COMELEC EXCLUDES EX-MMDA SPOX PIALAGO'S PARTY-LIST FROM 2022 BALLOT
MANILA — The Commission on Elections has dropped Malasakit Movement Inc. from the final list of party-list candidates for the 2022 national polls.
In a notice signed by Clerk of Commission Genesis Gatdula, the Comelec said the group has been excluded from the list of candidates to appear on the ballot “in view of the resolution of its pending incident.”
The Comelec has yet to explain why Malasakit Movement was dropped.
Former Metro Manila Development Authority spokesperson Celine Pialago, a nominee of the party-list, said their legal team will look into remedies for her to still participate in the party-list elections.
During their filing of the Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance in October, Pialago said their party-list will "push for standard benefits for barangyan [sic], kagawad, tanod frontliners and barangay health workers to improve their quality of living.”
Prior to aspiring for a House seat, Pialago courted criticism with her comment that students in her school were required to join rallies for grades.
Her fellow alumnae disputed the claim and Miriam College said that "in being trained to respect opposite choices taken by others, MC students also learn to appreciate dissent as part of a healthy democracy while being reminded to act in loving charity, regardless of differences, by Christ’s symbol, the Chi Rho in the center of the (school's) logo."
FACT CHECK: SUPPOSED PHOTOS OF 'SECRET MEETING' BETWEEN ROBREDO, FORMER COMELEC CHIEF
MANILA — Old photographs of Vice President Leni Robredo's meeting with Commission on Elections chairman Andres Bautista are resurfacing on social media with a completely different narrative. Are these posts misinformation?
CLAIM: Robredo supposedly met in secret with former Comelec chair Andres Bautista just nights before the 2016 elections, where she was elected vice president.
RATING: This is misleading.
FACT: The supposed secret meeting happened at a different time, and according to those involved, was not a secret at all.
What the posts say
"LENI Robredo, the THIEF in the night. She talked to Andy Bautista before the election. Fake VP. Never again. Never forget. Protect or vote," Twitter user "Gigi Jardin" said on social media.
The account, which was created in August 2021, has "BBM and Sara #UNITEAM2022" for its bio.
"Why did Madumb meet up with former chairman COMELEC in 2016 a few days before the election in the middle of the night, like a thief in the night and maybe to help her through the night?" user "Joe Pring", who joined Twitter in September 2021 and has over 4,500 followers, asked.
What the claims left out
Even the posts themselves contradict each other's narratives. "They just met at the condo in Makati as a friend a few days after the 2016 election," a certain Salim Muklo posted in a Facebook group called ABL.
In most, if not all of the recent posts resurfacing the photos, the timeline of events is incorrect. None of the reposts were consistent with one another.
LOCAL CARMAKERS MISS 2021 SALES TARGET AMID PANDEMIC STRUGGLES
MANILA — Local car manufacturers failed to hit their sales target last year despite showing signs of recovery, with the industry itself admitting it won’t be business as usual as long as the pandemic drags on.
What’s new
A total of 268,488 vehicles were sold in 2021, 20% bigger compared with a year ago, according to a joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) released Wednesday.
That was below the target that the local automotive industry set in August. CAMPI and TMA was hoping to sell 295,400 units in 2021, or equivalent to an annualized growth rate of 20.9%.
Not even the improved sales in the final month of 2021 could help carmakers hit their full-year sales goal. Data showed a total of 27,846 vehicles were sold in December, up 5.3% month-on-month but only 0.9% bigger when compared with a year ago. Nevertheless, CAMPI and TMA said December’s figure was the industry’s highest monthly sales performance since the pandemic hit in March 2020.
Why this matters
Vehicle sales are often used as barometers of economic strength. The central bank, for instance, closely follows this to measure consumer appetite for durable goods. Household consumption represents 70% of annual economic output, and big purchases like cars materially add to gross domestic product when produced more.
What VIPs say
CAMPI President Rommel Gutierrez did not comment on the industry’s failure to hit its goal, and struck a cautiously optimistic tone as he admits that carmakers are not out of the woods yet two years into the pandemic.
But Gutierrez stressed that the 20% annual growth last year “is no small feat indeed.”
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PHILIPPINES TO IMPLEMENT 'NO VAX, NO RIDE' POLICY IN METRO MANILA
The Department of Transportation is set to implement a “no vaccination, no ride” policy for public transportation in Metro Manila, which is currently under COVID-19 Alert Level 3.
In a press statement, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said he has issued a department order enforcing the “no vaccination, no ride” policy while a COVID-19 Alert Level 3 level or higher remains hoisted in the National Capital Region.
“All concerned attached agencies and sectoral offices of DOTr are directed to ensure that operators of public transportation shall allow access or issue tickets only to ‘fully vaccinated persons’ as evidenced by a physical or digital copies of an LGU (local government unit)-issued vaccine card, or any IATF-prescribed document, with a valid government issued ID with picture and address,” the DOTr department order read.
The Department of Transportation is set to implement a “no vaccination, no ride” policy for public transportation in Metro Manila, which is currently under COVID-19 Alert Level 3.
In a press statement, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said he has issued a department order enforcing the “no vaccination, no ride” policy while a COVID-19 Alert Level 3 level or higher remains hoisted in the National Capital Region.
“All concerned attached agencies and sectoral offices of DOTr are directed to ensure that operators of public transportation shall allow access or issue tickets only to ‘fully vaccinated persons’ as evidenced by a physical or digital copies of an LGU (local government unit)-issued vaccine card, or any IATF-prescribed document, with a valid government issued ID with picture and address,” the DOTr department order read.
Tugade said the department order on public transportation takes effect immediately after publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation, and the submission of a copy with the Office of the National Administrative Register, U.P. Law Center.
According to the DO, a person is considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after receiving their second dose in a 2-dose vaccination series, such as with the Pfizer or Moderna brand of vaccines, or two (2) weeks after a single-dose vaccine such as with Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
Exempted from the “no vaccination, no ride” policy are the following:
• Persons with medical conditions that prevent their full COVID-19 vaccination as shown by a duly-signed medical certificate with the name and contact details of their doctor.
• Persons who will buy essential goods and services, such as but not limited to food, water, medicine, medical devices, public utilities, energy, work, and medical and dental necessities, as shown by a duly issued barangay health pass or other proof to justify travel.
Under the Order, violations of the policy are considered violations of applicable general safety and health provisions under any concession or service agreements, authority or permits to operate of public transportation, and other similar instrument.
IMMIGRATION REPORTS 83 FUGITIVE FOREIGNERS ARRESTED IN 2021
MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration nabbed 83 foreign fugitives in the country in 2021, posting a higher number than 55 recorded arrests in 2020.
BI Fugitive Search Unit chief Rendel Sy reported that South Koreans topped the list with 55 of them arrested in the country. This was followed by eight Americans, seven Chinese, three Japanese and three Taiwanese.
Sy said in a statement: "Many of those arrested were involved in fraud, economic crimes, cybercrimes and sexual offenses."
BI FSU is tasked with arresting fugitives. Information on these often come from foreign governments and intelligence groups such as Interpol, the bureau explained.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
ANGEL LOCSIN, EDU MANZANO TO STAR IN 'CALL MY AGENT' PH REMAKE
MANILA – Angel Locsin and Edu Manzano are set to star in the Philippine adaptation of the hit French show “Call My Agent.”
According to a Variety report published on January 11, the Filipino remake will be directed by acclaimed filmmaker Erik Matti, with Dondon Monteverde serving as executive producer.
The report said the series will have eight parts and will begin production in April or May this year.
It will stream on HBO Go, as part of the cable network’s “drive to create original content in Asia-Pacific,” Variety said.
Currently, the original version of “Call My Agent” is streaming on Netflix Philippines.
Based on its official synopsis from the streaming platform, it centers on how agents at a top Parisian talent firm scramble to keep their star clients happy and their business afloat after an unexpected crisis.
Aside from the Philippines, the series is also expected to be adapted in other countries such as South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Poland, among others.
Locsin, Manzano and Matti have yet to speak about this project.
SPORTS
NBA SCORES JAN 10
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Bucks26-17 19 29 26 25 99
Hornets22-19 28 19 36 20 103
SPECTRUM CENTER, CHARLOTTE, NC
Highlights: Bucks at Hornets
2:37
SCORING LEADERS
K. Middleton MIL
27 PTS 7 REB 11 AST
T. Rozier CHA
27 PTS 7 REB 4 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Jazz28-13 35 26 23 32 116
Pistons9-30 21 27 40 38 126
LITTLE CAESARS ARENA, DETROIT, MI
SCORING LEADERS
D. Mitchell UTA
31 PTS 3 REB 4 AST
C. Cunningham DET
29 PTS 1 REB 8 AST
FINAL/OT
1 2 3 4 OT T
Pacers15-26 17 22 21 29 9 98
Celtics20-21 23 19 26 21 12 101
TD GARDEN , BOSTON, MA
SCORING LEADERS
T. Craig IND
19 PTS 4 REB 2 AST
J. Brown BOS
26 PTS 15 REB 6 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Spurs15-25 26 23 26 21 96
Knicks20-21 23 28 31 29 111
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK, NY
SCORING LEADERS
D. Murray SA
24 PTS 4 REB 5 AST
R. Barrett NY
31 PTS 3 REB 4 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
76ers23-16 36 26 29 20 111
Rockets11-31 27 23 22 19 91
TOYOTA CENTER, HOUSTON, TX
SCORING LEADERS
J. Embiid PHI
31 PTS 8 REB 6 AST
J. Green HOU
14 PTS 5 REB 1 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Nets25-14 26 36 19 27 108
Trail Blazers16-24 33 22 32 27 114
MODA CENTER AT THE ROSE QUARTER, PORTLAND, OR
SCORING LEADERS
K. Durant BKN
28 PTS 10 REB 5 AST
A. Simons POR
23 PTS 6 REB 11 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Cavaliers23-18 28 34 22 25 109
Kings16-27 22 27 30 29 108
GOLDEN 1 CENTER, SACRAMENTO, CA
SCORING LEADERS
J. Allen CLE
18 PTS 17 REB 1 AST
T. Haliburton SAC
21 PTS 2 REB 8 AST
INDICATORS
FOREX $1 = P 50.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confucius
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