DUTERTE WARNS GROUPS DISRUPTING QUARANTINE; PNP TOLD: SHOOT THEM DEAD

MANILA — Shoot them dead.

President Duterte ordered the police and the military last night to shoot

dead those who will continue to hold protests that disrupt peace and order

during the enhanced community quarantine.

Duterte issued the order after members of the left-leaning urban poor group

Kadamay reportedly instigated a protest that turned violent over food

distribution in Quezon City.

“My orders to the police and the military, including the barangay – if there

would be conflict and there is an occasion that they fight and put your

lives in danger, shoot them dead,” Duterte said. “Tingnan ninyo, patay, kesa

magulo kayo dyan, e di ilibing ko na kayo, yang libing akon yan. Huwag ninyo

na subukan ang gobyerno kasi ang gobyerno ito.”

He expressed his anger after he met with members of the Inter-Agency Task

Force on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) last night.

“Remember, those from the Left, you are not the government. Do you

understand? Hindi kayo nasa gobyerno and you cannot be a part of w hat we

are planning to do for to the nation” the President said in a taped message,

aired as is by the government-run Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM).

“Intindihin ninyo yan, kaya wag kayo maggawa ng riot-riot dyan because I

will order you detained at bibitawan ko kayo pagkatapos na wala na itong

COVID,,” he added.

Duterte said he cannot allow lawlessness to go unpunished under his

administration.

“Huwag ninyong subukan ang Pilipino. DO not try to test it. WE are ready for

you, gulo o barilan or patayan, I will not hesitate (to tell) my soldiers to

shoot you. I will not hesitate to order the police to arrest and detain

you,” the President said.

The demonstrators, including six women, belong to a group of about 150

members of the Samahan ng Makakapitbahay (Samana) and residents of an

informal settlement in Sitio San Roque who flocked to EDSA in Barangay

Bagong Pag-asa at around 9 a.m.

The group claimed they have yet to receive food and financial aid from the

city government since the quarantine to contain the coronavirus disease

2019 (COVID-19) started on March 17.

Police officers negotiated for an hour and urged the demonstrators to return

to their homes. However, the protesters resisted which prompted the lawmen

to disperse them.

12-HOUR OPERATIONS FOR GROCERIES, DRUG STORES 'STRONGLY ENCOURAGED' DURING

LOCKDOWN, GOV'T SAYS

MANILA- The Philippines on Thursday "strongly encouraged" supermarkets,

pharmacies and other businesses selling basic goods to extend their daily

operations to 12 hours to avoid crowding as the country battles the COVID-19

pandemic.

Other establishments that should remain open for at least half a day on a

daily basis are wet markets, agri-fishery supply stores, drug stores, and

other retail establishments selling basic necessities, Cabinet Secretary

Karlo Nograles said in a virtual press briefing.

"Ang mga supermarket, palengke, grocery, botika at iba pa ay hinihikayat na

i-extend ang kanilang operating hours para umabot po ito ng 12 hours," he

said.

The call is part of the latest resolution of the government's inter-agency

task force on COVID-19.

Trade chief Ramon Lopez earlier said shortened operating hours of some

stores lead to large crowds of buyers. The government is requiring physical

distancing to stop the spread of the disease, which has killed 96 people in

the Philippines.

Local government units should allow the extended operating hours of such

establishments and adopt "reasonable" physical distancing measures.

Nograles suggested providing schedules for residents in villages to go out.

FILIPINOS IN LUZON REQUIRED TO WEAR FACE MASKS DURING LOCKDOWN

MANILA - Filipinos covered by the month-long lockdown in Luzon will be

required to wear face masks whenever they leave their homes as part of the

latest control measure of the government to prevent the spread of the new

coronavirus disease, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Thursday.

All residents of Luzon are required to wear any facial protective gear that

can "effectively lessen" the spread of COVID-19 whenever they leave their

homes, Nograles said.

If there are no available surgical masks, Nograles said the public can wear

earloop masks, indigenous, reusable or do-it-yourself masks, face shields,

handkerchiefs, or any other protective gear.

"Kung kailangan po nating lumabas ng bahay, kailangan po mag mask. Kahit

improvised ito o panyo, basta po may pangtakip tayo ng bibig at ilong,"

Nograles said in a televised press briefing.

Local government units meanwhile are asked to craft local ordinances in

support of the national government's latest directive, and impose penalties

for violators if necessary.

The supply of facemasks is dwindling worldwide as the COVID-19 pandemic

persists.

Luzon was placed on lockdown from March 17 until April 12 as people were

told to stay at home to control the spread of COVID-19.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Philippines has confirmed a total of 2,311

cases of COVID-19, with 96 fatalities, and 50 recoveries.

DIOKNO: NBI GOING AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA USERS WHO CRITICIZE GOVERNMENT TOO

MANILA — Rights lawyer Chel Diokno on Thursday said the National Bureau of

Investigation is going after social media users who "air their sentiments"

on government's response on the COVID-19 crisis.

In a statement Thursday, Diokno said he took on a case of a social media

user who was summoned by the bureau for investigation on a violation of

Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, which explains “unlawful use of means

of publication and unlawful utterances.”

Diokno said the NBI “is now going after even ordinary citizens for simply

airing their sentiments on the governmentÂ’s response to COVID-19 on social

media.”

NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin confirmed to Philstar.com the subpoena

sent by Diokno and said the bureau has sent out “more than a dozen” of them.

An ABS-CBN tweet report, however, said that the NBI Cybercrime DIvision

calrified that the summons were related to the Bureau's investigation on the

spread of fake news on COVID-19 online.

The subpoena sent to DioknoÂ’s client in particular noted that the

investigation will be into the individual’s “publicly posted article

concerning an alleged misuse of government funds.”

@ChelDiokno

Di lang si Mayor Vico. Pati ordinaryong mamamayang nagpo-post ng hinaing

online, pinapatawag ng NBI. Tinanggap ko ang kasong ito dahil di na makatao

ang nangyayari. Ang dami nang namamatay, pati frontliners, pero imbis na

COVID, kritiko ang gusto nilang puksain. #ProtectThePeople

The veteran rights lawyer said he took on the case because “the situation is

turning ‘inhumane.’”

“Ang dami nang namamatay, pati frontliners, pero imbis na COVID, kritiko ang

gusto nilang puksain,” Diokno added.

'CAME TO MY OFFICE WITH MEDIA': VICO SOTTO BLAMES NBI FOR 'POLITICIZED,

SENSATIONALIZED' CASE

MANILA - Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Thursday criticized the National

Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for saying that his camp "politicized and

sensationalized" a quarantine-related investigation againt him, saying the

agency was the one who allowed the media to cover the issue.

Sotto gave the statement hours after NBI deputy director Ferdinand Lavin

told ANC that the probe against Sotto has been "politicized and

sensationalized."

"According to NBI Deputy Dir. Lavin, the issue has been 'politicized &

sensationalized.' I agree," Sotto said in a tweet.

"But with all due respect sir, pls stop and think why it reached this point:

Side niyo ang nag-leak ng kopya ng sulat sa reporter. Nagpa-receive tao niyo

sa opis ko, may kasama pang media," he said.

The NBI earlier drew online flak after thousands of netizens castigated the

agency for persecuting a "well-performing" mayor who was finding ways to

address the coronavirus crisis in his city.

The hashtag #ProtectVico soared as the top worldwide trend on Twitter after

celebrities and influencers joined the public outcry against the NBI's probe

against the Pasig City mayor.

In his interview, Lavin said the NBI's anti-graft division merely asked

Sotto about his proposal to allow tricycle drivers to continue operating in

his city despite a ban on public transport under the Luzon-wide lockdown.

"This is an invitation, not a subpoena, Hindi lang naman ito kay Mayor

Sotto. Medyo na-politicize lang ito, na-sensationalize," he said.

The NBI also asked Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel, a barangay officer in Las

Pinas and other officials to explain quarantine and physical distancing

violations, he said.

#PROTECTVICO: CELEBRITIES EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR MAYOR VICO AMID NBI PROBE

MANILA - Celebrities took to social media to express their support for Pasig

City Mayor Vico Sotto after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said

it launched an investigation on Sotto's alleged violation of the

newly-enacted Bayanihan to Heal As One Act.

Among those who expressed support for Sotto are Bianca Gonzales, Angel

Locsin, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Janine Gutierrez, Jodi Sta. Maria, Kim Chiu,

Angelica Panganiban and Donny Pangilinan, among others.

Bela Padilla also called on friends Chiu and Panganiban to protect Sotto.

Sotto was asked to explain by the NBI why he should not be charged for

allegedly violating the Bayanihan law, which was enacted amid a month-long

lockdown of Luzon to prevent the further spread of the contagious virus.

The NBI cited Section 6A of the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act, which

penalizes "LGU officials disobeying national government policies or

directives in imposing quarantines."

Penalties include imprisonment of 2 months or a fine of not less than

P10,000 but not more than P1 million or both as directed by court.

The Pasig mayor was known to have caught the attention of the national

government after he rejected banning tricycles in Pasig despite the

government's directive to suspend all public transportation in Luzon under

lockdown guidelines.

The hashtag #ProtectVico remains on the top spot of worldwide trending

topics on Twitter as netizens protest the NBI's act.

PGH EYES REGULAR VIRUS CHECK FOR ITS WORKERS, CAN'T USE JACK MA TEST KITS

YET

MANILA - The Philippine General Hospital said Thursday it wanted to

regularly screen its workers for COVID-19 and would not be able to use yet

thousands of test kits that Chinese billionaire Jack Ma donated.

The state-run hospital got half of the 50,000 test kits from the founder of

retail giant Alibaba. However, the Food and Drug Administration has yet to

approve the kits which lacked parts for extracting macromolecules, said PGH

Spokesperson Dr. Jonas Del Rosario.

"We're gonna explore how we will be able to use it," he told ANC.

The PGH has some 5,000 test kits from the Research Institute for Tropical

Medicine and 25,000 kits that Singapore donated. It will also use kits that

the University of the Philippines developed if regulators approve its mass

distribution "hopefully next week", said Del Rosario.

The hospital is training some of its members to test all its workers for

COVID-19 every 2 or 3 weeks, depending on the supply of screening kits, he

said.

"If we can at least eliminate that fear and assure that they are COVID-19

negative, then that reduces the tension or the stress that they have," said

the doctor.

Bolstered by recent donations and purchases, the PGH's safety gear for

medical workers would be enough for the entire April, added Del Rosario, who

earlier said the stash might only last for a week or 2.

The hospital ordered 15,000 more units of imported personal protective

equipment and was "also exploring the possibility of using PPEs that have

been sewn or done by our local distributors," he said.

"We will be giving the right PPE [to workers]... We will not compromise

their safety, their health. You won't see stories of PGH health care workers

wearing substandard or incomplete PPEs," Del Rosario said.

BUY, SELL OR HOLD? HOW TO NAVIGATE THE CORONAVIRUS-INFECTED STOCK MARKET

MANILA -- Wild swings in stock prices here and abroad due to the coronavirus

pandemic show the nature of the equities market: it's volatile, an analyst

said Thursday.

How investors should respond will depend on their tolerance for risk, the

size of their emergency fund, even their age, said Marvin Fausto, president

and CIO of COL Investment Management.

Fausto gave some tips on how to manage stock portfolios during the COVID-19

crisis, which formed many countries, including the Philippines, to lock down

millions.

BUY STOCKS IF...

"Wealth accumulators" in their 30s and 40s have many years left in terms of

investing and can take advantage of low prices, provided they have emergency

funds, Fausto said.

"If you have a long way to go, it may good for them to buy because they can

accommodate that kind of volatility," he said.

SELL STOCKS IF...

Retired persons who rely on fixed income can reduce their exposure to risky

assets such as stocks, Fausto said.

These types of investors can "sell and be comfortable with what you have,"

he said.

OR, JUST HOLD

The equities market is inherently volatile and at the mercy of global events

such as COVID-19. As with most cycles, financial markets recover, Fausto

said.

"Don't look with too much concern with how the market moves. That's how it

moves, it goes up and down," he said.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

‘MABUHAY KA’: SHARON CUNETA, PINURI SI ANGEL LOCSIN

MAYNILA — Pinuri ni Sharon Cuneta si Angel Locsin dahil sa ginagawa nitong

pagtulong sa frontliners sa gitna ng banta ng pandemikong sakit COVID-19.

Sa kanyang Instagram post nitong Miyerkoles ng gabi, binigyang pugay ni

Sharon ang malasakit na ipinapakita ni Angel.

“Mabuhay ka, Angel Locsin sa pagpapatayo mo ng tents para sa ating mga

bayaning frontliners na kailangan pa nating lahat na pasalamatan ng 1

million times more than weÂ’ve been thanking them! Taas-noo at lubos na

respeto lang ang meron kami para inyong lahat -- ating nurses, nursing

assistants, beloved doctors and all medical workers plus lahat ng testers na

sinusugal ang buhay ninyo araw-araw para sa mga PUI at mga may sakit na ng

COVID-19! Taos-pusong pasasalamat sa inyo. 'Di namin kayo nakakalimutan at

makakalimutan habangbuhay!” ani Sharon.

“At salamat kay Ms. Angel Locsin na kahit ano pa ang tumatamang disasters sa

bansa natin ay laging nakahandang tumulong! Love you, Sweetie. May God bless

you more. Keep safe!” dagdag ni Sharon.

Sa comment section ng post ni Sharon, ipinahatid naman ni Angel ang kanyang

pasasalamat.

“Thank you ate and thank you for reaching out to help,” ani Angel.

Isa si Angel sa mga aktibong personalidad na tumutulong sa mga frontliners

na nagbibigay serbisyo sa gitna ng panganib dala ng COVID-19.

Noong nakaraang linggo, sinimulan ni Angel ang pagpapatayo ng mga tent para

sa mga health worker.

SPORTS

UEFA SUSPENDS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, EUROPA LEAGUE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

UEFA bowed to the inevitable on Wednesday and suspended all Champions League

and Europa League soccer matches "until further notice" due to the

coronavirus pandemic.

European soccer's governing body also said all national team games scheduled

for June have been postponed, including playoff matches for Euro 2020, which

has been moved to 2021.

The finals of Europe's elite Champions League competition, second-tier

Europa League and Women's Champions League, all of which were scheduled for

May, had already been postponed.

While most leagues in Europe hope to finish their domestic seasons once

restrictions on movement and social contact are lifted, UEFA president

Aleksander Ceferin said last week the season could be lost if play does not

start by the end of June.

Wednesday's video conference call of UEFA's 55 member associations included

a broad ranging discussion on the crisis and what options might face the

game in the coming weeks.

A source, who was part of the call, said while no decisions were taken,

given the lack of certainty over the timeframe for the pandemic the

understanding was that the longer the delay, the more the priority would

fall on completing domestic seasons.

One possibility on the table at UEFA, in case of a long delay into the

summer, is to complete the European club competitions with a

mini-tournament, such as a 'final four'.

UEFA's executive committee also decided to give clubs more time to complete

the club licensing paperwork for next season and suspended the provisions

that demand clubs provide future financial information.

TENNIS: FEDERER 'DEVASTATED' AS WIMBLEDON CANCELLED DUE TO VIRUS

LONDON -- Former champion Roger Federer said he was "devastated" that

Wimbledon has been cancelled for the first time since World War II because

of the coronavirus.

Wimbledon chiefs pulled the plug on the oldest Grand Slam tournament on

Wednesday in response to the continued chaos caused by the pandemic.

Federer, who has won a record eight Wimbledon men's singles titles, reacted

with a single word, tweeting: "devastated."

Serena Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon women's singles champion, was also

rocked by the news as the American tweeted: "I'm Shooked (sic)".

Federer and Serena will be nearly 40 by the time of the 2021 championships.

Wimbledon was due to run for two weeks from June 29, with Novak Djokovic and

Simona Halep set to defend their singles titles.

But All England Club chiefs were left with no choice but to cancel the

grass-court event - which was first staged in 1877 - due to the continued

health crisis across the world.

Halep, the Romanian who defeated Serena to win Wimbledon for the first time

last year, tweeted: "So sad to hear Wimbledon won't take place this year.

"Last year's final will forever be one of the happiest days of my life! But

we are going through something bigger than tennis and Wimbledon will be

back! And it means I have even longer to look forward to defending my

title."

American legend Billie-Jean King, a six-time singles champion at Wimbledon,

said the cancellation was the right decision.

US OPEN TENNIS STILL SET FOR AUG. 31 START: ORGANIZERS

NEW YORK -- US Open organizers still plan to host the Grand Slam event

starting August 31 in New York, the US Tennis Association said Wednesday in

the wake of Wimbledon being cancelled.

Even as indoor courts at the National Tennis center were being used as a

makeshift coronavirus hospital facility, the US Tennis Association said it

will monitor the pandemic and alter plans as needed.

"At this time, the USTA still plans to host the US Open as scheduled, and we

continue to hone plans to stage the tournament," the USTA said in a

statement.

"The USTA is carefully monitoring the rapidly changing environment

surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and is preparing for all contingencies."

New York remains the hardest-hit area in America, turning tennis courts into

a hospital zone and the Louis Armstrong Stadium into a meal assembly area

for patients, volunteers and area schoolkids.

The USTA is following the advice of health experts in making its next moves.

INDICATORS

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Who is sure of their own motives can in confidence advance or retreat. -

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe