ABS-CBN ORDERED TO GO OFF AIR AS FRANCHISE LAPSES

MANILA — Regulators ordered ABS-CBN Corp. to stop airing on Tuesday, a day

after its legislative franchise expired, putting at risk over 11,000 jobs in

the country's biggest network as millions of Filipinos get displaced by the

coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement, the National Telecommunications Commission ordered the

broadcast giant to “cease and desist” operations after Republic Act No.

7966, which granted the network a 25-year license to operate, expired last

May 4, 2020.

NTC also gave ABS-CBN 10 days to "respond as to why the frequencies assigned

to it should not be recalled."

The suprise order from regulators capped the Duterte government's efforts to

shut down the Lopez-led firm, efforts that transcended the branches of

government— from President Duterte's attacks to the network, lawmakers'

refusal to hear bills renewing its franchise, and a pleading from the

government's lawyer before the Supreme Court to invalidate its existing

license.

Last Sunday, World Press Freedom Day, Solicitor General Jose Calida made a

last-ditch effort to put ABS-CBN off air. He asked NTC not to issue a

provisional permit to operate without a new franchise from the legislature.

But a day after, legislators in both houses of Congress, as well as Justice

Secretary Menardo Guevarra, expressed disagreement with Calida's opinion

saying there should be no roadblock for NTC to grant ABS-CBN a permit. This

is especially true, they said, since Congress, which has the sole power to

grant franchises, had already written NTC to clear the way for ABS-CBN's

continued airing.

"The NTC requested our opinion and the DOJ (Department of Justice) gave them

an advice in accordance with law and equity. The Congress expressed

essentially the same view as that of the DOJ and further enjoined the NTC to

issue provisional authority...," Guevarra told reporters in a text message

Tuesday.

Appeals from the DOJ and Congress appear to have not succeeded with NTC's

latest order for the network to stop airing. "The NTC regional offices shall

implement the closure order in their respective areas of jurisidiction,"

regulators said in a statement.

COVID-19 CASES IN THE PHILIPPINES RISE TO 9,684

The Department of Health reported 199 new COVID-19 cases in the Philippines,

bringing the national total to 9,684.

The health department also announced 93 new recoveries, raising the total

number of recovered patients to 1,408.

Meanwhile, the national death toll is now at 637 with 14 new deaths recorded

as of Tuesday afternoon.

ROBREDO: ABS-CBN CLOSURE 'COSTS LIVES' AS PHILIPPINES FIGHTS COVID-19

MANILA — The closure of television giant ABS-CBN Corp. will not only

displace thousands of workers but will also “cost lives” as the Philippines

fights the spread of the new coronavirus and the outbreak of misinformation

online.

Vice President Leni Robredo stressed this late Tuesday hours after

ABS-CBN—which has been at the receiving end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s

ire—was forced off air over an expired operating license.

“Sa ganitong panahon ng krisis at pangamba sa lipunan, nakasandal tayo sa

malayang daloy ng tama at napapanahong impormasyon upang mabigyang-hugis at

direksyon ang ating mga pagkilos,” Robredo said.

“This free flow of information literally saves lives. Closing down ABS-CBN

costs lives on top of unnecessarily burdening the thousands who will lose

their jobs,” she added.

Rights groups and media organizations earlier emphasized that access to

credible information is crucial in addressing the spread of the virus that

has already infected 9,684 people in the country.

“It is especially reckless as the country deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Filipino people need accurate information from independent sources,”

Butch Olano, Amnesty International Philippines section director, said.

Robredo said that there is no space for suppression and self-interest at a

time when the country confronts the dangers of a public health crisis.

“It should be all hands on deck. All social institutions—including

media—should be united under a single purpose: to ensure the safety of every

Filipino,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.

The Commission on Human Rights also stressed that “political whims” should

not dictate the fate of ABS-CBN.

“Any alleged violations should be dealt with in accordance with the law, and

the same protection granted by laws should equally apply to ABS-CBN as it

should be to anyone or any entity,” Jacqueline de Guia, CHR spokesperson,

said.

‘PHILHEALTH FACES FUND DEPLETION’

MANILA — The suspension of premium contributions of overseas Filipino

workers (OFWs) to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. will deplete

PhilHealthÂ’s funds, an official said.

PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales said the

agency would run out of resources if OFWs would permanently stop paying

premiums, as mandated under the Universal Health Care (UHC) law.

“The premium contributions that we collect are part of the funds that we use

for the medical needs of those who get sick. If they donÂ’t contribute, our

funds will be depleted,” Morales said in an online interview with “The

Chiefs” on One News channel Monday night.

He said they are expecting a net loss as PhilHealth was tasked to shoulder

the hospital expenses of COVID-19 patients on case rate package.

“We are anticipating a net loss, especially since we were not given the

budget that we asked for this year and then we had this pandemic. Our funds

will be affected,” Morales said.

GCQ RULES FOR MALLS, SHOPPING CENTERS OUT

MANILA — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has issued guidelines

for malls and shopping centers offering non-leisure products and services in

areas under general community quarantine.

In a memorandum circular issued on Monday, the DTI said mall and shopping

center operators should strictly monitor foot traffic and enforce physical

distancing.

The number of people should be limited to one per two square meters at any

given time. This means a 200-square-meter space should have a maximum of

only 100 people.

The DTI said malls should reduce the number of entry points.

Senior citizens, pregnant women and persons with disabilities (PWDs) are

allowed only one companion.

To ensure physical distancing, individuals should be one meter apart. Those

taking the escalator should stand on every other step.

Access to elevators in malls would be limited to half of the standard

capacity and use by senior citizens, PWDs and pregnant women.

Malls should also assign personnel in high-density areas like comfort rooms

and supermarkets to regulate traffic.

Seats available for use by customers will be limited. There should be

increased police visibility if there is a need to enforce strict physical

distancing.

The DTI said sale and marketing events among other promotions are

prohibited.

There will be a centralized pickup location for stores with delivery or

pickup service.

Airconditioning temperature should not be more than 26 degrees centigrade

and WiFi service should be turned off.

“This circular shall take effect immediately upon publication in the

Official Gazette or in two newspapers of general circulation and shall

remain in effect until the state of public health emergency is lifted,” the

DTI said.

PALACE BACKS CALIDA, DENIES SOLGEN BEHIND ABS-CBN SHUTDOWN

MANILA - Malacañang denied Wednesday that Solicitor General Jose Calida had

pushed regulators to shutter ABS-CBN Corp. over its stalled license renewal,

which drew fresh accusations that the authorities were cracking down on

press freedom.

Calida over the weekend warned the National Telecommunications Commission

against allowing the country's biggest media network to operate while

lawmakers deferred tackling the bills to renew its franchise, which expired

Monday.

“Hindi po nag-influence si Calida. Sumulat po siya in due course of his job.

He is within his perfect right to write," Presidential Spokesperson Harry

Roque told state-run channel PTV-4.

The NTC earlier said the network will be allowed to operate until 2022.

However, the agency's cease-and-desist order on Tuesday cited the franchise

expiration and said ABS-CBN would have to appeal for a return to the

airwaves.

NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba had served several administrations, noted

Roque.

"Walang pupuwedeng magsabi na nadidiktahan itong si Chaiman Cordoba," he

said.

Congress, where proposals to extend the franchise of ABS-CBN has languished

for 3 years, holds "primary and exclusive jurisdiction" over renewing the

license to operate of media outlets, said Roque.

ABS-CBN can also challenge NTC's cease-and-desist order before the Court of

Appeals or Supreme Court, he said.

THE REST

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OPENING OF SY 2020-2021 ON AUGUST 24

Education Secretary Leonor Briones announced that the opening of school year

2020-2021 will be on August 24.

At the Laging Handa virtual briefing, the education chief said the initial

schedule for next school year is from Aug. 24, 2020 to Apr. 30, 2021.

Briones also said some private schools have expressed readiness to start

classes using distance learning or other online options.

ALBAY, ZAMBOANGA CITY UNDER ECQ

Albay province and Zamboanga City will be under enhanced community

quarantine until 11:59 p.m. of May 15, according to a May 2 memo by

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

The memo was released on Monday, May 4.

PASIG CITY ROLLS OUT SUPPLEMENTAL SOCIAL AMELIORATION PROGRAM

Pasig City launched a supplemental social amelioration program (SAP) for

families that did not initially receive cash aid from the national

government.

Under the program, each family that needs financial assistance will receive

P8,000. Guidelines posted by the Pasig City information office classified

families as traditional or nuclear family, grandparents living with their

grandchildren, solo parents, couples without children and LGBTQ couples with

children.

"[O]ur goal w SUPPLEMENTAL SAP is to help ALL Pasigueños in need," Mayor

Vico Sotto posted on Twitter.

ABS-CBN'S CHANNEL 2 WENT OFF AIR BUT OTHER OPERATIONS CAN STILL BE ACCESSED

MANILA — The National Telecommunications Commission on Tuesday ordered

ABS-CBN to shut down some of its TV and radio operations, after its

legislative franchise expired.

Hours after the network received the order, ABS-CBN ceased broadcasting

after airing TV Patrol, its premiere news program on its free channel.

Shortly after, DZMM, whose anchors previously said was supposed to air until

11:00 p.m., also shutdown.

The NTC order covers 42 television stations across the country, including

flagship and free channel 2 and regional channels, 10 digital broadcast

channels, 18 FM stations and five AM stations.

ABS-CBN said in a report that its online portals for news, entertainment and

sports portals are still accessible. Its YouTube channels, for entertainment

and news, are also still up.

It also said that iWant, its video streaming service and application, still

delivers content online.

Cable news channel ANC is still airing, “as the NTC order does not cover

cable news channels.”

“Star Cinema will also be unaffected by the NTC’s cease and desist order,”

the report also read.

'SHADES OF MARTIAL LAW': PH UNIVERSITIES BLAST ABS-CBN SHUTDOWN

MANILA - Philippine universities on Wednesday stood with ABS-CBN after it

was forced to go off air in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic upon the

orders of the National Telecommunications Commission due to an expired

franchise.

The Ateneo de Manila University said the decision of the telecoms body

"deprives the Filipino people of a vital source of information,

entertainment and public service."

"Filipinos need ABS-CBN now, especially now during these urgent times of the

pandemic, when information provided by our country's broadcast journalists

spells the difference between life and death for our citizens, most of whom

still get their news from television and radio," ADMU president Fr. Jose

Ramon Villarin said in a statement.

The Ateneo said the network's forced shutdown shows "shades of martial law"

under late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, "when the airwaves went silent as the

dictatorship sought to quell the free exchange of news, information and

commentary."

"ABS-CBN's closure extinguishes the brightest light in our information

firmament and leaves the smaller ones in darkness and peril," it said.

"We urge our lawmakers to act post-haste to approve the ABS-CBN franchise

and restore its broadcast."

Journalism professors from the University of Santo Tomas, meantime, said the

network's closure was President Rodrigo Duterte's "Pearl Harbor attack" in

his war on the free press.

Shutting down media is the work of dictators, the group said as they urged

the public to "speak out and resist all attacks on the media, and hold the

malevolent forces behind this treachery to account."

"Now that ABS-CBN is out of the airwaves, and for the second time since

martial law, there is no more denying that the Duterte regime will stop at

nothing—even amid a national emergency and a crippling lockdown—to crush

dissent and stifle a free and independent media," the group said.

ILOCOS NORTE EMPLOYS DISPLACED WORKERS

The Ilocos Norte provincial government rolled out a livelihood and emergency

employment program for displaced daily wage workers amid the COVID-19

crisis.

Under the "NariMAT nga Aglawlaw" cash-for-work program, at least 1,332

beneficiaries were hired to work under barangay-based social community

projects such as eco-tourism; repair and improvement of common public

facilities; debris clearing; declogging of canals; debris segregation and

materials recovery, stockpiling; rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads,

bridges, post-harvest facilities, and public markets; and tree planting and

seedling preparation.

Beneficiaries will also receive a salary worth P1,275 for five days and a

calamansi seedling for each individual.

GROUPS URGE CONTINUED DELIVERY OF RH SERVICES

Women's groups are calling for the continued and unhampered delivery of

reproductive health services, which they say should be part of the

government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

They say this will help prevent unwanted and unplanned pregnancies,

preventable infant and maternal deaths, and the spread of sexually

transmitted infections.

"Now is not the time to stop the delivery of reproductive health services

and information. We need this more than ever to protect and promote the

rights of women and girls especially those in the most vulnerable sector,"

Oxfam PilipinasÂ’ Sexual Health and Empowerment (SHE) Project Officer Rina

Fulo says in the release.

"The pandemic does not have to put our women population at risk twice over

with the virus and unplanned pregnancies, destroying their aspirations for

their families' health and well-being. Family planning reminders,

counselling, needed supplies and quality services cannot and must not be

left behind in the time of COVID-19," FriendlyCare Foundation CEO Teresita

Panganiban also says.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

ANGEL LOCSIN ‘CRYING NON-STOP’ AFTER ABS-CBN SHUTDOWN

Following the shutdown of the largest media network in the Philippines,

ABS-CBN, Neil Arce took to Instagram to share how heartbroken he is after

seeing his fiancée Angel Locsin crying nonstop.

While the 35-year-old celebrity isnÂ’t directly affected by the shutdown of

ABS-CBN due to her non-renewal of contract, her heart goes to the 11,000

employees of the network, according to Neil.

“Breaks my heart seeing her like this. Angel didn't renew her contract. So

technically she did not lose her job. SheÂ’s been crying non-stop since she

saw the News online because she knows 11,000 people lost their jobs,” Arce

wrote.

Meanwhile, Neil also noted the importance of information dissemination and

entertainment during this time of crisis.

“We’ve been under ECQ for two months now trying to save lives. Wala pang

10,000 ang may covid dito pero ngayon 11,000 na tao ang mawawalan ng trabaho

at milyon-milyong na Pilipino ang hindi makakatanggap ng quick information

and konting kaligayahan sa mga panahon na ito,” he stated.

Calling out the National Telecommunications Commission for the cease and

desist order it has issued upon ABS-CBN, he wrote: “NTC, you are evil. How

dare you take away 11,000 jobs? We will remember this.”

Neil has been helping Angel, one of the biggest celebrities at the forefront

of the COVID-19 pandemic, in her humanitarian efforts.

ABS-CBN has been temporarily closed down after the National

Telecommunications Commission failed to issue the company a provisional

permit to operate last Tuesday, May 5, and instead issued a cease and desist

order.

SPORTS

FOOTBALL: JUVENTUS PLAYERS BACK TRAINING AWAITING QUARANTINED RONALDO

MILAN, Italy -- Giorgio Chiellini led the way as Juventus players returned

to individual training at the team's sports centre on Tuesday, while

Cristiano Ronaldo began two weeks' coronavirus quarantine after returning to

Italy.

Captain Chiellini, 35, arrived early with Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci,

wearing a black face mask, just after midfielder Aaron Ramsey. Playmaker

Miralem Pjanic showed up in the afternoon, along with Juan Cuadrado, Mattia

De Sciglio, Federico Bernardeschi and Daniele Rugani.

Serie A champions Juve said the training sessions, which are allowed thanks

to Sunday's green light from the Italian interior ministry, "will take place

on an individual basis and with staggered arrivals to allow full compliance

with the regulations in force".

"After a day of tests and exams carried out yesterday at J Medical, some of

the Juventus players started training at the Continassa Training Centre,

where they officially began their recovery to regain competitive form," Juve

added.

Ronaldo's return is more uncertain after two months of confinement on his

native island of Madeira, having played in Juventus' last match against

Inter Milan on March 8 behind closed doors.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner returned with his family to Turin by

private jet late on Monday, and is in quarantine awaiting tests.

The interior ministry's go-ahead has allowed players to return to club

training facilities two weeks ahead of schedule, offering a glimmer of hope

that the 2019-20 season might yet be saved.

As well as Juventus, top-flight clubs Atalanta, Bologna and Udinese also got

back to training on Tuesday, with Sassuolo and Lecce leading the way on

Monday.

But sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora warned training in groups must wait

until May 18, and it remains uncertain whether matches can restart as the

country battles the COVID-19 pandemic which has killed more than 29,000 in

Italy.

INDICATORS

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The events of life are mainly small events - they only seem large when we

are close to them. - Mark Twain