TERMINATION OF VISITING FORCES AGREEMENT WITH US ON HOLD

MANILA — The Philippines has suspended the termination of the Visiting

Forces Agreement with the US "in light of political and other developments"

in the region, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced on

social media.

According to a diplomatic note that Locsin posted on his Twitter account,

"the suspension shall start on even date and shall continue for six months"

that the Philippines can extend for another six months.

The countdown to the termination of the agreement, as communicated to the US

in February, will continue after that.

"I issued this diplomatic note to the US ambassador. It has been received by

Washington and well at that. The Note is self-explanatory and does not

require comment except from me. The abrogation of the Visiting Forces

Agreement has been suspended upon the presidentÂ’s instruction," Locsin said.

The US Embassy in Manila confirmed that on June 1, it has received the

notification from the Philippine government to suspend termination of the

VFA.

"The United States welcomes the Philippine government's decision. Our

long-standing alliance has benefited both countries, and we look forward to

continued close security and defense cooperation with the Philippines," the

US Embassy said in a statement.

The Philippines formally informed the US on February 11 that it is ending

the VFA. Termination would have been effective 180 days from receipt of the

notice.

President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to scrap the VFA came amid the

administration's shift to strengthening ties with non-traditional partners

like China and Russia and tension over concerns that the US raised over the

human rights situation in the Philippines, which the government said was

interference with domestic issues.

DAY 2: MORE BUSES EASE TRANSPORT WOES

MANILA — Transport authorities deployed more buses yesterday to prevent a

repeat of the previous dayÂ’s scenario, wherein thousands of commuters

returning to work on the first day of the general community quarantine (GCQ)

were stranded along Metro ManilaÂ’s major roads.

Transportation Assistant Secretary Albert Suansing told “The Chiefs” on One

News Monday night that hundreds of buses would be deployed to ferry

passengers along major roads in Metro Manila.

Aside from buses, the local government of Quezon City and the military

deployed trucks and utility vehicles to accommodate passengers.

MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said more bus routes will be identified in

the coming days to address the needs of the commuting public.

“We cannot just provide free rides every day. We need to address the needs

of the commuters. Special permits will be given to allow for more temporary

bus routes,” Garcia said.

“The Duterte administration is appealing to the employers to please, do not

order all your employees to return to work, only 50 percent should report to

work based on what we agreed upon,” Tugade said in Filipino during a press

briefing in Malacañang yesterday.

“We are telling the employers to find ways and set the days when workers can

go to work, implement flexitime or the work-from-home scheme or a four-day

workweek,” he said.

ABS-CBN'S GABBY LOPEZ FACES LAWMAKERS TO DEFEND CITIZENSHIP, FRANCHISE

MANILA — ABS-CBN Corp. chairman emeritus Eugenio "Gabby" Lopez III joined

Wednesday a congressional hearing into the proposed fresh franchise for the

network to defend its compliance with the law, including a ban on foreign

ownership.

At least 6 lawmakers are expected to quiz Lopez on reports that he is a US

citizen, which ABS-CBN has denied in various fora. The Philippine

Constitution prohibits foreigners from owning media companies.

Lopez is a Filipino "from birth" because both his parents are Filipinos. His

US citizenship, granted automatically with his birth in Boston, does not

negate his Filipino citizenship, ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak

said in the previous hearing on Monday.

Lopez is also expected to answer revived allegations against ABS-CBN

including his family's recovery of the media outfit after martial law, the

50-year limitation on franchises and its Philippine Depositary Receipts.

The Lopez family did not sell ABS-CBN and the company was taken away from

them during martial law. After the "People Power revolution" in 1986, the

Presidential Commission on Good Government, the Supreme Court, and the

Office of the President paved the way for the company's return to the

Lopezes, Katigbak said.

He said the law does not cap the life of a franchise holder at 50 years, but

merely requires a renewal of 25 years from grant.

Holders of ABS-CBN PDRs or Philippine Depositary Receipts do not own part of

the company, he said. Rival GMA Network issued its own PDRs, which did not

affect its franchise renewal, he added.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and a Bureau of Internal Revenue official

earlier cleared ABS-CBN of alleged wrongdoing.

The country's largest media and entertainment company said it had been

losing up to P35 million daily since its closure. If it remained off air,

the company would consider a retrenchment of its 11,000-strong workforce by

August, said Katigbak.

PROVINCES CAN 'DELAY' ENTRY OF METRO MANILA TRAVELERS DURING GENERAL

QUARANTINE: OFFICIAL

Authorities in the provinces can defer the entry of travelers from Metro

Manila to protect their constituents from the novel coronavirus, a police

official said Wednesday, 3 days into the looser general community quarantine

of the urban center.

Individuals who were stranded in Metro Manila before the lockdown eased need

to coordinate with the nearest police station before they can go to the

provinces, said Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, head of the Joint Task Force

COVID-19.

The police officers will coordinate with their counterparts in the

provinces, who will then inform the local government that will approve the

travel authority for those who want to go to their area, he said.

"Napakaingat ng ating mga local chief executive, lalo na iyong mga

COVID-free pa. Ayaw nila siyempre na mapuntahan sila ng mga infected kaya

nga gusto nila prepared sila," said police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, head

of the Joint Task Force COVID-19.

"They cannot refuse the entry nitong mga taong ito, pero they can request

for delay kung pano na halimbawa iyong kanilang facility, kasi may

kaniya-kaniya silang protocol," he told DZMM.

Police in the past week processed 50,000 applications for travel authority.

Workers in authorized industries do not need this document and can cross

checkpoints between regions as long as they present IDs or employment

certificates, he said.

Those on supply runs cannot go to other cities to shop, he added.

COVID-19 INFECTIONS IN PHILIPPINES JUMP TO 18,997

The Department of Health reported 359 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the

national tally to 18,997.

There are 84 new recoveries and six new deaths.

OVER 350,000 HOUSEHOLDS FAILED TO GET CASH AID

MANILA — More than 350,000 target beneficiaries of the government’s social

amelioration program (SAP) for sectors affected by quarantine restrictions

have not yet received the emergency cash susbidy, a report submitted on

Monday by President Duterte to Congress showed.

The program, which provides cash aid to households sidelined by the

pandemic, has served 17,579,395 beneficiaries as of May 29. The figure was

equivalent to 98 percent of the 17,938,422 estimated beneficiaries.

Data showed that a total of 359,027 beneficiaries have not received

assistance in the first tranche of SAP distribution that started last April.

Of the 17.58 million beneficiaries who received aid, about 4.22 million are

enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. The bulk of

beneficiaries, 13.29 million, are not 4Ps recipients. The remaining 62,028

beneficiaries who received cash assistance were transport workers in Metro

Manila.

The government has allotted P101.42 billion for the SAP and has so far

disbursed P100.68 billion.

A total of P99.25 billion has been distributed to beneficiaries. About

P81.68 billion went to non-4Ps beneficiaries, P18.5 billion to 4Ps

recipients and P496 million distributed to public transport drivers.

While the distribution of the first tranche of SAP has not been fully

completed, the government is preparing for the implementation of the second

phase of the program.

Duterte said as of May 27, a total of 1,259 local government units have

submitted to the interior department lists of household beneficiaries who

were left out or waitlisted during the first tranche.

He said the social welfare department is finalizing the joint memorandum

circular that would implement his directive to include additional households

as SAP beneficiaries.

The government aims to include five million more households in the program,

which originally sought to help 18 million families.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said SAP beneficiaries would continue to

receive aid even if quarantine restrictions have been relaxed.

THE REST

========

BUILDINGS WITH 2 OR MORE COVID CASES FACE LOCKDOWN

MANILA — Buildings that have at least two occupants with coronavirus disease

2019 (COVID-19) will be placed under lockdown.

This was according to the National Task Force against COVID-19, which

stressed that the same approach – called localized lockdown – would be

resorted to barangays and subdivisions where two or more residents would be

found positive for the disease.

“We have what we call rapid response, wherein we can place a building under

lockdown, or maybe one block or two barangays,” task force chief implementer

Carlito Galvez Jr. said at a briefing.

Such buildings or barangays would be covered by regulations for enhanced

community quarantine (ECQ). Metro Manila began its transition to a

less-restrictive general community quarantine (GCQ) on Monday.

Galvez said the government is not letting its guard down despite the easing

of quarantine restrictions in most parts of the country, including Metro

Manila.

He said localized lockdown would sustain or protect gains achieved during

the ECQ.

Under GCQ, some modes of public transportation have been allowed to operate

to enable employees to report for work.

“The opening of businesses in GCQ will also put some breathing space to have

economic activity, considering that millions of our workers are being

affected by the lockdown. Then we will localize the lockdown in barangays.

We have what we call segmented and surgical and we could prevent widespread

transmission,” Galvez said.

“We are protecting our people to prevent a second wave. That’s why we also

develop our testing capacity in Metro Manila. We already have 25 testing

centers in Metro Manila,” he added.

GOV'T URGED: INCREASE PUVS TO PROTECT PUBLIC FROM CORONAVIRUS

MANILA — The government should increase public utility vehicles during the

looser coronavirus lockdown of Metro Manila and other urban centers to

protect commuters from the pandemic, a transport advocacy group said

Wednesday.

About 88 percent of Metro Manila's 12 million people rely on public

transport, which resumed operations at a limited capacity on Monday, the

first day of the general community quarantine, said Alt Mobility Philippines

transport economist Jed Ugay.

A shortage of buses forced commuters to cram themselves into available PUVs

and stand close to each other as they waited, he said.

Most commuters also live away from MRT and LRT stations where buses are on

standby to ferry passengers, he said.

"Kung gusto po talaga nating i-prioritize ang public health, dapat dagdagan,

dapat sapat ang pampublikong transportasyon," he told DZMM.

The transportation department earlier said more buses would be allowed in

Commonwealth, Fairview, and Quezon Avenue in Quezon City, and from

Dasmariñas, Imus and Bacoor in Cavite to Pasay, among other routes.

Alt Mobility Philippines supports the agency's plans for additional bike

lanes and encourages regulators to allow provincial buses to enter Metro

Manila due to their minimal contribution to traffic jams, said Ugay.

TRADITIONAL JEEPNEY PHASEOUT TO PROCEED

MANILA — With still no clear timeline as to when they can resume operations

amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the PhilippinesÂ’

traditional jeepneys, dubbed “king of the road,” may no longer be plying

major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

Jeepney operators and drivers will have to face the reality that their days

are numbered with the looming phaseout of old jeepneys, a transport official

said on Monday night.

In an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News, Alberto Suansing, senior

consultant for the Department of Transportation (DOTr), said the phaseout of

old jeepneys would push through this year.

“It’s true that there is a plan to phase out traditional jeepneys and they

knew it will come because since 2017 we have been talking with the jeepney

operators and their leaders,” Suansing said.

He said jeepney operators had all the time since 2017 to comply with the

governmentÂ’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.

“Before the COVID-19 situation, they were given until June 30 to consolidate

their franchises and start forming a legal entity like a cooperative. The

LTFRB will issue one franchise for them. We told them if they canÂ’t

consolidate their franchise, then they lose the chance of being given

another franchise to operate in that route,” Suansing said.

Suansing, however, said old jeepneys would still have the chance to operate

this year as the deadline for them to consolidate has been extended until

December.

He said there are more than 2,000 modernized jeepneys in Metro Manila.

Jeepneys were not allowed to operate in Metro Manila after all forms of

public transportation were suspended last March due to the enhanced

community quarantine.

Under the DOTrÂ’s two-phased approach for the resumption of public

transportation in Metro Manila, jeepneys would only be allowed to operate

starting June 22, but only if higher capacity vehicles would not be enough.

Even by then, modern jeepneys will be prioritized over the old jeepneys,

according to transport officials.

LIBRENG SAKAY ALOK NG QC, AFP SA MGA PASAHERO SA COMMONWEALTH AVENUE

Alok ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Quezon City at Armed Forces of the

Philippines ang libreng sakay para sa mga nag-aabang na mga pasahero sa

Commonwealth Avenue ngayong Miyerkoles.

Mas madali na para sa ilang mga pasahero ang biyahe dahil sa mga alok na

sakay kumpara noong unang dalawang araw ng general community quarantine

ngunit may ilan pa ring nahihirapan.

Ang libreng sakay ay hanggang MRT lang kaya lilipat pa ng tren ang mga

papuntang Ortigas o Makati.

TINGNAN: PILA SA NAIA TERMINAL 3 SA UNANG ARAW NG PAGBABALIK NG COMMERCIAL

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

Mahaba ang pila ng mga pasahero sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport

ngayong Miyerkoles sa unang araw ng pagbabalik ng commercial domestic

flights sa bansa.

Ito ay dahil sa temperature check at pagsisiguro na may valid ticket ang mga

pasahero. Tinitiyak din sa check-in area kung may travel pass ang mga

pasahero para masigurong pwedeng silang umuwi.

May tatlong destinasyon ngayon ang mga flight katulad na lamang sa Cebu

Pacific na may biyahe papuntang General Santos City, Naga at Cagayan de Oro.

4 SASAKYAN NAGKARAMBOLA SA C5 ORTIGAS FLYOVER

Nagkarambola ang dalawang kotse, isang truck at isang 16-wheeler sa kabahaan

ng C5 Ortigas flyover ngayong Miyerkoles ng umaga, ayon sa Metropolitan

Manila Development Authority.

Minamaneho ni Rosauro Gil ang 16-wheeler at ayon sa kasamahan n'ya, galing

sila ng Valenzuela at papunta sana ng Taguig at habang binabaybay nila ang

flyover ay sumalpok ito sa likuran bahagi ng truck.

Dagdag pa n'ya, sa lakas ng pagkakasalpok sa truck ay natamaan rin nito ang

katapat n'yang kotse at nagasgas sa gilid ang isa pang kotse.

Wala namang nasugatan sa mga driver pero binigyan ng medical assistance si

Gil dahil nahihirapan umano siyang huminga.

Agad dumating ang tauhan ng MMDA upang manduhan ang trapiko sa lugar.

Hinahatak na ang dalawang nakahambalang na truck.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

WATCH: VICE GANDA, ANNE CAN'T STOP LAUGHING IN 'THE MALL, THE MERRIER'

BLOOPER REEL

MANILA — The comedy blockbuster "The Mall, The Merrier" had its own dose of

laugh-out-loud comedy behind the scenes, going by a recently released

blooper reel from producer Star Cinema.

The 10-minute video shows the cast, including lead stars Vice Ganda and Anne

Curtis, in fits of laughter over forgetting or messing up their lines.

Curtis may be known for her self-confessed "bulol" Tagalog, but Vice Ganda,

too, had his share of stammering sequences in numerous confrontations with

his onscreen sister.

Also notable were glimpses of Curtis' baby bump. At the time of the filming,

the actress had yet to reveal she was pregnant with her first child, who was

born in March.

The "Never Before Scene" video was released coinciding with the KBO premiere

of "The Mall, The Merrier" in May.

SPORTS

NBA TARGETING OCTOBER FINISH FOR VIRUS-HIT SEASON

LOS ANGELES - The NBA is aiming to complete the 2020 season by mid-October,

reports said Tuesday, as the league edges towards a return from the

coronavirus shutdown.

ESPN reported that according to a timeframe due to be voted on by NBA's

Board of Governors on Thursday, Game 7 of the NBA Finals would take place no

later than October 12.

The NBA and NBA Players Association are still finalizing the details of the

resumption of the season, which was halted on March 11 as the coronavirus

pandemic erupted.

ESPN reported that the league is planning a 22-team format for its return to

play on July 31.

All games are expected to be within the confines of Disney's ESPN Wide World

of Sports Complex in Orlando Florida, with all teams remaining on site to

minimize risk of COVID-19 outbreaks.

The NBA's proposal to be put before the board on Thursday requires support

from three quarters of the league's 30 teams in order to be approved.

ESPN reported there was overwhelming support for the plan being recommended

by NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

One of the key issues to be settled is the format of the competition which

will determine the final line-up for the 16-team playoffs.

Six teams currently just outside the playoff places will be included in the

22-team field and given the opportunity to claim a playoff berth.

If approved, the format will bring an abrupt end to the season for eight

teams languishing outside the top 22.

Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said Tuesday exclusion from the restarted

season would hurt his young team.

"The biggest thing we can benefit from is playing basketball," Pierce said.

"If the season is going to resume and we are not a part of it, it hurts our

growth, it hurts our product, it hurts our ability to continue the momentum

that we need going to next season.

"I play young guys, I have young guys - we need to play basketball."

The restart is expected to include a two-week quarantine for players in

their home cities, one to two weeks of workouts at team facilities followed

by two-week training camps.

INDICATORS

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy

to none. - Benjamin Franklin