OMBUDSMAN SUMMONS DOCUMENTS ON COVID

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the Departments of Health (DOH) and

of Budget and Management (DBM) to submit documents related to the budget for

its response to the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic.

In the subpoenas issued yesterday, the anti-graft office asked for documents

related to the Special Allotment Request Order concerning the budget ordered

by President Duterte to be released to the families of deceased medical

frontliners and all other funds allotted for COVID-19 response.

The move is part of the ombudsmanÂ’s ongoing investigation on Health

Secretary Francisco Duque III and other DOH officials over alleged anomalies

surrounding the agencyÂ’s handling of the pandemic, Ombudsman Samuel Martires

said over CNN Philippines.

Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado told The STAR that his department is ready

to comply with the order.

“Yes, because that is an order and we are not hiding anything. All concerned

must comply and cooperate and help in shedding light on the matter,” Avisado

said in a text message.

“We want to find out where the money was spent, how long did it take the DOH

to release financial assistance to the families of the deceased frontliners

and to frontliners afflicted with the virus. We also want to find out the

actual status of the fund, where is the fund right now?” Martires said in

Filipino.

Also to be investigated were the DOHÂ’s alleged delayed procurement of

personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical gear necessary in the

operation of healthcare workers, and other supposed “lapses and

irregularities” that led to the death or infection of several frontliners,

including doctors.

Additional subpoenas will be issued to the DOH and to government regional

and provincial hospitals on the various procurements they made also in

connection with their COVID-19 response.

“Right now, I am not looking into what kind of charges we will file against

them. What I am looking at is who are the persons responsible for this. What

are the anomalies, if any, that were committed... We just want to know first

the truth,” Martires noted.

WHO WARNS WORLD IN ‘NEW AND DANGEROUS PHASE’ OF PANDEMIC

The World Health Organization warned Friday of a "new and dangerous phase"

of the coronavirus pandemic with people tiring of lockdowns despite the

disease's accelerating spread.

The warning came as it emerged the virus was present in Italy in December,

months before its first confirmed cases and about the same time as the

disease was first reported in China.

The virus, which has now killed more than 454,000 people and infected 8.4

million people worldwide, is surging in the Americas and parts of Asia even

as Europe starts to ease restrictive measures.

Lockdowns imposed to halt the spread of the disease have caused crippling

economic damage, but the WHO said the pandemic still posed a major threat.

"The world is in a new and dangerous phase. Many people are understandably

fed up with being at home... but the virus is still spreading fast," WHO

chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.

A vaccine remains months off at best despite several trials, while

scientists are still discovering more about the virus, its symptoms and the

extent to which it may have spread before being identified.

PALACE TO TRILLANES: NO NEED TO APPOINT ROBREDO COVID-19 TASK FORCE CHIEF,

DON'T BE 'DIVISIVE'

MANILA — Malacañang on Friday accused former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV of

"sowing intrigue and division" by challenging the Palace to appoint the vice

president as chief of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious

Diseases.

“[Vice President Leni Robredo] is helping in her own ways and if her

intentions are genuine, there is no need for her to be appointed or

designated in the [IATF], as suggested by the former senator,” presidential

spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Trillanes issued the challenge after Roque on Wednesday said Robredo should

offer solutions instead of criticizing the government's COVID-19 response.

“If Malacañang really wants to flatten the curve, then it should appoint

[Robredo] to be the IATF chair,” Trillanes said in a statement issued Friday

morning.

Roque then flip-flopped on his earlier remarks, saying “be that as it may,

this does not diminish the fact we acknowledge the contributions of the vice

president in the fight against COVID-19.”

He maintained that his earlier criticism of Robredo was “simply a response

to a specific question by media.”

At the start of the COVID-19-induced lockdown on March, RobredoÂ’s office

initiated bus transportation services for healthcare workers who were left

without means to get to their workplaces when mass transportation was

halted.

The Office of the Vice President has also raised funds for purchase of PPEs

and opened up accommodations for frontliners during lockdown, and launched

an e-market project that taps tricycle drivers to deliver market goods to

buyers.

BUSINESSMAN WILFREDO KENG FILES 2ND CYBER LIBEL COMPLAINT VS JOURNALIST

MARIA RESSA

MANILA - Just days after Maria Ressa's conviction for cyber libel, news

website Rappler disclosed Friday that businessman Wilfredo Keng filed

another complaint against the journalist at the Makati City Prosecutor's'

Office in February this year.

The complaint, also for cyber libel, was due to Ressa's Feb. 15, 2019 tweet,

which posted screenshots of a 2002 Philippine Star article linking the

property developer to the murder of a former councilor.

This was the same article referred to in Rappler's May 2012 report that was

the subject of Ressa's cyber libel conviction on Monday.

The Philippine Star took down the article after Keng's camp "raised the

possibility of legal action" following Ressa's arrest on Feb. 13, 2019.

"While the Philippine Star itself took the prudence of removing the libelous

article, the respondent made sure that it will be read by her 350,000

followers and anybody else who has access to the internet," Keng said in his

complaint dated Feb. 13 this year.

Keng said he was advised by his lawyers that Ressa's tweet was a different

publication and could make her liable for a separate offense, using the same

argument that the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 47 had used to justify

the application of the Cybercrime Prevention Act on Rappler's 2012 article.

Rappler supposedly republished the 2012 article in Feb. 2014, making it fall

under the new law.

In the new complaint, the businessman accused Ressa of maliciously sharing

false information despite having been shown a 2016 certification from the

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) stating that he has no derogatory

record.

The PDEA certification cleared Keng of involvement in drugs but not in

murder that was the subject of the Philippine Star article.

But he insisted that both the Philippine Star's and Rappler's articles had

the same purpose of destroying his reputation.

Keng said his lawyers demanded that Ressa take down the tweet but she

instead sent a letter resisting the demand.

"I disagree with your legal characterization of the tweet as a

republication, based on existing jurisprudence," Ressa said.

"The tweet itself makes reference verbatim to the Philippine Star news item

which the Philippine Star has not recanted for being untrue but which it has

taken down only due to threat of legal action against it.

"It is protected expression under the Constitution and the law and your

demand constitutes outright censorship," she added.

Ressa has yet to respond to the complaint as the imposition of the enhanced

community quarantine affected the deadline for submission of her

counter-affidavit.

DOH REPORTS 661 FRESH, LATE COVID-19 CASES; RECOVERIES AT 288

MANILA — The Department of Health reported 661 additional COVID-19 cases or

a total of 28,459 confirmed cases in the country on Friday, over two weeks

since quarantine restrictions were eased.

Of the additional cases, 460 are considered “fresh” while 201 are “late

cases.”

Fresh cases refer to those whose test results were released within the last

3 days, while late cases are those whose results were released four days ago

or earlier.

The 460 fresh cases is the third highest reported in a single day since the

DOH started using the new classification, while the 201 late cases is the

highest reported in the week.

Of the fresh cases, 277 are from the National Capital Region while only 21

are from Region 7 or Central Visayas, which has seen a spike in cases in

recent weeks.

A total of 162 are tagged to have come from “others,” which could refer to

other regions or the fact that the patient does not have any location data.

Of the late cases, 40 are from NCR and 103 are from Region 7, while 58 are

tagged as coming from “others."

NCR and Region 7 have been reporting higher numbers of new cases in the past

weeks. The DOH earlier said it sent epidemiologists to Cebu City, the

epicenter of the outbreak in Region 7, to study how the virus has spread

there.

Asked if the Philippines is already winning the fight against COVID-19,

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the indicators are good.

ROBREDO SEEKS HELP OF CREATIVES IN MAKING INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS FOR TEACHERS,

PARENTS

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo asked those working in the media

industry to help her office produce instructional videos for teachers and

parents as the country moves away from traditional face-to-face interactions

and shifts to distant learning modes.

In a post on her Facebook account, Robredo stressed that the roles of

teachers and parents in educating and nurturing learners are even more

crucial now that the traditional classroom set-up is not allowed.

“We are working with teachers and experts for this series of how-to videos,

hoping to make distance or blended learning less intimidating and to equip

our teachers and parents so they can better handle the needs of the students

in their homes and communities,” the vice president said.

“Given the wide range of topics to be covered, we would be needing more

help, so that these videos can be produced before the school year begins.

This is where we hope to meet more production houses and creatives who may

wish to lend their talents to this cause,” she added.

RobredoÂ’s office earlier appealed to people who have old but functioning

smartphones, tablet computers, laptops and desktop computers to donate them.

These will be given to students and teachers without access to these

devices.

“Throughout this crisis, we have counted much on the generosity of our

fellow Filipinos, who stepped up with us to fill in the gaps. We tap into

this wellspring of goodwill once more: for our children, for our teachers

and for the better tomorrow that we hope to see as we march toward the new

normal,” she said.

THE REST

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CEBU CITY PNP, DEPED OFFICES ON LOCKDOWN

CEBU — At least 25 personnel of the Cebu City Police Office have been found

positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 in rapid anti-body

tests.

Col. Cydric Earl Tamayo, Cebu police officer-in-charge, said the offices of

the operations and city director, where 14 of those who tested positive for

the virus were quarantined, were placed on lockdown.

Tamayo said the police officers would undergo swab test if they would

manifest symptoms.

Tamayo gave assurance that there would be no disruption in the operations of

the police offices on lockdown.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) office in Cebu City was

closed yesterday after its two nurses tested positive for COVID-19.

Rhea Mar Angtud, DepEd-Cebu City division superintendent, said the office is

closed to the public until the end of the month to pave the way for

disinfection.

LEACHON HITS POLITICS, ‘ARBITRARY’ OUSTER

MANILA — Aside from problems on data, sacked special adviser to the National

Task Force (NTF) on COVID-19 Anthony Leachon said Thursday night that the

countryÂ’s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is

beset by politics.

In an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News / TV 5, Leachon said the

COVID-19 response is not only hampered by inaccurate data from the

Department of Health (DOH), but also by politics.

“There are politicians who would actually request for lighter quarantine

(status) although their scientific data is not good,” he noted, citing a

province which “lobbied” to be placed under general community quarantine

(GCQ) from May 15 to 31.

However, he claimed the provinceÂ’s COVID-19 related data indicated that it

should be under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

“If you are saddled by… not the real-time and granular data, how can you

accurately diagnose? And then in the midst of the epidemic there is

lobbying. That’s a problem. Data and politics are a bad mix,” he added.

He cautioned that politics can “define the success or failure” of the

countryÂ’s response to the pandemic.

Leachon claimed politics was also behind his ouster from the NTF last

Wednesday, following his Twitter and Facebook posts regarding DOHÂ’s alleged

mismanagement and negligence in dealing with the pandemic.

“I was ousted. I was politicized at the top and nobody defended me that

much. That’s how the ballgame works and you have to accept that,” he said.

He recalled that it was COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez who had

“calmly” told him to quit. In spite of this, he gave assurance that they

remain friends.

But Leachon admitted to crying when he was eased out.

NETIZENS MISTAKE LIGHTNING FOR TAAL VOLCANO ACTIVITY

MANILA — A thunderstorm in Batangas caused some nearby residents to fear

that lightning might be originating from Taal Volcano.

State weather bureau PAGASA on Thursday night issued a thunderstorm advisory

forecasting moderate to heavy rain showers with lightning and strong winds

over Metro Manila, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Cavite.

However, some netizens saw lightning and thought it might be originating

from the volcano, which spew ashes earlier this year and displaced residents

within its danger zone.

These fears were quickly disputed by other twitter users:

"You will notice that 'TAAL' is one of the trending topic[s] tody in the

Philippine. Please! Stop the fake news, lightning or thunder [is not

originating from TAAL.] There's no taal eruption. This is due to the heavy

rain," one netizen said.

State seismology bureau Phivolcs did not report any volcanic activity that

had to do with lightning on Thursday night.

However, the bureau on Friday said it recorded 10 volcanic earthquakes in

Taal within the last 24 hour period which were "associated mainly with

rock-fracturing processes beneath and around the edifice."

Phivolcs has kept Alert Level 1 hoisted over Taal Volcano, where sudden

steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall,

and lethal accumulations or expulsion of volcanic gas may occur and threaten

areas within Taal Volcano Island (TVI).

It has also strictly prohibited entry to TVI.

Local government units, residents and pilots flying near the area are

encouraged by the bureau to take necessary precautions.

PNP SETS UP ONE-STOP SHOPS FOR LSISÂ’ TRAVEL PAPERS

MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) will set up one-stop shops for

faster processing of documents needed by locally stranded individuals or

LSIs who want to return to their provinces.

The PNP has instructed its units to coordinate with local government units

(LGUs) to put up the one-stop shops in their respective areas.

PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar yesterday said

the shops are located at municipal and city halls for easier access.

He said the shops would help stranded commuters get a medical clearance

certificate and travel authority, the two documents needed before being

granted passage to their hometowns.

“The one-stop shop shall provide prompt and efficient assistance to all LSIs

within their area of responsibility, particularly in securing medical

clearance certificate and travel authority,” he said in a statement.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

ANGEL LOCSIN INSPIRES BODY POSITIVITY WITH LATEST PHYSIQUE

MANILA — Kapamilya actress Angel Locsin is inadvertently sparking

conversations of body positivity among Filipino netizens after pictures

highlighting her curvaceous figure surfaced online.

Online users argued that AngelÂ’s proactive stance in helping out her

countrymen through humanitarian projects before and during the novel

coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is proof that weight and body

image should not matter.

AngelÂ’s healthy, curvy figure can also be seen and admired on her new public

service program “Iba ‘Yan,” which she hosts and operates alongside a

dedicated team in order to feature inspiring stories of unrecognized heroes.

HereÂ’s what netizens are saying about Angel Locsin and the power of body

positivity.

@IMpopoy_dlcrz

Angel Locsin is indeed the new definition of sexy, both mentally and

physically. She's simply gorgeous.

*CTTrightfulOwnerofthephoto*

@JimGumboc

Angel Locsin can be in any shapes and sizes & people will still like her.She

didn't care about her weight bcoz she's busy carrying the weight of the

world on her shoulders than any of you or this government could ever

carry.Among her many forms, being an Angel and Darna stood out

Ms. Angel Locsin is a living-proof that weight doesn't define beauty. You're

such an inspo specially to those pluz-size women. ????

SELF-LOVE IS THE KEY

— Kyle Beatrice (@thebeabear)

@Mikeytocopolous

Real or not. Angel Locsin has nothing to prove. She is our real-life darna,

sheÂ’s also 2 time FHM PH Sexiest woman.

SPORTS

TEAM PH OFF TO DOMINANT START IN FIBA E-SPORTS OPEN

MANILA – The Philippine NBA 2K team caught fire early on in their FIBA

E-sports Open series against Indonesia on Friday night, leading to

back-to-back blowout wins.

The Philippines opened its account with a wire-to-wire 56-29 victory before

pulling away just before halftime to hack out a 64-30 Game 2 rout.

"From the start, talagang ang order sa amin, 'Shoot to kill,' as in from

(the) first quarter to the fourth quarter, kahit tambak yan ng 20, 30, or a

hundred (From the start, the order given to us was, 'Shoot to kill,' as in

from the first quarter to the fourth quarter, even if we lead by 20, 30, or

100)," Team Captain Philippe Herrero said post-game why the team still

played hard despite already leading by much.

Aljon Cruzin sizzled in both games, scoring 22 points, three rebounds, and

seven assists in Game 1 and 23 points, one rebound, and three assists in

Game 2.

The Philippines can clinch the best-of-five Southeast Asian Conference

championship series in Game 3 on Saturday night but even if that happens,

both the Philippines and Indonesia will still have to slug it out in Game 4

also on Saturday night and in Game 5 on Sunday night.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 50.06

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Â….And I've knowed some to lay and wait, To git up soon, and set up late, To

ketch some feller they could hate, For goin' at a faster gait. - James

Whitcomb Riley