DUTERTE: ANTI-TERRORISM BILL STILL UNDER PALACE LEGAL TEAM REVIEW

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte's legal team is still reviewing the

controversial anti-terrorism bill that was transmitted to the Palace on June

9.

In a meeting with Cabinet officials aired late Monday night, Duterte

explained he still has not "received" it as he had his legal team review it.

"It's always-that's automatic. When it comes to me, I endorse it to legal.

Without even reading it actually, if you-if you want to really know," he

added.

The proposed new anti-terrorism bill reached the Duterte's desk on June 9,

starting the 30-day clock for presidential action on it. The chief executive

has three options: Sign the bill that he marked as urgent into law, veto it,

or let it sit until July 9 and it will automatically lapse into law.

The Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel submitted its review mere

days after he Congress transmitted the enrolled, or final, copy of the bill

to the Office of the President.

Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said his office recommended

the signing of the anti-terrorism bill, as it is "effective in combating

terrorism" and has passed the constitutional test.

Panelo's review of the bill is in contrast with the Integrated Bar of the

Philippines, lawyers groups and law academe as they warned of the

constitutional infirmities found in the proposed new measure.

The Department of Justice also conducted a constitutional review of the

controversial anti-terrorism bill. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said

they sent their recommendations to the Palace last Wednesday, June 17.

A copy of DOJ's review has yet to be made public, as Guevarra left it to the

Palace to disclose it, citing confidentiality.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday that they are waiting for

recommendations from the Office of the Executive Secretary.

DUTERTE DEFENDS DUQUE AS OMBUDSMAN PROBES DOH FOR ALLEGED COVID-19 ANOMALIES

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte once again came to the defense of Health

Secretary Francisco Duque III, who is facing an investigation for alleged

irregularities and anomalies over the agency's handling of the country's

coronavirus response.

In an address aired late Monday, Duterte said he had faith the country's top

health official, who has been in hot water since March when the government

belatedly took the threat of COVID-19 pandemic seriously.

"I am very sure and I place my reputation on Secretary Duque that there was

no corruption that happened there," the chief executive said in a mix of

English and Bisaya.

This came days after the Office of the Ombudsman announced it would start an

investigation into the delayed procurement of personal protective equipment,

inaction in the release of financial assistance of "fallen" and infected

health workers and delayed reporting of virus-related cases and deaths.

"With due respect to the Ombudsman, the honorable Martires, iniimbestiga pa

niya pero kung ako, kung ako lang ang tanungin, kung ako ang imbestigahin

niya, eh di magpunta talaga ako sabihin ko na I believe in the honesty and

integrity of my people," Duterte said.

Duterte added that Duque will not steal from the government because the

health chief is already rich.

"Dili na niya kaya. Dili na niya kaya kay dato na ni daan si Duque. Naa ni'y

hospital, naa ni'y eskwelahan, naa ni tanan. Hasta tanang gwapang asawa, naa

niya. Mao ni'y importante, tanang-tanang gwapa," he said.

Carlito Galvez, National Task Force COVID-19 chief implementer, also vouched

for Duque, saying he "has nothing to do" with the procurement.

Last month, Duterte defended the DOH over the procurement of allegedly

overpriced protective gear and medical supplies, saying he was the one who

ordered Duque to procure them regardless of the cost.

DUTERTE SIGNS BILLS UPGRADING HOSPITALS

MANILA - President Duterte has signed three bills seeking to upgrade three

local hospitals even as his chief ally in the Senate pushes for the

streamlining of such upgrades.

Sen. Bong Go is pushing for the upgrade of health facilities to improve the

country's healthcare system and make it more responsive to the needs of

people especially in times of crisis.

"We can feel insufficient health facilities and hospitals. That is why the

legislative and the executive must work together to improve our health

facilities in all parts of the country," Go, chairman of the Senate

committee on health, said.

The newly enacted measures are expected to improve delivery of quality

medical and healthcare services in their respective areas.

"We thank President Duterte for swiftly signing these measures into law.

With the help or our colleagues in Congress, we will work to improve the

quality of services of public hospitals in the provinces," Go said.

DUTERTE: DENR CHIEF CIMATU TO OVERSEE CEBU CITY COVID-19 RESPONSE

MANILA (Updated June 23, 2020, 10:30 a.m.) - President Rodrigo Duterte is

sending Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, a former armed forces chief, to

Cebu City to look into and make recommendations on how the government will

proceed in addressing rising COVID-19 cases in the city.

In a public address aired late Monday night, Duterte said Cimatu will head

an "adjunct" agency to the Inter-Agency Task Force of Emerging Infectious

Diseases in Cebu City.

Cimatu "will exercise the powers" of the task force, Dutere said.

"All he has to do, not for permission, but to advise Manila, here, that

these things are being done, these things are not yet done, these things

must be done," Duterte also said in a mix of English and Filipino.

"I must have the picture of how grave... the situations are. I need to

know," he added.

Peace adviser Carlito Galvez said at the meeting that he will also fly to

Cebu City along with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Defense

Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to meet with regional IATF and assist Cimatu on

his new task.

Galvez serves as the chief implementer of the COVID-19 action plan.

The FREEMAN reported earlier Monday that the Cebu City Health Office

reported 37 cases, 42 recoveries and one death on June 22. Sunstar reported

that Cebu City has now recorded 4,449 COVID-19 infections.

The Department of Health logged 630 COVID-19 cases in the country, pushing

national tally to 30,682. Death toll is at 1,177 while 8,143 have so far

recovered.

GOVERNMENT COVID-19 RESPONSE IMPROVING - PALACE

MANILA - Despite the continuing rise in the number of coronavirus disease

2019 cases in the country, government response to the COVID-19 crisis has

saved "thousands" of lives, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said

yesterday.

"We are improving when it comes to the battle against COVID-19," Roque said

at a press briefing.

He said the number of tests being conducted is increasing and only five in

every 100 persons tested have turned out positive for the virus.

He said the increase in the number of deaths has slowed and only less than

half of intensive care unit beds, isolation beds, ward beds and mechanical

ventilators are being used.

The case doubling rate, Roque said, is seven days - a rate that makes an

area qualified to be placed under the more lenient general community

quarantine (GCQ).

"Hindi po takot ang ginamit - siyensiya po, mga datos na nagligtas ng

libu-libong buhay (It's not by sowing fear - it's science backed with data

that has saved thousands of lives)," he said.

Citing information from Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Roque said the

World Bank has praised President Duterte for effectively saving "100,000

lives" through his "decisiveness."

"They said if we did not impose a lockdown, 100,000 people would have died,"

the Palace spokesman said.

"Now, many parts of the Philippines are under GCQ and the more relaxed MGCQ

(modified GCQ)," he added.

Roque also denied that the government has adopted a militaristic approach to

dealing with the pandemic.

DUTERTE SAYS HE 'HATES LOCKDOWN,' WILL RESUME NATIONWIDE VISITS TO MILITARY

CAMPS

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night announced that he intends

to resume his visits to military camps amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In the coming days I intend to go around the country. I will conduct

visits. I will be visiting military camps. So I'll just have to take

precautions," he said in a mix of Filipino and English during a public

address with his advisers.

The chief executive went on to say that he personally hated the novel

coronavirus-induced lockdown being enforced by his government.

"If you can't stand [the lockdown] and you catch the disease, then that's

too bad. Same is true for me, if I am reckless enough then I'll [catch the

disease]" he told the nation in a mix of English and Filipino.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday told CNN Philippines that

Duterte already has one visit scheduled.

THE REST

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GREENPEACE: REUSABLE SYSTEMS, BAN ON SINGLE-USE PLASTICS NEEDED AMID

QUARANTINE

MANILA - An environmental organization called on local governments to

enforce reusable systems and bans on single-use plastics after the

coronavirus disease pandemic set back efforts to reduce the country's

dependency on plastic.

Greenpeace Philippines said there has been a notable increase in the usage

of single-use plastic as the restrictions on movement put in place to

contain the spread of the virus forced people stuck at home to turn to

deliveries.

As the health crisis continues to rage, hospitals in Manila are also

expected to generate additional 280 tons of medical waste-masks, gloves and

other protective gear often made of plastic-according to an estimate of

Asian Development Bank.

But the rise of plastic waste during the COVID-19 pandemic could increase

the risks faced by communities, especially sanitation workers and

fisherfolk, Greenpeace said.

"Single-use plastic is not inherently safer than reusables as it will cause

additional public health concerns once discarded," Marian Ledesma,

Greenpeace zero waste campaigner, said.

"As the government gradually allows businesses to reopen, reusable systems

and single-use plastic bans must be implemented to ensure the protection of

the environment, workers and consumers," she added.

The Philippines-along with China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam-contribute

half the plastic waste in the world's oceans, according to Ocean Conservancy

in 2015.

RE-BRANDED BAGUIO EYES SEPTEMBER OPENING

MANILA - Baguio, famed for its cool weather, will re-brand itself as a

vacation spot safe from the coronavirus pandemic and might open to tourists

in September, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said Tuesday.

The mountain city will re-open its tourism if it avoids a second wave of

COVID-19 cases and if "things normalize" in neighboring Metro Manila,

Central Luzon and Region 4, he said.

Before the coronavirus lockdown in March, Baguio drew some 500,000 tourists

at crowd-drawing events like its Panagbenga flower festival.

The city will accept only a tenth of this number when it re-opens and might

gradually accept more holidaymakers once local authorities "learn the

dynamics," said Magalong.

"When we open up, it's just like applying for a visa. That's what we're

doing right now with returning Baguio residents, you have to apply for a

'visa', get a schedule," he said.

Baguio will be re-branded as a "safe vacation spot" by requiring visitors to

go through a checkpoint and 2 levels of medical triage, he said.

The city is planning tourism programs by "the end of the year" and an

initial P100-million stimulus package, 80 percent of which will go to micro

enterprises and 20 percent to small businesses, Magalong said.

PHILHEALTH CHIEF ADMITS AGENCY INEFFICIENCIES BUT NO SYNDICATE

MANILA - Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) president and chief

executive officer Ricardo Morales yesterday denied allegations that there

are syndicates defrauding the agency.

At a press briefing, Morales said that while there may be "inefficiencies"

in their operations including in the processing of claims, there is no

syndicate or "group of people colluding to defraud the corporation in that

scale."

"We are a very large corporation. Every day we process about 50,000 claims

in 16 regional offices, about 120 branches, local health insurance offices.

Some of them manually, some of them are not yet integrated. (Documents) are

transferred manually, not yet automated," he added.

"Only a working, integrated and organized information system is going to

solve a problem of this size," he said.

"Now, there is no healthcare system in the world that is fraud-free. But we

can reduce the problem if we have perfectly integrated and harmonized

information system but this is not going to happen overnight. It will take

some time before coming into effect," he said.

NEW JEEPNEYS PLY ROUTES, BUT NOT ENOUGH DRIVERS

MANILA - At least 3,400 passenger buses and 1,500 modernized jeepneys were

deployed yesterday during the second phase of gradual operations of commuter

vehicles in Metro Manila under the general community quarantine (GCQ), but

officials reported a shortage of drivers of modern jeepneys.

During the Laging Handa briefing yesterday, Metropolitan Manila Development

Authority (MMDA) spokesperson Celine Pialago said at least 15 routes were

given to the modern jeepneys, and that 19 more routes would be added in the

next days.

Asked about commuters' complaints about the longer waiting time for jeepneys

to arrive, Pialago said not all units could be deployed due to a shortage of

drivers.

"The transport operators have raised their concerns about a shortage of

drivers. Despite the number of routes or permits to travel, not all of their

units could be deployed. Some drivers went home to the province and could

not go back to Metro Manila. These are the challenges faced by the

operators," Pialago said in a separate radio interview.

Pialago said traditional jeepneys would only be deployed to augment the

1,500 modern jeepneys in case of shortage.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

RICHARD GOMEZ OPTIMISTIC ABOUT ANOTHER REUNION PROJECT WITH DAWN ZULUETA

MANILA - Richard Gomez remains optimistic that he and Dawn Zulueta could

work on another movie or TV show again in the future.

In an interview with Toni Gonzaga for "I Feel U" on Sunday, Gomez said he

likes the feeling when he and Zulueta do reunion projects because it makes

their avid supporters really happy.

Recalling how ecstatic their fans were when they did "She's Dating the

Gangster" in 2014, Gomez said: "Tuwang tuwa talaga sila. We received mga

comments sa Instagram and Facebook. Gusto nila magkaroon pa ng another

reunion."

Gomez, however, admitted that there could possibly be one problem.

"Sabi ko, kasi nga dahil limited 'yung area ko, I can only leave Ormoc City

once in a while kasi kapag mayor ka, kailangan nandito ka lagi," he said.

"If you remember mga two years ago, nakagawa din ako ng movie with Sharon

(Cuneta). Siguro 90% of the movie was actually shot here in Ormoc. Siguro

kung may reunion movie kami ni Dawn, maganda rin dito kami mag-shoot sa

Ormoc," he added.

A former real-life couple, Gomez and Zulueta are considered one of the most

sought-after tandems in the '90s.

Their team-up made a comeback when they starred in ABS-CBN's "Walang

Hanggan," which concluded in October 2012.

When asked how they keep their friendship fresh, Gomez said: "Kasi kami ni

Dawn when we were young, mag-boyfriend and girlfriend kami pero when we

split up, we remained friends. Kahit hindi na kaming dalawa, 'yung

relationship namin naging friends kami."

"Through the years, kapag nagkikita kami, nag-uusap kami. Every once in a

while, nate-text ko siya. Kinakamusta ko pa rin siya," he added.

Gomez said it also helps that their spouses are friends, too.

"'Yung husband ni Dawn, si Anton, kaibigan ko rin. Si Lucy kaibigan din niya

si Anton kasi magkasama sila sa Congress," he said.

Gomez and Zulueta's last movie project together was "The Love Affair" which

also starred Bea Alonzo.

SPORTS

NBA: RAPTORS PREPARING TO RESUME SEASON IN FLORIDA

The defending champion Toronto Raptors began preparations to resume the

2019-20 season on Monday.

Select players and staff members are headed to Fort Myers, Fla., where they

will remain until the NBA campus in Orlando opens in early July.

"In keeping with NBA and team safety protocols, there will be no group

workouts during this phase of return to play, and strict protocols have been

designed to ensure this initial level of access will take place in a safe,

controlled, and healthy way," the team said in a press release.

Group workouts will not begin until the Raptors report to the Disney World

facility for the league's 22-team restart.

The organization also said there will be no in-person media availabilities

during this stage. Access to team hotels and voluntary individual workout

facilities will be limited to essential team personnel.

Toronto compiled a 46-18 record and ranked second in the Eastern Conference,

6.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks, when the season was suspended in

mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RONALDO SCORES AS JUVENTUS GROW SERIE A LEAD TO FOUR POINTS

Cristiano Ronaldo converted a first-half penalty as leaders Juventus resumed

their Serie A campaign with a 2-0 win at Bologna on Monday, lifting some of

the pressure off coach Maurizio Sarri.

After missing a spot kick in a Coppa Italia match against AC Milan 10 days

ago, Ronaldo made no mistake in the 23rd minute and Paulo Dybala curled in a

brilliant second before half-time to give the Turin side a comfortable win.

Juventus, with 66 points from 27 games and chasing a ninth successive title,

extended their lead to four points over Lazio, who visit Atalanta on

Wednesday. Inter Milan are a further five points behind in third while

Bologna are 10th with 34.

Juve's failure to score in two Coppa Italia games following the end of the

new coronavirus stoppage, coupled with their defeat on penalties to Napoli

in Wednesday's final, raised questions over Sarri, who has struggled to

impose his style of play in his first season at the club.

There were no questions about the Juventus defence, however, which kept a

fourth straight clean sheet in all competitions.

After fielding Ronaldo in an unfamiliar centre-forward role against Napoli,

Sarri returned the Portuguese to his more comfortable position wide of the

centre.

Juve got the breakthrough when Stefano Denswil grabbed Matthijs de Ligt's

shirt at a corner and Ronaldo drilled home his 22nd league goal of the

season from the spot.

A clever backheel by Federico Bernardeschi set up the second for Dybala who

curled an unstoppable shot beyond goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski.

Bernardeschi crashed a shot against the crossbar and Ronaldo had another

goal disallowed for offside in the second half.

The only disappointment for Juve was an injury to defender Mattia De Sciglio

and a red card for his replacement Danilo after he was booked twice in quick

succession near the end.

INDICATORS

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don't

have the strength. - Theodore Roosevelt