DUTERTE BACKS 14-DAY DETENTION FOR TERROR SUSPECTS: PALACE

President Rodrigo Duterte believes the anti-terrorism bill allowing

authorities to hold suspects without charge for at least 2 weeks does not

violate the Constitution, his spokesperson said Wednesday.

The Revised Penal Code allows the 36-hour pre-trial detention of terror

suspects to prevent evasion and destruction of evidence, said Presidential

Spokesman Harry Roque.

"As a [former] trial fiscal, there's one issue that he has no problems with:

that is pre-trial detention," he told ANC.

"He does not feel that the 14-day period is actually a violation of the

constitutional provision that a warrant of arrest can only be issued by a

judge because the law does not change that constitutional rule," he added.

The measure, which is up for Duterte's signature, will also let the

government wiretap suspects and arrest them without warrant, among others

provisions.

The President will decide on whether or not to approve the bill a day or two

after he receives the recommendations of Executive Secretary Salvador

Medialdea, said Roque.

"Barring constitutional infirmities, he is inclined to sign it but he wants

to see the bill. He wants to make a personal determination," he said.

CIMATU CAN TAP MILITARY FOR CEBU'S PANDEMIC QUARANTINE: PALACE

MANILA — Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu can tap the military to contain

the coronavirus pandemic in Cebu City as President Rodrigo Duterte's

representative, his spokesperson said Wednesday.

The Supreme Court earlier ruled that soldiers can be posted in shopping

centers and other public areas to implement pandemic protocols, said

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque.

"This is not martial law. This has been decided upon by the Supreme Court

and this is as far as enforcing the ECQ in Cebu is concerned," he told ANC.

"Normally, we have the police enforcing it, but if the police is not enough

then the Armed Forces can also enforce the lockdown."

Duterte last week placed Cebu City back under the strictest lockdown level:

the enhanced community quarantine or ECQ that limits economic activity to

utility services, food, water and other essential sectors.

On Monday, the President told Cimatu, a former military chief, to oversee

the quarantine of the city that is home to 900,000 people.

Cimatu "will not just make recommendations" and will instead "implement what

he thinks should be done in the period of 1 week." He only needs to keep the

inter-agency task force posted about these measures, said Roque.

"The mandate of Gen. Cimatu comes from the President himself, backed up by

an executive order. He can exercise all powers that the President can

exercise," he said.

"All the actions of Gen. Cimatu are tantamount to being acts of the

President and if need be, the President will issue executive orders to give

legal validity to any of the actions taken by Gen. Cimatu," added the Palace

official.

COVID-19 cases in the Philippines on Tuesday saw its biggest single-day jump

and reached 31,825.

The tally included 789 “fresh cases”, with 207 from Metro Manila, 288 from

Region 7 or Central Visayas, and 294 from other areas.

HEALTH IS PRIORITY: PALACE DENIES FAVORING PRIVATE TRANSPORT DURING PANDEMIC

MANILA — Malacañang denied Wednesday that its pandemic protocols prioritized

private transportation over public vehicles as quarantines eased to restart

the economy.

Regulators allowed the resumption of trains, buses, taxis and ride-sharing

services in areas under general community quarantine and modified GCQ after

stricter lockdowns grounded public transport for about 2 months, said

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque.

"The priority of the IATF is still upholding public health and that is why

as far as transportation is concerned it's not just cars that are being

given priority," he told ANC.

"It's not true that the favored mode of transportation is still private," he

added.

The transportation department is studying how to ensure social distancing

and hygiene in traditional jeepneys so these can return to the road, Roque

said.

"If buses and the modernized jeepneys will not be sufficient, yes, the DOTr

will consider also jeepneys," he said.

However, Roque said UV Express vans "stand a better chance" of resuming

operations because their passengers are seated facing the same direction.

Jeepneys typically cram in 10 to 16 commuters sitting knee-to-knee on twin

benches that make it difficult to enforce social distancing measures.

HONTIVEROS TO GOVERNMENT: HIRE FILIPINOS FIRST FOR FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

MANILA — After Malacañang announced that it was looking into letting more

foreign workers in for its flagship projects, Senator Risa Hontiveros on

Wednesday urged the government to prioritize hiring Filipinos instead.

"Hire Filipinos first... millions of Filipinos lost their livelihoods and

are hungry right now. Hundreds of thousands of overseas Filipino workers

(OFWs) are returning to the country with no jobs. Let's put them first," she

said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Hontiveros in her statement called on the government to survey the

population for its skills and to match them with its projects.

"We need to match skills to available and future jobs. The government has to

step in as one of our major employers through its flagship projects while we

are in crisis," she said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that an additional five million

Filipinos were left jobless by the COVID-19 pandemic and

government-initiated lockdowns in April.

In absolute terms, movement restrictions threw 7.3 million Filipinos out of

their workplace during the survey period, up from 2.3 million a year ago,

PSA data showed.

Hontiveros advocated for the skills of a great number of these unemployed

workers. She emphasized in Filipino that "among the returning OFWs alone,

many are health workers, engineers, architects and more."

The senator added that the National Economic and Development Authority

(NEDA) and the economic cluster of the Cabinet should "quickly put together

a masterplan that will generate new sources of employment and new

investments that will be ready to replace those that have been lost."

ROBREDO FIGHTS BACK VS FAKE NEWS PEDDLERS AMID ALLEGATIONS OF SPOILED MEALS

DELIVERY

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo denied Tuesday that she distributed

spoiled food to workers of a Quezon City hospital and sought help to report

social media users who spread the accusation.

Robredo shared on Facebook a screenshot of the post that accused her of

sending rotten food to the Diliman Doctors Hospital.

The post alleged Robredo's spokesperson Barry Gutierrez "rushed to the

hospital and asked the staff to keep it quiet" and supposedly "offered a

cash donation." The hospital's director allegedly "refused to meet" Robredo

went she went there the next day.

"This has never happened. I never went to this hospital," said Robredo. She

said her spokesperson also "never visited any hospital" when the coronavirus

lockdown started in March and did not call the Diliman Doctors Hospital.

The hospital also disproved rumors that the Vice President herself showed

up, and that the hospitalÂ’s president refused to meet her.

Diliman Doctors Hospital issued a statement dismissing the allegations.

“Our institution received food donation on 3 occasions from the Office of

the Vice President, but none of which have been found to be spoiled,” it

said on its Facebook page.

“On the other hand, Atty. Gutierrez or any representative from the Vice

President's Office never surfaced in our hospital to offer any monetary

payoff.”

Robredo added that the team that delivered hot meals donated by private

individuals said they never received such complaints.

The Facebook user who made the accusation "is trying to skip liability with

his 'confirm, if possible' line," said the Vice President.

"If there was no malice, you should have checked first before posting. You

should know that posting fake news makes you criminally liable," she said.

Robredo asked her supporters to report the social media user and all those

who re-posted the allegation on Facebook and Twitter.

"We will go after all of them... We will no longer tolerate any of these,"

she said.

Robredo's office earlier raised almost P60 million for pandemic response,

including dormitories, safety gear and free shuttle rides for health

workers; extraction and test kits for the coronavirus; and food and care

packs for frontliners.

The Vice President's relief efforts have been the subject of online

misinformation.

SC DISMISSES QUO WARRANTO PETITION VS ABS-CBN

MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed yesterday the quo warranto

petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida against broadcast giant

ABS-CBN Corp. as the franchise in question already expired on May 4.

According to SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka, the high court junked CalidaÂ’s

request to revoke ABS-CBNÂ’s franchise for being moot.

However, Hosaka said the SC has yet to issue a resolution on the case filed

by Calida against ABS-CBN Convergence even if its franchise expired on March

17.

“The complaint against ABS-CBN Convergence remains pending,” Hosaka said.

Calida filed the quo warranto petition on Feb. 10, alleging that ABS-CBN

Corp. and Convergence violated the conditions set by Congress when it

granted a 25-year franchise for the network to broadcast its content on

television and radio.

Malacañang said it respects the SC decision on ABS-CBNÂ’s case.

“We respect the decision of the high court, a separate and co-equal branch

of government, on the quo warranto petition filed against the network,”

presidential spokesman Harry Roque said yesterday.

Roque said it is up to the solicitor general as the petitioner to decide on

his next legal steps.

He said the Palace also leaves it to Congress to decide on the franchise

renewal of ABS-CBN.

THE REST

========

DILG CHIEF: 'CEBU CITY IS ON LOCKDOWN'

Cebu City is on lockdown, the interior department said Wednesday, following

the suspension of quarantine passes there and a spike in cases of the

coronavirus disease.-

"Lockdown ang buong Cebu City," Interior Secretary Eduardo Año told

ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

"Under ECQ iyan at magdadagdag pa tayo ng mga pulis dito pati kagawad ng

Armed Forces para makatulong dito kasi nakita natin na kailangan talagang

mag-quarantine ang mga tao sa kani-kanilang bahay... Bawal talaga lumabas,"

he added.

The Visayas city's police earlier denied that the suspension of 250,000

quarantine passes in the city meant that it was under hard lockdown.

"Kahit hatiin mo lang na lumabas iyong tao n'yan, you have 125,000 na

pakalat-kalat sa daan papunta sa mall," Cebu City police chief Col. Cydric

Tamayo said in a separate TeleRadyo interview.

"Stricter measure lang siya (suspension ng quarantine pass). Hindi po siya

masabi nating — nagkakaroon ng confusion iyong hard lockdown. I-implement

lang natin iyong ECQ," he added,

President Rodrigo Duterte last week placed Cebu City back under the

strictest lockdown level: the enhanced community quarantine or ECQ that

limits economic activity to utility services, food, water and other

essential sectors.

Workers of authorized industries can still go out of their homes, both the

local police and Año said.

BARS TO STAY SHUT IN GCQ AREAS; TRADE CHIEF CLARIFIES MEMO

MANILA - Bars remain prohibited to reopen in areas under general community

quarantine, the trade department clarified Wednesday, following a "mistake"

in an official document.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said bars are allowed to reopen only in areas

under modified GCQ and that the IATF resolution only amended the curfew

hours of establishments to 9 p.m. from 8 p.m.

A modified GCQ or MGCQ is the lowest quarantine classification, below the

general community quarantine or GCQ. An MGCQ classification is the last step

before the "new normal" or lifting of quarantine restrictions.

"Gusto kong i-clarify na hindi namin napag-usapan yung bar, ang talaga hong

allowed pa rin ay yung dine-in establishments, ang ginalaw lang po dun ay

yung pagsara nila up to 9 p.m.," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

"Nabasa ko rin, nagulat din ako at nandoon. Just to tell you na wala yan sa

usapan, well not in the spirit of the discussion also. We are having it

corrected as we speak."

Bars, cafés, and restaurants in clubhouses and similar establishments can

operate at 30 percent of its capacity provided that the venue allows for

physical distancing protocols, the government inter-agency task force (IATF)

on pandemic response said in its June 22 resolution.

Food establishments in GCQ areas are allowed to offer dine-in services up to

30 percent of store capacity from June 15. Restaurants in modified GCQ areas

can operate up to half of the store capacity.

These are subject to random inspections in observance of minimum health

standards such as physical distancing and wearing of face masks among other

government-mandated COVID-19 precautionary measures.

PNP RECORDS NINE NEW COVID-19 CASES AS TALLY CLIMBS TO 516

MANILA — The national police added nine more cases of the coronavirus

disease 2019 (COVID-19) to its official tally, bringing its agency total to

516 patients.

According to the PNPÂ’s public information office, the PNP also recorded 7

recoveries, bringing the total to 294, along with 868 suspect cases and 654

probable cases among its ranks.

Nine cops have died.

The PNP in its Monday evening update also disclosed that one cop who had

already recovered from the new pathogen was infected with it once more. The

officer in question, they said, tested positive in a required swab test as

he was reassigned from the PNPÂ’s national headquarters to Police Regional

Office 6 in Western Visayas.

In an earlier statement, Police Gen. Archie Gamboa, PNP chief, said the

agency was looking to fast-track the creation of a new coronavirus testing

laboratory in the wake of a cluster of new cases.

Gamboa at a briefing on Monday said that one of the agency's main priorities

is to "initiate operations against high-value targets belonging to the Top

10 Most Wanted drug personalities in every jurisdiction."

Earlier this week, the PNP sent a police augmentation force of 100 cops to

Central Visayas to aid in the enforcement of the enhanced community

quarantine in Cebu where a spike in COVID-19 cases was recorded.

According to health officials, the new pathogen has sickened 31,825

Filipinos since it first emerged in late December.

Cases of police carrying the new pathogen made up 1.6% of the health

department's total patient tally as of June 19.

MORE MODERNIZED JEEPNEYS FIELDED TODAY IN METRO MANILA

MANILA — More modern jeepneys will be allowed to ply the roads today as nine

additional routes in Metro Manila are set to open.

In an interview with “The Chiefs” on Monday night on One News/TV 5,

Department of Transportation (DOTr) senior transport consultant Alberto

Suansing said 165 modern jeepney units would be added to serve the nine new

Metro Manila routes opening today.

This is in addition to the 308 modern jeepneys compliant with the omnibus

franchising guidelines (OFG) that were allowed to operate in the 15 initial

routes opened last Monday.

“Based on the studies, that is the number of units needed. We will adjust

the number as the day progresses, depending on the actual demand,” Suansing

said.

Under current guidelines, the passenger load of each jeepney must not exceed

50 percent of its seating capacity in order to observe physical distancing.

“What the DOTr is doing is calibrated and gradual resumption of public

transport,” Suansing said.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

KRIS AQUINO ENDS HIATUS, SIGNS DEAL WITH CORNERSTONE

MANILA — Kris Aquino has ended her break from the limelight as she announced

Tuesday inking a contract with the talent management firm Cornerstone.

On her social media channels, Aquino shared photos of her contract-signing

with executives of Cornerstone, including president Erickson Raymundo and

vice-president Jeff Vadillo.

Noting confidentiality provisions in her contract, Aquino said she is

nonetheless "allowed to thank my Cornerstone family for their patience and

perseverance."

Aquino, who initially signed with Cornerstone in March 2018, did not give

further details regarding the new deal.

The announcement of her fresh ties with the talent firm came a week after

Aquino thanked her loyal supporters for "not giving up," teasing that a "new

chapter" was nearing.

Aquino, 49, had been on a two-year hiatus from showbiz. She was due for a

comeback in 2019, but that proved to be a tumultuous year instead.

It saw her high-profile legal battle with her former business manager,

subsequent loss of endorsement deals, her aborted film return, as well as

her bout with an autoimmune disease.

In her Tuesday announcement, Aquino also thanked her family and her

long-time followers "for helping me pray for this moment to finally arrive."

SPORTS

'DEEPLY SORRY' DJOKOVIC ADMITS ORGANIZERS 'WERE WRONG' TO HOST BALKAN EVENT

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Novak Djokovic on Tuesday said he was "deeply sorry"

after becoming the fourth tennis player to test positive for coronavirus

following the exhibition tournament he hosted in the Balkans, admitting he

and organisers "were wrong" to go ahead with the event.

World number one Djokovic joined Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor

Troicki in contracting COVID-19 following the Adria Tour event which saw

minimal social distancing.

"I am so deeply sorry our tournament has caused harm," the 33-year-old, who

was not showing any symptoms, wrote on Twitter.

"Everything the organisers and I did the past month, we did with a pure

heart and sincere intentions.

"We believed the tournament met all health protocols and the health of our

region seemed in good condition to finally unite people for philanthropic

reasons.

"We were wrong and it was too soon."

Djokovic, whose wife Jelena also tested positive for the virus and whose

children returned negative results, urged everyone who attended matches to

get tested.

The Adria Tour's first stop had been played out to a daily crowd of 4,000

fans at Djokovic's tennis centre on the banks of the Danube in Belgrade last

week, while a similar crowd attended the Zadar event.

"If you attended the Adria Tour or were around any attendees please get

tested and practice social distancing," the Serbian star added.

"For those in Belgrade and Zadar, we will be sharing health resources in the

immediate future.

"The rest of the tournament has been cancelled and we will remain focused on

all those who have been affected. I pray for everyone's full recovery."

Players were filmed dancing bare-top in a nightclub and embracing each other

over the net during the Adria Tour.

Other players who took part, including Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem,

tested negative for coronavirus.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 50.19

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can

go. - T.S. Eliot