DUTERTE SIGNS LAW ALLOWING ADJUSTMENTS IN SCHOOL CALENDAR

MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a bill that allows

him to adjust the opening of classes during a state of emergency or

calamity.

Republic Act No. 11480 amends Republic Act 7797 also known as “An Act to

Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) Days to Not More Than

Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days," which states that the opening of

classes should be between the first Monday of June to the last day of

August.

With the new law, the President, upon the recommendation of the education

secretary, may set a different date for the start of the school year during

a state of emergency or calamity in the entire country or in select areas.

It also authorizes the holding of Saturday classes for both public and

private schools and provides the education secretary with power to determine

the end of the school year with consideration of the Christmas and summer

breaks, and the "peculiar circumstances" of each region.

Duterte signed the new law on July 17, a copy of which was obtained by

ABS-CBN News on Monday.

It will take effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or

in a newspaper of general circulation.

The Department of Education earlier said classes for the upcoming school

year will open on Aug. 24 through blended learning despite the COVID-19

crisis.

‘MAJOR’ TERRORIST THREATS TARGETED

10th petition vs terror law filed

MANILA, Philippines - The Duterte administration will enforce Republic Act

11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Law especially if there is a major terrorist

threat, despite the lack of implementing rules and regulations (IRR),

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año announced yesterday.

Año said the government would implement the law, steeped in controversy and

signed by President Duterte on July 3, which took effect Saturday.

“We will still finish the IRR because that’s a requirement. But because the

law is already in effect according to the justice secretary, we will apply

it, especially if there is a really major terrorist threat against us, we

have to apply it,” Año said in an interview on Teleradyo.

More than 40 leaders of cause-oriented groups and academe yesterday filed

the 10th petition against the anti-terror law, urging the Supreme Court (SC)

to declare RA 11479 unconstitutional and stop the formation of an

anti-terrorism council.

PHILIPPINE-MADE TEST KITS APPROVED FOR COMMERCIAL RELEASE

MANILA - The Philippine-made, low-cost “gold standard” test kits for

coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are finally ready for commercial use,

the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

“We, at the DOH and DOST (Department of Science and Technology), are proud

of our homegrown scientists who continue to use their talent to benefit not

only the Filipino people but the rest of humanity as well,” the DOH said in

a statement.

The DOH cited the Manila HealthTek teamÂ’s commitment to excellence and

safety, as they worked closely with an independent laboratory expert panel

in addressing key issues of version 1 of GenAmplify.

“After several months of collaboration, we are proud to say, GenAmplify

version 2, the countryÂ’s very own RT-PCR test kit, is finally ready for

commercial use,” the DOH said.

“We now have our very own RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain

reaction) test kit, ” it said.

As with other medical products and devices, the DOH said the performance of

the kits would be regularly monitored.

ROBREDO: FOCUS ON PANDEMIC, NOT CHARTER CHANGE

MANILA – Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday called on government

officials to make measures to stop the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 or

COVID-19 in the country their priority and not Charter change.

Robredo made the statement after the League of Municipalities expressed its

support to the Duterte administrationÂ’s agenda to amend the 1987

Constitution.

“Our target should also be how to stop the COVID-19 transmission, and

Charter change is not a solution,” the Vice President said over radio

station dzXL. “We try to return to normal but as long as the numbers of

(COVID-19 cases) continue to rise we cannot do so.”

She added that the Duterte administration is “thinking of a lot of things

which do not help in addressing COVID-19.”

“If they want to talk about Charter change they can do so, but not this

timeÂ… In Charter change, we need a referendum. We should spend that money on

testing kits, and in helping our hospitals instead,” Robredo stressed,

citing also the swift passage of the controversial Anti-Terror Law in

Congress and the junking of the franchise bid of ABS-CBN.

VP ROBREDO SENDS RECOMMENDATIONS ON COVID-19 RESPONSE

Vice President Leni Robredo has sent a list of recommendations to the

inter-agency task force on COVID-19 on the government's response to the

pandemic, which has so far infected more than 67,000 individuals in the

Philippines.

In a letter addressed to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, the vice

president listed observations, questions and recommendations on matters of

public health data, status of programs, reporting and keeping the public

informed, budget utilization, transportation concerns restarting the

economy, education and composition of the IATF.

"Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have stood firm on the

belief that our country can only get through this crisis if all sectors of

society pull together towards a shared goal: Surviving, adapting to the

changes it may bring, and building a better normal for all," Robredo said in

her letter dated June 30.

Robredo made the recommendations after meetings with several groups, such as

data analysts, professional educators, economists, advocates, health experts

and experts on the national budget.

FOUR STAFFERS OF VP ROBREDO TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

MANILA - Four members of Vice President Leni Robredo's staff have tested

positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, her spokesman confirmed on

Sunday.

One staffer, who was engaged in COVID-19 response operations tested positive

for the virus, said Robredo spokesman Barry Gutierrez.

"Following our safety protocols, office work was immediately suspended, and

testing was done for concerned OVP personnel working at the office or

deployed in the field, including Vice President Leni Robredo," Gutierrez

said in a statement.

Robredo tested negative for COVID-19.

He added that Robredo's office has already started contact tracing

procedures to identify all those who have interacted with the four staffers

that tested positive.

COVID-19 CASES BREACH 67,000

An additional 2,241 cases of the coronavirus were added to the health

department's latest tally on Sunday, bringing the number of confirmed cases

to 67,456 recorded since the new pathogen's emergence in December.

According to the Department of Health's latest update, 398 more have

recovered from the virus while 58 have died, bringing their totals to 22,465

and 1,831 respectively.

STRANDED ON SHIPS, 200,000 SEAFARERS STRUGGLE IN VIRUS LIMBO

MANILA — Indian ship worker Tejasvi Duseja is desperate to go home after

months stranded offshore by coronavirus border closures and lockdowns that

have left more than 200,000 seafarers in limbo.

From engineers on cargo ships to waiters on luxury cruise liners,

ocean-based workers around the world have been caught up in what the United

Nations warns is a growing humanitarian crisis that has been blamed for

several suicides.

Many have been trapped on vessels for months after their tours were supposed

to end as travel restrictions disrupted normal crew rotations.

Seafarers typically work for 6 to 8 months at a stretch before disembarking

and flying back to their home countries, with new crews taking their place.

But as the deadly virus whipped around the world and paralyzed international

travel, that was suddenly impossible.

Underscoring the growing urgency of the situation, more than a dozen

countries at a UK-hosted International Maritime Summit this month vowed to

recognize seafarers as "key workers" to help them get home.

Philippine luxury cruise ship technician Cherokee Capajo spent nearly 4

months on ships without setting foot on land due to virus shutdowns.

Soon, a number of Carnival-owned cruise ships were stricken with severe

outbreaks -- including the Diamond Princess in Japan.

Filipinos account for around a quarter of the world's seafarers. About

80,000 of them are stranded because of the pandemic, according to Philippine

authorities.

The ordeal has taken a toll on the mental health of many seafarers, with

reports of some taking their own lives.

Shipping industry groups have expressed their concerns about "suicide and

self-harm" among workers in a joint letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio

Guterres, who said last month some seafarers have been "marooned at sea for

15 months".

An International Labor Organization (ILO) convention widely known as the

Seafarers' Bill of Rights limits a worker's single tour of duty to less than

12 months.

The strain is also being felt by families waiting at home.

CHURCH WILL CEASE TO EXIST IF IT STAYS SILENT WHEN WRONGS ARE COMMITTED:

CBCP

MANILA - The Catholic Church will cease to exist if it keeps silent on

wrongs being committed, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines

said Monday as the President's lawyer accused it of violating the

Constitutional provision on the separation of the Church and State.

CBCP spokesperson Fr. Jerome Secillano said the Constitution does not bar

the Church from expressing its opinions, contrary to the claim of Chief

Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo.

"From a legal understanding of the Constitutional provision, it means that

the State is not actually going to put up an official religion and secondly

that state fund should not be used to fund a particular religion... It

doesnÂ’t actually bar Church leaders [from] expressing their political

opinions," he told ANC.

"If the Church does not anymore speak about all these matters and there are

wrongs being committed left and right, then we cease to exist as a Church."

The CBCP, in a pastoral letter, denounced the government's "pattern of

intimidation" following the shutdown of ABS-CBN and the passage of the

anti-terror law.

The CBCP's pastoral letter does not aim to interfere with government but to

make the public aware and "correct all the wrongs being done against the

people," Secillano said.

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MAYOR DENIES QUEZON CITY OUT TO 'INDISCRIMINATELY ARREST' QUARANTINE

VIOLATORS

MANILA — Law enforcers in Quezon City are "not out to indiscriminately

arrest people" using a memorandum that summarizes laws and protocols on

containing the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Joy Belmonte said Monday.

Certain groups on messaging app Viber "demonized" the memorandum issued last

week by floating false provisions like the alleged mandatory wearing of

masks inside homes where authorities could supposedly barge in, and the

purported arrest of those who are out for work beyond curfew hours, she

said.

"We exercise maximum tolerance. We exercise the law based on reason, common

sense, and the degree in which this particular violation affects others,"

Belmonte told ANC.

"We are not out to indiscriminately arrest people just because we want to

show people we are powerful. We are not that kind of government. We do not

have that kind of record in Quezon City," she added.

The mayor said she issued the memo after authorities forcefully accosted a

fish vendor for failure to wear an anti-virus mask.

"There was a need for us to issue guidelines to our law enforcers, primarily

with regard to the proper procedures that have to be undertaken when

apprehending an individual. The intent of this really is to prevent abuse of

power," she said.

Quarantine violators are brought to police stations. If they admit guilt,

they are released immediately after paying a fine. Those who contest the

charges are also released immediately, provided that they will be "available

for a subpoena," said the mayor.

Parents of minors who loiter past the 10 pm to 5 am curfew are summoned to a

seminar. They are fined if their children violate curfew on the second and

third offense, she said.

Belmonte said she was also "willing to change the wording" of the

memorandum, particularly the term "warrantless arrest", following a dialogue

with her constituents.

"I'm sorry if they caused so much misunderstanding or apprehension and they

alarmed a lot of people. But really, the intent is precisely to inform the

public: 'these are your rights, this is the way things should be.'

Belmonte said she was also "trying to get the resources together" to

increase the city's 300 personnel for tracing those who had close contact

with coronavirus patients.

Quezon City, Metro Manila's most populous area, as of Sunday had confirmed

5,505 cases of the novel coronavirus disease. This is the third highest

COVID-19 tally in the country, next to that of Cebu City with 6,573 cases

and Manila with 5,753 cases, according to the health department's website.

JEEPNEY DRIVERS HOLD 'BUSINA CARAVAN'

Members of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide

(PISTON) are conducting a "busina caravan" from Fairview to Philcoa in

Quezon City today.

The group called for the return of more jeepneys in more routes to address

livelihood concerns of jeepney drivers amid the imposition of the general

community quarantine in Metro Manila.

COCONUT OIL CREDITED FOR MAKING PROVINCIAL JAIL COVID-FREE

MANILA - Virgin coconut oil or VCO is being credited for making the Cebu

Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) free of coronavirus

disease 2019 as the city battled the COVID-19 pandemic in April and May.

Professor Fabian Dayrit of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), currently

vice president of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST),

shared the results of a study he conducted with Cebu CityÂ’s Dr. Jose Ray

Mondejar, which showed that 20 inmate-patients of the CPDRC had recovered

from a mild strain of coronavirus in April and May when they regularly took

tablespoons of VCO.

In his presentation titled “The Potential of Coconut Oil as an Antiviral and

Immunomodulatory Agent Against COVID-19” in a Zoom webinar last Thursday,

Dayrit said results of the research called for the conduct of a controlled

study on VCO to support claims on its efficacy against the virus.

Also serving as resource person in the webinar organized by the Preventine,

Regenertive and Integrative Medical Alliance (PRIMA), Mondejar stressed that

aside from treating the 20 inmate-patients, the employees of the jail were

also given VCO and seemed to develop “immunity” from COVID-19 despite

presence of the virus in the immediate environment.

“Because of its favorable outcomes, it can be the basis for conducting

controlled clinical trials with more subjects,” he added.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

SAM MILBY REACTS TO 'DEFAMATORY LIES' ABOUT HIM, CATRIONA GRAY

MANILA – Sam Milby is speaking up to defend himself and his girlfriend

Catriona Gray against false stories and fake news some people are supposedly

creating.

Through his Instagram and Twitter pages on Sunday, Milby said he cannot

simply stand by and allow other people to take control of a narrative that

is not theirs to tell.

“Cat and I have chosen to keep our relationship mostly private. It was only

until recently that we made an exception, to lend our voices to charitable

causes. But that does not mean that there is truth to any of these false

stories and fake news that people are creating to fill in the blanks,” he

said.

Milby said these “wrongful accusations and defamatory lies” are actually

dangerous.

“One's silence doesn't imply guilt. It has been our initial choice not to

dignify nor respond to all these baseless claims,” he said.

Milby then threw his support for the former Miss Universe, saying Gray is

one of the kindest souls heÂ’s ever known.

“She is always putting other people first; thinking of how to use her voice

and talent to help other people in need. Her grace, dignity, and strength

even in the midst of all these false accusations makes me admire & love her

even more,” he said.

Milby said he will always be there for Gray and he will do everything in his

power to protect her.

The couple recently made headlines after GrayÂ’s former boyfriend Clint

Bondad sent Milby a direct message on Instagram on Sunday asking if he wants

to be his “client.”

Milby and Gray, however, opted to post about their relief efforts amid the

coronavirus crisis on Monday, appearing to ignore the controversial message

from Bondad.

On Wednesday night, Bondad became a top trending topic on Twitter

Philippines after he posted several cryptic messages on his Instagram

Stories.

While Bondad’s posts seemed random, some of them contained the word “Sam”

although it is unclear what heÂ’s actually pertaining to.

KATHRYN BERNARDO, DANIEL PADILLA'S REUNION DUET ON 'ASAP' TRENDS ONLINE

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla gave their fans a treat after they

finally reunited on “ASAP Natin To” on Sunday.

Although they observed physical distancing while they were on stage, love

was visibly in the air as they did a duet of “Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko.”

Obviously delighted to see them together again, Bernardo and PadillaÂ’s

reunion number was trending on Twitter Philippines throughout the whole

episode of the variety program.

SPORTS

NBA: LEBRON ROOKIE CARD FETCHES RECORD $1.8-M AT AUCTION

NEW YORK -- NBA superstar LeBron James is a record-setter in the memorabilia

world as well as on the court.

A rare James trading card from his rookie season in the NBA with the

Cleveland Cavaliers -- one of only 23 manufactured -- sold for $1.8 million

($1.57 million euros) on Saturday, Goldin Auctions said.

James signed the card, which features a patch from one of his jerseys, and

it was graded at 9.5 -- "Gem Mint condition" according to the auction house.

"The incomparable superstar has penned a vivid blue ink signature on the

obverse of this ultra-premium collectible," Goldin Auctions said in the

description of the item. "Its cardfront presentation also incorporates an

exceptional, tri-color James-worn jersey patch relic."

Bidding began on the card at $150,000.

The Cavaliers selected the highly touted James with the first pick in the

2003 NBA draft.

The Akron, Ohio, native scored 25 points on 12-of-20 shooting with nine

rebounds, six assists and four steals in his debut against the Sacramento

Kings.

He posted 20.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds to win the Rookie of the

Year award.

Now a 16-time All-Star, three-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most

Valuable Player, James was averaging 25.7 points per game, 10.6 assists and

7.9 rebounds when the NBA season was halted amid the coronavirus pandemic.

He has led the Lakers to first place in the Western Conference with the

league preparing to resume action on July 31.

The previous record for most expensive modern day sports trading card

belonged to Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout.

In May, one of TroutÂ’s cards sold for $923,000.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Worrying about things you cannot control is folly. Focus only on those few

things you have any control over, and your life becomes much simpler. -

Jeffrey Fry