LAW GROUPS FILE 17TH LEGAL CHALLENGE VS ANTI-TERRORISM LAW

MANILA - A group of lawyers on Friday filed the 17th petition against the

much-feared Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, making it one of the

highly-contested laws before the Supreme Court.

Alternative Law Groups (ALG), a coalition of 18 legal resource

non-governmental organizations, filed a 135-paged petition before the

tribunal, asking it to strike down Republic Act 11479 as unconstitutional

and command the respondent government officials to cease from implementing

the said law.

The new anti-terrorism law took effect on July 19, said the Palace while its

chief legal counsel, Solicitor General Jose Calida said the law became in

full force on July 22.

"In exposing the patent nullity of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (Republic

Act No. 11479), this Petition invokes the people's sacred freedoms - due

process, privacy, right against unreasonable searches and seizures, free

speech and expression, right to peaceably assemble, and right of

association," ALG said.

"The Petitioner humbly asks the Honorable Court to take prompt action for

the protection of these freedoms," they added.

BAN REIMPOSED ON NON-ESSENTIAL OVERSEAS TRAVEL

MANILA - With only one insurance company willing to offer a package for

travel risks related to COVID-19, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the

Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has again suspended

non-essential trips abroad.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the IATF made the decision

through Resolution No. 57. "This is why the IATF temporarily suspended

non-essential outbound travel," Roque said at a virtual press briefing

yesterday.

He did not name the lone insurance company which showed willingness to offer

policy for COVID-related risks.

The IATF's announcement came on the heels of Health Secretary Francisco

Duque III's ordering a probe on reports that a "lower ranking official" of

the department was taking advantage of foreign nationals returning to the

Philippines.

The Palace did not say if Duque's order had influenced the IATF decision.

VISA-FREE ENTRY FOR FILIPINOS TO TAIWAN EXTENDED UNTIL JULY 2021

MANILA - Filipinos can enjoy visa-free entry to Taiwan for another year

after the east Asian nation extended the privilege until July 2021.

In a statement Thursday, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that

trial visa-free entry for Filipinos will begin on August 1, 2020 and will

continue until July 31, 2021.

The visa-free privilege will be also extended for nationals of "New

Southbound Policy" partner countries such as Thailand and Brunei as well as

Russia.

The foreign affairs ministry, however, stressed that travel restrictions are

still in place due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

"The aforementioned adjustments to visa measures for nationals from New

Southbound Policy partner countries and Russia are based on previously

existing policies and do not take precedence over temporary border control

measures put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic," it said.   

According to the country's Bureau of Consular Affairs, foreign nationals who

wish to travel to Taiwan for reasons other than tourism and regular social

visits may apply for a special entry permit with Taiwan's overseas mission.

Upon entering the island nation, all foreign nationals must present an

English-language certificate of negative COVID-19 test taken within three

days of boarding the flight to Taiwan and undergo a 14-day home quarantine

period.

PHILHEALTH OFFICER RESIGNS DUE TO 'WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION' IN AGENCY

MANILA - An anti-fraud legal officer of the Philippine Health Insurance

Corporation (PhilHealth) on Thursday tendered his resignation due to alleged

widespread corruption in the agency.

In a letter addressed to PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales,

lawyer Thorrsson Montes Keith said he was also stepping down from his post

because of alleged unfair job promotion process.

Keith also cited the delayed salaries and hazard pay as reason for his

resignation, which allegedly started when he investigated some officers in

the state-run insurance agency, he wrote in his letter obtained by ABS-CBN

News.

The lawyer also stated he strongly opposes the mandatory payment of

PhilHealth contribution by overseas Filipino workers because it was

unconstitutional.

"It is against my personal values to let the OFWs pay for the spillages of

PhilHealth," he said.

In closing, Keith said, "I think it is better for me to resign and let the

course of things go its way."

He did not provide details about his allegations.

PhilHealth, meanwhile, has yet to issue a statement regarding the issue, as

of posting.

DOH LOGS 2,200 ADD'L COVID-19 CASES, MAJORITY FROM NCR; NATIONWIDE TOTAL

CLIMBS TO 74,390

MANILA - The Department of Health on Thursday reported 2,200 additional

COVID-19 cases in the country, bringing the total to 74,390.

Meanwhile, 1,546 are from the National Capital Region, 246 are from Cebu

province, 83 are from Laguna, 61 are from Rizal and 48 are from Cavite.

The DOH said that of the cumulative countrywide total, 48,136 are active

cases. These are patients who are still infected or have not yet recovered.

Meanwhile, there are 760 additional recovered patients, the 4th highest

number of recoveries reported in a single day, raising the total number of

recoveries to 24,383.

The death toll is also up by 28 to 1,871.

ABS-CBN TO CAPITALIZE ON DIGITAL SHIFT, HONOR DEBTS AFTER FRANCHISE DENIAL

MANILA - Embattled media giant ABS-CBN Corp. said Thursday obligations would

still be settled despite suffering a financial blow over the unprecedented

rejection of its broadcasting franchise and disruptions caused by the

pandemic.

"In terms of material contracts and/or financial obligations that will be

affected by the non-renewal of its broadcast franchise, ABS-CBN is currently

in discussions with its creditor banks with respect to its long-term debts,"

the network said in a disclosure on Thursday.

"We are not aware of other material contracts, nor have we received any

claims or demands, the payment obligations of which will be adversely

affected by the Resolution," it added.

Lenders with loan exposure to ABS-CBN have earlier expressed confidence the

Lopez-led media network can honor its liabilities which stood at P21.3

billion as of end-September last year. The Bankers Association of the

Philippines last week added a default, if any, can be safely absorbed by the

banking industry.

ABS-CBN sent the report to the local bourse after trading of its shares were

indefinitely suspended last July 13 to give time to the network to inform

investors about how to proceed with business without a fresh 25-year

broadcasting franchise.

Shares at the network resumed trading on Thursday when it closed 29.9% down

at P10.36 apiece from P14.85 each last July 10.

To offset losses, the network said investments on non-core ventures would be

discontinued while capital expenditures are rationalized and workforce cut."

Citing an example, ABS-CBN said KidZania Manila, an amusement park the firm

owned, will be shut down after five years in operation, while layoffs would

begin August 31.

Apart from cost-cutting measures, ABS-CBN said the media entity would boost

investment on other businesses such as international licensing and

distribution, digital and cable segments as well as content syndication on

various streaming platforms.

"The Company takes into consideration the probable shift of consumer

behavior in terms of accessing content, as well as the ever-changing

technology available to the public," ABS-CBN said.

WITH ABS-CBN OFF THE AIR, FILIPINOS LOSE A WAY OF LIFE, SOCIOLOGIST SAYS

MANILA - When Typhoon Ambo battered Aurora Province in mid-May, a cop

manning a checkpoint posed this question to ABS-CBN news reporter Jeff

Canoy: "Babalik na ba kayo sir?"

By then, ABS-CBN's 43 channels, including flagship and free Channel 2, had

been ordered off the air for ten days.

On July 10, members of the House of Representatives lawmaker dashed the

hopes of the embattled media network to resume broadcasting. In a lopsided

vote of 70-11, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises rejected

ABS-CBN's bid for a fresh legislative franchise. Three members of the panel

opted not to vote.

Sociology professor Mario "Mayong" Aguja told Philstar.com that not only did

lawmakers vote to deprive thousands of Filipinos of jobs during a pandemic -

ABS-CBN has announced layoffs and pay cuts - but have also helped create a

virtual monopoly in television.

"In the guise of ending oligarchy, Congress, by not renewing the ABS-CBN

franchise, only created a new monopoly in the TV industry. It either favors

the Number [Two] in the industry or in a matter of time, a new player will

emerge with the blessings of the emperor," he said.

"Taken together, ABS-CBN and GMA had accounted for 80% of audience share,

reach and advertising revenue, making them a duopoly," the 2020 Digital News

Report on the Philippines released in June said.

"In late March, as the country entered its second week of lockdown because

of the coronavirus lockdown, television viewership leapt 23% - an additional

three million viewers - as people tuned in to their television, mostly for

news."

The DNR, a project of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at

Oxford University, pointed out that "the Philippine Competition Commission

earlier warned this would mean a less competitive media environment."

Aguja, who is president of the Philippine Sociological Society and teaches

at the Department of Sociology of the Mindanao State University-General

Santos City, stated it plainly: Filipinos love TV.

"It keeps them informed, it makes them laugh, and cry, and makes them

conversant of the issues of the day," he said in an e-mail interview.

Aguja holds a doctorate degree in International Cooperation Studies from

Nagoya University in Japan and a master's degree in Sociology at the

University of the Philippines in Diliman.

In its 2013 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey report, the

Philippine Statistics Authority said: "Access to information is essential in

increasing people's knowledge and awareness of what is taking place around

them that may eventually affect their perceptions and behavior."

TV has also democratized information, Aguja said. "TV is the primary source

of information for Filipino families and communities... Through the TV

channels, the rich and the poor's information needs are catered, be it news,

current affairs, or entertainment, from Aparri to Tawi-Tawi," he explained.

THE REST

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CEBU LANDMASTERS SAYS 100-HECTARE RECLAMATION PROJECT GETS DENR NOD

MANILA - Cebu Landmasters Inc said Friday its 100-hectare reclamation

project in Cebu City received an environmental compliance certificate (ECC)

after a 2-year review period.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has issued an ECC to

Ming-Mori Minglanilla reclamation project on July 22, Cebu Landmasters told

the stock exchange.

"The next stage is to secure the approval of the Philippine Reclamation

Authority," it said.

The techno business park project is a joint venture between the local

government of Minglanilla and CLI affiliate Ming-Mori Development Corp.,

that is seen to generate over 75,000 jobs, the company said.

"We hope to achieve the best balance among economic, social and

sustainability goals and are pleased that our plans, which have been aligned

to that ideal, passed the test of public hearings and DENR's stringent

review process," said CLI chairman and CEO, Jose Soberano III.

"The development project will not just modernize the landscape of

Minglanilla but will also create immeasurable socio-economic opportunities

to all people, not just for the Minglanillahanons," Minglanilla Mayor

Elanito Pena said.

The techno business park will house light industrial facilities and a

township with residential and commercial areas, CLI said.

PHILHEALTH CHIEF SAYS EMPLOYEE ACCUSING HIM OF CORRUPTION UNQUALIFIED,

VENGEFUL

MANILA - The head of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth)

claimed Friday that an employee who resigned and alleged widespread

corruption in the agency was "vengeful" due to personal reasons.

In his resignation letter, lawyer Thorrsson Montes Keith said the mandatory

payment of PhilHealth contribution by overseas Filipino workers was

unconstitutional and it was against his values to let OFWs "pay for the

spillages" of the agency.

He also said he was stepping down due to an alleged unfair job promotion

process, and delayed salaries and hazard pay after he investigated some

officers in the agency as its anti-fraud legal officer.

Keith is a contractual worker handling "special concerns", not corruption

checks. He had applied for a position for which he is "not qualified", said

PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales.

"Baka ito iyong ganti niya. Parang vengeful, spiteful siya dahil

tinanggaihan ko siya noon," he told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

Morales said Keith is not included in executive meetings on OFW

contributions, which President Rodrigo Duterte in May made voluntary after

thousands signed an online petition protesting the agency's rate hike.

"Baka hindi niya naiintiNdihan sinasabi niya," he said.

The PhilHealth chief also questioned the timing of his subordinate's

allegations. "Alam niya pala e di sana nilabas niya [dati]," he said.

Keith did not provide details about his allegations. He requested his

resignation to take effect at the end of August.

"Ang tagal naman nuon, bilisan natin. Maghihintay pa ng Aug. 31, sa Lunes

na," said Morales.

ISKO GIVES HOTELS, MOTELS TAX INCENTIVES

MANILA - Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Wednesday provided tax credit

certificates worth P100,000 to hotels, motels, inns and dormitories that

housed medical frontliners for free amid the coronavirus disease 2019

(COVID-19) pandemic.

Under Ordinance 8646 signed by Moreno, the tax incentives can be used in

business taxes, regulatory fees and services, including surcharge and

penalty interests.

Moreno lauded the owners of hotels and motels for providing rooms for

healthcare workers, especially those living outside the city.

Over 1,000 medical frontliners in Manila were provided free lodging.

"This is our way of expressing our gratitude. Since day one of the lockdown,

wala na kayong income. Your business really suffered as housing frontliners

cost you millions of pesos, but you did not ask for a single cent from us,"

Moreno said.

The mayor issued on March 18 an executive order requesting hotels to

accommodate healthcare workers.

"I am grateful because you volunteered to help us. I thank you on behalf of

the doctors, nurses and hospital staff you accommodated during the

quarantine period," Moreno said.

Yesterday, Moreno opened another COVID-19 testing center for walk-in

patients at the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center in Tondo.

Manila's 2 drive-though test centers are located at the Quirino Grandstand

and in front of the Bonifacio Shrine. The two walk-in test sites are located

beside the Ospital ng Sampaloc and the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical

Center.

These facilities make use of a serology test which detects the presence of

COVID-19 antibodies in blood samples with the use of a machine. It is more

accurate than a rapid test that also detects antibodies and results are

released in 24 hours, said Moreno.

Those who want to get tested need to bring an ID, he said.

MANILA BISHOP GETS COVID-19

MANILA - Manila Auxiliary and apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of

Manila Bishop Broderick Pabillo has been infected with the coronavirus

disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a statement issued yesterday, Pabillo announced that he tested positive

for the virus after undergoing reverse transcription polymerase chain

reaction test.

"It is in this spirit that I announce that I tested positive for COVID-19,"

Pabillo said, adding that he has not manifested symptoms of the disease.

The prelate said he is undergoing quarantine and strictly following safety

protocols set by the Department of Health.

"Although I do not feel anything, I follow the quarantine protocols,"

Pabillo said. "My condition is being monitored. I take healthy food and

vitamins, and doing physical exercises."

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

RIA ATAYDE TO HOST NEW TV5 SHOW BUT STAYS WITH STAR MAGIC

MANILA -- Kapamilya actress Ria Atayde has found new work as host of TV5's

upcoming morning show "Rise and Shine."

The station released Atayde's pictorial Thursday for the show produced and

directed by Mike Tuviera of APT Entertainment. She will co-host "Rise and

Shine" with erstwhile Kapamilya artist Pokwang and Pauleen Luna Sotto.

Cris Navarro, Atayde's ABS-CBN handler, said that Atayde will remain a

contract artist of the Kapamilya network's Star Magic talent pool.

"Star Magic has worked with APT before. Less than two weeks ago, they asked

us to recommend some names and Ria was chosen," Navarro said.

Atayde herself is overwhelmed by the whirlwind negotiation but is glad that

she will be working with friends. The "Rise and Shine" production team had

earlier considered Kisses Delavin and Janella Salvador as the third host of

the show.

The daughter of award-winning actress Sylvia Sanchez, Atayde has logged

several projects with ABS-CBN including "Ningning," "Sino ang Maysala," and

"My Dear Heart."

TV industry insiders hope that "Rise and Shine," which begins airing

mid-August, will also usher new employment opportunities for displaced

ABS-CBN workers. TV5 programming consultant Perci Intalan earlier told

ABS-CBN News that the station is open to blocktimers and co-produced shows

with other industry players.

SPORTS

WATCH: LEBRON, LAKERS LOSE TO DONCIC, MAVERICKS IN SCRIMMAGE

The NBA officially returned with scrimmage games on Wednesday, and while Bol

Bol was an absolute delight, some much bigger names took the stage on

Thursday. LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and Damian

Lillard were among the stars to make their bubble debuts, and it was nice to

see some familiar faces on our screens.

Things continued to be a bit weird and awkward as the players and production

crews get used to games with no fans, but overall it was another good, full

day of NBA hoops. Let's take a look at the scores, and some of the things

that stood out from Thursday's games.

NBA scrimmage scores for Thursday, July 23

Milwaukee Bucks 113, San Antonio Spurs 92

Indiana Pacers 91, Portland Trail Blazers 88

Dallas Mavericks 108, Los Angeles Lakers 104

Phoenix Suns 101, Utah Jazz 88

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 49.36

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes

another's. - Jean Paul Richter