‘BANGSAMORO HAVE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS VS TERRORISM’ MANILA — President Duterte is open to allowing residents of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to have their own police force and to bear arms against terrorism, which he described as a “human wrong.” Duterte said extremists have wreaked havoc in countries like Syria, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan and the Philippines would suffer the same fate if the terrorist threats are not countered.?“When you are already evolved into something which is really a regional (threat) and you have your own armed forces or police, I would agree. Mag-armas kayo (bear firearms) but you know you have to kill the terrorists,” Duterte said during the distribution of land ownership certificates to agrarian reform beneficiaries last Monday in Cotabato City. “Hindi madala ‘yan sa pagusapan (You cannot settle that through talks),” he added.?Duterte said he is ready to allot resources to support peace and development in the newly formed region, the product of the final peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. “Whatever is lacking, tell me. We have the money. We can ask for additional (funds). I will maybe allow you to have your own force. But do not use it against the very entity that created you, which is government,” the President said. “I will give it to you. What else do you want? Tell them son of a b****. Do not destroy it. If you wreak havoc, everyone suffers. If everyone suffers and our children kill each other... I will run after you. And so goes for the soldiers. Kill them. Otherwise, you would get killed. They will plant bombs. It’s not human right, it’s human wrong.” In an interview, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo clarified the BARMM residents who would carry firearms would still be under the Philippine National Police (PNP).?He said BARMM’s police force would be tapped to support the government’s anti-terrorism efforts. Under the law that created BARMM, the regional police force would be under the control and supervision of the PNP. The head of BARMM’s police force would still be named by the PNP chief. AMID POSSIBLE TRAVEL BAN ON DE LIMA JAILERS, PH EMBASSY TELLS US TO RESPECT MANILA'S LAWS MANILA - The Philippine Embassy in the United States on Tuesday told Washington to respect Manila's laws and processes after President Donald Trump signed a measure that may bar officials supposedly behind the detention of Sen. Leila de Lima. In a post on its official Twitter account, the embassy said all countries have the right to decide who to allow or deny entry into their borders. In the same breath, the post reminded the US to respect Philippine laws and processes, a likely reference to judicial proceedings De Lima is currently going through under Philippine law. “All countries have the sovereign prerogative to allow or ban individuals from entering their borders. We strongly advise the United States to respect our own laws and processes in the same way that we respect theirs," it said in a statement. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the measure "has to do with sovereignty." "Yes, it has to do with sovereignty which if we waive here we may as well waive it to China and give Subic and Clark," he said in a tweet. The 2020 appropriations bill that Trump signed last Friday includes a provision that allows the US to apply the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and sanction Philippine officials involved in De Lima's arrest and detention on drug charges since 2017. The law authorizes the US government to sanction those who it sees as human rights offenders, freeze their assets, and ban them from entering the US. Among those who may be banned from entering the United States are President Rodrigo Duterte, his spokesman Salvador Panelo, Solicitor General Jose Calida, and Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission chair Dante Jimenez among others. Malacañang, however, remained unfazed, saying the provision cannot be imposed without "credible information" in De Lima's supposed "wrongful imprisonment." POPE FRANCIS KICKS OFF CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS WITH MIDNIGHT MASS ROME- Pope Francis ushered in Christmas celebrations for the world's 1.3 billion Catholics on Tuesday, saying the celebration of Jesus's birth reminded humanity how "God continues to love us all, even the worst of us." The pontiff told crowds gathered at the Vatican for his Christmas Eve Mass: "You may have mistaken ideas, you may have made a complete mess of things, but the Lord continues to love you." Pilgrims from around the world had gathered earlier on Tuesday in the biblical town of Bethlehem, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. Thousands of Palestinians and foreigners converged on the "little town" in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with Christmas Eve festivities taking place in and around the Church of the Nativity. The Middle East's most senior Roman Catholic, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, arrived from Jerusalem at the head of a procession. Pizzaballa, who had to cross Israel's separation barrier to get to Bethlehem, said after his arrival that it was a difficult time but there was reason for hope. "We see in this period the weakness of politics, enormous economic problems, unemployment, problems in families," he said. "On the other side, when I visit families, parishes, communities, I see a lot of commitment... for the future. Christmas is for us to celebrate the hope." In the square outside the church, a few thousand people watched in the winter sun as Palestinian scouts paraded in front of a giant Christmas tree. "The church is beautiful and it puts what we know in the Bible (in) place," said Laneda, an American tourist visiting the site. "Everything is just very meaningful." Crowds thinned as the church closed to tourists in the evening ahead of midnight Mass. DUTERTE URGES FILIPINOS TO EMULATE CHRIST'S EMPATHY, SHARE BLESSINGS THIS CHRISTMAS MANILA- President Rodrigo Duterte called on Filipinos to open their hearts and share their blessings this Christmas. In his Christmas message, the President urged the nation to “emulate Christ's empathy and kindness by opening our hearts and extending our hands to everyone, especially tho those who are less fortunate, and sharing with them the bounty and blessings we have received in the past year." “This season is a perfect time, not only to partake in our traditions, but also to reflect on the importance of family as the center of our celebration," he said. Duterte also called on Filipinos all over the world to serve as an inspiration to others through their "small acts of benevolence." “As we delight ourselves in the warmth of our loved ones, let us strengthen our bonds and deepen our relationships with one another,” he said. "Together, let us rejoice in Christ's compassion and celebrate our shared humanity as we steer our nation towards a brighter tomorrow," Duterte added. The President said he and his family will be having a "simple" Christmas celebration in Davao City, just like in previous years. RAPS SET VS LAMBANOG STORE OWNER LAGUNA — Police are set to file criminal charges against the owner of a lambanog (coconut wine) store, in connection with the deaths of 11 persons and around 300 others hospitalized last Thursday. Rizal police chief Capt. Lindley Tibuc yesterday said probers of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 4A are tasked to handle the probe as well as to file charges. He said the local police is preparing all supporting documents, including testimonies and statements, to assist the victims in filing the complaint. “We are also awaiting the results of the FDA tests of samples of Rey coconut wine,” Tibuc said, referring to the Food and Drug Administration. Charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and negligence are being readied against the owner of Rey Lambanog store, according to the police chief. Matta said some of the victims hospitalized since last Thursday have been discharged from hospital after being treated. Matta told The STAR that a representative from the lambanog store has surfaced at the station and hospitals to offer assistance and make promises to cooperate in the investigation as well as to shoulder the hospital expenses. DPWH OPENS SISON-ROSARIO SEGMENT ON TPLEX MANILA — Travel time to Baguio City is expected to be cut by 30 minutes with the opening of the Sison-Rosario segment of the Tarlac Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX). The four-kilometer road is seen to ease traffic congestion along the Manila Road toward Kennon Road, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). “Considering that Baguio is a go-to holiday destination, we opened the segment to provide ease to our tourists who want to experience the beauty of the City of Pines. While significantly cutting travel time, we also want to ensure that the expressway is of utmost quality for their safety,” DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said. Villar said motorists using the Sison-Rosario segment of TPLEX during the holiday season would not be asked to pay toll. “There will be no payment yet... It’s our small gift to our fellow Filipinos, tourists and their families,” Villar said. Villar inspected the road on Monday. HOLIDAY OPTIMISM HIGHEST IN VISAYAS: SWS MANILA - The number of Filipinos expecting a happy Christmas was highest in the Visayas and lowest in Metro Manila, a Social Weather Stations survey revealed on the eve of the holiday. About 3 in 4 of Filipinos, the highest in 17 years, are looking forward to a merry celebration of Christmas, showed the survey conducted from Dec. 13 to 16, ahead of Christmas storm Ursula, which is set to hit land in Eastern Visayas. Of 1,200 Filipino adults, 79 percent said they expect a happy Christmas, while a record-low 2 percent expect it to be sad, and 19 percent are neither happy nor sad, SWS said. This is the highest since the record-high 82 percent holiday optimism rating in 2002, the first time such a survey was taken. The figure is, meanwhile, 2 notches higher than 77 percent in 2017, which SWS attributed to a rise in holiday optimism in all areas except in Mindanao. It was highest in the Visayas at 82 percent from 80 percent in 2017, followed by Balance Luzon at a record-high 79 percent from 75 percent, and Metro Manila at 70 percent from 69 percent. Holiday optimism fell in Mindanao to 80 percent from 84 percent in 2017. Majority or 76 percent of Filipinos also said it was “better to give” than to receive this Christmas, 2 points higher than its record-low 74 percent in 2018. It was highest in Metro Manila at 82 percent, followed by Balance Luzon at 81 percent, Mindanao at 75 percent, and the Visayas at 63 percent. The December 2019 Social Weather Survey was conducted from December 13-16, 2019 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao (sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao). 3 MORE INJURED BY FIRECRACKERS MANILA — A week before the New Year revelry, three more individuals suffered injuries from firecracker blasts, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday. In a report, the DOH noted that this brings to seven the total number of firecracker-related injuries since surveillance started on Dec. 21. “This year’s cases is 30 percent lower than the cases reported in 2018 (10) and 56 percent lower from the five-year (2014-2018) average of 16 cases for the same time period,” it added. Data show the youngest victim is a four-year-old girl from Region 2 while the oldest is a 29-year-old man from Metro Manila. The injuries were caused by baby rocket, boga, kalburo, kwitis, luces and mini bomb. CHRISTMAS TYPHOON SLAMS EAST VISAYAS MANILA — Christmas storm Ursula intensified into a typhoon as it moved closer to Eastern Samar, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Ursula made landfall in Salcedo, Eastern Samar at 4:45 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA senior weather specialist Chris Perez said. More than 20,000 passengers were stranded in several ports in the country due to rains spawned by Ursula (international name Phanfone). Perez said the storm’s outer rain band started bringing heavy downpours over Eastern Visayas, Caraga and parts of the Bicol region before noon. It will also affect the rest of the Visayas, southern Luzon and northern Mindanao within the next 24 hours. PAGASA spotted the center of Ursula at 95 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar as of 1 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph. It was forecast to move west at a speed of 20 kph. As of 2 p.m., storm signal No. 3 was hoisted over Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte and Camotes Island. Between noon and late evening today, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Romblon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Batangas and Calamian Islands will experience occasional to frequent heavy rains. Light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains are predicted over Cuyo Islands, Negros, Iloilo, Guimaras, Aurora and the rest of Calabarzon. Perez said Ursula was forecast to bring damaging winds and heavy rains in areas under signal No. 3 starting yesterday afternoon until today. “We ask the public, especially in the Visayas, to limit their festivities,” Perez said. He said areas under signal No. 1 could also expect rains and gusty winds within the next 36 hours. GERALD ON BREAKUP WITH BEA: ‘IT WAS OVERBLOWN, NAKAKALUNGKOT’ MANILA — Nearly half a year since his breakup with Bea Alonzo, Gerald Anderson said he is saddened that the personal episode was “overblown” to the point of becoming one of 2019’s biggest controversies. “It was overblown, nakakalungkot, because there are many bigger and real issues in the country kaysa sa love life ko,” Anderson was quoted as saying in the December 22 column of Wilson Lee Flores on The Philippine Star. “I think there are many other real, serious problems kaysa sa breakup namin, nakakalungkot. The Philippines has suffered from typhoons, earthquakes, food problems, et cetera, hopefully their attention can focus on those issues,” he said, before bringing up his planned initiatives as a newly appointed goodwill ambassador Philippine Youth-KASAMA. When asked whether there is truth to Alonzo’s controversial statement — that he “just started not talking to me” — Anderson answered: “It’s private, between the two of us.” Coming from the breakup, Anderson said his means of coping was keeping active. “Find something positive to do for your energies, because after a breakup, marami tayong kinikimkim. In my case, I got more involved in sports, particularly basketball,” he shared. Anderson recalled that the controversy “lasted about two months,” when told that the issue hogged headlines with some national officials even weighing in on the separation. “Throughout this period, I had many realizations and I gained strength from true friends who texted and people who cared. Their support meant a lot,” Anderson said. Alonzo, in her recent interviews, has similarly credited friends, as well as her work, for helping her “move forward” from the breakup. AGA MUHLACH PLANS TO GET BUFF AGAIN FOR A SUPERHERO MOVIE IN 2022 MANILA -- "Miracle in Cell No. 7" star Aga Muhlach hopes to break out from his usual drama projects. "Parang mas gusto kong gumawa ng action or kung anuman na totoo. Meaning kung gagawa ako ng istorya ng sundalo or superhero 'yung totoo, pang-Pilipinas," Muhlach said in an interview with Karen Davila on ANC's "Headstarst" on Monday. "Because one thing I have to do first is to surprise them by being fit, I need to be buff again. I will do it because may gusto akong gawin in 2022. Basta it's a surprise. A movie. So the surprise element there should be when they see you in the movie trailer they are going to be like 'What? Is that him?' If not sabi ko, 'Let's not do the movie," added Muhlach, who revealed that the script for a superhero movie is already ready. "So 2021 will be tough for me, meaning in terms of diet and workout and all. I want to put myself out there, I want to pressure myself," Muhlach said. "It's going to be a different. If I don't look different, If I'm not going to be cut, if I'm not going to be like it, I'm not going to do it. ...So good luck to me," he said. Muhlach guested on "Headstart" to promote his Metro Manila Film Festival movie "Miracle in Cell No. 7," which opens in theaters on December 25. NBA SCORES DEC 23 FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Bulls 12-20    28    26    27    14    95 team logo Magic 13-17    28    23    32    20    103 SCORING LEADERS     Z. LaVine CHI 26 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST     T. Ross ORL 26 PTS, 4 REB, 0 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Wizards 9-20    32    31    31    27    121 team logo Knicks 7-24    37    27    27    24    115 SCORING LEADERS     B. Beal WAS 30 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST     J. Randle NY 35 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST FINAL/OT     1    2    3    4    OT    T team logo Raptors 21-9    19    25    35    28    8    115 team logo Pacers 21-10    30    24    24    29    13    120 SCORING LEADERS     K. Lowry TOR 30 PTS, 6 REB, 9 AST     T. Warren IND 24 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo 76ers 22-10    30    30    34    31    125 team logo Pistons 11-20    23    29    34    23    109 SCORING LEADERS     T. Harris PHI 35 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST     A. Drummond DET 27 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Hawks 6-25    32    32    30    24    118 team logo Cavaliers 9-21    42    29    23    27    121 SCORING LEADERS     T. Young ATL 30 PTS, 6 REB, 11 AST     C. Sexton CLE 25 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Jazz 18-12    28    24    29    23    104 team logo Heat 22-8    32    21    23    31    107 SCORING LEADERS     J. Ingles UTA 27 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST     J. Butler MIA 20 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Spurs 12-17    46    26    36    37    145 team logo Grizzlies 11-20    31    30    28    26    115 SCORING LEADERS     L. Aldridge SA 40 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST     J. Jackson Jr. MEM 22 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Nuggets 21-8    34    22    26    31    113 team logo Suns 11-19    22    27    32    30    111 SCORING LEADERS     J. Murray DEN 28 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST     R. Rubio PHO 21 PTS, 7 REB, 9 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Rockets 21-9    37    28    32    16    113 team logo Kings 12-18    21    36    22    25    104 Highlights: Rockets at Kings 2:15 SCORING LEADERSJ. Harden HOU 34 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST D. Fox SAC 31 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Pelicans 8-23    31    23    28    20    102 team logo Trail Blazers 14-17    31    25    21    17    94 SCORING LEADERS     J. Holiday NO 21 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST     C. Anthony POR 23 PTS, 9 REB, 2 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Timberwolves 10-19    22    21    24    37    104 team logo Warriors 7-24    22    35    27    29    113 SCORING LEADERS     A. Wiggins MIN 22 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST     D. Russell GS 30 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST