DUTERTE TO DECLINE TRUMP'S INVITATION TO VISIT WHITE HOUSE MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte will decline United States President Donald Trump's invitation to the White House, Malacañang said Friday. Trump first invited Duterte to visit Washington in 2016 over a phone call. "He (Duterte) said he would respond to the letter-invitation and would decline it," Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo said. Trump's invitation was brought to public attention after President Duterte ordered a ban on 2 US senators supportive of his critic, detained Sen. Leila de Lima. "He (Duterte) said he never intended to visit the US ever since," Panelo said. Panelo, however, clarified that Duterte bears no ill feelings towards Trump even after the Republican leader signed the US government's $1.4-trillion 2020 budget that included a provision on a possible US ban on Filipino government officials involved in the "wrongful imprisonment" of De Lima. In his previous speeches, Duterte has repeatedly said he would never visit the United States during his presidency but has never issued a formal statement on the matter. JOMA ON DUTERTE MEET: ANYWHERE IN ASIA EXCEPT PHILIPPINES MANILA — Exiled Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison is open to a one-on-one meeting with President Duterte, but not in the Philippines, as the President wanted. Sison said in a radio interview on dzRH that he has no problem talking with the President, but he was uncomfortable and distrusts “peace spoilers.” Duterte earlier said he is willing to resume the long-stalled peace negotiation with the CPP-National Democratic Front (NDF) and tasked Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to work on bringing the government and the CPP-NDF back to the negotiating table. Sison pointed out he doesn’t trust individuals or groups who move to destroy the peace process and that he would only talk to the President alone, without distracting entities. The communist leader added that he was amenable to talks if done outside the Philippines. Duterte, on the other hand, insisted that his talk with Sison would only take place in the country. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo reiterated the call for Sison to return to Manila to show sincerity about the peace negotiations, guaranteeing that he would not be arrested by authorities. “We dare Mr. Sison to come to the Philippines for a one-on-one meeting with the President to forge a lasting peace agreement,” Panelo said. “(Duterte) guarantees that he will not be arrested upon his arrival and after the meeting he can freely leave for Netherlands when he so desires,” he added. ON RIZAL DAY, DUTERTE WANTS TO HONOR OTHER FILIPINO HEROES MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte will again skip the commemoration of the death anniversary of hero Jose Rizal as he would rather pay tribute to other Filipino heroes, Malacañang said Friday. Duterte would rather pay tribute to other Filipino heroes who do not have special days dedicated to them, such as the young general Gregorio del Pilar, his spokesman Salvador Panelo said. "He will not be attending the Rizal rites. He will rather go to some place," Panelo said. "Parang ngayon naman si Del Pilar ang gusto niyang bigyan ng tribute," Panelo said. Panelo clarified that the President, in skipping the commemoration rites, does not mean to disrespect Rizal's memory and simply wants to honor other heroes too. It is Rizal's 123rd death anniversary on Monday. The President, as usual, would issue a statement in honor of Rizal on Dec. 30, Panelo added. Duterte skipped National Heroes' Day rites in August, a day that celebrates the country's many heroes, and instead issued a statement. PH BARS ENTRY OF 2 US SENATORS BACKING DE LIMA; WARNS OF VISAS FOR ALL AMERICANS MANILA - The Philippines on Friday barred from entry 2 United States senators supportive of detained Philippine Sen. Leila de Lima amid the possible US ban on Filipino officials behind her arrest President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Bureau of Immigration to deny Philippine entry to US Senators Patrick Leahy and Dick Durbin after they sought to ban Filipino officials involved in what they called the "wrongful imprisonment" of De Lima, a staunch administration critic. "The President is immediately ordering the Bureau of Immigration to deny US Senators Dick Durbin and Patrick Leahy, the imperious, uninformed and gullible American legislators who introduced the subject provision in the US 2020 Budget, entry to the Philippines," Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo said Friday. De Lima's detention was included in provisions of the US government's $1.4-trillion 2020 budget signed by US President Donald Trump earlier this month. A provision in the budget on “Prohibition on Entry” allows US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to bar foreign government officials from entering the US if he has "credible information" on their involvement in the "wrongful imprisonment" of De Lima. Should the US push through with the ban on Filipino officials over De Lima's case, Panelo said Americans planning to visit the Philippines would be required to secure a visa. "Should a ban from entry into US territory be enforced against Philippine officials involved in - or by reason of - Senator de Lima's lawful imprisonment, this government will require all Americans intending to come to the Philippines to apply and secure a visa before they can enter Philippine territory," Panelo said. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the ban on the 2 US lawmakers is effective immediately while the possible visa requirement for Americans still depends on how Washington will implement its ban in relation to De Lima's case. "It appears therefore that the President’s countermove hinges on the actual implementation of the US travel ban against certain Filipino individuals," Guevarra said. POPULATION GROWTH SLOWS DOWN TO 1.5% MANILA — The country’s population growth decelerated by 0.21 percent, dipping to 1.52 percent in the latter half of this decade from the 1.73 percent between 2010 and 2015, the Commission on Population (PopCom) said yesterday. With these figures, PopCom said the Philippine Statistics Authority has projected that by July 2020, there would be 108.7 million Filipinos – 1.2 million lower than the PSA’s earlier estimate of 109.9 million. PopCom executive director Juan Antonio Perez III noted that the projected increase in population between 2019 and 2020 is about 1,483,828, representing an annual increase of 1.38 percent. “Certain segments of the populace are contributing to the decline, particularly the 0-to-4 years old group, which is showing a 1-ppt drop from 11 percent in 2010 to 10.12 percent in 2020,” he said. He added that the “0-to-14 age group will see a greater decrease of almost four percent from 34 percent in 2010 to 30.14 percent in 2020.” Perez underscored that “at the opposite end of the spectrum, the growth is seen to be occurring in the older age groups, with 70.3 million working-age Filipinos comprising 64 percent of the population. At the start of the decade, they were only at 62 percent. “Filipinos 60 years and older are also increasing in number and will grow to 9,686,762 in 2020, constituting 8.8 percent of the population. With a growth rate of more than four percent between 2015 and 2020, the seniors’ numbers are growing at a faster rate than other age groups,” he added. According to Perez, the recent population figures from PSA are a welcome development as it is lower by over one million than the former’s initial projection. It was earlier estimated that the number of Filipinos would surpass 110 million by 2020. “We welcome the new information from the PSA – proof that our nationwide efforts on reproductive health as well as family planning (FP) are yielding positive results, as they are steadily being embraced by Filipinos,” he maintained. But Perez warned against complacency despite the lower projection next year. “We should not fall into complacency. We should keep in mind that our country still has one of the highest population growth rates in the ASEAN region,” he said. DUTERTE ORDERS PROBE ON LAMBANOG POISONING IN LUZON: JUSTICE SECRETARY MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into several lambanog poisoning incidents in Luzon over the holidays. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told this to reporters hours after a health official confirmed that 17 people were killed while 400 others were hospitalized after ingesting palm wine in various provinces in Luzon. Tests from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier showed that samples of the liquor that originated from a Batangas brewery contained about 11 to 18 percent of methanol, a toxic substance that attacks internal organs when ingested. A fresh batch of lambanog samples from Laguna tested positive for methanol, Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said in a separate interview. This means that the toxic lambanog is still being circulated, he said. The Health department has yet to ban the sale and consumption of lambanog in Luzon since several palm wine brands passed FDA standards, Domingo said. The public is instead advised to avoid consuming food and drinks from unlabeled containers, he said. The Laguna provincial government banned the sale of lambanog following deaths linked to the local wine. PHILIPPINES 'ABORTS' FILING OF DIPLOMATIC PROTEST VS TURKEY OVER BARMM ENGAGEMENT MANILA - The Philippines has "aborted" its plan to file a diplomatic protest against Turkey, with the top diplomat citing "swift response" from Ankara's envoy in relation to Turkish engagement with the Bangsamoro. "Aborted. Swift response from the Turkish ambassador. All cleared up," said Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. in a tweet early Friday evening. Two hours earlier, Locsin had announced on Twitter that the Philippines was filing a diplomatic protest against Turkey and looking into charges against officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). He did not elaborate, but proposed breaking ties with Ankara. He described the still unclear Turkish government action as "a slap at Philippine sovereignty and an attack on our territorial unity and integrity." At 6 p.m., Locsin tweeted a photo of his meeting with Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Artemiz Sümer and described it as cordial. "I met w/ Turkish Amb. Artemiz Sümer to clear up the misunderstanding. We both agreed to continue to coordinate all engagements with BARMM together. I reaffirmed to my good friend Amb. Sümer that my affection for Turkey has only increased w/ the swift resolution of this issue," he tweeted. Bangsamoro region chief minister Murad Ebrahim recently met with Turkish officials in Turkey. In a statement, BARMM spokesperson Naguib Sinarimbo said issues Locsin may have had about the may have been raised through the inter-governmental mechanism, as provided under the Bangsamoro Organic Law. Murad's visit to Turkey from Dec. 11 to 16 was authorized by the Office of the President, he said. ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, NOT ARSON CAUSED STAR CITY BLAZE: FIRE BUREAU MANILA — The Bureau of Fire Protection denied Friday that arson caused the fire that razed Star City amusement park in Pasay City, contrary to earlier statements by some officials. The blaze that shuttered the park since October was caused by an electrical problem, BFP Spokesperson Senior Supt. Gerandie Agonos told ABS-CBN News. An investigator earlier said evidence, including "gasoline in an area where it should not be", pointed to arson. A certain Mr. Wong and Star City personnel who did not sign a logbook were also allegedly spotted carrying sacks of cotton before the Oct. 2 fire, added the official. The Star City management disputed this, saying there was no reason for the owners to set the theme park on fire because business was "profitable" and "a bumper Christmas season was expected." The park will announce it reopening "in due time", it said on its website. SWS: 96% OF PINOYS TO WELCOME 2020 WITH HOPE MANILA — Almost all Filipino adults will welcome the New Year with hope rather than fear, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in its fourth quarter survey. The poll, taken from Dec. 13 to 16, showed 96 percent of Filipinos, aged 18 and above, saying they are entering 2020 with hope. At least four percent said they would welcome it with fear. Hope for the New Year was four points above the 92 percent in 2018 and matched the record-high level that was first achieved in 2017. On the other hand, those who will enter the New Year with fear dropped four points from eight percent in 2018. It matched the record-low levels in 2017 and 2011. Hope for the New Year rose in all areas except in Mindanao, the SWS said. It was a record-high 99 percent in balance Luzon (from 96 percent), 97 percent in the Visayas (from 79 percent), 96 percent in Metro Manila (from 94 percent) and 90 percent in Mindanao (down from 94 percent). The Fourth Quarter 2019 Social Weather Survey was based on face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide. SWS said hope for the New Year has always been high, starting at 87 percent when it first asked the question in 2000. It rose to 93 percent in 2010 and has since then been at 90s levels, reaching as high as 96 percent in 2017 and this year. FULL LIST: MMFF 2019 WINNERS MANILA — The 45th Metro Manila Film Festival 2019 culminated with a Gabi ng Parangal (Awards Night) at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City on Friday. During the awards night, Metro Manila Development Authority and MMFF chairman Danilo Lim announced the start of MMFF Summer 2020. Fans clamored to see veteran stars Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos together onstage to accept their Hall of Fame Best Actress Award, given to those who have won multiple times, but both were absent and just sent representatives to receive their recognition. Here is the complete list of winners: Best Float: “Mindanao” Gender Sensitivity Award: “Mindanao” Best Child Performer: Yuna Tangog, “Mindanao” Best Musical Score: Jerrold Tarog for “Write About Love” Best Original Song: “Ikaw ang Akin” for “Write About Love” Best Sound: “Mindanao” Best Visual Effects: “Mindanao” Best Production Design: “Sunod” Best Editor: Vanessa de Leon for “Write About Love” Best Editing: “Write About Love” Best Cinematography: Myko David for “Sunod” Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award: “Mindanao” FPJ Memorial Award for Excellence: “Mindanao” Female Star of the Night: Carmina Villaroel Male Star of the Night: Aga Muhlach Best Supporting Actor: Joem Bascon, "Write About Love" Best Supporting Actress: Yeng Constantino, "Write About Love" Best Screenplay: Crisanto Aquino, "Write About Love" Best Director: Brillante Mendoza, "Mindanao" Best Performance by an Ensemble: "Culion" Special Jury Prize for Full Length Film: Crisanto Aquino, "Write About Love" Best Picture: "Mindanao" Second Best Picture: "Write About Love" Third Best Picture: "Sunod" Best Actor: Allen Dizon, "Mindanao" Best Actress: Judy Ann Santos, "Mindanao" REWIND: PH’S PAGEANT SCORECARD FOR 2019 MANILA – The Philippines’ stellar performance in pageants in 2018 – highlighted by Catriona Gray’s Miss Universe win – is hard to match. But this year’s batch of queens certainly put up a good fight. Despite not getting a crown in any of the major pageants, Philippine representatives were able to secure at least a semi-final finish in 2019. Among them are Gazini Ganados in the Miss Universe Top 20, Bea Patricia Magtanong in Top 8 of Miss International and, just recently, Michelle Dee in the Miss World Top 12. It was in the smaller, lesser-known competitions where Filipina queens emerged victorious in 2019. The country was able to secure titles in Miss Intercontinental (the pageant was held twice this year), Noble Queen of the Universe and Miss Tourism World Intercontinental, to name a few. VICE GANDA HINTS AT MASSIVE 'THE MALL, THE MERRIER' BOX OFFICE TAKE This year's Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is barely three days in, and it appears Vice Ganda and Anne Curtis' movie, "The Mall, The Merrier," has already passed the P100-million mark. That's what Vice Ganda hinted at on "It's Showtime" Friday when the comedian said "P100 million thank yous" as he expressed his gratitude to those who already bought tickets to their film. It is against the rules of the annual festival to reveal box office earnings over fears that it may affect sales, though this hasn't stopped producers and stars from indirectly sharing estimates. If true, this means that "The Mall, The Merrier" matches the start of Vice Ganda's entry last year, "Fantastica," which also made P100 million after its first two days. "The Mall, The Merrier," just like the other 2019 MMFF entries, dropped on Christmas day. The unofficial figure is expected to rise considering the upcoming long weekend, and the reopening of the malls in Visayas and Mindanao that were unable to hold screenings due to typhoon Ursula. According to Vice Ganda, he is overwhelmed by the positive feedback he has been receiving over his movie with Curtis. He did quip that while he is glad that people have been finding their movie hilarious, he jokingly begged them to stop laughing during his character's one dramatic scene. He also congratulated Curtis, who is currently on maternity leave in Australia, for their successful collaboration. "The Mall, The Merrier" is just one of the eight entries to this year's Metro Manila Film Festival. Organizers have yet to release an official ranking nor the box office numbers of the eight movies. NBA SCORES DEC 26 FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Wizards 9-21    23    25    28    26    102 team logo Pistons 12-20    31    37    38    26    132 SCORING LEADERSA. Pasecniks WAS 17 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST C. Wood DET 22 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Knicks 8-24    24    22    33    15    94 team logo Nets 16-14    15    26    20    21    82 SCORING LEADERSJ. Randle NY 33 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST S. Dinwiddie BKN 25 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Spurs 12-18    24    23    27    24    98 team logo Mavericks 20-10    20    32    27    23    102 SCORING LEADERSD. DeRozan SA 21 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST L. Doncic DAL 24 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Grizzlies 12-20    23    26    37    24    110 team logo Thunder 15-15    18    29    27    23    97 SCORING LEADERSJ. Valanciunas MEM 21 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST C. Paul OKC 23 PTS, 6 REB, 11 AST FINAL/2OT     1    2    3    4    OT    T team logo Timberwolves 11-19    21    29    21    19    15    105 team logo Kings 12-19    26    22    31    11    14    104 SCORING LEADERSG. Dieng MIN 21 PTS, 15 REB, 0 AST R. Holmes SAC 20 PTS, 18 REB, 3 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Trail Blazers 14-18    22    30    24    39    115 team logo Jazz 19-12    37    25    34    25    121 SCORING LEADERSD. Lillard POR 34 PTS, 4 REB, 8 AST D. Mitchell UTA 35 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST