PETITIONERS TELL SC, OSG: CANCELING ORAL ARGUMENTS ON ANTI-TERRORISM LAW

'DISSERVICE' TO PUBLIC INTEREST

MANILA — Progressive groups led by BAYAN and a group of Sangguniang Kabataan

leaders urged the Supreme Court to hold oral arguments on the petitions

filed against Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 to allow the public to participate

in discourse on the contentious law.

In a Joint Opposition filed Monday, through the National Union of Peoples

Lawyers, the two groups of petitioners asked the SC to junk the Office of

the Solicitor GeneralÂ’s motion to cancel the oral arguments on the

petitions.

On official SC list, BAYAN filed the 11th while the SK officials and youth

community leaders filed the 27th legal challenge against Republic Act 11479.

Two more petitions filed via registered mail have yet to be received and

docketed by the SC.

Solicitor General Jose Calida in August urged the SC to cancel the oral

arguments, citing its risk and impracticality in this time of COVID-19

pandemic. Calida instead said the SC may order the submission of memoranda,

clarificatory questions and written opening statements to the parties.

The groups told the court that the number of petitions filed against the law

“only indicates the transcendental importance of these cases.” They added

that arguments raised in the petitions center on issues that are matters of

public concern.

“Cancelling the oral arguments will be a disservice to the overwhelming

public interest in these cases,” the petitioners stressed.

“The public have the right to examine and discuss how respondents assisted

by the OSG will defend the odious law,” they added.

The petitioners mounted a “facial challenge” against RA 11479. They argued

that Section 4 of the law, which defines terrorism, fails to inform an

ordinary citizen that his or her act may be deemed a criminal offense under

the law. “The term is so vague and overbroad, it encroaches even upon

constitutionally protected freedoms,” they added.

Opting for the alternatives proposed by the OSG, such as submission of

memoranda, would deny the public the opportunity to take part in the

“democratic discourse” on the case, the petitioners also said.

They noted that even when Metro Manila was placed in the strictest

quarantine protocols, the courts continued to function and shifted to

conducting videoconferencing.

“Respondents, therefore, cannot now undermine the ability of the Honorable

Court to conduct oral arguments in a way that balances the overriding public

interest in these cases and the safety of the parties, their counsels, and

the Court’s members and staff,” they added.

“If courts in remote areas have been successful in conducting hearings

online, there is no reason why the same cannot be done in Manila,” they

said.

The SC, in an en banc session on August 11, set the petitions for oral

arguments, but a date has yet to be determined. The tribunal has also yet to

announce whether the oral arguments will be held in-court or via

videoconferencing.

TASK FORCE PHILHEALTH REPORT SENT TO DUTERTE TODAY

MANILA — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra expressed optimism that Task

Force PhilHealth would be able to meet todayÂ’s deadline and submit to

President Duterte the outcome of its 30-day investigation on the anomalies

in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

“Our report will attempt to present the general environment at PhilHealth

which enables fraud and corruption, and specific instances where fraudulent

or corrupt acts have been perpetrated because of this enabling environment,”

he said yesterday.

He did not divulge details of the report or name those they would recommend

to be criminally charged.

Early last week, the task force finished holding its hearings on the alleged

multibillion-peso anomaly inside PhilHealth. They had seven days of

hearings, called 12 witnesses and resource persons and required the

submission of documents. Since then the members of the task force had held a

meeting and began drafting its report to President Duterte.

DUTERTE URGED: APPOINT COVID-19 DATA CZAR AFTER SCORES OF ‘RECOVERIES’ TURN

OUT TO BE DEATHS

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte should consider appointing a data analyst

czar, his pandemic task forceÂ’s former adviser said Monday, after scores of

coronavirus recoveries that the health department reported later turned out

to be deaths.

Errors in data reporting will “further erode the credibility of the

Department of Health in terms of reporting, considering the other agencies

have caught up trying to implement their work,” said Dr. Tony Leachon.

“We cannot decide on certain implementation based on old data, particularly

this one, recoveries to deaths. We have no tolerance for errors and we

cannot function in an epidemic by tolerating mediocrity,” he told ANC.

“Perhaps we need to assign a data analytics czar or a data czar because this

is the heart and soul of the efforts of the government. Garbage in, garbage

out… We need to step up,” he added.

From June 12 to Aug. 21, the health department removed more than 4,000 cases

from the COVID-19 tally after they turned out to be duplicates and encoding

errors.

On Saturday, the agency said 126 cases previously reported as recoveries

turned out to be deaths after final validation. The DOH also reclassified 2

recoveries as active cases, which meant the patients remained infected with

coronavirus.

Cases are classified under recoveries if patients remain asymptomatic or

their mild symptoms do not worsen 14 days after they test positive, said the

DOH.

The list of potential recoveries are sent to the local governments and the

regional epidemiological surveillance units (RESUs), which “check it against

their own records and cross out patients who have either died, or became

critical.” They then send the update list back to the DOH, it said.

This is done weekly, with the crosschecking scheduled from Monday to Friday,

the tallying on Saturday, and the reporting of cases and “mass recoveries”

on Sunday, said the agency.

“While we would like to report data that is as accurate and complete as

possible, we are reliant on what is being submitted to us and there will

sometimes be instances wherein our RESUs, LGUs and health facilities, upon

further validation, correct their own initially-reported recoveries and

re-tag them as deaths,” the health department said.

GOVT URGED TO PROVIDE MORE PUBLIC TRANSPORT VS EASING PHYSICAL DISTANCING

RULE

MANILA - A commuters group on Monday urged government to provide more public

transport vehicles instead of reducing physical distancing to accommodate

more passengers.

Government has begun the easing of physical distancing to 0.75 meters from 1

meter, citing the existing implementation of minimum health protocols such

as the use of face masks and face shields.

It, however, should provide additional public vehicles to ferry workers as

not all employers, especially small and medium firms, can provide

transportation, according to Jed Ugay, spokesperson of Move as One

Coalition.

Ang posisyon namin is imbis bawasan ang social distancing bakit po hindi na

lang damihan ang supply ng public transport para yung ganung karaming

pasahero ay makapag-practice pa rin ng social distancing ng 1 meter," he

told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

EASING OF PHYSICAL DISTANCING IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT 'PROBLEMATIC': EXPERT

MANILA - Government's easing of physical distancing in public transportation

amid the lingering COVID-19 pandemic is "problematic," an infectious disease

expert said Sunday.

The Department of Transportation earlier said it would push through on

Monday the easing of physical distancing in public vehicles to 0.75 meter

from 1 meter, following the approval of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF)

on COVID-19.

The use of face masks and face shields will mitigate virus transmission but

"close contact definition remains," said Dr. Edsel Salvaña, an infectious

disease doctor at the Philippine General Hospital.

"The proposal to decrease the distance in public transport to less than one

meter is problematic. If there is a SINGLE COVID-19 positive person in the

transport, anyone less than one meter from him/her after 15 minutes becomes

a close contact who will need to quarantine and can potentially spread

disease," he said.

"To quote the title of one paper: 'Case isolation, contact tracing, and

physical distancing are pillars of COVID-19 pandemic control, not optional

choices'."

Transportation Undersecretary Artemio Tuazon Jr. said the agency moved to

reduce physical distancing in transport to accommodate more passengers,

especially in modern jeepneys and buses.

"Nakita namin na pwede namang liitan ang pagitan ng mga pasahero basta

nandoon pa rin ang health protocols katulad ng face mask, face shield,

handwashing, at thermal screening bago sumakay," he said in a virtual press

briefing.

Most forms of public transport were allowed to operate under general

community quarantine (GCQ) but under reduced capacity and strict health

protocols.

Metro Manila is under GCQ until Sept. 30.

Salvaña, meanwhile, said wearing a mask, which decreases the amount of

inhaled virus, "is one path to increasing population immunity while awaiting

a vaccine."

He also said that "asymptomatic transmission is much less likely than

symptomatic transmission," and asserted that "the best defense against

SYMPTOMATIC spread is quick isolation."

"The best defense against ASYMPTOMATIC spread is constant mask use, physical

distancing, and eye protection which can significantly interrupt

transmission from undetected asymptomatic cases," the physician said.

In cases where someone at home tests positive for COVID-19, "the most

important interventions are ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD QUARANTINE and CONTACT

TRACING," he said.

Salvaña also sought to refute claims that SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19,

was developed from a laboratory, saying "there is compelling genomic data

that the virus arose naturally."

BAN LIFTED ON HIRING OF MINORS IN ENTERTAINMENT

MANILA — Young celebrities aged 15 to below 18 years old are now allowed to

resume their work in the entertainment industry, the Department of Labor and

Employment (DOLE) said over the weekend.

In an advisory, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III announced the lifting of

the temporary suspension on the employment of minors in the entertainment

industry, but with strict compliance to public health standards.

“Provided that minimum public health standards as prescribed by the

Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases,

Department of Health and the government agencies are strictly implemented

and observed, child 15 to below 18 years may participate on cam in studio or

location shoot,” Bello said.

However, he stressed that the child has the right to refuse work in

accordance with the law on Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labor and

Occupational Safety and Health Standards.

Bello said the new guidelines are to be followed by employers whose business

is allowed to operate during community quarantine and will engage the minors

for studio or location shoots for public entertainment or information

campaigns.

It supersedes a previous DOLE advisory which suspended the issuance of

working child permits until the lifting of modified enhanced community

quarantine (MECQ) to prevent their possible exposure to COVID- 19.

THE REST

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PH VIRUS TALLY BREACHES 260,000; RECOVERIES NOW ALSO OVER 200,000

MANILA - The Philippines confirmed 3,372 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday

bringing the countryÂ’s total to 261,216.

The Department of Health also reported 20,472 new recoveries, as the DOH

implemented its weekly “mass recovery” pushing the total number of Filipinos

who recovered from the disease to 207,568.

This meant that the country has a total of 49,277 active cases as of 4 p.m.

Sunday.

Seventy nine more deaths were reported from the illness, bringing COVID-19Â’s

death toll in the Philippines to 4,371.

METRO MANILA CEMETERIES CLOSED ON UNDAS

MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia says Metro Manila mayors have agreed to

close all cemeteries on All Saints' Day as a precaution against the

coronavirus.

Garcia adds the mayors will meet Sunday night for the guidelines of the

implementation of this decision.

NO PERSONAL APPEARANCE FOR VOTER REGISTRATION EYED

MANILA — New voters intending to register for the May 2022 elections may no

longer be required to personally appear before the Commission on Elections.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said the poll body intends to partner

with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for the adoption of a voter

registration system that would not require a personal appearance.

“Comelec is studying a project that I proposed: no personal appearance for

voter registrants with passports, (only) online,” Guanzon posted on Twitter

over the weekend. “If partnership with DFA is possible, verification of

identity can be done using biometrics data of DFA.”

She said more Filipinos here and abroad, as long as they have valid

passports, may be encouraged to become registered voters if such a system is

adopted.

TRAPPED BY PANDEMIC, SHIPSÂ’ CREWS FIGHT EXHAUSTION AND DESPAIR

BANGKOK — Ralph Santillan, a merchant seaman from the Philippines, hasn’t

had shore leave in half a year. It has been 18 months since he reported for

duty on his ship, which hauls corn, barley and other commodities around the

world. It has been even longer since he saw his wife and son.

“There’s nothing I can do,” Santillan said late last month from his ship, a

965-foot bulk carrier off South Korea. “I have to leave to God whatever

might happen here.”

His time on the ship, where he spends long days chipping rust off the deck

or cleaning out cargo holds, was supposed to have ended in February, after

an 11-month stint — the maximum length for a seafarer’s contract.

But the COVID-19 pandemic led countries to start closing borders and

refusing to let sailors come ashore. For cargo ships around the world, the

process known as crew change, in which seamen like Santillan are replaced by

new ones as their contracts expire, ground nearly to a halt.

In June, the United Nations called the situation a “growing humanitarian and

safety crisis.” And there is still no solution in sight.

“This floating population, many of which have been at sea for over a year,

are reaching the end of their tether,” Guy Platten, secretary-general of the

International Chamber of Shipping, which represents shipowners, said Friday.

“If governments do not act quickly and decisively to facilitate the transfer

of crews and ease restrictions around air travel, we face the very real

situation of a slowdown in global trade.”

Some crew members have begun refusing to work, forcing ships to stay in

port. And many in the shipping industry fear that the stress and exhaustion

will lead to accidents, perhaps disastrous ones.

Many stranded crew members said governments should do more to accommodate

crew changes.

Every step in that procedure is “broken” because of the pandemic, with

flights limited, border controls tightened and many consulates closed. While

some countries have found ways around the problem, “the rate of progress is

not keeping up with the growing backlog of seafarers,” said Frederick

Kenney, director of legal and external affairs at the International Maritime

Organization, a UN agency that oversees global shipping, last week.

DAVAO NIGHT MARKET REOPENS

DAVAO CITY — The city government reopened the Roxas Night Market on

Saturday, which was closed for almost six months due to the community

quarantine.

A handful of visitors attended the reopening and only a few food stalls were

allowed to operate.

The number of security personnel tasked to secure the event was more than

sufficient.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the Roxas Market was reopened to help vendors

displaced by the pandemic recover.

The market is open seven days a week, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Carpio gave assuarance that security and health protocols would be observed

in the area.

Filling out a contact tracing form will not be required when entering the

market. Visitors will only be asked to show proof of identity and

appropriate steps will be enforced.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

FILIPINO CROWNED IN FIRST EVER MISS TRANS GLOBAL 2020

MANILA - Mela Franco Habijan was named Miss Trans Global 2020 during a

virtual coronation ceremony held Saturday night.

Habijan confirmed the wonderful news through a Facebook post.

She wrote, unedited: “Pilipinassss, we won! We wonnnnnnn!!! We are the

first-ever Miss Trans Globalllll! Lorddddd!!! Maraming, maraming salamat

pooooo!!!”

While she had a not so typical crowning moment, Habijan said she is

extremely happy “to be holding the hands of the best people in my life” when

it happened.

According to its official website, Miss Trans Global “is an international

online pageant for trans & gender nonconforming people from all backgrounds

to raise awareness on transgender and LGB issues around the world.”

The website added that the winner of Miss Trans Global will be the

communityÂ’s spokesperson and will work digitally to influence positive

changes internationally.

“They will work closely with activist organizations such as TransValid,

TransBeauty Magazine and many more to raise money, educate and inspire

transgender people globally,” it said.

Before joining Miss Trans Global, Habijan was a writer in ABS-CBN, an

actress, performer, entrepreneur, and an LGBTQ advocate.

SPORTS

PBA SET FOR KEY DIALOGUES THIS WEEK

MANILA -- The fate of the Philippine Basketball Association's 2020 season

may just be decided this week, with Commissioner Willie Marcial set for

talks with the players as well as the Board of Governors.

The league announced that Marcial will meet with the players on Wednesday,

before holding another round of discussions with the Board on Thursday.

They are expected to make a decision on the league's "bubble," as the PBA

hopes to finally resume its 45th season after the All-Filipino Cup was

suspended in March due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Marcial says he welcomes the input of the players. He expects 24 players --

two from each team -- to attend the meeting. These include: Ginebra's LA

Tenorio, San Miguel's Chris Ross, Magnolia's Marc Pingris, NorthPort's Sean

Anthony, TNT's Jayson Castro, Meralco's Reynel Hugnatan, NLEX's Asi Taulava,

Blackwater's Mac Belo, Rain or Shine's Gabe Norwood, Phoenix's Matthew

Wright, Alaska's Vic Manuel and Terra Firma's CJ Perez.

"Mahalaga ang input nila, especially they're the ones going to play and

entertain the PBA fans," said Marcial.

The league needs to decide on what model to use for the bubble, the format

of the tournament, as well as the venue.

In their meeting last Friday, the Board and Marcial trimmed down the

possible hosts to three. Over 20 sites volunteered to host the PBA,

including at least one overseas venue.

NBA SCORES SEP 13

FINAL

    1    2    3    4    T

2 Clippers 3-3    34    29    16    19    98

3 Nuggets 3-3    26    21    30    34    111

GAME 6: SERIES TIED 3-3

SCORING LEADERS

P. George LAC

33 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST

N. Jokic DEN

34 PTS, 14 REB, 7 AST

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Never hate your enemies...it will cloud your thinking. - Michael Corleon

Godfather III