NAT’L PRIVACY COMMISSION PROBES 11 ESTABLISHMENTS FOR ALLEGED DATA BREACH

MANILA — Eleven establishments are under investigation after complaints

surfaced that the personal data of customers were being used aside from

contact tracing, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) said Tuesday.

“Ang aming initial [report] po, labing-isang establishments at sila po ay

tinatawag po namin,” NPC Commissioner Raymund Liboro said in an interview

over Teleradyo.

“Ipatatawag ho namin at [hingan] sila ng paliwanag at ma-remind sila dito sa

kanilang obligasyon to secure personal data,” he added.

Liboro said that this comes after complaints surged the NPC that customers’

data collated from establishments were being used for other purposes.

“May mga reports na nagagamit yung data nila for other purposes, for

marketing ay yan naman po ay unauthorized purpose,” he said.

Liboro said that one factor that may have contributed to this was that

logbooks, where customers write their personal information for contact

tracing purposes, were usually left open.

“Hindi nakakatulong yung mga nakatiwang-wang na logbook na ‘yan para pasukin

sila ng mga parokyano. So ‘yan ay dapat nila baguhin,” the commissioner

said.

And if establishments do not abide by the NPC guidelines, they will face

penalties.

“[K]ung hindi nila tutugunan ay maaaring maharap po sila sa penalties for

unauthorized processing,” he said.

DUTERTE SUMMONS SPEAKERSHIP RIVALS CAYETANO, VELASCO TO PALACE

MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday summoned to a meeting his

congressmen allies, Alan Peter Cayetano and Lord Allan Velasco, whose battle

for the House Speakership has threatened to derail the approval of the

country's pandemic war chest.

The meeting "regarding the passage of the 2021 budget" is scheduled at 12:30

p.m. at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila,

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

There were no other immediate details about the meeting.

13TH MONTH PAY CAN’T BE DEFERRED – PALACE

MANILA — Even with businesses suffering losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic,

employers are still legally required to give workers their 13th month pay.

Malacañang said on Monday that the law on the grant of the yearly incentive

remains in effect.

“Let the Department of Labor and Employment study it. But in my opinion,

that cannot be deferred until there is a new law,” presidential spokesperson

Harry Roque said in a press briefing.

Earlier, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the labor department was

considering allowing “distressed” companies and businesses to defer the

release of their employees’ 13th month pay, a move that may affect around 2

million workers, according to the Employers Confederation of the

Philippines.

Bello later clarified it was not the labor department’s intent to call for a

deferment of the incentive after lawmakers and labor groups said that

workers should not be made into “sacrificial lambs.”

“The [Implementation rules] of Presidential Decree No. 851 provides for an

exception, not us,” he said in a text message.

But Bello was contradicted by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, who

said that allowing companies to withhold the 13th month pay due to financial

losses would set a “dangerous precedent.”

“Under the law, there’s no exemption even if the company is incurring

losses,” said Drilon, a former labor secretary, referring to PD 851

SENATE APPROVES BILL GRANTING SAN MIGUEL FRANCHISE TO OPERATE BULACAN

AIRPORT

MANILA — The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill

granting San Miguel Aerocity Inc. a franchise to operate an airport in

Bulacan province and an adjacent airport city. It voted 22-0 to pass the

measure, with no objections.

If the House of Representatives adopts the Senate version, there will be no

need for a bicameral conference and the bill is ready for President Rodrigo

Duterte’s signature.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III thanked his colleagues as well as the

House lawmakers.

“This was an idea that was born 17 years ago, November of 2003,” he said.

Group’s plan

He said the construction of a new airport and airport city in Bulacan was

conceived during a meeting that he had with businessman Eduardo “Danding”

Cojuangco, San Miguel Corp. President Ramon Ang, actor Fernando Poe. Jr.,

and then Senators Edgardo Angara, Tessie Aquino-Oreta and Gregorio Honasan

II.

At that time, Poe was being persuaded to run for president and the group

believed he would win in 2004, Sotto recalled.

“We did not know the location yet but that was the idea of the group,” he

said, attributing that particular plan to Cojuangco, Ang and Poe.

The airport and airport city would rise on a 2,500-hectare area in Bulakan

town and is intended to help decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport,

which has long been the main gateway into the country.

'PRIORITIZE OPEN AIR, INSTALL EXHAUST FANS' TO ARREST SPREAD OF COVID-19,

SAYS DOH

MANILA — Public establishments and public transport must have proper

ventilation and more exhaust fans to stop the spread of coronavirus, the

Department of Health said Monday, as it released a memo on guidelines for

ventilation.

This, following inconclusive claims that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

is airborne.

“Habang wala pang conclusive evidence ng airborne transmission nirerekomenda

na po ng DOH na tayo ay maniguro para sigurado na may sapat na ventilation

ang mga enclosed spaces katulad sa ating mga workplaces, mga comfort rooms

at mga sasakyan,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a

virtual briefing on Monday.

Vergeire noted that it has already been proven that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can

be spread through droplets and contact transmission. While the World Health

Organization earlier said airborne transmission is possible in medical

settings where there are machines that can aerosolize droplets, health

institutions have yet to categorically say that COVID-19 is airborne.

“Ang Department Memorandum 2020-0429 ay inilabas upang makapagbigay sa

administrative and engineering controls na maaaring magamit sa enclosed

indoor spaces upang ma-improve ang ventilation at mabawasan ang posibleng

transmission ng virus,” Vergeire said.

The memorandum, signed on October 8 by Secretary Francisco Duque III, cited

several scenarios and the suggested course of action.

SENATE PANEL OKS P8.2-BILLION BUDGET OF OP

MANILA — With hardly any questions asked, the Office of the President’s (OP)

proposed P8.2-billion 2021 budget got the approval of a Senate subcommittee

in less than an hour on Monday.

Also breezing through the panel, headed by the President’s former aide Sen.

Bong Go, was the P715.65-million budget of the Presidential Management Staff

(PMS).

No lawmaker delved into the details of the OP’s spending plan, P5.4 billion

of which would be for the Presidential Oversight Program.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea led the presentation of the OP’s

budget.

“OP’s proposed budget was formulated based on directives, policies and

priorities of the President, and the tools necessary to receive them,”

Medialdea said.

Sen. Sonny Angara expressed support for the OP’s budget and posed no

questions.

Angara said the COVID-19 pandemic had placed added demands on the President

and his staff.

“We in the legislative are here to support as we did in Bayanihan 1 and

Bayanihan 2, and if there is added support needed, of course we will be very

supportive,” he said.

He also said the debates on the OP and PMS budgets have “traditionally been

very swift.”

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also backed the OP’s budget and

said it could even be increased.

The OP and PMS budgets would be up for discussion again when the Senate’s

plenary deliberations on the spending bill begin in November.

CAYETANO ACCUSED OF USING E-SIGNATURE OF SOLONS IN MANIFESTO SANS CONSENT

MANILA — Incumbent Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano allegedly “reused” the

electronic signatures of congressmen without their authority in a manifesto

supporting him to remain as House Speaker, newly installed Speaker Lord

Allan Velasco said Tuesday.

“Some of the congressmen actually talked to me, they were actually

contesting why their name was in the manifesto of former Speaker Cayetano,”

Velasco said in an interview over CNN Philippines.

“They said that the e-signature, because I think former Speaker Cayetano was

using e-signatures of congressmen, was given for a specific purpose and not

for that manifesto that he was showing.”

“They were saying they just reused the e-signatures without their

authority,” he went on.

In a session at an events venue in Quezon City on Monday, 186 lawmakers

voted to elect Velasco as the new Speaker, ousting Cayetano.

But Cayetano’s office released a manifesto showing 200 lawmakers backing his

continued term as Speaker.

In the manifesto, lawmakers supposedly said that the rejection of Cayetano’s

resignation offer already rendered the term-sharing between the two

congressmen “moot and academic.”

COURT ALLOWS POLITICAL DETAINEE TO ATTEND BABY'S WAKE, BURIAL

MANILA - A local court has granted the request of political detainee Reina

Mae Nasino to visit the wake of her 3-month-old baby River and attend her

burial.

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 47 Judge Paulino Gallegos granted

Nasino's request for 3 days continuous furlough to visit her baby’s wake and

attend her burial on Friday.

Nasino, who is facing illegal possession of firearms and explosives charges,

gave birth to River on July 1 at Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, 8

months after her arrest at the office of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in

Tondo, Manila in November 2019.

The baby died last Friday while battling bacterial infection at the

Philippine General Hospital.

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers earlier filed an urgent motion asking

the court to reunite Nasino and her deceased daughter River for the last

time.

‘NIKA’ UPS ANGAT LEVEL, TRIGGERS BULACAN FLOOD

Heavy rains brought by Tropical Depression “Nika,” alongside the southwest

monsoon, on Sunday led to a 2-meter rise in the water level of Angat Dam,

the highest increase recorded in the past week, the weather bureau said on

Monday.

The dam supplies 90 percent of Metro Manila’s water needs.

Monitoring by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical

Services Administration (Pagasa) showed that the water level in Angat’s

watershed rose from 179.59 meters above sea level (masl) from Sunday morning

to 181.98 masl on Monday morning, an increase of 2.39 m.

Despite the rise, however, it was far from the dam’s normal high level at

210 masl.

It was also far from the rule curve elevation, or the minimum reservoir

level that should be maintained to ensure enough water supply in the drier

months, said Max Peralta, Pagasa senior hydrologist. For Angat Dam, the rule

curve elevation is pegged at 190.25 m.

“At this point, we really cannot say that it is already at its normal

operating level,” Peralta told the Inquirer.

THE REST

========

4,820 MORE PUJS ALLOWED TO OPERATE, 44 ADDITIONAL ROUTES OPENED IN NCR

MANILA — Forty-four additional jeepney routes and 4,820 public utility

jeepneys units were allowed to resume operations over the weekend, the Land

Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Tuesday.

In a statement, LTFRB said there are currently 27,016 total jeepney units

and 302 routes that opened in Metro Manila since the general community

quarantine first took effect in June.

The agency, likewise, gave assurance to commuters that they will continue to

add more routes and units in public transportation.

“Tinitiyak ng LTFRB na patuloy ang pagbubukas ng mga ruta para sa mga Public

Utility Vehicles (PUVs) upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga pasahero

sa gitna ng pandemya,” read the statement.

4 SUSPECTED ABU SAYYAF NABBED IN ZAMBOANGA CITY

MANILA — Authorities have arrested in Zamboanga City four suspected members

of the Abu Sayyaf, two of them the terrorist group’s link to the Islamic

State.

But Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, the Philippine National Police chief,

said the suspects could not be indicted under the Antiterrorism Act of 2020

because the law’s implementation rules had yet to be drafted. As a result,

they would be charged for crimes under the Revised Penal Code.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday, Cascolan said police and

military teams arrested the suspects on Friday and Sunday in Zamboanga City.

They were identified as Kadija Sadji, 31; Abdulman Sarapuddin Tula also

known as “Mahn,” 32; Jailani Al-Rafee Sakandal, 31; and Hassan Anang

Mohammad, alias Usi.

Except for Mohammad, the rest were arrested by police on Friday in Barangay

Lower Calarian, Zamboanga City.

SITUATION AT BILIBID STILL TENSE AFTER RIOT

MANILA — The situation in New Bilibid Prison remains tense after Friday’s

deadly riot since the prison gangs involved were seeking retaliation.

“There were intel reports that one group was amassing to strike back at the

rival group. But the prison authorities, with the assistance of the police,

have so far contained the violence,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said

on Monday.

Guevarra has ordered Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag to

report who were liable for the riot that broke out amid the pandemic

lockdown.

A riot broke out at Quadrant 4 of Bilibid’s maximum security compound around

1 a.m. last Friday between the Sputnik and Commando gangs, killing nine

inmates.

DRUG SUSPECT SLAIN, 3 NABBED IN CAMARINES SUR BUY-BUSTS

LEGAZPI CITY –– A suspected illegal drug pusher was killed, while three

others were arrested in separate buy-bust operations in Camarines Sur on

Monday night.

Police Colonel Roderico Roy Jr., Camarines Sur cop chief, said Vicente

Imperial died after a buy-bust operation that led to an armed confrontation

in Barangay Del Carmen, San Jose town around 10 p.m.

Anti-narcotics operatives seized a sachet of shabu (crystal meth) worth

P1,000 from Imperial.

In Nabua town, Orestes Follosco Jr., 40, was arrested in a separate buy-bust

operation in Barangay Sta. Barbara at 10:20 p.m.

Authorities recovered nine sachets of suspected shabu from Follosco.

In Naga City, lawmen arrested Paul Alarcos, 18, in a separate buy-bust

operation in Barangay Peñafrancia at 7:45 p.m.

Police Master Sergeant Tobias Bongon, Naga City police spokesperson, said

authorities seized a sachet or 50 grams of shabu worth P340,000 from

Alarcos.

At 9:20 p.m., Rodel Bontoyan, 28; Kathy Parcedes, 20; and Rommel Vasquez,

37, were also arrested in a separate buy-bust operation in Barangay Balatas,

Bongon said.

Imperial, Follosco, and Alarcos were in the illegal drugs watch list.

LPA BRINGS RAINS OVER PALAWAN, SOUTHERN PH

MANILA — The Low Pressure Area (LPA) and the southeast monsoon will bring

rains over Palawan, Visayas and Mindanao, the state weather bureau said

Tuesday.

In its 4 a.m. weather update, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and

Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the LPA was last spotted

355 kilometers (km) east of Surigao City.

“Ang nasabing Low Pressure Area ay posibleng maging ganap na bagyo sa loob

ng 24 hanggang 48 hours,” Pagasa weather specialist Meno Mendoza said.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will also experience isolated rain

showers caused by the southwest monsoon and localized thunderstorms, Pagasa

added.

Meanwhile, Pagasa said it continues to monitor Tropical Storm Nangka

(formerly Nika) which exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday

morning.

The weather bureau said it was last spotted 750 km west of northern Luzon

with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center with

gustiness up to 105 kph moving westward at the speed of 20 kph.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

SHARON CUNETA SAYS SHE IS ‘SEMI-RETIRED,’ STILL HAS ‘A FEW PROMISES AND

CONTRACTS TO FULFILL’

After announcing that she will be “retiring soon,” Sharon Cuneta assured

fans that she was not going to “instantly disappear” from the limelight.

“Kids, please don’t be sad! I still have a few promises and contracts to

fulfill,” the Megastar said on Instagram yesterday, Oct. 12.

“Just seeing as we don’t know yet when this pandemic is leaving or when a

vaccine is gonna be discovered, I am preparing for my retirement. I am

semi-retired as it is!”

She said she already had plans to retire after getting married to husband

Sen. Kiko Pangilinan when she was 30 years old in 1996, but that “it wasn’t

time yet.”

“Don’t worry about me — my parents always prepared me for this. And I’ve

been getting ready to retire for another 2 decades,” she said.

“I’m not just gonna instantly disappear! I owe you that much,” she told her

devoted Sharonians. “But please ready yourselves, okay? I love you. God

bless you all!”

Reactions came not only from fans but also from friends in show biz, like

actress Judy Ann Santos, who wrote in the comments section, “Ate!! Paano na

pelikula [nating] tatlo ni [Regine Velasquez]!!!??!”

Cuneta quipped, “Pano iyan sa bahay mo na lang (How is that, we’ll shoot at

your house)?! Ngek! Hahaha!”

The actress-singer has spent over 40 years in the biz, finding success and a

loyal following in her ventures in music, TV and movies since her teens.

SPORTS

TOKYO TO HOST INTERNATIONAL GYMNASTICS EVENT IN NOVEMBER

TOKYO—Tokyo will host an international gymnastics tournament on Nov. 8, the

Japan Gymnastics Association (JGA) has said, an event which could serve as a

trial run for next year’s rearranged Olympic Games.

The event is sanctioned by the International Gymnastics Federation and will

feature 32 athletes from Japan, China, Russia and the United States.

A maximum of 2,000 fans would be allowed to attend the one-day event at

Yoyogi National Gymnasium, the venue for the handball tournament at the

Games, which were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The JGA said during an online media briefing on Monday that all gymnasts

arriving from overseas would have to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

test within 72 hours prior to their departure for Japan.

Japan’s 14-day quarantine period would be waived but they would be tested

each day they are in Japan, it added.

Other international sporting events scheduled to be held in Japan in the

coming months, including the Judo Tokyo Grand Slam and the Tokyo Marathon,

have been canceled or postponed due to restrictions on travel.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said organizers

expected to welcome spectators from around the world at next year’s Games.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 48.44

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If you must hold yourself up to your children as an object lesson, hold

yourself up as a warning and not as an example. - George Bernard Shaw