TRUMP'S PROMISE: US TURNS OVER WEAPONS TO PHILIPPINES

MANILA - The United States government on Monday turned over precision-guided

munitions worth P868 million ($18 million) to the Philippines.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the latest donation

fulfills the promise that US President Donald Trump made during a phone call

with President Rodrigo Duterte in April.

US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien handed over the weapons, which

included 100 TOW-2A missiles, 12 ITAS and 24 MK-82s, which would help the

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) combat terrorism.

"We hope these precision-guided missiles and munitions will help the AFP

protect Philippine lives in Mindanao and end the needless suffering imposed

by ISIS-East Asia," O'Brien said, following his meeting with Locsin.

O'Brien added that the transfer of weapons underscores Washington's

"enduring commitment" to its "critical alliance" with Manila, its longtime

ally and former colony.

Upon receiving the weapons on behalf of the Philippine government, Locsin

said the armed forces are looking forward to training on their use.

"These smart bombs will boost the capability of our armed forces in

neutralizing identified or specific threats to national security,

particularly in counterterrorism operations," Locsin said.

Noting that the US has been at the forefront of the fight against ISIS,

O'Brien said Trump stands with Duterte as the Americans combat ISIS in

Southeast Asia.

Trump's security advisor also expressed hopes to expand cooperation with the

Philippines following the decision of Duterte to further extend the

termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two countries.

DUTERTE: 800 GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, EMPLOYEES FIRED FOR GRAFT, OTHER OFFENSES

Duterte reads names of sacked employees from BIR, other agencies

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said he will continue to

"go after government officials and workers who are into graft and

corruption," saying around 800 officials and workers have been dismissed

from the service due to illegal activities.

The President named some of them, including Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)

employees who allegedly pocketed tax collections and requested money in

exchange for permit approvals.

Duterte said the sacked officials and workers faced administrative cases.

"Pa dating sa Ombudsman, the Ombudsman if he finds na tama na 'yung ginawa

sa administrative case, so we will file the corresponding criminal charge,"

he said.

The Office of the Ombudsman is tasked to investigate and prosecute

Philippine government officials accused of crimes, especially involving

graft and corruption.

"So dalawa ang harapin mo, dismissal from the service, wala ka nang trabaho.

Tapos makulong ka."

Duterte said he will identify more people allegedly involved in lawless

activities next week.

DUTERTE SAYS HE CAN'T INVESTIGATE LAWMAKERS ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said he has no authority

to investigate lawmakers accused of corruption.

In his weekly briefing with Cabinet secretaries, Duterte said he has

received a list of names of "corrupt" congressmen from the Commissioner

Greco Belgica of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).

Duterte, however, explained he has no right to investigate the lawmakers as

they belong to a different branch of government.

"Alam mo, let's go to political law. I have no business investigating

congressmen. They belong to a separate organ of government which is co-equal

with the president pati ang Supreme Court," Duterte explained.

"Ngayon kung itapon mo sa akin, I have no other recourse, itapon ko din 'yan

sa Ombudsman," he added, referring to Belgica's list.

Duterte also said that he is not playing safe by not publicizing the names

of said lawmakers, reiterating that they belong to different branches of

government and are considered co-equals.

"I cannot investigate congressmen. It will be an encroachment of the

separation of powers. Hindi ako puwede (I cannot investigate them)," he

said.

"If I cannot investigate the congressmen, then I have no authority to be

releasing their names that they are involved per investigation by the PACC,"

Duterte added.

DUTERTE SAYS MILITARY NEEDED VS ILLEGAL DRUGS; 'ENEMIES' INCLUDE RIGHTS

ADVOCATES

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said illegal narcotics in

the country is a national security issue and the military has to be included

in anti-illegal drugs operations.

Duterte, in a public briefing, claimed that around 200 to 300 drug suspects

are being caught every day, stressing how "pernicious" illegal drugs

activities is in the Philippines.

"I'd like to pronounce it again that there's a declaration by me, based on a

proclamation also of President (Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo before raising the

issue of drugs a national security matter. That's why kasali na ang military

diyan, because if it's a national security, it is now the welfare of the

state at stake," he said.

"That's why hindi lang ito trabaho ng pulis. Eh national security eh. 'Di ko

naman inulit. So the military also has to participate," he added.

Duterte told anti-narcotics operatives to ignore human rights advocates'

calls to stop the country's bloody drug war, which has killed thousands of

people, including children, in the country.

"Kapag umatras ako, walang mangyayari sa Pilipinas sa panahon ko. Gawain

ninyo 'yan kapag di na ako Presidente," he said.

Duterte warned human rights activists, including from abroad, not to "tinker

with the drug problem" in the Philippines. He even aligned them with

notorious drug groups Sinaloa Cartel and Bamboo Triad as "enemies" of the

state.

"Di talaga [sila] kalaban na patayan. They're out to discredit, they're out

to send to prison somebody who's doing his work," he said.

Duterte echoed his past statements that human rights issues over the

country's drug war is "his alone."

"'Wag kayong matakot pumatay. Hayaan mong 'yang human rights. Basta you do

it in accordance with law," he said.

HOUSE PASSES BILL VS WOMEN DISCRIMINATION

MANILA - The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill that expands

the prohibited acts of discrimination against women.

Through unanimous vote by 226 members, the House plenary approved on third

and final reading House Bill 7722, which amends Presidential Decree 442 or

the Labor Code of the Philippines.

The bill seeks to criminalize as "discrimination against women on the basis

of gender" the act of "favoring a male employee over a female employee with

respect to assignment, promotion, training opportunities, study and

scholarship grants solely on account of their sex or characteristics,

whether actual or presumed."

It also classifies as discriminatory the acts of "favoring a male employee

over a female employee with respect to the dismissal of personnel or the

application of any retrenchment policy of the employer solely on account of

their sex or characteristics, whether actual or presumed and denying any

woman the benefits of employment or other statutory benefits under our laws

by reason of sex."

HB 7722 likewise seeks to prohibit the discharge from employment of a woman

on account of her pregnancy, while on leave, or while in confinement due to

pregnancy.

Based on the proposed measure, any employer proven to commit or attempt in

any manner to commit the prohibited acts shall be punished with a fine of

not less than P50,000 but not more than P200,000 and/or imprisonment of not

less than one year but not more than two years.

It also notes that the conviction or acquittal obtained by the employer

shall not preclude the filing by a female employee of a civil suit for the

payment of salaries or benefits due to her.

HEALTHWORKER DEPLOYMENT CAP ONLY FOR NEW HIRES: DOLE

MANILA - The 5,000-deployment cap on healthworkers is applicable only to new

hires, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said Tuesday after a nurses group

urged government to remove the limit.

Medical workers returning to their jobs abroad are allowed to leave the

country, he said.

"'Yang cap na 'yan ay subject to regular review. Pagka halimbawa bababa ang

insidente ng pandemya, pwede naman natin increase 'yan. Gusto lang natin

matiyak na di tayo darating sa panahon na lumala ang COVID-19 pagkatapos ang

nurses at medical workers nasa ibang bansa," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

"Ang kinukuha ng mga dayuhan highly-skilled and experienced, naiiwan lahat

sa'tin mga baguhan."

Bello said he agrees a salary hike would encourage nurses to remain in the

country, adding that there's a pending measure in Congress seeking to

increase pay of private hospital nurses to the level of the public sector.

"Private sector ang napapabayaan, nagiging victim pa sila itong malalaking

hospital ang baba magpasuweldo," he said.

Nearly 30,000 healthcare workers have yet to receive several months of

salary, hazard pay and special risk allowance, according to Maristela

Abenojar, national president of Filipino Nurses United.

PHILIPPINES IN ADVANCED TALKS WITH ASTRAZENECA FOR VACCINE

MANILA - The Philippines is close to concluding talks with Britain's

AstraZeneca for the supply of at least 20 million doses of its COVID-19

vaccine, a top coronavirus task force official said on Monday.

Carlito Galvez, the former general in charge of strategy to fight the

coronavirus, said the government was also in talks with Pfizer Inc and

China's Sinovac for vaccine supply deals.

Galvez said the government could enter into an advance market agreement with

AstraZeneca before the month ends.

If negotiations with three drugmakers were successful, Galvez said in a

televised briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines could

lock in 60 million vaccine doses.

THE REST

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PHILIPPINES ON LOOKOUT FOR 'POST-HOLIDAY' SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES

MANILA - Government is bracing for a possible surge in coronavirus

infections as the holiday season approaches, Health Secretary Francisco

Duque III said late Monday night.

In President Rodrigo Duterte's weekly meeting with the coronavirus task

force, the health chief said contingency measures will be up in the event

that the said possibility takes place.

"Bubuo rin ang DOH ng contingency plan sakaling magkaroon ng post holiday

season surge in the number of cases," Duque said. "Habang ang bilang ng kaso

ay patuloy na pababa, hindi ito dapat maging dahilan upang tayo ay maging

mas maluwag o complacent."

The health department earlier today warned the public that flocking to

crowded places even with face mask and shield on could still lead to

infections.

This came after photos on social media showed Filipinos in the commercial

center Divisoria in Manila with the holiday season fast approaching.

ULYSSES FLOODS BROUGHT 1 1/2 YEARS WORTH OF GARBAGE IN MARIKINA: MAYOR

MANILA - Debris from severe floods brought by Typhoon Ulysses was equivalent

to one and a half years worth of Marikina City's garbage, its mayor said

Tuesday.

Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro, in an interview with ANC's "Matters of

Fact," said they had cleared nearly half of the debris and hoped to finish

it by the end of November.

"The debris that we are collecting is equivalent to that of one and a half

years of garbage we collected in the city. That's 980,000 cubic meters of

debris," he said.

"After 11 days, we have accomplished 45 percent of the clearing operations,

but still marami pa rin (there are too many). We are still clearing it."

Typhoon Ulysses, which struck the Philippines on Nov. 11, brought massive

flooding in parts of Luzon, inundating scores of villages and farms.

Marikina City evacuated some 10,500 families to safety during the typhoon as

floodwaters rose to the rooftops. To date, only 1,050 families are staying

in evacuation centers.

"We are able to clear the major roads but we are clearing now the secondary

and interior alleys in the communities. That's one reason why [some] people

can't access to their houses at this point in time. But I must admit there

are some that can't go home because they don't have a house to go home or

return to," Teodoro said.

The mayor again reiterated his call for the rehabilitation of the Marikina

Watershed, which can reduce the risk of floods in downstream cities like

Marikina.

PHILIPPINES DISTRIBUTES P131 MILLION WORTH OF AID TO TYPHOON VICTIMS SO FAR

MANILA - The Department of Social Welfare and Development has distributed

P131 million worth of assistance to typhoon victims as of Monday, its

spokesperson said Tuesday.

The aid was given in the form of family food packs and non-food items in

typhoon-hit areas Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon,

Bicol, Cordilleras, and Metro Manila, said spokesperson Irene Dumlao.

The agency is also leading camp management in evacuation centers in ensuring

minimum health protocols are implemented and women- and children-friendly

spaces are provided, Dumlao said. "Likewise for the provision of

psycho-social support to help our internally displaced persons cope with the

trauma brought about by the typhoon," she told ANC's Headstart.

'HINDI KO NAMAN INAAMIN': LACSON PLAYS COY ON TAKING COVID-19 VACCINE

MANILA - Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday continued to play coy about whether

or not he availed of a COVID-19 vaccine before Philippine Health officials

approved any brand of immunization against the global pandemic.

Lacson laughed when asked to categorically answer if he was part of clinical

trials for COVID-19 vaccines or if he availed of the drug on a personal

capacity.

"Tawa na lang isasagot ko diyan... kung totoo nga. E hindi ko naman

inaamin," he said, laughing.

It was Senate President Vicente Sotto III who first said that Lacson and

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez availed of the COVID-19 vaccine

earlier this year.

Lacson, in several interviews, refused to confirm nor deny the allegation,

while Romualdez has yet to issue a statement.

The Department of Health earlier warned the public to be careful in availing

vaccines against COVID-19 as the Food and Drug Administration has yet to

approve any drug against the highly contagious virus.

MORENO WINS MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

MANILA - For the second time, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno has been chosen Man

of the Year of the Asia Leaders Award for this year for his exemplary

leadership.

Singapore Ambassador Gerard Ho Wei Hong conferred the award on Moreno during

a ceremony at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati last week.

Hong said Moreno has shown exemplary and effective public service,

especially during this time of pandemic.

"This award will serve as an inspiration to further serve the residents of

Manila in the face of the pandemic and other calamities," Moreno said in his

acceptance speech.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

JOHN LLOYD CRUZ FINALLY BREAKS SILENCE ON WHY HE LEFT SHOWBIZ 'INDEFINITELY'

On-leave Kapamilya actor John Lloyd Cruz revealed why he left showbiz for an

indefinite time.

In an interview with Boy Abunda for Abunda's Kumu show "The Best Talk" last

Saturday, John Lloyd said he needed to step back to clear his head.

"Nakakaubos iyong dine-demand ng ganitong trabaho," he shared.

"And bilang creator gusto mong makapagbigay lagi ng something worth their

time. And kung ubos ka, medyo mahihirapan kang ma-deliver iyon kasi wala

nang bagong laman iyong utak mo - wala ka nang maibibigay na tingin ko is

worth their time. Kumbaga nakakahiya na lang din," he added.

When asked if he's happy now, John Lloyd said his son Elias is his little

savior.

"Wala na yatang mas liligaya pa pagka mayroon kang maliit na anak, na two

years old na ang kulit. Wala nang kasing saya. Ang lupet. My little savior,"

he said.

Boy and John Lloyd also talked about the actor's upcoming film with director

Lav Diaz, "Servando Magdamag," an adaptation of an award-winning short story

written by Ricky Lee.

"Karahasan, kasamaan -wala ka pa palang nakita, wala ka pa palang alam," he

said of the film.

Star Cinema revealed recently that John Lloyd is also set to make a reunion

movie with Bea Alonzo under the direction of Cathy Garcia-Molina.

FRANKIE PANGILINAN REACTS TO ATTACKS VS SHARON CUNETA, LENI ROBREDO LOVE

LIFE

MANILA - Singer Frankie Pangilinan fired back at a social media user dissing

her mother Sharon Cuneta's past love life.

A Twitter user used Sharon as an argument against Frankie's opinion on Vice

President Leni Robredo's alleged love affair.

"How about your mom? is she an example of more and more and more boyfriends

and landed to your dad? hypocrites! we better like a person like duterte

because that is opposite from his real personality than people like you,"

the Twitter user told Frankie.

"Nawalan ako ng brain cells sa pagbasa nito pero sana bayad ka dyan sayang

naman din brain cells mo," Sharon and Sen. Francis Pangilinan's daughter

replied to the user.

Frankie's reply to the Twitter user came after the singer-songwriter shared

an article about Robredo's denial of an alleged new love. According to the

Vice President, the people close to her are just associates.

"Also what would it matter is she was she's a grown woman she can do what

she wants," Frankie captioned the post.

SPORTS

NBA PLAYERS MEET POPE FRANCIS TO DISCUSS SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES

Five NBA players met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday to discuss

social justice issues following a season where combating racial inequality

was a dominant theme.

The players who met the Pope were Anthony Tolliver, Kyle Korver, Sterling

Brown, Jonathan Isaac and Marco Belinelli as well as National Basketball

Players Association (NBPA) executive director Michele Roberts.

"Today's meeting was an incredible experience," Tolliver, who plays power

forward for the Memphis Grizzlies, was quoted as saying in an NBPA news

release.

"With the Pope's support and blessing, we are excited to head into this next

season reinvigorated to keep pushing for change and bringing our communities

together."

Video of the meeting showed the players presenting the Pope with gifts

including an Orlando Magic jersey.

Roberts said the meeting validated the power of the players' voices.

"That one of the most influential leaders in the world sought to have a

conversation with them demonstrates the influence of their platforms," said

Roberts.

"I remain inspired by our players' continued commitment to serve and support

our community."

The league and its players ramped up their calls for system-wide reforms

last season after the death in May of George Floyd, a Black man who died in

police custody in Minneapolis in an incident that was captured on video.

The COVID-19 interrupted season resumed inside a bio-secure bubble in

Florida with players wearing social justice messages on their jerseys and

"Black Lives Matter" printed on the basketball courts.

The new NBA regular season is scheduled to kick off on Dec. 22.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Brilliant men are often strikingly ineffectual; they fail to realize that

the brilliant insight is not by itself achievement. They never have learned

that insights become effectiveness only through hard systematic work. -

Peter Drucker