DUTERTE TO PINOYS: FIGHT COVID-19 WITH COURAGE OF BONIFACIO

MANILA — President Duterte yesterday urged Filipinos to take inspiration

from the courage and ideals of revolutionary leader Andres Bonifacio to

promote an inclusive society and to surmount the challenges confronting the

country, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a video message for the 157th birth anniversary of Bonifacio, Duterte

said the hero’s legacy of sparking the fires of a revolution “awakened our

national consciousness and served as the foundation of this Republic.”

“His love of country – which aroused our ancestors to fight for our freedom

and secure our rightful place in the community of nations – is very vital

now, more than ever, as we overcome the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic,”

Duterte said.

“As we remember his life and deeds, may the values he fought for inspire us

all to become worthy heirs of the just, progressive and inclusive society

that he envisioned more than a century ago. Fueled by Bonifacio’s

extraordinary courage and determination, let us surmount the many challenges

ahead and secure a much better and brighter future for every Filipino,” he

added.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar called on Filipinos to

emulate Bonifacio’s nationalism and aspire to be “modern heroes.”

CHR WARNS GOV'T: RED-TAGGING ENDANGERS LIVES

MANILA - The Commission on Human Rights on Tuesday warned government against

red-tagging individuals as it "endangers lives."

CHR commissioner Jacqueline de Guia made the remark after President Rodrigo

Duterte on Monday "identified" opposition lawmakers as "legal fronts" of

communist rebels.

"The CHR does not delve into who is a communist or not. Ang sa amin lang is

just we would like (We would just like) to caution government against making

sweeping generalizations because it endangers lives," she told ANC's

Headstart.

"They should observe the principle of distinction in doing red-tagging

because clearly there must be a delineation between those who think

different against government and those who have taken up arms against

government."

There is "nothing wrong" in having a left-leaning ideology if it does not

translate into violence, De Guia said.

"If they are using legal means such as joining partylists then clearly that

is not taking up arms against the government," she said.

"The freedom of belief is absolute as long as they do not take up violence."

Duterte had made the pronouncement after the death of the daughter of Bayan

Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat in a supposed military encounter with the New

People's Army in Surigao del Sur on Saturday.

The CHR will look into the legitimacy of the operation and whether

principles of International Humanitarian Law were observed, De Guia said.

The rights body earlier condemned the military's decision to pose with the

body of Jevilyn Cullamat.

"Regardless of what troop they belong to, sa'min (for us) it’s a human

being, let’s not add ignominy, let’s not use it as propaganda," De Guia

said.

LAWMAKER SAYS DUTERTE ATTACKS A DIVERSIONARY TACTIC

MANILA - A lawmaker on Tuesday dismissed the recent attack against him by

President Rodrigo Duterte as a diversionary tactic meant to move important

issues out of the public eye.

"That's a classic President Duterte. He has been doing that in his weekly

address. It so happens that yesterday kami na naman 'yong kaniyang parang

(we were his) flavor of the week," Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate

told ANC.

"He's been doing that to all his critics and just anybody who criticizes the

policies of the present administration," he added in the later part of the

interview.

In his weekly public address Monday, Duterte went on a rant against

progressive groups in Congress, calling them alleged legal fronts of the

communist insurgency movement.

During the meeting that was supposed to discuss the government's action in

solving the COVID-19 pandemic, the President railed against Zarate, at one

point describing the lawmaker as dog poop.

Zarate dismissed the remark.

"Walang patutunguhan if you will just papatulan mo 'yong gano'ng mga

patutsada dahil it will only divert the issue," he said.

As of Monday, the Philippines has logged over 431,000 coronavirus

infections, of which nearly 8,400 have died from the diseas

CONGRESS ADJOURNS BICAM MEETING ON P4.5-T 2021 NATIONAL BUDGET

MANILA - Congress on Tuesday adjourned deliberations on the P4.5-trillion

General Appropriations Act in less than an hour, fasttracking the approval

of the sum that would fund the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines and other

pandemic response plans of the government next year.

Lawmakers ended the meeting in a hotel in Makati in about 20 minutes after

agreeing to allow the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate

Committee on Finance chairpersons to iron out different amendments in the

spending bill, according to the Office of Sen. Sonny Angara.

At least 12 lawmakers physically attended the meeting, while other members

of the Senate and House panels were allowed to participate through video

conferencing.

Congress eyes to ratify the 2021 General Appropriations Act next week before

submitting it for President Rodrigo Duterte's signature by mid-December.

SENATE TO DELETE GAB PROVISION ON COMELEC PROCUREMENT SAFEGUARDS

MANILA — Senators vowed to block any attempt to allow the Commission on

Elections (Comelec) to relax its procurement safeguards as mandated by the

Automated Election Law that may affect the credibility of the 2022 polls.

There were reports of an alleged attempt to insert a provision in the

proposed 2021 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) being finalized by both the

Senate and the House of Representatives that seeks to do away with the

safety measures in Republic Act 8436 and RA 9369 in the conduct of automated

elections.

Senators over the weekend were verifying the reports of the supposed

insertion in the GAB even as they posted on Twitter their opposition to such

attempts.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he was already looking into the

matter and has instructed Sen. Sonny Angara, chair of the Senate finance

committee handling the GAB, to block any such move.

“Easy to shoot down the proposal: provisions of a general law cannot amend

the provision of a special law. RA 8436 as amended by 9369 is a special law

while GAA is a general law,” Sotto said on Twitter on Sunday night,

referring to the General Appropriations Act.

The Senate and the House would convene the bicameral conference committee

this week to reconcile conflicting provisions of their respective versions

of the GAB before ratifying a final version of the 2021 spending bill.

Angara said Sotto instructed him to look for such provision before Congress

ratifies the proposed budget.

He said Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon also warned him about such

attempts.

There is still no word as of yesterday on who introduced the provision that

was inserted into the GAB.

Drilon said he received the same reports but admitted he does not know who

authored such an amendment.

He said he told Angara that if the reports were true, the provision could be

unconstitutional as a rider, since it had nothing to do with the budget.

“Moreover, if true, it will amend the Procurement Law, which cannot be

amended by inserting that clause in the General Appropriations Act,” Drilon

told reporters.

'STOP BLACKMAILING NTC': HACKERS DEFACE OFFICE OF SOLGEN WEBSITE

MANILA - The Office of the Solicitor General’s online application database

was hacked on Tuesday morning.

The hacker, which identified itself as Phantom Troupe, left the message

“Stop blackmailing the NTC! Give ABS-CBN provisional authority” on the

government website's page.

It can be recalled that it was Solicitor General Jose Calida who told the

National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), through a letter, to issue a

cease and desist order (CDO) against ABS-CBN and warned against giving the

network provisional authority, as the commission had promised Congress in

March.

This led to the shutdown of the network's free-to-air broadcast on May 5,

2020, a day after the lapse of its franchise.

The NTC in September recalled the frequencies assigned to ABS-CBN after the

network was denied legislative franchise.

ABS-CBN’s broadcast franchise expired last May 4. Its free TV and radio

channels went off the air on May 5 following a cease and desist order from

the National Telecommunications Commission.

As of posting, OSG's online application database has been restored.

MOTORISTANG PABALIK NG MAYNILA MATAPOS ANG BAKASYON, HAMON SA RFID

INSTALLATION: MPTC

MAYNILA - Hamon ngayon para sa nagkakabit ng RFID stickers ang mga

motoristang pabalik sa Metro Manila matapos ang 3-day long weekend, ayon sa

Metro Pacific Tollways.

“Medyo challenged po tayo today dahil katatapos lang po ng 3-day weekend,

maraming nag-uuwian to Manila and medyo challenged po sa mga tollgate

natin,” sabi ni MPTC Chief Communications Officer, Atty. Romulo “Junji”

Quimbo.

Sa panayam sa TeleRadyo Martes ng umaga, sinabi ni Quimbo na tuwing mahaba

ang bakasyon, mas maraming gumamit ng expressways na hawak nila ay ang mga

pabalik ng Maynila.

“Pagkatapos ng ilang araw magsta-stabilize naman po ito,” sabi niya

Ngayong Martes ang unang araw ng pagpapatupad ng cashless transaction sa mga

expressway.

“45 toll gates natin ginawa na nating 24/7 na kabitan. Doon po sa tollgate

itself nagkakabit po tayo,” sabi niya.

Sa Balintawak northbound, may 5 toll lanes sa gitna ang nakareserba para sa

24/7 installation ng RFID.

“All the other tollgates ng MPTC system meron pong naka-designate na

installation site talaga. Wala na kayong gagawin kung ‘di dumiretso sa toll

lane na yun at doon po kayo kakabitin,” dagdag niya.

Bukod sa dalawang opsiyon, maaari rin gumamit ng appointment system ang mga

motoristang nais na magpakabit ng RFID.

Paliwanag ni Quimbo na hindi naman napapaso ang load sa RFID.

THE REST

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CONTACT TRACING APP REQUIRED IN AIRPORTS

MANILA — Departing and arriving passengers as well as airport personnel are

required to download the Traze Contact Tracing app in their mobile phones to

automate the process of contact tracing, the Department of Transportation

said yesterday.

The automation will replace the manual process of filling out contact

tracing forms by the passengers and airport personnel.

Passengers who will arrive at or depart from any international or domestic

airport in the country need to download the app on their phones or go to the

Malasakit Help desk for assistance in securing a QR code.

The app neither uses bluetooth nor tracks one’s location through the GPS or

global positioning system.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has conducted swab tests on

500,000 returning overseas Filipinos at the Ninoy Aquino International

Airport.

ISABELA TYPHOON VICTIMS RECEIVE AID

MANILA — Typhoon Ulysses severely impacted the country as many Filipinos

were affected and continued to be displaced after it made landfall in Luzon

two weeks ago.

Responding to calls for additional help, Sen. Bong Go sent his team to the

province of Isabela in North Luzon to provide assistance.

“President Duterte and I personally inspected the aftermath of Typhoon

Ulysses in Tuguegarao and Solana last week. We listened to the people’s

woes. Now, my staff are in Isabela to distribute the much-needed

assistance,” Go said.

During a series of relief efforts conducted by the senator’s staff on Nov.

27 and 28, Go’s team was able to deliver assistance to 1,950 families in

four areas in Isabela.

ISKO TELLS YOUTH: BE MORE CRITICAL OF GOVERNMENT

MANILA — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno yesterday called on the youth to be more

critical of the government and public issues, but cautioned them against

resorting to violence to make their voices heard.

Speaking at the 157th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio at the Katipunan

Shrine near the city hall, Moreno underscored the importance of love for

country and God.

He urged the youth to take inspiration from the courage and ideals of

Bonifacio, but “avoid violence against our fellow Filipinos.”

Moreno said the youth should emulate Bonifacio’s principles as a way of

showing affection for the country.

He also reminded government officials to effectively serve the public and

“take note of the teachings of the country’s heroes, which should serve as

guide in nation building.”

GOV'T EYES SUBSIDIZING CHEAPER RT-PCR TESTS FOR TOURISTS VIA 'TRAVEL

VOUCHERS'

MANILA - The Philippine government is looking at subsidizing half the cost

of RT-PCR tests to make travelling again more attractive during the COVID-19

pandemic, Tourism Sec. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Tuesday.

The government will partner with the University of the

Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, which offers the reverse

transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test at about P1,900, said

Puyat. The results of the test come out in 24 hours, she said.

"We are looking at how to probably make travel vouchers. Mura na nga yung

P1,900, gusto pa namin mas affordable, so we’re looking at making it, parang

subsidizing 50 percent," she told ANC's Headstart, adding that she will

relay further details once they are settled.

Beach destinations Coron, Palawan and Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte

are reopening to tourists on Tuesday. Travelers must present negative RT-PCR

test results from 48 to 72 hours before the trip.

Puyat said all tourist destinations apart from Baguio City currently require

RT-PCR tests.

MINORS STILL BANNED IN MALLS UNDER GCQ: METRO MANILA POLICE

MANILA - Minors in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) remain

prohibited in malls, Metro Manila's police chief said Tuesday contrary to

the pronouncement of his superior Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

Police Brig. Vicente Danao said only authorized persons outside homes (APOR)

or essential workers would be allowed inside shopping centers.

"'Di pa po allowed yan sa GCQ. We’ll be having a meeting with mall managers

na hindi pa rin po iaallow yung pagpapasok ng non-APOR kasi well be

expecting an influx ng mga tao dyan sa mga malls and other places of

convergence," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo when asked about children being

allowed into malls.

"Para po makaiwas ng threat sa COVID, mas maganda po siguro wag na lang po

muna."

OVER 500 QC VENDORS UNDERGO POOLED TESTING

MANILA — Almost 550 vendors from Frisco, Tandang Sora, Philand Drive and

Balintawak Market in Quezon City were tested for the coronavirus over the

weekend, the city public information office said.

In a statement, the Quezon City local government disclosed that 8

individuals out of the 549 vendors tested came out positive and were

immediately brought to care facilities in the city.

City Health Department chief Esperanza Arias, a doctor, said that pooled

testing is a suitable practice for big groups as it allows testing of more

individuals with fewer resources.

“Pooling allows us to save resources and test more citizens initially. We

will only need to retest them individually if a pool indicated a positive

result,” he said.

Through the pooled testing, the city health executive said, swab samples

from five asymptomatic individuals are processed together to detect

COVID-19.

Quezon City took the top spot in cases added in the health department's case

bulletin on Sunday afternoon with 137 new infections recorded in the

locality.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

GOWN FITTING AFTER DIAMOND RING? WHAT JESSY MENDIOLA SAID ON LATEST

ENGAGEMENT RUMOR

MANILA — Actress Jessy Mendiola addressed on Monday a photo of her

apparently fitting a bridal gown, which circulated on social media over the

weekend amid rumors she is engaged to her boyfriend, TV host Luis Manzano.

The photo, from wedding gown maker Perez-Rubio Bridal, fueled speculation

that she is nearing a milestone with Manzano, after an earlier photo of her

huge diamond ring drew similar attention last week.

But Mendiola clarified that while the photo was just recently posted, it was

actually taken in 2019.

“Last year pa po ito,” Mendiola wrote on Instagram, saying it was a for a

scene in the romantic comedy movie “Staranded.”

“Kaya po hindi ako masaya tingnan, kasi ayaw ko po magpakasal sa eksena.

Nood na lang po kayo sa Netflix! Makikita niyo itong gown sa isa sa mga

eksena,” she added.

Mendiola, however, did not directly address her rumored engagement.

Mendiola and Manzano have been together for over four years.

Manzano, 39, has been open about wanting to settle down with Mendiola. As

early as 2017, the “I Can See Your Voice” host said he was “ready,” but

noted that Mendiola, now 27, was still early in her career and still had

goals as a single woman.

“But when she’s ready, I’m definitely right by her side,” he said at the

time.

SPORTS

DOMINANT GILAS SWEEPS THAILAND IN 2ND WINDOW OF FIBA ASIA CUP QUALIFIERS

MANILA — The young Gilas Pilipinas squad reassseted its mastery over

Thailand, 93-69, to sweep their matchup in the second window of the FIBA

Asia Cup qualifiers in Manama, Bahrain on Monday.

Brothers Javi and Juan Gomez de Liano were the offensive sparks for Gilas

against the Thais with a combined 33 points.

For his part, Calvin Oftana, who barged into the Gilas 12-man lineup after

being cut in the first game, showed his worth with a nine-point performance

off a great shooting from the 3-point area.

Unlike the first game, Gilas was able to come out of the gates hot and

uncorked an 11-0 run with all five starters scoring early.

But early foul trouble by the Filipinos sent the Thais to the free throw

line often, and that kept the latter in the game even after going without a

field goal in the first five minutes of the contest.

Thailand was able to get to within four of Gilas, 18-14 after a Wattana

Suttisin and-one play. But the Nationals pulled away once again with Juan

Gomez de Liano leading the pack.

The UP guard continued his offensive onslaught in the second period and was

complemented with by Oftana, who came off the bench.

With Gilas banking on its offensive firepower and stingy defense in the

paint, they led the Thais at the half by 19, 53-34.

The last two quarters saw Gilas keep a comfortable margin until the final

buzzer.

The Pinoys' advantage ballooned to as big as 28, 82-54 in the fourth quarter

after a four-point play from Javi Gomez de Liano.

He led the way in scoring for Gilas with his 19 points while his younger

brother Juan chipped in 14.

Dwight Ramos, who had a perfect outing in his last game for Gilas, tallied

13 points.

Meanwhile, Chanatip Jakrawan paced the Thais with 34 points in the losing

effort.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 48.06

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If your happiness depends on what others do you really have got a problem. -

Richard Bach