DUTERTE, AUSSIE PM VOW TO BOOST TIES

MANILA — The Philippines and Australia have vowed to further strengthen

their ties, with President Duterte calling Canberra a “close partner” in

upholding international law.

Duterte and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had an “open and

productive exchange of views” over the phone on Monday on boosting bilateral

ties and multilateral cooperation. They also discussed the results of the

37th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related

Summits, presidential assistant for foreign affairs and protocol chief

Robert Borje said in a statement.

During their phone conversation, Duterte welcomed Australia’s interest in

enhancing cooperation with ASEAN on maritime security, countering marine

plastic debris, counterterrorism and cybersecurity.

Duterte also thanked Australia for its formal manifestation before the

United Nations affirming the arbitral award on the South China Sea dispute.

“We consider Australia a close partner in upholding international law,

including UNCLOS, and in promoting maritime security,” the President said.

DUTERTE WANTS PROGRESSIVE GROUPS TO CONDEMN ARMED STRUGGLE

MANILA — President Duterte only wants the so-called legal fronts to renounce

armed violence, Malacañang said yesterday, as it advised progressive

lawmakers to “get real” and admit their ties with the Communist Party of the

Philippines (CPP).

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that while mere affiliation with the

CPP is not a crime, the party cannot be separated from the New People’s Army

(NPA), the armed wing of the communist rebels.

“If it may not be a crime, but (the legal fronts) have consistently been

lying. They have been saying that the legal fronts have nothing to do with

the CPP. For me, hello, since the time of (the late president) Cory

(Aquino), being a member of the CPP has been decriminalized. Come out with

it and admit, ‘Yes, we are members of the Communist Party of the

Philippines,’ ” Roque said at a press briefing.

“But the crime is the New People’s Army because that is a crime of

rebellion, taking up of arms against the government, killing civilians and

soldiers. So the problem with them is you cannot separate the CPP from the

NPA, that’s why their statements are always signed CPP-NPA. That’s illegal.

The fact is if you are a member of CPP, you can be legal but you have to

renounce the use of arms,” he added.

Lawmakers who belong to progressive party-list groups should stop their

“lies” about red-baiting, and that they could be “red” without necessarily

endorsing the use of arms, according to the Palace spokesman.

DUTERTE NAMES 60 MORE GOVERNMENT EXECS DISMISSED FOR ANOMALIES

MANILA — President Duterte’s shaming of government personnel tagged in

anomalies continued as he read more than 60 names of people who have been

dismissed from the service during a public address last Monday.

Most of the dismissed personnel he mentioned worked for local governments,

including mayors, while the rest were connected with the Departments of

Agrarian Reform (DAR), Agriculture (DA) and Education (DepEd); the

Commission on Higher Education (CHED); Bureau of Customs (BOC); the

Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines

(AFP).

Among the wrongdoings linked to the dismissed personnel were extortion,

graft, grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the best

interest of the service and abuse of authority.

“We have come to the part where I have to honor... my commitment to the

people to report the progress of our campaign against graft and

corruption... There are names of people who have been charged... These

people were dismissed with finality only this year,” Duterte said.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año also reported that 782 complaints have been

filed against 1,278 persons tagged in anomalies related to the distribution

of COVID-19 pandemic aid. Año said 367 complaints are under investigation

while 270 others have been referred to prosecutors. Thirty cases have been

filed in court while 27 complaints have been refiled before the ombudsman.

Año said 184 administrative cases against barangay chiefs have been referred

to the prosecutor, 57 are already in courts and 66 have been refiled before

the ombudsman.

A total of 89 barangay chiefs have been suspended, he added.

ANTI-REDS TASK FORCE SEEKS DISQUALIFICATION OF MAKABAYAN BLOC FROM ELECTIONS

MANILA — The government body created to weed out communist insurgency in the

Philippines on Tuesday bared its determination to seek the disqualification

of the Makabayan bloc's party-list groups before the Commission on Elections

(Comelec).

National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) vice

chairman and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said the task

force is confident there's enough evidence to bar the bloc from running for

public office for future polls.

“Yes, sinabi ko nga [before] na option 'yan… pero ginagawa na namin yan. It

is not only an option now but we have firmed up our move and we will do

that… you can be sure that we will go towards that direction as soon as

possible," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier went on a tirade against the Makabayan

bloc, composed of the Bayan Muna, ACT, Gabriela and Kabataan party-list

groups. He accused them as “fronts” for the Communist Party of the

Philippines, New People’s Army and National Democratic Front.

"Itong mga legal fronts ng komunista, lahat 'yan, Makabayan, Bayan, they are

all legal fronts, Gabriela... (All the legal fronts of the communists, all

of them, Makabayan, Bayan, they are all legal fronts, Gabriela.) We are not

red-tagging you. We are identifying you as members in a grand conspiracy

comprising all the legal fronts that they have organized, headed by the

NDF," Duterte said in his weekly public address on Monday.

"You are accusing us of red-tagging you. No. The Armed Forces of the

Philippines (AFP) is very correct. You are being identified as being members

of the Communist (Party of the Philippines). Alam namin. 'Yun ang totoo.

Hindi red-tagging. (We know. That's the truth. That is not red-tagging)," he

said.

PHILHEALTH DEBT TO RED CROSS HIKES TO P623 MILLION - GORDON

MANILA - State insurance agency PhilHealth owes the Philippine Red Cross

some P623 million for COVID-19 testing as this amount balloons per day, the

humanitarian organization's chief said Wednesday.

"It’s really nonpayment of bills on time that is killing us here. They owe

us, as of December 1, P623,321,000. It’s a moving target," Red Cross

Chairman, Sen. Richard Gordon told ANC's Headstart.

Gordon said the Red Cross spends about P25 million per day for testing. This

goes on top of the standing debt PhilHealth has.

PhilHealth has paid some P500 million in October and another P100 million in

November. Latest reports indicate that as of November 5, the government

agency has paid P700 million to the PRC.

"It keeps on moving and moving and we want to compress in such a way as in

the original contract that they owe us only P100 million para hindi naman

kami nasa alanganin," Gordon said.

Gordon said PhilHealth President Dante Gierran had assured him that the

agency has "plenty of money" and will pay PRC, but he is still worrying.

He said PRC and PhilHealth agreed that the bill should be settled within 3

days upon receipt, but "right now, they’re averaging 9 days, sometimes even

12 days before they pay."

"I don’t want to be a hog and say unahin niyo ako, but you see, I have no

choice. If they don’t pay us, then we are forced to stop. And when we are

forced to stop, as you see, Manila is rising, and the Philippine Red

Cross—hindi ako nagmamalaki, hindi po ako mukhang pera. Ang sinasabi ko lang

po, 37 percent ng Manila ang tine-test ng Philippine Red Cross," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte criticized PRC last month for being greedy after

it stopped testing when PhilHealth ballooned to P1.1 billion. Gordon then

said he was not offended by the remark, but it may have been predicated

wrong.

GOVERNENT KILLS 287 DRUG SUSPECTS DURING QUARANTINE

MANILA — A total of 287 drug suspects were killed in alleged shootouts with

lawmen during the community quarantine.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), citing data from the

government’s Real NumbersPH platform, said yesterday 31,096 alleged drug

pushers and users were arrested since March when the government imposed

lockdown measures to halt the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 or

COVID-19.

At least 5,942 drug suspects were killed and 266,126 arrested in 183,525

operations since President Duterte launched his controversial war on illegal

drugs in 2016.

The death toll is still lower compared to at least 7,987 fatalities

documented by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in its own anti-drug

operations, which undergoes validation by the PDEA before getting included

in its the anti-drug agency’s data.

At least 362 elected officials, 445 government employees and 102 uniformed

personnel were among the 10,721 high-value targets in the illegal drug trade

arrested by lawmen. Also apprehended were 287 foreigners and 751 leaders and

members of drug syndicates.

A total of 11,392.71 kilos of shabu, cocaine, and marijuana and 83,403

ecstasy tablets worth P56.26 billion were seized across the country.

The PDEA said 3,418 minors aged four to 17 allegedly involved in illegal

drugs were rescued and transferred to social welfare and development offices

for rehabilitation.

At least 20,538 barangays have been cleared of illegal drugs, the PDEA said.

THE REST

========

PH LOGS 1,298 ADD’L COVID-19 CASES; TOTAL NEARS 433,000-MARK

MANILA — There are now 432,925 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines

after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,298 additional cases on

Tuesday.

Tuesday's newly reported cases do not include data from 15 laboratories that

failed to submit their results on time.

The DOH also reported 135 additional recovered patients, or a total of

398,782 recoveries.

There are also 27 new COVID-related deaths, or a total of 8,418 fatalities.

CHURCH BACKS SIMBANG GABI, NOVENA MASSES IN GYMS, OTHER VENUES

MANILA - The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has made

adjustments to the traditional celebration of the Aguinaldo Masses, Misa de

Gallo or Simbang Gabi, even encouraging local government units to hold the

nine-day novena Masses outside churches to accommodate more people while

still observing social distancing.

The CBCP guidelines, signed by CBCP president and Davao Archbishop Romulo

Valles, said the adjustments to the traditional practice of novena Masses

from December 16 to 24 is only during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Kami po sa simbahan ay nagpapatupad din ng health protocols at wala po

tayong nilalabag d'yan kaya po napakahalaga din ang ugnayan ng simbahan pati

rin ng barangay, ng PNP para mapanatili natin yung kaayusan at pagtupad ng

mga tao sa health protocols,” said Fr. Jerome Secillano, Executive Secretary

of CBCP’s Committee on Public Affairs.

In an interview on TeleRadyo on Wednesday, Secillano said Masses in the

evening can start as early as 6 p.m. and the last Aguinaldo masses, Misa de

Gallo or Simbang Gabi can be at 6 a.m.

SC CHIEF PERALTA RETIRING EARLY

MANILA — Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta will serve as head magistrate only

for 17 months as he has decided to cut short his term by retiring a year

earlier.

The 68-year-old Peralta is supposed to step down on March 27, 2022 upon

reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 for justices.

However, during yesterday’s Supreme Court full court session, he sent

letters to his fellow SC justices, informing them of his decision to go on

early retirement on March 27 next year. He did not cite the reason for his

decision.

“For those asking about the purported letter of Chief Justice Diosdado

Peralta to his colleagues in the Supreme Court, signifying his intention to

avail of early retirement, I have asked him personally and he confirmed it,”

SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka announced.

“The Chief Justice did not elaborate further, but said that he will make a

formal announcement in due time,” Hosaka added.

ILOCOS SUR TOWN PLACED UNDER MECQ

TUGUEGARAO CITY – Tagudin town in Ilocos Sur has reverted to stricter

modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ amid a surge in coronavirus

disease 2019 or COVID-19 cases.

Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Luis Singson issued an executive order placing the town

under MECQ from Nov. 30 to Dec. 14.

Singson said Tagudin accounts for 12 of the 22 confirmed COVID-19 cases in

the province, a majority of them recorded in the past week alone.

Singson imposed curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. to limit the movement of

people.

Tagudin Mayor Roque Versosa Jr. mobilized so-called ”COVID busters” to

disinfect their respective barangays every 3 p.m.

In Ilocos Norte, Laoag City, which reverted to MECQ on Nov. 27, recorded 202

confirmed COVID cases on Sunday and Monday.

The provincial health office said 89 of the new patients are inmates at the

Ilocos Norte provincial jail.

Meanwhile, Tuguegarao City Mayor Jefferson Soriano said they may no longer

seek to revert to MECQ.

Soriano said only six of the 2,000 people who underwent swab testing on Nov.

24 were found positive for the virus.

As this developed, a doctor, a medical technologist, a nurse and driver at

the Cagayan Valley Medical Center contracted the virus.

In Isabela, an Army division camp in Gamu was placed under zonal lockdown

after four soldiers were infected.

Gamu recorded 19 cases on Monday, the highest recorded in one day.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

‘FINDING AGNES’ REVIEW: UNFUSSY FILIPINO DRAMA BURIED BY THE NETFLIX

ALGORITHM

One of the frustrating things about Netflix is that its catalogue-building

approach to content can sometimes lean towards quantity over quality. If

subscribers come across something they like once a week, Netflix hopes,

they’ll keep coming back for more. But even if your feed is cluttered with

similarly-styled action movies and cheaply-bought studio fare, the

streamer’s bulk-buying ethos also allows for low-budget dramas to thrive –

as long as you’re willing to browse a bit further.

This week sees the release of a film that few will spot in their feeds.

Finding Agnes stars Brix Rivero (Jelson Bay, a sitcom star in his native

Phillipines) as a successful businessman who one day finds his estranged

mother sitting in his office. She’s come to apologise for abandoning him 30

years earlier, and hopes she might get to know her son.

Later, Brix travels to Morocco where he meets his adopted sister, Cathy (Sue

Ramirez), who works in the B&B his mother built up. Together, they go on a

journey of discovery, as they try to figure out where they came from, and

what they need to learn so they can progress their lives. She lacks

direction due to a broken heart, while he lacks interest in other people, so

consumed he is with his work.

This is a simple tale, told in a simple way. The production is occasionally

classy, but mostly competent. The script is uninspired, delivered by a

likeable yet limited cast (it does often seem as though they’re trying to

remember what to do or say next). The thing is, it’s a nice film. It’s about

people getting to know each other, themselves, and the families from whence

they came. To denigrate anyone involved doesn’t seem fair. It does precisely

what it sets out to do. When the leads do get down to in-depth discussions,

they begin to strike up a bit of chemistry, aided by a delicate and

effective score.

Elsewhere, first-time director Marla Ancheta’s visuals are unfussy and her

camera moves minimal. Mostly, she creates a pleasant frame and leaves the

actors to do their thing. For some, the often wooden acting might be too

hard to get past, but those who take the time to find Agnes – far from the

‘Top 10’ trending bar on their Netflix homepage – may be pleasantly

surprised.

SPORTS

PBA: Ginebra eyes 2-0 lead, as TNT prepares to play without Parks

MANILA -- Barangay Ginebra will try to pounce on a TNT squad that may be

playing without its leading scorer in Game 2 of the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup

finals, Wednesday night at the Angeles University Foundation Gym in Angeles

City, Pampanga.

The Gin Kings seized a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series after escaping

with a 100-94 overtime win in Sunday night's opener, where they leaned on LA

Tenorio in the endgame to push them past the finish line.

It was a painful setback for the Tropang Giga, who had a chance to win in

regulation but saw Jayson Castro misfire on a floater with five seconds to

go. They scored just two points in the extra period, while Tenorio set up

his teammates for easy opportunities.

"This was truly an exhausting game," Ginebra coach Tim Cone said afterward,

as he credited the "desire" of both squads to claim victory.

"It's just a lot of desire at this point. We can't underestimate how

important the All-Filipino crown is. Just, you know, we want it, they want

it, and I think we showed that today," he added.

As important as it was to draw first blood in the seven-game series, Cone

was also quick to stress that it was "just the first game."

The multi-titled mentor expects plenty of adjustments from TNT come Game 2,

especially if Ray Parks winds up missing the contest after sustaining a left

calf strain in Game 1. Parks, who had 20 points in the first game despite

visibly limping for long stretches, is "highly doubtful" for Wednesday

night's contest.

Even without Parks, TNT poses plenty of problems for the Gin Kings. Cone

said that on defense, they have to "pick your poison."

"Will we have an answer to (them) all the time? No. They're a good team,

they're in the finals, and they're in the finals because of the problems

they pose. So, just some things are gonna happen," he said.

"We're just gonna try to overcome it mentally," he added. "They're a great

shooting team, so they're gonna get on some rolls where they hit

three-pointers in a row, but we're just gonna have to steel ourselves and

try to stay calm and go back and attack them."

For the Tropang Giga, they hope to get more contributions from their other

key players especially if Parks winds up missing the game.

Castro had 12 points but was just four-of-13 from the field, while Roger

Pogoy had 19 points on seven-of-17 shooting. Poy Erram had 10 points and 10

rebounds, but Troy Rosario was limited to eight points.

They also need to contain Japeth Aguilar, who had 25 points after making 11

of his 14 field goals in Game 1, including the dunk in overtime that iced

the victory.

"We should learn from Game 1, and hopefully, it will be a different ball

game on Wednesday," TNT coach Bong Ravena was quoted as saying.

Tip off is at 6 p.m.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 48.05

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Public opinion is a compound of folly, weakness, prejudice, wrong feeling,

right feeling, obstinacy and newspaper paragraphs. – Robert Peel