DUTERTE SAYS WORK 'FAR FROM OVER' IN BOOSTING HUMAN RIGHTS

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday that the work was "far from

over" in boosting human rights, just days after his latest tirade against

rights defenders.

Speaking at a human rights summit led by the justice department, Duterte

said he was "proud" that the Philippines signed many of the world’s core

human rights treaties.

"This affirms our serious commitment in honoring and fulfilling our treaty

obligations and prioritizing the human rights agenda as a means to achieve

our country’s sustainable development goals," the President said in a taped

speech.

"Let me however stress that our work is far from over. I urge everyone to

strengthen the multi-sectoral engagement that would foster a healthy human

rights environment for all," he added.

PHILIPPINES EYES COVID-19 VACCINATION BY MARCH 2021 IN 'BEST CASE SCENARIO':

DUQUE

MANILA - The Philippines may start inoculating its citizens with the vaccine

against COVID-19 around March or April next year, Health Secretary Francisco

Duque III said Monday.

"We’ve done some scenario analysis under the leadership of Sec. (Carlito Jr)

Galvez and I think the best case scenario would be about the end of the

first quarter of 2021 or about the start of second quarter of next year," he

told ANC's Headstart when asked when the inoculation may begin.

"A lot of factors will have to be taken into consideration to be able to

more definitively set schedules for actual distribution, deployment, and

inoculation of our people within our priority list," he said.

Duque said government is looking to build a portfolio of different vaccines,

depending on the availability and evaluation of a panel of experts.

He said in the list are those from Sinovac, Gamaleya, AstraZeneca,

Sinopharm, and Johnson & Johnson. Vaccines from these companies "require a

much less sophisticated and a bit higher cold storage temperature."

Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine demands -70 degrees celsius storage, which the

Philippines does not have at the moment, said Duque. However, he said he

heard from Galvez that the company "might be willing to provide" the storage

facility to ensure the vaccine's effectivity.

The distribution then would depend on the requirement of each vaccine that

will be rolled out, said Duque. Since the country has been doing vaccination

drives for decades, it will "piggyback" on existing systems, he said.

"We need to enhance the capacity because there has never been in the history

(a time when we had to vaccinate) a huge number of people, at 60 to 70

million people. It will take time to do it," he said.

The government will also need to train more people to do the inoculation in

a larger scale, he said.

DUQUE URGES LAWMAKERS TO REVIEW HEALTH CHIEF EX-OFFICIO POSTS

MANILA - Health Secretary Francisco Duque said on Monday urged lawmakers to

scrutinize ex-officio designations of his post as he currently sits in more

than 60 committees and task force.

"I think it’s all by legislation. I would like to suggest our legislators to

carefully look at all these ex-officio designations as this could affect the

effectiveness of the Secretary of Health," he told ANC's Headstart.

President Rodrigo Duterte has several times defended Duque from critics,

some of whom were senators, who have called for his resignation for his

"failure of leadership" in addressing the pandemic and corruption in

PhilHealth, in which he sits as chairman of the board.

"The President knows my track record…and I have spent a great deal of my

life serving with integrity, competence and he understands where I’m coming

from," Duque said.

#WALANGPASOK: DISYEMBRE 8, PISTA NG IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

MAYNILA - Walang pasok ngayong Martes, Pista ng Immaculate Conception ng

Mahal na Birheng Maria, matapos itong ideklarang special non-working holiday

ng Pangulo.

Pinirmahan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang Republic Act 10966 noong

Disyembre 28, 2017.

Bago ito gawing batas, nagsususpinde ng klase ang mga Katolikong paaralan

upang obserbahan ang pista.

SC JUSTICE LEONEN FACES IMPEACHMENT RAP BEFORE HOUSE

MANILA - A group on Monday filed an impeachment complaint against Supreme

Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen before the House of Representatives

for alleged betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the

Constitution.

Leonen, whose term is set to expire in 2030 still, is facing an impeachment

rap filed by private complainant Edwin M. Cordevilla, secretary-general of

the Filipino League of Advocates For Good Government or FLAGG.

Leonen is one of the three remaining appointees of then President Benigno

Aquino III to the tribunal—the others being Senior Associate Justice Estela

Perlas Bernabe and Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa.

The complaint has been endorsed by Ilocos Norte 2nd District Rep. Angelo

Barba, cousin of Senator Imee Marcos and former Senator Bongbong Marcos

whose electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo remains pending

at the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. The Supreme Court sits as the PET.

The PET recently dismissed Bongbong Marcos' appeal seeking Leonen's

inhibition from the poll protest.

It alleged that Leonen committed betrayal of public trust when he failed to

file his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) for 15 years

during his tenure at the University of the Philippines.

The same claim was made against former Supreme Court chief justice Maria

Lourdes Sereno, whose appointment was nullified for failing to file her SALN

while teaching at the UP College of Law.

The complaint alleged Leonen committed culpable violation of the

Constitution for failing to dispose of at least thirty seven (37) cases

within 24 months under the Constitution, which mandates the prompt action

and speedy disposition of cases.

“Respondent failed to consider the implications of these prolonged delays in

the lives of the litigants. He should know that when justice is delayed to a

fault, uncertainty in the litigants lingers, thereby diminishing trust and

confidence in the Court," it read.

'PARANG NA-NORMALIZE ANG PATAYAN': ROBREDO CONCERNED OVER KILLING OF MAYOR

MANILA - Vice President Leni Robredo expressed concern over the killing of

Los Baños, Laguna Mayor Caesar Perez inside the municipal hall compound,

saying that these kinds of crimes seem to have become normal nowadays.

In her weekly program "BISErbisyong Leni," Robredo asked why security seemed

to have been lax in the municipal hall area.

Last Thursday, Perez just got back from a spa in Brgy. Baybayin when

unidentified gunmen shot him at the back of his head at the town hall

building around 8:40 p.m.

The gunmen later fled the scene.

The mayor was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead by the

attending doctor around 9:25 p.m.

The Department of Justice has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation

(NBI) to conduct a probe and case buildup on the incident.

"Dapat secure na lugar, kasi iyon iyong bahay ng pamahalaan doon. Eh iyong

reports, 1 kilometer away iyong police station, so ang tanong ko lang, bakit

mangyayari iyong ganito?" she said.

She also noted that Perez was not the first government official to suffer

the same fate.

"Pero iyong mas nakakatakot diyan, kasi hindi siya first time eh. Nasa loob

ng ospital, binabaril. Parang napaka-brazen na. Nasa loob ng korte,

nababaril. ‘Di ba? Sino pa ba iyong ligtas? Iyong mayor, ganiyan iyong

nangyayari sa kaniya. Parang nano-normalize, nano-normalize iyong patayan,"

Robredo added.

Robredo also questioned why these kinds of crimes happen repeatedly,

mentioning the death of former Tanauan City, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili

in a similar incident.

"So iyong tanong ko lang, bakit hinahayaang mangyari? Tapos iyong mga

nangyari, may napanagot na ba? May napanagot na ba? Kasi mahirap, mahirap na

ganito. Mahirap na ganito, kasi kapag nangyayari iyong ganito na walang

napapanagot, kasalanan ng pamahalaan na hindi niya kaya protektahan iyong

kaniyang mga mamamayan," she said.

"So ako, mas natatakot ako, mas natatakot ako sa impunity as a whole, na

parang napakanormal na lang na mabalitaan natin na may mayor na pinatay, may

judge na pinatay, may abogadong pinatay, may mediaman na pinatay. Alam mo

iyon? Bakit ganoon? Bakit natin hinahayaan na ganoon? Sino ba iyong may

responsibility na hanapin iyong perpetrators? Kasi sila iyong accountable

diyan. Sila iyong accountable na mayroong mabigyan ng katarungan, para na

lang sa katahimikan hindi lang ng pamilya pero iyong mga taong

pinaninilbihan ng mga namamatay na ganito," Robredo added.

PH GOV'T URGED TO CRIMINALIZE RED-TAGGING

MANILA - A constitutional expert is pushing to criminalize red tagging,

saying the act creates a clear and present danger to those being linked to

the communist movement.

"The legal basis is quite obvious that you are harming people when you are

red-baiting or red-tagging. It's not the speech that's being punished but

what the speech does," former Ateneo School of Government dean Antonio

Laviña told ANC.

"So it's akin to libel. It's akin to slander where there are consequences.

In this case, the consequences is not to your reputation but the

consequences is actually to your life and it's even more serious than

libel," he added.

In a Senate hearing last week on rampant red-tagging activities of state

forces against government critics and activists, La Viña said the act was

"terrorism in its worst form."

He is the legal counsel of Kabataan party-list members who were accused of

being involved in the insurgency movement.

Red baiting, as defined by Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in

2011, refers to "the act of labelling, branding, naming and accusing

individuals and/ or organizations of being left-leaning, subversives,

communists or terrorists (used as) a strategy...by State agents,

particularly law enforcement agencies and the military, against those

perceived to be 'threats' or 'enemies of the State.'"

La Viña warned that baseless linking of individuals and groups to the armed

insurgency had become harmful because it is amplified through social media.

"Red-tagging creates a clear and present danger to people," he said, adding

that freedom of speech doesn't apply because government officials should be

held accountable for what they say.

"You can't accuse people without evidence or proof... You can't say

something which have no basis," La Viña added.

THE REST

========

PHILIPPINES' COVID-19 TALLY NEARS 440,000 WITH OVER 1,700 NEW CASES

MANILA - The Philippines confirmed 1,768 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday

bringing the country’s total to 439,834.

The Department of Health also reported 9,062 new recoveries as the DOH

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

who recovered from the disease to 408,634.

This meant that the country has a total of 22,646 active cases as of 4 p.m.

Sunday.

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

death toll in the Philippines to 8,554.

TOLL OPERATORS INK DEAL FOR RFID SYSTEM INTEROPERABILITY TEST

MANILA – Toll operators have agreed to test the interoperability of their

RFID systems, the Department of Transportation said Monday.

Government earlier required operators to implement contactless and cashless

transactions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Metro Pacific Tollways Corp

(MPTC) and NLEX Corp (NLEX) use the EasyTrip RFID tag while the SMC TPLEX

Corp. (SMCTC) uses the AutoSweep RFID tag.

The test will be conducted over 14 consecutive days and the steering

committee is given 5 days to determine the system's performance, the agency

said.

Toll operators are working together for the interoperability of their RFID

systems, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) said.

"Yan po ay ongoing project na...May isang sticker at dalawang wallet, meron

na pong partial implementation yan," TRB spokesman Julius Corpuz told

ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

"The final would be 1 sticker and 1 account na mapapatupad din yan hopefully

next year sana (that would hopefully be implemented next year)."

‘LAW VS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHOULD INCLUDE MEN, LGBT’

MANILA — The law protecting women and children against domestic violence

should also protect husbands and members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay,

bisexual, transgender), a lawmaker seeking to amend the law said over the

weekend.

“I urge my colleagues to pass the Anti-Violence against Partners and their

Children bill so that we can help protect victims of domestic violence, who

are increasing by the day because of the pandemic,” Rizal Rep. Fidel

Nograles said.

He authored House Bill 4888, which presents amendments to Republic Act 9262,

the Anti-Violence against Women and Children Act of 2004 or “VAWC,” to make

it the Anti-Violence against Partners and their Children Act or “VAPC.”

Nograles called on his colleagues in the House to include battered husbands

as well as partners of any gender or sexual orientation under the protection

of the law.

Nograles’ HB 4888 also “expands the coverage to members of the LGBT

community.”

“Any act of violence perpetuated as hate crimes against partners and their

children would also be considered a special aggravating circumstance, which

would impose the maximum penalty on the violator,” a portion of the bill

read.

GOV'T WARNS VS HOAX ON NEW LOCKDOWN THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

MANILA - The government on Sunday warned the public not to believe a hoax

saying it will impose another lockdown this holiday season.

Reports have been circulating on social media saying the government would

reimpose strict quarantine measures from Dec. 23 this year to Jan. 3 next

year.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque described the report as fake news.

The spokesman of the National Task Force against COVID-19 also warned the

public against believing in unverified information about COVID-19.

“Everyone is strongly advised not to believe news or information coming from

unverified sources. Please ensure you verify or ask authorities or trusted

organizations about the veracity of such information before believing and

passing it around. Let us not be instruments of fake news distribution and

help our fellow kababayans,” said NTF Spokesperson, retired Gen. Restituto

Padilla.

Valenzuela City also warned against a similar hoax saying a lockdown would

be imposed in the city from Dec. 19 to Jan. 1.

MINORS AND ELDERLY ALLOWED TO GO OUT IN QC ONLY IF BUYING ESSENTIALS

MANILA - Quezon City's local government on Sunday said it will restrict the

movement of minors and the elderly following the guidelines issued by the

national government on quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila.

Quezon City said that it has raised the age of authorized individuals

allowed to go out to 18 years old.

"In the city’s revised guidelines, persons between 18 to 65 years old are

allowed to leave home, provided that they have company ID, school ID or any

government-issued ID," the LGU said in a statement posted on its official

Facebook page.

Persons younger or older than the permitted ages may leave home only for

buying essentials, it added.

“For most of us, especially families with younger children, we have to

forego some of our Christmas traditions like travelling and eating out

together. But in exchange, this will give us peace of mind as we’ll remain

safe and COVID-free,” said QC Mayor Joy Belmonte.

Minors below 18 will be allowed to go out only for essential needs such as

medical or dental appointments and will need to be accompanied by a parent

or adult guardian.

The parent or guardian should likewise supervise the minor in observing

health protocols such as wearing of face masks, regular handwashing, and

physical distancing.

Traditional caroling is prohibited.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

PHILIPPINE BET CROWNED MISS ECO TEEN INTERNATIONAL 2020

MANILA - Roberta Angela Tamondong was named as this year's Miss Eco Teen

International.

Tamondong was crowned on Sunday following the pageant’s coronation ceremony

in Hurghada, Egypt.

The first runner-up was South Africa's Jordan van Rensburg, followed by

Danielle Dolk of the Netherlands, Kenzy Elzeiny of Egypt, and Cecilia Romero

of Paraguay as second, third and fourth runners-up, respectively.

Prior to the culmination night, Tamondong was already a standout in the

pageant’s pre-coronation night events, with the Filipina beauty queen

winning in three preliminary competitions.

Tamondong got the Best Eco Dress award for her multi-colored modern

Filipiniana made of recycled plastic bags, rice sacks, and plastic beads.

She also finished second runner-up in the Talent Competition for her

"Luzviminda" dance.

On top of these, Tamondong also fared well in the Resort Wear Competition,

finishing first runner-up to Miss South Africa.

SPORTS

GIN KINGS NEAR CROWN

Tenorio clutch treys fend off TNT

SMART CLARK GIGA CITY — Crunch time in the PBA bubble finals is Showtime LA.

With veteran LA Tenorio stepping up to the plate in the stretch, Barangay

Ginebra fended off hobbling TNT Tropang Giga, 98-88, to move one win away

from the coveted Philippine Cup crown.

Tenorio, hero of Ginebra’s come-from-behind victories in Games 1 and 2,

knocked down two booming triples to douse cold water on TNT’s furious rally

and help secure a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven contest.

“He was really calm under pressure. Those were cold-blooded shots,” Ginebra

coach Tim Cone said of Tenorio, who rifled in nine of his 22 in the exciting

closeout at the AUF Sports Arena Powered by Smart 5G.

The PBA Ironman’s outside sniping served as the Gin Kings’ counterpunch to

RR Pogoy’s three successive treys that put TNT within a basket. Thanks to

Tenorio, Cone and his troops extended their lead to 94-88 with 1:42 left.

“Pogoy was making incredible shots and it can be harder to respond but

that’s what LA did. He came down and made two huge responses from the

three-point line for us. That kinda took the sails out of TNT’s,” said Cone,

whose squad can wrap it up on Wednesday.

The Gin Kings had control of most of Game 4 and didn’t have to play catch-up

unlike the first three outings of the series.

Behind a Tenorio-led 8-0 windup in the second quarter, Ginebra raced to a

49-39 tear.

They stretched this to as many as 18 before Pogoy waxed hot for a TNT side

that fought hard despite the absence of Ray Parks Jr. on calf injury and

Jayson Castro being bothered by bone spurs issues.

“I really felt we played our best game of the whole bubble tonight,” said

Cone. “Still it was hardly enough to beat TNT, that’s how good they are.”

Japeth Aguilar also scored 22 for Ginebra while Stanley Pringle shot 16 and

Scottie Thompson posted a near triple-double (11-11-9)

Pogoy had a 34-point outburst for the embattled Tropang Giga with Poy Erram

(19-16) and Troy Rosario (16-9-6) backing him up.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. - Elbert Hubbard