WHO OKS ASTRAZENECA JABS FOR COVID VARIANTS, OVER-65S
GENEVA - The AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine can be used for people aged
over 65, and also where coronavirus variants of concern are circulating, WHO
experts said Wednesday, soothing fears about the jab.
The World Health Organization's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on
Immunization (SAGE) issued interim recommendations for when and how to use
the two-shot vaccine, which has yet to receive WHO emergency use
authorization.
The announcement came after the vaccine suffered setbacks, raising questions
about whether it should be used on older people, or in places where a
variant of the virus first found in South Africa is circulating.
SAGE chief Alejandro Cravioto acknowledged the lack of data on the vaccine's
efficacy for people aged over 65, which has prompted a number of countries
to withhold recommending its use in older people, who are by far the most
vulnerable to the virus.
But the experts concluded that given its performance with younger adults,
"it is likely that the vaccine will be found to be efficacious in older
persons. The trial data indicate that the vaccine is safe for this age
group."
Cravioto told journalists: "We feel that the response of this group cannot
be any different from groups of a younger age."
SAGE, he said, recommends it be used "for 18 years and above, without an
upper age limit".
Cravioto said the experts were awaiting more specific data on the vaccine's
efficacy in people over 65, but said it "would not be appropriate" to wait
with its recommendations.
'CHINA IS WATCHING': PHILIPPINES WON'T JOIN NAVAL DRILLS IN CONTESTED WATERS
- LORENZANA
MANILA - The Philippines will not join naval drills in contested waters in
the South China Sea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday, amid
calls to push back against Beijing's activities in the area.
In an interview, Lorenzana said the Philippines skipped South China Sea
naval drills with the United States and other countries last year so as not
to antagonize China.
"The main reason why we did not participate in the exercises in the South
China Sea with the US and all the allies is because we didnt have equipment
to match what they are doing there. We have frigates but theyre not armed,
we have ships but theyre not also armed," he said in an interview on ANC's
Headstart.
"Firstly, its not to antagonize China because China is watching us here and
a lot of things could be done to us by the Chinese government if they are
antagonized," he added.
He said the United States Navy continues to send carrier groups in the South
China Sea without Manila's knowledge. "To them, that is a traditional
shipping lane and that is open to all so they can do anything they want
there in the South China Sea," he said.
"It is to their interest maybe why they are doing these exercises in the
South China Sea, to keep South China Sea open for commercial and innocent
navigation. Thats the reason why we did not want to participate."
He said the Philippine Navy participates annually in a "passage exercise"
with the US but is limited within the country's territorial waters.
AFTER DUTERTE RANT, VELASCO QUASHES HOPE FOR ABS-CBN FRANCHISE RENEWAL
MANILA Following President Rodrigo Dutertes rant against the Lopezes and
their TV network ABS-CBN, House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco quashed hopes
that the media giants franchise would get renewed under his leadership.
Velasco, who until Thursday was mum about ABS-CBN, said in a statement that
attempts to grant it a new franchise would have to wait until the next
Congress as the House is prioritizing administration measures.
With a little over a year until the 2022 elections, the House of
Representatives is bent on finishing the remaining priority measures of this
administration to ensure that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte fulfills his
campaign promise to the Filipino people, he said.
He added that on top of priority legislation, the House would also like to
pass a third stimulus bill, dubbed Bayanihan 3 which he authored along with
Rep. Stella Quimbo (Marikina), and other economic measures geared toward
rebuilding the economy that has been decimated by the pandemic.
House legislative franchises committee chair Rep. Franz Alvarez (Palawan)
issued a similar statement in January, saying that his panels decision in
July 2020 to reject ABS-CBNs application for a fresh franchise widely
viewed as an attack on press freedom has become final.
LOCKDOWNS EASED, POOR GO BACK TO STREETS AS HOUSING FIX STAYS ON PAPER
MANILA Lockdowns had been eased but while most Filipinos are still trying
to stay home over fears of catching the deadly coronavirus, Rolando Mateo,
43, and his family of three do not even have a home to begin with.
We caught up with Mateo on Wednesday morning in a wet market in the poorer
area of Makati City, kilometers away from the citys towering offices.
There, Mateo with mask on was begging for alms and when asked where his
children were, he said they were doing the same. He was thankful though,
going out no longer means possible jail time.
During lockdown, we had to go from one place to another to prevent also
getting caught by the police, Mateo said in Filipino. We have lived here
in Manila for 8 years now, I was in construction (work), but that was not a
stable job as well.
Mateos predicament greatly reflects the disproportionate impact of the
pandemic on the Filipino poor. While government flaunts statistics that
showed poverty dropped to 16.5% in 2018, before the health crisis spread,
the data masks a real class struggle getting left behind by the burgeoning
middle class and the property sector that cash in on their purchasing power.
Housing regulators and firms said only around 30% of the Philippines 6.5
million housing backlog were meant for low-cost housing, or those catering
for the likes of Mateo and family. The number seems small especially if you
consider that the balance of 70% were shared by the middle and upper
classes. Property prices had also started to go down because of oversupply,
and many hope that can put owning homes within reach for the poor.
But the reality is, compounded by measly to no incomes, large families, and
insufficient aid from public and private sectors, the housing gap is only
bound to widen. On Wednesday afternoon, House legislators debated a
resolution meant to declare a housing crisis in the Philippines. What that
means and what will that do remain less clear, but the committee hearing did
shed light on a housing gap now most likely to get handed over to the next
administration.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CALLS FOR THOROUGH, IMPARTIAL PROBE INTO PARLADE
MANILA International watchdog Human Rights Watch has called on the
military to conduct a thorough and impartial probe into Lt. Gen. Antonio
Parlade Jr. who is finally put under investigation over his red-tagging, the
latest targetting Inquirer.net reporter Tetch Torres-Tupas.
But the National Union of Journalist of the Philippines had flagged and was
aghast with newly-installed Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Cirlito
Sobejanas statement that Torres-Tupas bears the burden of denial and that
her reporting on filing of the two Aetas of a petition where they claimed
torture equates sympathy.
Lt. Gen. Sobejana said earlier this week that he directed the chief of
provost marshal to coordinate with the National Task Force to End Local
Communist Armed Conflict, where Parlade serves as spokesperson. When asked
if Torres-Tupas is also under probe, Sobejana was quoted in reports as
saying: Hindi rin natin ma-discount or ma-drop yung possibility nakasi
sinulat nga, e. Kung, if you write something, meron ka ring it is a dictate
of your emotions, or your sympathy or whatever.
AFTER SILENCE ON 'VIP VACCINE' FIASCO, PNP DEPLOYS COPS VS UNAUTHORIZED
COVID-19 VACCINES
MANILA Ahead of the rolling out of the government's national vaccination
program, the national police in coordination with the health department is
set to mobilize police teams tasked with monitoring potential black-market
activities for counterfeit and unauthorized coronavirus vaccines that may
have entered the country, its chief said Thursday.
"I have taken to task the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group,
Intelligence Group, and other National Operational Support Units to organize
operating teams that will launch operations to prevent the entry,
distribution, and sale of COVID-19 vaccines without proper authorization
from the concerned government agencies," Police Gen. Debold Sinas, PNP
chief, said in a statement sent to reporters.
"As emphasized by the Department of Health, National Task Force, and Food
and Drug Administration, no particular brand of COVID-19 vaccine is
authorized to be marketed commercially in the Philippines. The PNP will
strictly implement this official policy, and take appropriate police action
in accordance with existing laws," he also said.
AFP NOT YET READY TO CLEAR NAME OF INQUIRER REPORTER, SAYS MILITARY CHIEF
MANILA - Armed Forces chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said
Wednesday the military is not ready yet to clear the name of an Inquirer
reporter, who was accused by a senior military officer as a propagandist
and supporter of the communist movement over a recent article.
Sobejana said they are still investigating the accusations of Lt. Gen.
Antonio Parlade, spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local
Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), against Tetch Torres-Tupas, who wrote
a story about two Aetas charged with terrorism and were reportedly tortured
by soldiers in Zambales.
Parlade had publicly called Torres-Tupas a propagandist for publishing
what he said was a fake story, adding it is possible to charge the
journalist for aiding the terrorists by spreading lies. He later
apologized and said he is not actually suing the reporter over the article.
The Inquirer has expressed support to Torres-Tupas, citing her integrity,
and voiced "alarm over Parlade's attempt to sow fear, stifle dissent and
curtail (Torres-Tupas') right to make truthful and objective reports."
Explaining that "a Judiciary-beat reporter relies heavily on paper,"
Torres-Tupas said the narration in her Feb. 2 article of what the two Aetas
went through "is contained in the petition-for-intervention" they filed at
the Supreme Court through the National Union of Peoples Lawyers.
Sobejana, a mistah or classmate of Parlade in the Philippine Military
Academy class of 1987, said the entire matter is still being investigated
and begged the indulgence of the public to let the process take its course.
On the part of Gen. Parlade, na sa kanya ang burden of proof na bakit
sinabi niya na supporter si Maam Tupas, said Sobejana.
Ngayon, kung mayroon siyang mai-presentang ebidensya establishing that si
Maam Tupas ay supporter, burden of denial naman na kay Maam Tupas.
Only the burden of proof on the part of the accuser exists in law. There is
no such thing as a burden of denial to be satisfied by the accused. Once
the accuser provides evidence to substantiate an allegation, only then does
the burden shift on the accused to disprove this.
US AFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO MDT, VFA WITH PHILIPPINES
MANILA The United States, under the new administration of President Joe
Biden, has reaffirmed its commitment to the US-Philippine alliance.
In a phone call to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana yesterday, US
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said such commitment is anchored on
the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two
countries.
The Department of National Defense (DND) said Lorenzana and Austin had an
introductory phone call to discuss developments on Philippines-US defense
relations.
Both also discussed the security situation in the West Philippine Sea (South
China Sea), particularly on the capability upgrades of the Armed Forces of
the Philippines.
The DND said both sides likewise committed to sustain dialogue amid the
COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen cooperation between the two defense
establishments.
Austin and Lorenzana, who had admitted that the Chinese Coast Guards new
law affecting the West Philippine Sea is very concerning, further agreed to
meet face to face in the future.
THE REST
========
DFA REPORTS 23 NEW COVID-19 DEATHS AMONG FILIPINOS OVERSEAS
MANILA - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday reported 23
new COVID-19 deaths among overseas Filipinos.
This is the second time this year that the number of fatalities went beyond
20, with the DFA also reporting 23 fatalities last January 4.
The DFA did not explain the reason behind the spike in the number of
fatalities.
The number of Filipinos abroad who have contracted COVID-19 rose to 14,556
with 2 new cases. There were no new recovery reported.
Filipinos currently being treated abroad for the disease are at 4,424, even
as 9,155 of those infected have recovered, while 977 have died.
Those undergoing treatment are broken down as follows by region: 803 in the
Asia Pacific, 803 in Europe, 2,715 in the Middle East and Africa, and 103 in
the Americas.
In the Philippines, COVID-19 has so far sickened 541,560 people. The tally
includes 11,401 deaths, 499,971 recoveries, and 30,188 active cases.
CEBU WANTS TO KEEP MGCQ CLASSIFICATION EVEN AS COVID-19 CASES RISE
MANILA - Cebu Mayor Edgardo Labella said Thursday he would like to keep the
Visayan urban hub under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) even as
COVID-19 cases rise in the city.
Labella attributed the increase of coronavirus infections to massive testing
as employees return to work and contact tracing that extends to the second
generation.
"Sa tingin ko po pwede pa tayo magpatuloy dito sa MGCQ. Maski MGCQ kami,
marami-rami pa rin kaming restrictions pa," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo,
noting that mass gatherings, concerts, cockfighting were still prohibited.
"I think its good for business na di muna natin galawin. Were confident
that this undertaking that we have, itong massive contact tracing natin,
eventually bababa rin ito."
Majority or 90 percent of active infections are asymptomatic, the mayor
said.
He added that the city's hospital occupancy rate stands at 36 percent and 52
percent for public and private medical facilities, respectively.
The city also prohibits home quarantine for asymptomatic patients, Labella
said. Cebu last year became the virus epicenter in the country as patients
were allowed to isolate in their homes.
"Hindi tayo na-overwhelm dito kasi talagang pinaghandaan natin ito," he
said.
700,000 MANILA FAMILIES TO GET MONTHLY FOOD SUBSIDY
MANILA Around 700,000 families in Manila will receive food subsidy per
month from the city government for six months, Mayor Isko Moreno said
yesterday.
Moreno launched the COVID-19 food security program in line with the national
governments efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the economy.
The food assistance includes three kilos of rice, 16 canned goods and eight
sachets of coffee.
The local government allocated at least P3 billion for the program, Moreno
said.
He expressed hope that the food subsidy would help poor families cope with
the pandemic.
We will strive hard to make sure that no families in Manila will get
hungry, Moreno said. Sa Maynila, kakain tayong lahat. It may be a bold
dream, pero iniiwasan natin ang inevitable at sana hindi dumating yung mga
susunod na buwan ng kahirapan ng mamamayan.
Moreno also assured Manileños that the city governments housing projects
would continue amid the pandemic, to provide shelter for the homeless.
We will continue to achieve our goals and visions for this year. Ang ibang
proyekto makapaghihintay naman yan. Tao muna sa lungsod ng Maynila, iyan
ang magiging direksyon ng ating 2021, Moreno said.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
ANNE CURTIS, ERWAN HEUSSAFF RETURN TO PH AFTER A YEAR
MANILA Celebrity couple Anne Curtis and Erwan Heussaff have returned to
the Philippines, after over a year of being based in Melbourne.
On Instagram, Heussaff shared short clips chronicling their flight back from
Australia and their ongoing quarantine period.
Melbourne to Manila and 6 days hotel quarantine done. Eight days of home
isolation to go, the vlogger and restaurateur wrote in the caption on
Wednesday.
The video shows glimpses of Curtis undergoing what appears to be a swab test
for COVID-19, and their daughter Dahlia, who turns 1 in March, crawling
around their hotel room.
Curtis and Heussaff had been in Australia since December 2019, as they
prepared to welcome their firstborn away from the limelight.
The couple had intended to return to the Philippines earlier, but the
coronavirus pandemic delayed that plan, Curtis has said.
The screen superstar, 35, has also said she only intends to return to
showbiz full-time once Dahlia turns a year old which is now only a month
away.
I wouldnt say na Im in a rush to start working again, just because lalo
na for the first year of Dahlias life, I really want to be there for her,
and really see all the firsts that will happen, she said in November 2020.
I just feel very happy and blessed that I get to spend this much time with
her, na talagang 24/7 magkasama kami.
In her most recent statement pertaining to her career, Curtis said in
January that she will eventually return to Its Showtime, the
long-running ABS-CBN noontime program which she has co-hosted since its 2009
premiere.
SPORTS
NBA SCORES FEB 9
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Nets 14-12 26 28 32 25 111
Pistons 6-18 38 25 31 28 122
SCORING LEADERS
K. Irving BKN
27 PTS, 2 REB, 7 AST
J. Grant DET
32 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Rockets 11-13 25 25 31 20 101
Pelicans 11-12 30 33 29 38 130
SCORING LEADERS
J. Wall HOU
25 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST
B. Ingram NO
22 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Knicks 11-15 25 30 27 14 96
Heat 10-14 27 30 19 22 98
SCORING LEADERS
E. Payton NY
18 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST
J. Butler MIA
26 PTS, 8 REB, 10 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Warriors 13-12 28 22 36 28 114
Spurs 14-11 26 24 20 21 91
SCORING LEADERS
S. Curry GS
32 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST
R. Gay SA
17 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Magic 9-16 19 24 30 24 97
Trail Blazers 13-10 31 19 34 22 106
SCORING LEADERS
N. Vucevic ORL
27 PTS, 15 REB, 4 AST
D. Lillard POR
36 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
76ers 18-7 42 24 21 32 119
Kings 12-12 32 39 20 20 111
SCORING LEADERS
J. Embiid PHI
25 PTS, 17 REB, 6 AST
D. Fox SAC
34 PTS, 6 REB, 10 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Celtics 12-11 27 20 32 29 108
Jazz 20-5 24 24 42 32 122
SCORING LEADERS
J. Brown BOS
33 PTS, 8 REB, 0 AST
D. Mitchell UTA
36 PTS, 4 REB, 9 AST
INDICATORS
FOREX $1 = P 48.03
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the
same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present. - Marcus
Aurelius
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