DUTERTE BLASTS ROBREDO, LACSON OVER US 'EXTORTION' CRITICISMS IN VFA THREAT
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said the Chief Executive is the sole architect of the country's foreign policy according to law, days after he demanded the US must pay money if it wants to keep its Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the Philippines.
Duterte, in a public briefing, said that under the Constitution, "foreign relations or foreign policy is vested in the President alone."
"Kung ano ang policy na gusto niya ipalabas for the Philippines (What policy he wants for the Philippines), is vested in the President and not with the senators or the Vice President," he said.
Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson earlier criticized the President's demand for money from the US, saying this is "extortion" and may give the impression that the Philippines is a "nation of extortionists."
Duterte fired back, and claimed that Robredo forgets her law background "every time she opens her mouth."
"Being a lawyer, she should know that the Constitution says that, that is my function. It is not their function. At kung ano gusto kong sabihin para sa bayan, may purpose 'yan. Hindi nila kasi alam, na alam ko noon, na meron tayong binili na armas sa Amerika, it took them years to deliver, practically using the money, our money, for so many years," he said.
He added: "Dapat alam mo 'yan, abogado ka. You should not be opening your mouth while we are negotiating. Kasi madaming kasalanan ang Amerika sa atin. Ang pagka-alam mo lang kasi, napunta ka ng Amerika, nagsalita ka doon, you were treated almost as a royalty, tapos ito nangyari ngayon. Kakampi ka [sa kanila] ng walang rason."
Duterte reiterated that Robredo, one of his political arch-rivals, can't be president of the country. He also said he wasn't sure if Lacson's statement was "pretended ignorance."
"Sabihin ko sayo na you have nothing to do with this. I may accept your comments, but use it in a way … use a language that will promote your person, human being. Hindi 'yung basta-basta ka na lang magpost-post without really finding out whether you are part of it or not. I'm telling you, you are not. Next time, consult a lawyer in your office," he said.
LACSON TELLS DUTERTE OVER VFA FEUD: READ THE 1987 CONSTITUTION
MANILA - Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday told President Rodrigo Duterte to read the 1987 Constitution after the latter bristled over his extortion remark and questioned the lawmaker's role in international agreements.
Lacson over the weekend said a diplomatic approach would be more effective than threatening the US in order to keep the Visiting Forces Agreement.
Duterte said he was the sole architect of the country's foreign policy, adding that Lacson has "nothing to do" with the issue.
"Mr President, read the 1987 Constitution. A senator has something to do with international agreements: Article VII SECTION 21. No treaty or international agreement shall be valid and effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate," Lacson said in a tweet in response to the President.
Duterte, in a public briefing aired late Monday, said he was not sure if Lacson's statement was "pretended ignorance."
NEDA CHIEF SEEKS EASED QUARANTINE MEASURES NATIONWIDE TO SOLVE HUNGER, JOB LOSSES
MANILA - The acting secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is pushing for the further reopening of the Philippine economy to mitigate the increasing hunger and job losses in the country.
Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua said he hopes President Rodrigo Duterte approves putting the whole Philippines under modified general community quarantine starting March 21, or more than a year since the country was first placed under lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Kailangan po natin mag-shift sana sa lalong madaling panahon to MGCQ for the entire Philippines, sana starting March 1, 2021 para i-address po 'yung hunger or yung mataas na antas ng mga Filipino po na nagugutom," he said during Cabinet's weekly briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte.
According to Chua, the country's total income lost since the start of the lockdown last March 2020 has reached P1.04 trillion, or an average of P2.8 billion every day.
"We further open the economy to MGCQ for the entire Philippines, especially NCR, starting March 21. Gusto na po nating ma-mitigate or mabawasan 'yung sickness, hunger, job and income loss that are arising from non-COVID cases," he said.
He also said that local government units can implement localized lockdowns instead to control the spread of the coronavirus in their respective areas.
"At kung kailangan, gumamit po tayo ng localized lockdowns sa barangay or municipal level to address the spread of the virus," Chua said.
Chua, likewise, proposed to further increase the capacity of public transportation from 50 percent to 75 percent, as well as to complement this with opening of more bike lanes.
"We propose, with proper safeguards, i-further expand po natin ang public transport from 50 percent towards 75 percent para mas marami po 'yung makabalik sa kanilang trabaho," he said.
Aside from expanding the capacity of public transportation, Chua also proposed to gradually allow people between the ages of 5 to 7 years old to be allowed to go out of their houses.
TASK FORCE VS CORRUPTION RECEIVES OVER 200 REPORTS, PREPARES RAPS FOR FILING BEFORE OMBUDSMAN
MANILA — The Department of Justice-led Task Force against Corruption has received over 200 complaints and has acted on 40 reports since it started its work last year.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told reporters that the TFAC has so far received 208 complaints, of which 148 were reports on “actual corruption cases.” There are 69 complaints that are currently under evaluation or have been evaluated, he added.
The DOJ chief said the task force has acted on 40 complaints, which means they have referred the reports to concerned member agencies for comment or have been ordered for further investigation or case build-up.
“One complaint will be filed with the [Office of the Ombudsman]” on Tuesday, Guevarra added. No other details were given on the complaint to be filed before the anti-graft office.
CBCP ISSUES GUIDELINES FOR ASH WEDNESDAY AMID PANDEMIC
MANILA - The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has issued guidelines for the celebration of the liturgy in this year’s Ash Wednesday that will fall on Feb. 17, amid the ongoing threat brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aside from the recent modifications on Ash Wednesday from the Congregation on Divine Worship that confirmed the liturgical recommendations that the CBCP issued for Ash Wednesday 2020, ashes that will be used for this year’s Ash Wednesday can be obtained from dried branches or leaves of plants or trees “since many parishes will find it difficult to secure old palm branches blessed in the celebration of Palm Sunday of 2020.”
This is according to the notes issued by Baguio Bishop Victor Bendico, chair of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Liturgy, on the distribution of ashes in the time of the pandemic.
The episcopal commission also recommended that due to the limitations imposed by the IATF on church attendance, the faithful who could come to church to participate in the Ash Wednesday celebration “be given a small plastic sachet containing blessed ashes that they in turn can impose to their family members.”
“Those who cannot come to church on this day can join the celebration of the Mass of Ash Wednesday on TV and other online means. They then can receive the ashes from family members who were able to go to church for the celebration and will bring home ashes for them," it said.
The CBCP will be providing parishes the guide for family prayer and imposition of ashes.
During the celebration of Ash Wednesday in the church, the priest says the prayer for blessing the ashes, sprinkles the ashes with holy water, without saying anything. He then addresses all those present and, only once, says the formula as it appears in the Roman Missal applying it to all in general.
Other options in the manner of imposing the ashes include the sprinkling of ashes on the head of the faithful.
For those who wish to have the ashes on their forehead, cotton balls can be used in applying the ashes on their forehead.
“Each of the faithful who wants to receive the imposition of ashes approaches the minister. The minister, with the aid of a cotton ball dipped into the vessel of the blessed ashes, traces the cross on the forehead of the faithful. The minister uses a different cotton ball for each of the faithful,” the notes said.
DFA BRINGS HOME 139 FILIPINOS FROM MYANMAR
MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday night brought home 139 Filipinos from Myanmar, where protests against the military are still ongoing, over two weeks after it detained de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and seized control of the country.
DFA in a statement said Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. was at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 to welcome the repatriates himself.
Among those aboard Monday's chartered flight, the agency said, were 11 dependent children and four dependent parents, two of whom are senior citizens, "who worked as professionals in Myanmar and whose contracts were seriously affected by the COVID-19 restrictions in the country."
The department said it has brought home a total of 509 overseas Filipinos from Myanmar since March 2020 through a total of 14 flights. Monday's flight was the second DFA-chartered flight from Yangon, the agency said, while another 12 flights were facilitated by officials in collaboration with airline companies.
PESO PIERCES THROUGH 47 TO A DOLLAR TO CLOSE AT OVER 4-YEAR HIGH
Following a 3-day weekend, the peso ended trading on Monday breaking through the P47 territory.
The local unit closed at 47.93 to a dollar, 11.5 centavos stronger than Thursday's 48.045 close.
Monday was the peso's strongest performance since September 22, 2016 when it ended trading at 47.83 vs US dollar.
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21 TAKEN AWAY AS POLICE RAID LUMAD BAKWIT SCHOOL IN CEBU
MANILA — Students and teachers taking refuge at the Talamban campus of University of San Carlos in Cebu City were taken away by police personnel on Monday after what authorities called a "rescue operation" for minors at the Lumad Bakwit School but that the Philippine National Police later acknowledged as a raid.
The bakwit — from "evacuate" — have fled their homes and ancestral land in Mindanao because of militarization in their areas, indigenous peoples' education advocates like the Save Our Schools Network say.
A live video posted by The Freeman shows students and teachers of the Lumad Bakwit School in Cebu being apprehended by the Police Regional Office 7 personnel inside the campus.
The Save Our Schools Network said in a statement condemning the raid that 21 students —15 minors and 6 adults — were taken away in the operation, along with two teachers and two elders.
The network posted a live stream of the supposed rescue operation showing children screaming in a classroom as they were forced out by men in uniform.
It is not clear what they were being rescued from, as the teachers did not seem to be armed nor holding them against their will.
"Their parents were supposedly forced and fetched out of their community in Davao del Norte by the military and the local government to justify this blatant attack," Save our Schools network also said.
Sought for comment, Police Brig. Gen. Brandi Usana, PNP spokesperson, called reports on the raid by alternative media network AlterMidya "slanted and malicious," insisting to reporters in a text message that the "21 Lumad minors from Talaingog, [Davao del Norte] were actually rescued from a number of arrested suspects."
The government has long accused the Lumad schools of recruiting and training communist rebels, an allegation that Save Our Schools Network denies.
HONTIVEROS CALLS FOR CHR PROBE INTO ALLEGED RESCUE IN CEBU SCHOOL
MANILA - Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday said the Commission on Human Rights should look into the alleged rescue operation of students in a Lumad school inside a university campus in Cebu.
Police officers launched the operation inside the University of San Carlos' retreat house in Talamban, Cebu City supposedly to rescue Lumad students who were being indoctrinated and recruited to be armed combatants.
It led to the arrest of 25 people, including 2 teachers and 2 tribal leaders, according to the Save Our Schools (SOS) Network.
"We’ve heard similar stories before, the Supreme Court has pronounced at least once already that such a story did not hold water in that case. The CHR, I think, is a lead investigative body, commission that needs to look into whether proper procedures were observed by the national police and whether there were any protocols that were violated," Hontiveros told ANC's Headstart.
Hontiveros said looking at the video of the operation, the people taken into custody during the operation did not look like victims relieved to be rescued.
She said the conduct of the operation "may be part of a disturbing pattern that is emerging in our society."
"That tone seems to be echoed consistently over the past many months or few years. It’s a tone that is getting louder, and it seems to be getting more aggressive or violent," she said.
The University of San Carlos and the Societas Verbi Divini (SVD) Philippines Southern Province said there was no need for a rescue since the Lumad students were staying in the USC campus due to the lockdown, and they were preparing to return to their homes in batches.
JOLLIBEE PARTNERS WITH YOSHINOYA TO GROW JAPANESE CHAIN'S LOCAL FOOTPRINT
Jollibee Foods Corp. is adding Yoshinoya, the Japanese food chain, under its growing number of local fast-food chains.
In a disclosure on Tuesday to the stock exchange, the homegrown fast-food brand announced a "50/50 joint venture" with Yoshinoya International Philippines Inc. that operates Yoshinoya at home. The goal is to establish 50 new stores in the long term.
The joint venture firm to be put up will have a capital stock of P130 million, Jollibee said.
Apart from its flagship brand, Jollibee also operates Greenwich, Red Ribbon as well as the local franchise of Burger King, Panda Express and PHO 24. Abroad, the company acquired Smashburger in 2018 and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in 2019.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
KATHRYN BERNARDO INTERVIEWS BOYFRIEND DANIEL PADILLA IN VALENTINE'S VLOG
MANILA -- Celebrity couple Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla surprised their fans and followers on Sunday as the actress finally featured her boyfriend in her vlog.
According to Bernardo, after many attempts, she finally convinced her reel- and real-life partner for a one-on-one interview.
In her Valentine's vlog titled "Questions I've Never Asked My Boyfriend," Bernardo interviewed Padilla on topics about love and their relationship.
In one of the questions, Bernardo asked Padilla if he gets offended whenever people ask them about getting married and she replies with 'matagal pa, 'di pa kami ready.'
"Hindi naman. Ayaw ko rin naman madaliin. Okay lang 'yon. ... Pero ang sa akin lang huwag lang tayo male-late. Alam mo na ang sinabi ko sa iyo, paminsan-minsan ang dami mong gustong gawin, 'di mo napapanin napag-iwanan ka na. Tandaan niyo 'yan. Minsan puro na lang tayo, gusto natin ito, gusto pa nating gawin ito, magigising ka na lang naiwan na ako," Padilla told Bernardo.
"Pero may pinag-usapan na tayo na dapat, di ba? Hindi na tayo puwedeng ma-late pa roon. Mahirap kapag pinagsisihan mo, tandaan mo hindi na babalik ang oras," he added.
When asked of how many kids he would like to have in the future, Padilla said: "Siguro mga two."
"I like two din. Gusto ko boy and then girl," Bernardo added.
Padilla stressed that couples should dream and plan their future together. He also stressed the importance of making an effort to make your special someone feel loved.
"Siguro continuous lang 'yung pagpapakita mo sa tao na mahal mo siya. Hindi lang sa akin 'yon, kung hindi sa iyo rin. Kasi kung ako lang 'yon, mapapagod din ako kung puro ako na lang 'yung nagbibigay sa iyo. Hindi naman sa humihingi ako ng kapalit, pero siyempre kasama 'yon. Hindi puwede na 'mahal kita, mahal kita' tapos wala naman ako. Siyempre para mahalin kita lalo eh maramdaman ko rin na mahal mo rin ako, ganoon naman all the time. At saka i-praise niyo, appreciate niyo ang isa't isa, ipagyabang niyo ang isa't isa, 'yun lang," Padilla said.
Padilla and Bernardo are set to celebrate their ninth anniversay as a couple this coming May.
SPORTS
NBA SCORES FEB 14
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Celtics 13-13 22 21 24 24 91
Wizards 7-17 29 26 34 15 104
SCORING LEADERS
J. Brown BOS
25 PTS, 7 REB, 0 AST
B. Beal WAS
35 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Spurs 16-11 17 47 25 33 122
Hornets 13-15 33 26 30 21 110
SCORING LEADERS
D. Murray SA
26 PTS, 12 REB, 6 AST
T. Rozier CHA
33 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Pelicans 11-15 40 22 27 23 112
Pistons 8-19 30 34 33 26 123
SCORING LEADERS
Z. Williamson NO
26 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST
J. Jackson DET
21 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Timberwolves 7-20 27 27 37 25 116
Raptors 12-15 26 32 25 29 112
SCORING LEADERS
M. Beasley MIN
20 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST
K. Lowry TOR
24 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Trail Blazers 16-10 34 24 45 18 121
Mavericks 13-15 25 36 30 27 118
SCORING LEADERS
D. Lillard POR
34 PTS, 3 REB, 11 AST
L. Doncic DAL
44 PTS, 7 REB, 9 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Bucks 16-11 24 17 40 28 109
Thunder 11-15 24 28 29 33 114
SCORING LEADERS
G. Antetokounmpo MIL
24 PTS, 17 REB, 10 AST
J. Jackson OKC
22 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Magic 10-18 16 19 25 30 90
Suns 17-9 28 24 32 25 109
SCORING LEADERS
T. Ross ORL
23 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST
D. Booker PHO
27 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Grizzlies 11-11 30 32 37 25 124
Kings 12-14 22 24 33 31 110
SCORING LEADERS
J. Valanciunas MEM
25 PTS, 13 REB, 2 AST
D. Fox SAC
23 PTS, 2 REB, 9 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Cavaliers 10-18 24 34 30 23 111
Clippers 20-8 32 38 36 22 128
SCORING LEADERS
C. Sexton CLE
22 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST
L. Williams LAC
30 PTS, 2 REB, 10 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Lakers 21-7 33 28 24 20 105
Nuggets 15-11 33 40 30 19 122
SCORING LEADERS
L. James LAL
22 PTS, 10 REB, 9 AST
J. Murray DEN
25 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST
INDICATORS
FOREX $1 = P 47.93
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Too often reason deceives us, but conscience never deceives. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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