DUTERTE SIGNS 2020 NATIONAL BUDGET INTO LAW MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday signed into law the 2020 national budget, averting a repeat of last year's delay that slowed economic growth. The P4.1 trillion General Appropriations Act of 2020 is 9 percent higher than the P3.76 trillion budget for 2019. The budget was not signed at the end of 2019 because of the President's "thorough" scrutiny of the bill, Malacañang earlier said. In his speech, Duterte said this year's spending plan would support the government's goal of making the Philippines an upper bracket-income country, and lowering poverty to 14 percent by the end of his term. "As in previous years, we will continue to allocate a great portion of our national budget for infrastructure development and social services – programs that will directly touch the lives of our people," he said. Of the P4.1 trillion budget, 36 percent will be set aside for education, healthcare, housing, and social welfare, Duterte said. Another 29 percent will be used to fund infrastructure, tourism, trade, job generation, and agriculture projects, while 11 percent will be allotted for debt servicing, he added. Bickering among lawmakers over alleged insertions in the 2019 budget led to a delay in its passage to April of that year, slowing economic growth in the first half. Gross domestic product growth regained momentum in the July to August quarter as the government caught up on spending. The validity of some items in the 2019 budget was extended up to the last day of 2020 to help state agencies catch up on spending. 'KINAKABAHAN AKO': DUTERTE SAYS IRAN 'HELL-BENT' ON RETALIATION VS US Duterte asks Congress to discuss US-Iran tensions MANILA - A fearful President Rodrigo Duterte called Monday for supplementary funding and measures to secure the lives of Filipinos in the Middle East in light of escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. Duterte called on Congress and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to prepare funds for the possible repatriation of Filipinos as the chief executive noted that it would take a "huge, gargantuan" effort to secure their safety. "I am afraid for the so many lives of our countrymen in jeopardy," the President said in a speech in Malacañang following the signing of the 2020 national budget. "Kinakabahan ako (I am nervous). Iran seems to be hell-bent on a retaliation, which I think will come. It's a matter of time." "I do not have anything, nary a worry, were it not for a fact that there are a lot of Filipinos there... We need the money. I need it before it actually starts," he added. The Middle East is the top regional destination for overseas Filipino workers with over 1.2 million working in the region, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. Tensions between the US and Iran escalated after a US drone strike killed military commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on Friday. "We do not know what will be the end result of this crisis. It could lead to a war, it could be a widescale strife. Whatever it is, we Filipinos are really in great peril," Duterte said. The Philippine leader appealed to Congress to set aside at least a day or two to discuss the effects of the escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington, which he labeled an "evolving crisis." Duterte on sunday met with the country's top security officials and asked the military to prepare aircraft and ships for the possible repatriation of Filipinos in the Middle East. Newly-installed Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Lt. Gen. Filemon Santos Jr. assured the public Monday that the military is prepared to execute the President's orders. "As directed by the President, we are prepared with all our air and naval assets in the event the situation worsens," Santos Jr. told ANC. "There will be some risk...It will take coordination with other countries but we are trying our best so that when an emergency erupts we could go there as soon as possible," he said. DUTERTE SENDS CABINET OFFICIAL TO MIDDLE EAST TO LAY EVACUATION 'GROUNDWORK' MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte will send a cabinet official to the Middle East to coordinate with countries hosting Filipino workers and "lay the groundwork for evacuation" after the killing of an Iranian general in a US drone strike stoked fresh tensions, Malacañang said Tuesday. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu was tasked to fly immediately to the Middle East, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said. Cimatu is a former military chief and special envoy to the Middle East who in 2004 secured the release of a Filipino hostage in Iraq. The President’s adviser on overseas Filipino workers, Abdullah Mamao, was also ordered to fly to Iran and Iraq on Tuesday to deliver Duterte’s appeal that "no Filipinos be harmed in the course of the ongoing conflicts," Panelo said. A special working committee composed of the secretaries of defense, foreign affairs, transportation, interior and the local government, as well as the national security adviser was tasked to draw up a repatriation plan, he said. Duterte said in a speech in Malacañang on Monday: "I am afraid for the so many lives of our countrymen in jeopardy." The Department of Labor and Employment created a 24/7 crisis management committee, its chief Silvestre Bello said. Most workers in Iran and Iraq are undocumented as the Philippines does not have any bilateral agreement with the two nations, according to Bello. "Foremost in the mind of the President is the safety of Filipinos in the Middle East and he assures the Filipino community and the nation that the Philippine Government is doing everything it can in making sure that our fellow citizens abroad are out of harm's way," Panelo said. IT’S FINAL: SC JUNKS PETITION FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) has junked with finality the petition seeking to legalize same-sex marriage in the Philippines. In a two-page notice issued by the SC last Dec. 10 and made available yesterday, the SC denied “with finality the said motion for reconsideration as no substantial arguments were presented to warrant the reversal of the questioned decision.” In October 2015, Jesus Nicardo Falcis III, an openly gay lawyer, filed the petition that sought to strike down the prohibitions against same-sex marriage under the Family Code. The SC unanimously found the lawyer’s petition deficient in September last year, citing his lack of legal standing, violation of the principle of hierarchy of courts and failure to raise an actual, justiciable controversy. Falcis filed a Motion for Partial Reconsideration dated Nov. 14, 2019. “No further pleadings or motions will be entertained,” said SC Clerk of Court Edgar Aricheta. ‘DUTERTE’S WAR ON DRUGS A MASSIVE FAILURE’ MANILA — With a score of just one percent, the Duterte administration’s war on drugs is a “massive failure,” Vice President Leni Robredo said yesterday. This is the gist of Robredo’s 40-page report on her 18-day stint as co-chairperson of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), which she made public yesterday. Robredo said the failure was due to law enforcers focusing on neutralizing low-level pushers rather than cutting main sources of supply. She said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was able to seize only one percent of the total methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu supply in the past three years. “If you liken it to an exam, the government’s score is one out of 100,” Robredo said at a press conference. “(The drug war) is really a failure. The campaign against illegal drugs has many aspects, but almost the entire funds were poured into neutralizing small-time pushers and users. They forgot to look into the aspect on where the bulk of drugs that victimize the youth and our citizens are coming from,” she added. Citing data from the Philippine National Police-Drug Enforcement Group, the Vice President said approximately 3,000 kilograms of shabu worth P25 billion are consumed per week, but the PDEA was only able to haul in 1,344.87 kilograms last year. She added that the figures were even lower in 2017 and 2018 at 1,053.91 kilograms and 785.31 kilograms, respectively. “It’s very clear that despite the huge number of Filipinos killed, only one percent of shabu supply and drug money have been seized,” Robredo said. The Anti-Money Laundering Council, according to the Vice President, reported P1.4 billion worth of frozen assets related to the illegal drug trade from 2017 to 2018. “This is less than one percent of estimated profits from the illegal drug trade,” Robredo said. “Supply constriction, as an aspect of the overall strategy against illegal drugs, has been a massive failure.” The Vice President also urged President Duterte to transfer the ICAD chairmanship from the PDEA to the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), which she said is more capable of leading the campaign. “I recommend the transfer of the ICAD chairmanship to the DDB. If the DDB leads the ICAD, we can expect a balanced campaign and all aspects will be addressed,” she said. Robredo said her report was not meant to attack Duterte but to improve the drug war. The Vice President also urged Duterte to certify as urgent bills that will fund and strengthen the anti-drug abuse councils and anti-drug abuse offices as well as measures that will institutionalize the creation of community-based drug rehabilitation in every community. “You can still expect my continued support to solve the drug problem. I hope our countrymen can also expect you to do what is right to face the truth and to fix the ongoing campaign,” she added. PALACE SAYS ROBREDO'S DRUG WAR REPORT A 'DUD' MANILA- Malacañang dismissed Monday the long-hyped drug war report and recommendation of Vice President Leni Robredo as a "dud," saying there was nothing new with her findings. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo belied Robredo's claim that the government's 3-year anti-narcotics drive is a failure for supposedly seizing only less than 1 percent of the total shabu supply. "It's a dud. Wala naman siyang sinabi doon na bago na hindi tinututukan ng mga ahensiya na involved sa laban sa droga. There's nothing new with what she said," Panelo told reporters in Malacañang. "I think she just wants to be relevant," he added. Robredo was supposed to release her report on the drug war in early December after she was fired by President Rodrigo Duterte as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) 18 days since her appointment. She, however, decided to delay the report in deference to the victims of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Mindanao, a move that did not sit well with the Palace. Citing police data, Robredo said around 3,000 kilos of shabu is consumed in the country every week or around 156,000 kilos per year but only less than 1 percent is seized by authorities. Data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency showed it only seized 1,344 kilos shabu from January to October, 2019; 785 kilos in 2018; and 1,053 kilos in 2017, she said. "Isipin na lang natin kung exam ito. Magiging iskor ng ating pamahalan ay 1 over 100," Robredo said in a press conference Monday. PDEA: ROBREDO DATA ON DRUG WAR 'FAILURE' BASED ON 'WILD ASSUMPTION' MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo used data anchored on "wild assumption" when she dubbed the government's anti-narcotics drive as a "massive failure," the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Tuesday. Citing police data, Robredo said Monday that the campaign seized only 1 percent of the 156,000 kilos of shabu that flooded the country yearly since 2016. The Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs, which Robredo briefly co-chaired last year, had no official figure on the amount of drugs circulating in the Philippines, said PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino. The figure that the Vice President cited, he said, was a mere estimate by police Drug Enforcement Group chief Col. Romeo Caramat, Jr. "Sabi ni Col. Caramat sa akin, that is a wild assumption. Hindi official figure iyan," Aquino told radio DZMM. NATIONAL, CITY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS LAY GROUNDWORK FOR BAGUIO REHABILITATION BAGUIO CITY — Baguio's rehabilitation will include a comprehensive program to address the city's environmental issues and boost tourism, the its mayor said. This, as a high-level meeting between the national government and Baguio City officials starts this week to lay the groundwork for the rehabilitation plan. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the local government will present priority projects the development of Burnham Park, a youth convergence center, pay parking buildings and interventions on improving the quality of waste water, water quality management, solid waste management to top officials of the Tourism, Interior and Local Government, and Environment departments. PORK FROM QUEZON CITY SUPERMARKET TESTS POSITIVE FOR ASF MANILA — Another supermarket in Quezon City has been found selling meat products infected with African swine fever (ASF), prompting the local government to strengthen measures to stop the spread of the disease. Mayor Joy Belmonte said meat samples submitted to the Bureau of Animal Industry tested positive for ASF. The supermarket is located along Doña Carmen in Quezon City. Agriculture Secretary William Dar said validation is still ongoing. “We will continue to strengthen guidelines so this will not happen again,” Dar told reporters yesterday. Belmonte said she would seek a dialogue with the owners of supermarkets in the city and their suppliers. “The ASF confined in pigs has reached grocery stores and that is scary because pork products are supposed to have NMIS (National Meat Inspection Service) certification,” she said. “We ask the public not to blame anybody. The agriculture department is in charge of investigating these supermarkets. On the part of the local government, our concern is the safety of the people,” the mayor added. ANGKAS GETS 3-DAY TRO VS RIDER CAP MANILA — The Mandaluyong City regional trial court has granted a three-day temporary restraining order (TRO) against a government policy that limits the number of Angkas riders in the ongoing motorcycle taxi pilot run. In an order signed yesterday by acting Executive Judge Ofelia Calo in response to a class suit filed by Angkas riders, a 72-hour TRO was issued against the 10,000 cap in Metro Manila and 3,000 riders for Metro Cebu per company imposed by the technical working group (TWG) on motorcycle taxis. The TRO restrained the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) from implementing the revised guidelines on the motorcycle taxi pilot program, which limits the number of riders. The court said the 17,000 accredited Angkas riders who were allowed to participate in the pilot implementation would suffer “grave irreparable injury as they stand to lose their jobs.” “This proves that justice is on our side. We are only trying to make an honest living and helping commuters every day to get to their destinations fast and safe. Why should the government stop us? Why should our families go hungry? We are not doing anything wrong,” Rommel Villanueva, one of the riders who filed the petition, said in a statement. GRAB 'SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING' GRABBIKE RELAUNCH MANILA - Grab said it was "seriously considering" the relaunch of its motorcycle taxi service in the Philippines, as regulators test rules for 2-wheeled public transport services. Should GrabBike be revived, it would go against market leader Angkas and new players JoyRide and MoveIt. GrabBike operations ceased in 2016 in compliance with government regulations. Grab said it was ready to present its GrabBike proposal to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board anytime. "Grab would like to reiterate its interest in participating in the motorcycle taxi space to help provide affordable and agile transport solutions to hundreds of thousands of Filipino commuters," the ride-hailing firm said. GrabBike is unlikely to compete with Angkas until "regulations are clear," Grab Philippines president Brian Cu earlier told ABS-CBN News. A technical working group under the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is currently supervising the pilot-run of motorcycle taxis for ride-hailing with Angkas, JoyRide and MoveIt as participants. The Senate Committee on Public Services set a hearing on motorcycle taxi regulation on Jan. 14, Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the committee said Tuesday. KATHRYN SHARES ICELAND ADVENTURE IN FIRST VLOG MANILA - Actress Kathryn Bernardo finally uploaded her first vlog, where she shared snippets of her trip to Iceland with boyfriend Daniel Padilla. Bernardo, who launched her YouTube channel just last Friday, posted the first part of her Iceland trip on Sunday. The video covers their arrival in the Nordic nation as well as the places they visited in the first few days of their trip. "Sharing with you the first part of our Iceland adventure last September! This country was in both of our bucketlists so we relished every second we spent here. We tried our best to film it in a way that would make you feel as if you were part of the trip, so we hope you enjoy watching!" Bernardo wrote in the caption. This isn't the first time the two have been to Iceland. In 2016, they visited Iceland for the first time to do a magazine shoot. But as Bernardo explained in her vlog, they weren't able to do a lot at that time since they were there for work. Bernardo’s foray into vlogging is seen to help cement her status as a social media superstar, having been listed as among the top Filipino personalities across platforms, including Twitter and Instagram. NBA SCORES JAN 5 FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Knicks 10-26    45    24    31    32    132 team logo Clippers 26-12    29    47    38    21    135 SCORING LEADERSM. Morris NY 38 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST M. Harrell LAC 34 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Trail Blazers 15-22    19    27    35    30    111 team logo Heat 26-10    31    34    29    28    122 SCORING LEADERSD. Lillard POR 34 PTS, 1 REB, 12 AST G. Dragic MIA 29 PTS, 3 REB, 13 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Timberwolves 14-21    24    42    28    24    118 team logo Cavaliers 10-26    20    28    31    24    103 SCORING LEADERS     G. Dieng MIN 22 PTS, 13 REB, 6 AST     D. Exum CLE 28 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Grizzlies 15-22    27    35    34    25    121 team logo Suns 14-22    31    26    20    37    114 SCORING LEADERS     J. Valanciunas MEM 30 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST     D. Booker PHO 40 PTS, 2 REB, 6 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Pistons 13-24    22    25    32    20    99 team logo Lakers 29-7    23    33    19    31    106 SCORING LEADERSD. Rose DET 28 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST A. Davis LAL 24 PTS, 11 REB, 2 AST