DUTERTE SIGNS COVID-19 VACCINE INDEMNIFICATION LAW
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure that sets up an indemnification fund to compensate those who would suffer adverse effects from COVID-19 shots, the first batch of which is set to arrive this weekend, Malacañang said Friday.
Duterte signed the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, his spokesman Harry Roque said in a text message.
The law will establish a P500-million COVID-19 National Vaccine Indemnity Fund that state medical insurer PhilHealth will manage, lawmakers earlier said.
Vaccine manufacturers want protection from future product liability claims before they deliver the shots, authorities said.
The lack of an indemnity deal had delayed the arrival of 117,000 Pfizer doses from COVID-19 vaccine-sharing COVAX Facility, initially expected in mid-February.
In a separate statement, Roque said the signing of the measure would fast-track the country's procurement and administration of COVID-19 vaccines.
"It covers the creation of an indemnity fund to cover compensation for those who would experience serious adverse effects to the vaccine," the official said.
NO MANDATORY TESTING, QUARANTINE: IATF EASES CROSS-BORDER TRAVEL, UNIFIES PROTOCOLS
MANILA - The Inter-Agency Task Force leading government's COVID-19 response approved on Friday unified travel protocols for all local government units, easing cross-border trips amid still varying quarantine levels in the country nearly a year into the pandemic.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Saturday morning the Uniform Travel Protocols for land, air and sea was drafted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government in coordination with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), the League of Provinces of the Philippines, League of Municipalities of the Philippines and the League of Cities of the Philippines.
Under the rules, COVID-19 testing and quarantine are no longer mandatory for local travelers.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa lahat ng opisyal dahil kapag mayroon tayong common procedure ay mas mapapabilis po ang pagbiyahe sa loob ng Pilipinas,” said Palace spokesman Harry Roque.
METRO MANILA, 9 OTHER AREAS TO REMAIN UNDER GCQ IN MARCH: PALACE
MANILA - The National Capital Region and nine other areas will remain under general community quarantine in March to contain the spread of COVID-19, Malacañang said Saturday.
This, as the country saw an increase in COVID-19 cases in recent days, with authorities keeping close watch of new, more transmissible virus variants.
"Aprubado na ng presidente ang classification para sa buwan ng Marso. Mananatili po sa general community quarantine o GCQ classification ang National Capital Region, Baguio City at Davao City," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.
Here's the full list of areas under GCQ:
Metro Manila
Apayao
Baguio City
Kalinga
Mt. Province
Batangas
Tacloban City
Iligan City
Davao City
Lanao del Sur
The rest of the country will be under modified general community quarantine, the least stringent restriction, including the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Ifugao and Davao del Norte, which were under GCQ throughout February.
Metro Manila, which accounts for about a third of the country's gross domestic product, has been under GCQ since August 2020, with stricter lockdowns enforced in earlier months as COVID-19 infections rose.
The Philippines on Friday recorded over 2,600 more cases of COVID-19, the highest single-day tally in over 4 months. It has logged a total of 571, 327 COVID-19 infections since the outbreak nearly a year ago.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCHDOG TO PHILIPPINES: LET IN INTERNATIONAL PROBERS
MANILA — An international rights organization dared the Philippine government to let international probers look at drug war killings in the country after Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra admitted to the United Nations that authorities failed to follow protocols in drug cases.
“Our hope for accountability in the Philippine system is very, very low. That is why we are calling for an independent and impartial investigation by the international community such as the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). That, I believe, is the real test if we will get to the bottom of this,” said Human Rights Watch-Asia division deputy director Phil Robertson during an interview with “The Chiefs” on OneNews last Thursday night.
“We need to create something internationally that’s got real legs. That is why we are calling for an international and impartial investigation done by rapporteurs selected by the UNHRC that will create record of what happened and create the dynamic for accountability,” he said.
Robertson also noted efforts to get the UNHRC off the government’s back but if left to domestic mechanisms, justice would elude victims due to lack of transparency.
On the other hand, the Department of Justice (DOJ) vowed to continue reviewing the government’s war on drugs.
“What we have thus far is an initial report. And we intend to continue the review of cases involving anti-illegal drug operations where deaths occurred. We intend to come out with further findings and recommendations,” DOJ Undersecretary Adrian Sugay said.
Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana said a technical working group (TWG) was formed to look into Guevarra’s report. The group will probe essential issues and is expected to submit its report with recommendations on the first week of March.
PHILIPPINES, AUSTRALIA AFFIRM DEFENSE COOPERATION
MANILA — The Philippine and Australia have reaffirmed their commitment to continue defense cooperation between them, believing that territorial issues and concerns in the Indo-Pacific region including the West Philippine Sea must not be about power and competition.
Defense Assistant Secretary for strategic assessments and international affairs Teodoro Cirilo Torralba III and Australia’s First Assistant Secretary for international policy Hugh Jeffrey co-chaired the 19th Philippines-Australia Joint Defense Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting held via video teleconference earlier this week.
Held annually as a policy dialogue platform between the defense establishments of the Philippines and Australia, the JDCC facilitated exchanges of views on the regional security situation to include the developments in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea and the threat posed by terrorism.
The DND yesterday said both countries agreed that the Indo-Pacific region must go beyond major power competition and should be inclusive and rules-based. Both also agreed that countries such as the Philippines and Australia play a role in shaping the region.
GOVERNMENT EYES 14 KEY MEASURES BEFORE DUTERTE’S TERM ENDS
MANILA — Fourteen priority measures, including those in support of economic recovery from the pandemic, will be prioritized for passage before the end of the Duterte administration, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said yesterday.
He said this was agreed upon during the recent meeting of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
“A few days ago, the administration and the legislature had a meeting and this was the meeting of the LEDAC. And we agreed on a menu of measures that have to be passed before the election period begins sometime in March of next year,” said Dominguez in a virtual forum.
“We have a list of about 14 measures and these are the top priorities that we are asking the legislature to address,” he added.
The finance chief declined to disclose the list of priority bills pending the joint announcement that will be made by the Office of the President, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and Congress.
He noted, however, that these will include measures meant to usher in recovery from the economic fallout from the pandemic.
HOUSE EYES PASSAGE OF ECON CHA-CHA NEXT MONTH
MANILA — The House of Representatives aims to pass the measure seeking to amend restrictive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution by March 24, a leader of the chamber said yesterday.
“We’re planning to pass it on or before March 24. That’s the Speaker’s timeline,” said House constitutional amendments committee chairman Alfredo Garbin Jr. in a text message to reporters.
Garbin said the House is expected to approve Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 (RBH 2) on final reading before going into recess on March 27.
“I expect an impassioned debate to those who want to retain the restrictive economic provisions but confident enough to get the support of the super majority coalition who earlier signified their support to RBH 2,” he added.
Garbin said this would give the Senate more time to deliberate on RBH 2 so as to meet the target of proponents to submit the proposed amendments before the Filipino people via plebiscite simultaneous with the 2022 national polls.
ADVISORY GROUP OKS USE OF SINOVAC COVID-19 VACCINE FOR PH HEALTH WORKERS
MANILA — The interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) on Friday announced it was recommending the use of the COVID-19 vaccine by Chinese company Sinovac for health workers, despite earlier reservations by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This, as the first batch of the vaccine is set to arrive in the country on Sunday, with soldiers and health workers on the priority list of those to be inoculated.
On Monday, the FDA granted Sinovac its much-awaited emergency use authorization, but also said that the vaccine may not be suitable for health workers directly exposed to COVID-19 patients because of its 50.4% efficacy rating in a study in Brazil.
This prompted the DOH to consult the NITAG for its recommendation on how to distribute the vaccine given its lower efficacy among health workers and the current prioritization framework of the government.
“The DOH, the Food and Drug Administration and our panel of experts concurred that current available evidence is enough to establish that the vaccine is safe for use,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a briefing on Friday with members of the NITAG and the DOH Technical Advisory Group (TAG).
“NITAG and the TAG (technical advisory group) has deemed it sufficient to recommend the use of the vaccine for health care workers as it bears to reiterate that our goal for prioritizing health care workers for vaccination is to reduce morbidity and mortality among their group, while they maintain the most critical essential health services,” she added.
Vergeire said the NITAG already presented the recommendation to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on COVID-19 response.
“Just this morning we presented to the IATF and we got approval already. This will also be presented to the President,” she said.
This approval “is an assurance that the use of Sinovac is safe and beneficial to our healthcare workers,” said Palace spokesman Harry Roque.
#MAYPASOK: DUTERTE MAKES NOV. 2, DEC. 24 AND 31 'SPECIAL WORKING DAYS'
MANILA — The country will see fewer non-working days this year as three dates that have long been traditional holidays are now "special working days" on orders of President Rodrigo Duterte to help the economy recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Proclamation 1107, the President made the following days "special working days."
Nov. 2, 2021 - All Souls' Day
Dec. 24, 2021 - Christmas Eve
Dec. 31 - New Year's Eve
These dates were previously classified as special non-working days.
"For the country to recover from the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to encourage economic productivity by, among others, minimizing work disruption and commemorating some special holidays as special (working) days instead," said Duterte.
THE REST
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PALACE: DUTERTE SAYS ONLY NBI SHOULD PROBE DEADLY SHOOTOUT BETWEEN PNP, PDEA
MANILA — Malacañang on Friday said President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered that only the National Bureau of Investigation should probe the deadly shootout between operatives of the police force and the anti-narcotics agency—two groups he had tasked to lead his crackdown on illegal drugs.
Two policemen, an operative of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and an informant were killed in what a top police official described as a "misencounter" near a mall on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday night. Four others were hurt.
Duterte ordered a joint panel formed by the Philippine National Police and PDEA "to discontinue their ongoing investigation," said Palace spokesman Harry Roque.
"Nagdesisyon po ang ating Presidente na tanging NBI lang po ang mag-iimbestiga doon sa putukan na nangyari sa panig ng mga kapulisan at PDEA d'yan po sa Quezon City," he said in a video message sent to reporters.
"This is to ensure impartiality on the Quezon City shootout incident," he added in a statement.
The NBI's legal mandate is to "investigate particularly where men in uniform are involved," Roque said.
MANDATORY JABS FOR TROOPS LEGAL – SENATORS
MANILA — The mandatory vaccination of soldiers is legal and not a violation of the Constitution, senators said yesterday.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III issued the statement after Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo announced that all military personnel and their dependents are to be inoculated with CoronaVac, the vaccine developed by Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech.
More than 600,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive tomorrow.
Drilon, a former justice secretary, said the mandatory inoculation of soldiers can be justified as a valid and reasonable exercise of police power to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the people.
“The general welfare clause also provides sufficient authority to the State to implement measures for the ‘maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty and property, and promotion of the general welfare’,” Drilon said.
The state may also interfere in personal liberty to promote the general welfare as long as the interference is reasonable and not arbitrary, he said.
LTO ISSUES ORDER STOPPING MVIS FOR REGISTRATION
MANILA — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has issued an order stopping the private motor vehicle inspection system or MVIS as a requirement for car registration.
In a memorandum issued by the LTO, the mandatory vehicle testing by private motor vehicle inspection centers (PMVICs) will be discontinued.
This means that motorists can choose between the new system and the old system, which only requires visual inspection and emission test.
Inspection fees for PMVICs were also reduced to match the rate of the current emission testing.
From P1,500 to P1,800 in inspection fees charged by PMVICs, the amount is reduced to P300 for vehicles for hire, P500 for motorcycles and P600 for other covered vehicles.
Sen. Grace Poe criticized the LTO, saying the agency has yet to formalize Malacañang’s order that would make private motor vehicle inspections optional.
The Department of Transportation denied the allegation, saying the memorandum was issued on Feb. 11.
Although LTO chief Edgar Galvante signed the memorandum on that date, the order was only published at the UP Law Center on Feb. 22.
Following public outrage over the new system, the government was forced to revoke the new requirement for private motor vehicle inspections.
Lawmakers sought the suspension of the private MVIS, saying it is unconstitutional and may become a source of corruption.
Some motorists alleged they were charged many times for failing the vehicle inspection even after passing the roadworthiness tests.
Malacañang issued the directive to revoke the new requirement, saying it did not want to put additional burden on motorists amid the pandemic.
MORE VOLCANIC QUAKES RECORDED AROUND TAAL
MANILA — More volcanic earthquakes were recorded around Taal Volcano in Batangas in the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported yesterday.
Phivolcs said 113 volcanic quakes occurred between 8 a.m. on Thursday and 8 a.m. yesterday, which lasted for one to 34 minutes.
On Thursday, 69 volcanic quakes that lasted for one minute to more than an hour were recorded.
Phivolcs maintained the Alert Level 1 status of Taal, which means that it is in “abnormal condition.”
The agency reiterated its warning against entering the Taal Volcano Island, a permanent danger zone, saying sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic quakes, ashfall and lethal accumulation or expulsion of volcanic gas could occur.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
DEREK RAMSAY, ELLEN ADARNA ADMIT BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP
MANILA—After weeks of speculation, Derek Ramsay and Ellen Adarna on Friday acknowledged that they are in a relationship.
In an exclusive interview on Pep.ph, the two acknowledged they have been dating for a month.
"May relasyon kami, oo," Ramsay told Pep.
Earlier in the day, the two posted couple photos on their respective Instagram accounts at almost the same time
In the comment sections, Ramsay also admitted that he has a crush on Adarna.
Their admission came days after they posted sweet photos together.
Ramsay, 44, and Adarna, 32, first stirred rumors of a brewing romance in January, when photos of them getting cozy at a dinner party hosted by the actor went viral on social media.
While they denied having romantic ties at the time, their relationship appears to have progressed from mere friendship in the past month, having spent at least two vacations together within that period. Notably, Ramsay has been spending time, too, with Adarna’s son Elias.
SPORTS
NBA SCORES FEB 25
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Mavericks 15-16 22 21 25 29 97
76ers 22-11 23 36 27 25 111
SCORING LEADERS
L. Doncic DAL
19 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST
J. Embiid PHI
23 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Magic 13-20 28 19 25 20 92
Nets 22-12 24 41 27 37 129
SCORING LEADERS
N. Vucevic ORL
28 PTS, 12 REB, 2 AST
K. Irving BKN
27 PTS, 5 REB, 9 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Kings 12-20 29 33 32 27 121
Knicks 16-17 38 39 24 39 140
SCORING LEADERS
D. Fox SAC
29 PTS, 4 REB, 11 AST
I. Quickley NY
25 PTS, 1 REB, 3 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Clippers 23-11 27 26 22 19 94
Grizzlies 14-14 24 37 28 33 122
SCORING LEADERS
K. Leonard LAC
17 PTS, 5 REB, 7 AST
T. Jones MEM
20 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Wizards 12-18 26 30 32 24 112
Nuggets 17-15 22 32 34 22 110
SCORING LEADERS
B. Beal WAS
33 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST
J. Murray DEN
34 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Pelicans 14-18 31 37 35 22 125
Bucks 20-13 35 34 34 26 129
SCORING LEADERS
Z. Williamson NO
34 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST
G. Antetokounmpo MIL
38 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST
INDICATORS
FOREX $1 = P 48.59
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. - Upton Sinclair
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