DUTERTE SEES XI AS 'PERSONAL PROTECTOR' VS MUTINY - CARPIO

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte sides with China because he thinks of Chinese President Xi Jinping as his personal protector, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Monday.

Asked what he makes of Duterte's recent statements on the West Philippine Sea which run contrast to the strong stance taken by at least 2 of his Cabinet secretaries, Carpio cited a previous statement by the President, that the Chinese leader will "protect" him if there's a mutiny or a coup d'etat.

"I think that is what’s behind his mind, that President Xi Jinping is his personal protector against his own military if there is a coup d’etat, so he will side, whenever possible, with China against the Philippine interest and we see that every day," Carpio told ANC's Headstart.

Duterte in 2018 said he was assured by Xi that he would be protected against ouster moves, quoting him as saying, "We will not allow you to be taken out from your office, and we will not allow the Philippines to go to the dogs."

The statement came in the early years of blooming ties between Manila and Beijing during the Duterte administration after being frozen under the previous leadership, which initiated legal action against China.

Carpio said he thinks Duterte "honestly believes" that China is in possession of the West Philippine Sea, that's why he has mentioned this repeatedly and even before an international summit.

"When you say that before an international conference, that’s binding on us," he said.

He said while this could be considered "betrayal of public trust, betrayal of national interest," impeachment is a "numbers game" and Duterte currently has control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

"It will never prosper. That’s a problem because there is a failure in the checking mechanism. Congress should check the President, but Congress is not doing its job," he said.

DUTERTE ABANDONMENT OF ARBITRAL WIN 'DANGEROUS', BINDING IF CHINA AGREES: CARPIO

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte's statement that the Philippines' arbitral victory over China is a mere "scrap of paper" is dangerous because it is considered binding when uttered by a head of state, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned Monday.

Carpio said there is a principle in international law, which says a country is bound by the statements of its president if these are accepted by the other country.

This means then, that China can later say the Philippines has abandoned its claim on territories in the West Philippine Sea following Duterte's statements, he said.

"The head of state like the President if he makes a statement adverse to his nation on an ongoing dispute, that statement binds his nation if accepted by the other country. So when President Duterte said that award is just a scrap of paper, I will throw it to the wastebasket, that can be deemed an abandonment and if China agrees...China will later say: 'You already abandoned it,'" Carpio said in an interview on ANC's Headstart.

"The Filipino people must demand that President Duterte must retract all these statements. He must retract. All of us must come out with manifestos, position papers; all organizations, all schools must come out with resolutions," he added.

One statement that Duterte must take back is that China is in possession of the West Philippine Sea, because "physically, China is not in possession, legally, China is not in possession," said Carpio.

"If he says that, what happens to our fishermen? What happens to the service contractors? They will not get the gas," he said.

He added, "China is not even claiming that it is in possession of the West Philippine Sea."

"Why will the President concede something that China is not even claiming? When the President says that, it sends a signal to the service contractors: They are in danger if they go to the West Philippine Sea. It sends a signal to our fishermen: Their lives are in danger," he said.

The second statement Duterte should retract is that the arbitral award is a mere scrap of paper that he wants to throw into a waste basket, the former magistrate said. Duterte was "siding with China" in this statement, and China can use this against the Philippines in the future, he said.

Third, Duterte should also stop allowing the Chinese from fishing within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, said Carpio. He said the Constitution mandated that resources within this zone are for the exclusive use of the Filipinos.

Duterte last month said he was "not so much interested now in fishing," but he will "act on it" if China drills oil, or excavates nickel and precious stones from the area.

He also pointed out that the total value of fish taken from the entire South China Sea is estimated at $22 billion a year. If "at the minimum," 10 percent of that came from the West Philippine Sea, the $2.2 billion is "a lot of money for our fishermen."

Asked if ordinary citizens can take the matter of retraction before the Supreme Court, Carpio said: "Yes, we can, but I think better for him to just withdraw."

'A TRAGEDY': DUTERTE SQUANDERING PHILIPPINES' HUGE SEA ROW VICTORY VS CHINA - EX-ENVOY

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte is squandering the country's landmark victory against China in the West Philippine Sea, a former ambassador to the United States said Monday.

Former Philippine ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr. said the President's statement that the arbitration victory is just a piece of paper is undermining the country's claim to the resource-rich waters.

"It is correct to say that his statements can have an adverse impact on our own position especially when he says that the arbitral ruling is just a piece of paper," he told ANC.

"He's actually squandering the huge victory we had over China and it's a tragedy he's taken that position."

Cuisia also maintained it was the Chinese government who reneged on the deal to withdraw all ships on both sides from the Scarborough Shoal in 2012.

US assistant secretary of state Kurt Campbell brokered the agreement with China but Beijing did not hold up its side of the agreement.

"We can't be sure. We have no guarantees but with the situation as it was, I said that we practically have no choice but to try this just to ease the tension and to avoid a possible violent clash in Scarborough Shoal," Cuisia said.

"They did agree. We would not have proceeded if they didn't agree. So, clearly China breached the agreement."

DOH TO FILE EMERGENCY USE APPLICATION FOR SINOPHARM: CHIEF

MANILA - The Department of Health will file Monday its application seeking an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine, its chief said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said he has ordered his agency to seek an EUA for the Chinese jab so that the country won't have to return a batch of donations from Beijing.

President Rodrigo Duterte was inoculated with the brand last week and received backlash for using a vaccine without an EUA.

"Ngayong umaga ang DOH mag-aaply ng EUA sa FDA (Food and Drug Administration) para sa Sinopharm dahil meron na tayong emergency use listing ng WHO (World Health Organization)," Duque told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

LOCAL EXECS FACE RAPS FOR MASS GATHERINGS

MANILA — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has warned local chief executives that they will be held liable for violations of minimum health protocols such as mass gatherings in their jurisdictions.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said local chief executives or LCEs may face sanctions for dereliction of duty if they fail to strictly impose quarantine guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

“An administrative complaint or a criminal case may be filed against delinquent LCEs. The DILG does not want to reach that point so, hopefully, LGUs (local government units) can properly uphold the policies on mass gatherings according to the quarantine classification in their areas,” Año said in a mix of Filipino and English in a statement.

The DILG said any violation of IATF guidelines may lead to charges based on Article 208 of the Revised Penal Code, or administrative sanctions under the local government code.

Año said LGUs should exercise their power of supervision over component units to impose sanctions against erring officials.

DILG: AYUDA DISTRIBUTION AT 81%

MANILA — An estimated 81 percent of the P22.9 billion in lockdown assistance has been paid out to beneficiaries in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus bubble, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said P18.6 billion or 80.95 percent of the total amount was already given to qualified beneficiaries in the NCR and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, a week before the May 15 deadline.

He remains confident that all local government units will meet the deadline despite the challenges in the distribution.

“Some of the reasons that LGUs have not yet completed their ayuda distribution are the huge number of beneficiaries, the big number of appeals that are undergoing deliberation, the tedious and lengthy process of partnering with banks and remittance centers for payout for those doing electronic distribution, and the difficulty of mobilizing personnel in this time of pandemic,” he pointed out in a statement over the weekend.

‘LEGAL ISSUES BAR ISRAEL FROM SHARING EXCESS VACCINES WITH PHILIPPINES’

MANILA — Legal issues prevent Israel from sharing its excess COVID-19 vaccines with the Philippines and 19 other countries that made a similar request, Israeli Ambassador Rafael Harpaz said over the weekend.

In an interview with The STAR, Harpaz said Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. had asked him if Israel has excess vaccines that can be shared with the Philippines.

He said the request is not unique and that the Philippines is “very high on the list” of at least 20 countries that had approached Israel for excess vaccines, but legal issues exist.

“From what I understand from Israel, our existing agreements with the pharmaceutical companies are not allowing us to give it to a third party,” Harpaz said. “But the moment it will have a green light we will give. Definitely the Philippines would be high on the list.”

The ambassador said the agreement Israel signed does not also allow the vaccines to be brought out of the country. “That’s why we brought our diplomats to Israel. We couldn’t bring the vaccines to them, you can’t send them out,” he said.

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PHILIPPINES' COVID-19 TALLY BREACHES 1.1 MILLION WITH OVER 7,000 NEW CASES

MANILA - The Philippines confirmed 7,174 new cases of the disease on Sunday bringing the country’s total to 1,101,990.

The Department of Health meanwhile also reported 9,197 new recoveries, pushing the total number of Filipinos who recovered from the disease to 1,022,224.

This means that the country has a total of 61,294 active cases as of 4 p.m. Sunday. This was the lowest number of active cases since March 16.

Two hundred four more deaths were reported from the illness, bringing COVID-19’s death toll in the Philippines to 18,472. This was the highest number of recorded deaths per day since April 12 this year. Of the day’s total, 149 were previously tagged as recoveries.

PH ALLOWS PERSONS AGED 15-17, ABOVE 65 TO GO OUT AND REGISTER FOR NATIONAL ID

MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said the national government has allowed Filipinos aged between 15 and 17-years old, and those above 65-years old to go out so that they can join the Philippine national ID program.

The Philippines earlier banned minors and elderly people from going to public places to curb the spread of COVID-19.

"Lalabas lang po ang mga edad na ito para sa pagpaparehistro para sa Philippine ID system and not for any reason," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online press briefing.

DILG WARNS LGUS VS FAKE PFIZER VACCINES

MANILA — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has issued an advisory warning the public of fake Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines in the global market.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that local government units (LGUs) and the public should be cautious about sourcing their vaccines to ensure that they get only genuine and safe vaccines.

“While there is no information yet on the presence of the fake vaccines in the country, LGUs should exercise increased diligence as these fake vaccines may be dangerous to the health of those who get inoculated,” Año said in a statement.

“Now that COVID cases have gone up, what we need is protection against this disease and not another problem that fake vaccines can bring,” he added in Filipino.

Año has directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to investigate and confiscate any fake COVID-19 vaccines that may have entered the country.

PAGASA TO PUBLIC: STAY INDOORS, AS HEAT INDEX COULD REACH 38 CELSIUS

MANILA—The public is advised to stay hydrated and remain indoors as much as possible, as the heat index could soar to 38 degrees Celsius, the state weather bureau said Monday.

Metro Manila on Sunday tallied a maximum temperature of 34.8 degrees Celsius but the public could experience between 36 to 38 degrees Celsius heat index, said PAGASA weather forecaster Chris Perez.

PAGASA defines heat index as human discomfort index that gives the "apparent" temperature, or what humans perceive or feel as the temperature affecting their body.

"As much as possible stay indoors kung wala pong mahalagang gagawin sa labas ng bahay (if you don't have anything important to do outdoors)," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

"Kung kailangan pong lumabas ng bahay, from time to time sumilong po at ugaliing uminom ng tubig to keep themselves hydrated."

The public will feel the highest temperature between noon to 3 p.m., Monday, according to Perez.

The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Mimaropa, Visayas, and Mindanao, and MIMAROPA, Perez said.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience to cloudy skies with isolated rains due to easterlies or localized thunderstorms, he added.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

PINOY, ASIAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS UNITE IN ALBUM AGAINST ASIAN HATE CRIME

MANILA - Filipino artists Dante Basco and AJ Rafael have joined other Asian-American musicians in a milestone album called “Face Value” that addresses Asian hate crime.

The 15-track collection, spearheaded by Asian-American rappers Jason Chu and Alan Z, will be released this Friday in conjunction with the celebration of the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month this May.

The group had initially dropped online the stirring rap song “Model Minority,” performed by Basco with Chu, Alan Z, and Indian-American singer Neela.

Composed by Anne One with Basco, Chu, and Alan Z, “Model Minority's" lyrics have references to the criminal attacks against Filipino-American Noel Quintana, who survived an ear to ear face slashing attack in a New York subway last February; and Thai-American Vicha Ratanapakdee, a victim of an assault in San Francisco earlier this year.

The song, which also focuses on the long struggle of Asian-Americans in the United States, also has Basco, who has attained success in Hollywood movie mainstream (as actor in “Hook,” “The Debut,” “Take the Lead” and as voice talent in “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” among others) mouthing a meaningful rap portion, to wit: “And just some of us have found success does not mean we don’t know we are oppressed... we are America and we’ll never be again invisible.”

“Our pain and power are grounded in 170+ years of oppression and solidarity. We have to look back and know our history so we can move forward,” said Chu in a virtual conference Sunday from

the United States, also citing the sacrifice of Asian immigrants in building American society, like the Filipino “manongs” who fought for equal minimum wages in the last century.

“It was a four-month process digging the history and evolution of Asian migration,” Chu said. “And along the way we found a strong vibrant community of Asian-American artists.”

“It’s great to have several nationalities of Asian descent coming together for this advocacy," said Alan. “Dante Basco, AJ Rafael, and the Filipino community have shown so much love for this project!”

Coincidentally, Basco had just directed the widely acclaimed comedy “The Fabulous Filipino Brothers." Set in their hometown in California, it’s a collaboration with his siblings Darion Basco, Arianna Basco, Dionysio Basco, and Derek Basco about the dynamics of Filipino-American family life in the US.

A former "American Idol" contender in 2008, Rafael has emerged as a hit songwriter, online sensation and host-producer of the virtual show, “Crazy Talented Asians."

“Face Value” features artists and other prominent voices from the diverse Asian-American community including actor Ronny Chieng ("Crazy Rich Asians," "The Daily Show"), rappers Chow Mane and Ruby Ibarra, WWE star Zeda Zhang, actor Bee Vang, singer-rapper Sirena Yang, and other artists like Htet, Jamel "MC Tingbudong" Mims, and comedian Wise Bexley.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES MAY 8

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Pistons20-48     17        26        30        31        104

76ers47-21       34        22        33        29        118

SCORING LEADERS

S. Bey DET

14 PTS 7 REBJ. Embiid PHI

29 PTS 6 REB 1 AST

FINAL/OT

1          2          3          4          OT       T

Wizards32-36    33        30        29        32        9          133

Pacers31-36     32        30        39        23        8          132

SCORING LEADERS

B. Beal WAS

50 PTS 5 REB 1 AST

C. LeVert IND

35 PTS 14 REB 8 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Grizzlies34-33   26        21        34        28        109

Raptors27-41    26        20        26        27        99

SCORING LEADERS

            J. Jackson Jr. MEM

20 PTS 4 REB 2 AST

            G. Trent Jr. TOR

18 PTS 6 REB 1 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Nets44-24         24        32        41        28        125

Nuggets44-24   37        34        33        15        119

SCORING LEADERS

K. Durant BKN

33 PTS 11 REB 7 AST

N. Jokic DEN

29 PTS 7 REB 6 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Rockets16-52    32        28        23        33        116

Jazz50-18         32        34        30        28        124

SCORING LEADERS

            K. Martin Jr. HOU

27 PTS 10 REB 2 AST

            G. Niang UTA

24 PTS 2 REB 2 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Thunder21-47   25        23        19        30        97

Warriors35-33   37        36        33        30        136

SCORING LEADERS

            S. Mykhailiuk OKC

17 PTS 4 REB 2 AST

            S. Curry GS

49 PTS 5 REB 2 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Spurs32-35       26        21        28        27        102

Trail Blazers39-29         27        30        33        34        124

SCORING LEADERS

            D. DeRozan SA

20 PTS 2 REB 4 AST

            D. Lillard POR

30 PTS 4 REB 8 AST

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The events of life are mainly small events - they only seem large when we are close to them. - Mark Twain