1 MILLION MORE SINOVAC COVID-19 SHOTS TO ARRIVE IN PH SUNDAY

MANILA — Another batch of 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from China's Sinovac is set to arrive in Manila on Sunday, boosting the country's supply amid efforts to speed up inoculations.

Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana shared on Facebook photos of the shipment being prepared and checked by a Philippine embassy team.

"The first shipment for the month of June of one million doses of Sinovac vaccines is scheduled to arrive in Manila on Sunday, June 6," he said in a post Friday.

"These photos show the shipment being prepared & inspected by the Philippine Embassy team of First Secretary Winston Almeda & Attaché Dada Aromin in a refrigerated warehouse in Daxing, Beijing," he said.

He added that "more shipments are planned in the following weeks."

The fresh batch of Sinovac jabs, procured by the Department of Health, raises to 6.5 million the total number of shots from the Chinese brand.

Of this total, 1 million doses were donated by the Chinese government and the rest were procured.

ROBREDO SAYS NO DECISION YET TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR, STILL OPEN TO PRESIDENCY

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo said Friday that she has not yet decided to run for governor and that she remains open to run for president.

“Wala pang desisyon na ako'y tatakbong gobernador. Nananatili akong bukas na maging kandidato sa pagka-pangulo,” Robredo said on her personal Facebook account.

Her statement comes in the heels of a report by The STAR quoting former Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya saying that she will run for Camarines Sur governor and that she has transferred her voter’s registration to Magarao town.

While Robredo did not address in her statement if she had transferred her voter’s registration, she did say that there are still a lot of things to consider before she makes a decision on her plans for next year’s polls.

“Sinisiguro ko sa lahat na ipapaalam ko kung may narating nang desisyon,” Robredo said.

Robredo has expressed inclination toward running for a local position, but has remained open to gunning for the presidency.

It’s not the first time that a politician announced Robredo’s supposed plan to run for Camarines Sur governor.

Robredo’s camp disputed last month a statement by former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV that the vice president is gearing for a gubernatorial run.

Trillanes said that he will try to get the endorsement of opposition coalition 1Sambayan to run for president in the event that Robredo does not gun for the top post.

LORENZANA WELCOMES UK CARRIER’S VOYAGE TO SOUTH CHINA SEA

MANILA — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has welcomed the United Kingdom’s decision to field its Carrier Strike Group to the South China Sea and the expected port visit to Manila of one of the strike group’s component ships.

Speaking with British Ambassador Daniel Pruce in an online telephone conference last Wednesday, he said such a voyage will demonstrate freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Lorenzana said this will also promote closer bilateral relations between the Philippines and the UK as he shared ongoing efforts in the Philippines to raise understanding and build capacity in dealing with the situation in the South China Sea.

Pruce, on the other hand, reiterated the British position on the issue of conflicting claims in the South China Sea, emphasizing that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) must take precedence.

He also assured Lorenzana of the UK’s readiness to provide support in related capacity-building efforts to the Philippines.

Lorenzana and Pruce took up other matters concerning Philippines-UK defense cooperation, such as acquisition projects, counterterrorism and the establishment of a resident defense attaché post in the territory of the other as the Philippines and the United Kingdom will be convening the 2nd Joint Defense Committee (JDC) Meeting in June 2021.

Both officials likewise exchanged updates on the vaccine rollout, challenges encountered, as well as other developments regarding the COVID-19 situation in the Philippines and the UK.

Lorenzana, during the call, expressed his appreciation to the ambassador and recognized the UK’s role in the delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and Japan have agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations and defense cooperation and address issues affecting both nations.

Lorenzana and Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi met via video teleconference on Wednesday to discuss bilateral defense relations and regional security concerns.

NBI, BPI FILE RAPS VS EX-WIRECARD EXEC, EX-DOTR LAWYER IN $2.1-B SCANDAL

MANILA — Almost a year since the multibillion-dollar Wirecard scandal broke out, Philippine authorities are finally taking the first step to prosecute those behind the international controversy that led to the closure of the Munich-based payment processor and financial services provider.

The Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Manila-based Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) on May 31 filed a complaint against former Wirecard COO Jan Marsalek, former Philippine Transportation department lawyer Mark Kristopher Tolentino and several other persons, the Justice department’s Office of the Prosecutor General said in a statement Friday.

Marsalek, an Austrian citizen and Wirecard’s former number 2 official, has been tagged as the mastermind behind the global fraudulent accounting scheme discovered when the company’s auditor spotted 1.9 billion euros or 2.1 billion US dollars in missing funds, thought to be deposited in bank accounts in East Asia.

But the Philippine central bank denied the funds entered the Philippine banking system and 2 Philippine banks — BPI and BDO — denied having the funds in their possession, nor of having business ties with Wirecard.

BPI and BDO have since terminated “rogue” employees.

Tolentino, on the other hand, surfaced in June last year to deny he served as trustee to the missing funds, claiming he was only asked to open 6 Euro bank accounts for his client, Wirecard, under his law firm M.K Tolentino Law Office.

Tolentino, who had earlier been fired as assistant secretary from the Transportation department over alleged improper dealings in connection with the Mindanao railway project, said that with respect to Wirecard, he was a victim of frame-up and identity theft.

Also included in the raps were Joey Dela Cruz Arrellano alias Joey Cruz Arellano and Judith Singayan Pe as well as several other unidentified persons, whose participation in the scandal were not indicated in the press statement.

The complaint filed before the Department of Justice was for falsifying commercial documents such as bank certifications, making false entries in bank reports or statements, among other computer-related offenses under the Cybercrime Prevention Act on confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems.

The complaint also alleged possible violations under the Revised Penal Code, the General Banking Act, the New Central Bank Act, and the Electronic Commerce Act over hacking or authorized access into a computer system or server.

PNP: FEWER ABUSES WITH BODY CAMERAS

MANILA — Police officers started using body-worn cameras in law enforcement operations yesterday, a development that Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said will reduce human rights abuses committed by PNP personnel.

Eleazar led the launching of the PNP’s body-worn camera system at Camp Crame, wherein he discussed details about the program. He said it was first proposed in 2016 when Sen. Ronald dela Rosa was PNP chief, in response to reports of abuses committed by police officers implementing President Duterte’s war on drugs.

“These abuses are few, but this is what we want to happen – for these few to not happen,” Eleazar said in a news briefing.

The 2,696 body cameras, worth at least P288 million, were distributed to 171 police units in Metro Manila, including 38 police stations. Each unit received 16 body cameras.

Initially, the PNP wanted to train 8,088 police officers on the proper use of the body cameras, but due to restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, only 623 or about 7.7 percent completed training.

ISKO: GOVERNMENT POSITIONS NOT INHERITED IN DEMOCRACY

MANILA — There’s no way he will support a presidential candidate from any political dynasty, as the presidency in a democracy should not be “inherited,” Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said yesterday.

“I don’t believe a government position is inherited in a democratic government. In a democracy, the people make the choice,” Moreno said in an interview with “Headstart” on ANC.

His declaration came after presidential spokesman Harry Roque announced that the Manila mayor is one of the politicians being eyed as administration standard-bearer in the 2022 elections.

Opposition coalition 1Sambayan also has Moreno in its shortlist of possible presidential candidates.

“I don’t want to preempt the people in choosing their leader but I hope they will not be called stupid later on,” Moreno said when asked if another Duterte would be good for the country.

Moreno stressed he is not bound to support any presidential candidate coming from a political dynasty.

He admitted he’s “definitely” running – but not necessarily for president. “If I am going to run, I will try to make sure to unify everybody, whatever colors they have,” Moreno said.

“I am busy being mayor. I have an obligation in Manila. I would rather focus on that until the last day that I decide and I am going to be fair with our people, I am going to be honest with our people. Whatever it is, that remains to be seen,” he said.

GALVEZ: 3 EXPERTS FROM ISRAEL TO SHARE COVID-19 VACCINATION LESSONS WITH PH

MANILA— Three medical experts from Israel will arrive in the Philippines in two weeks to share best practices on their vaccination program against the spread of COVID-19.

“This coming June 20 darating po ang tatlong eksperto ng Israel para turuan tayo kung paano ang maayos at masusing pag-vaccinate sa kanilang mamamayan,” vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said Saturday.

Galvez, in an interview on TeleRadyo, said the medical experts from Israel’s Ministry of Health will teach Filipino health workers how to deploy and handle sensitive vaccines like those from Pfizer and Moderna.

“'Yung mga experts na ito magtuturo ng kanilang kaalaman para makabalik sa new normal ang buhay natin,” he said.

“Nakita natin ang Israel po talagang sa ngayon hindi na nagma-mask so kukunin po natin ang mga ganyang lessons po sa kanila,” he said.

As of June 2, the Philippines has fully vaccinated 1,293,750 million people or 2.23 percent of its total population, according to data sourced from government and compiled by the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group.

FACEBOOK TO HOLD POLITICIANS ACCOUNTABLE FOR DISINFORMATION

SAN FRANCISCO, United States — Facebook said it will no longer give politicians blanket immunity for deceptive or abusive content based on their comments being newsworthy.

At the end of Trump's two-year ban, Facebook will enlist experts to assess whether his activity on the platform still threatens public safety, according to Clegg.

"If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded," Clegg said.

When Trump's suspension is lifted, he will face strict sanctions that could rapidly escalate to permanent removal for rule-breaking, according to Clegg.

Last month, the independent oversight board said Facebook was justified in ousting Trump for his comments regarding the deadly January 6 rampage at the US Capitol but that the platform should not have applied an "indeterminate and standardless penalty of indefinite suspension."

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QUARANTINE TIGHTENED IN AREAS OUTSIDE NCR

MANILA — With COVID cases surging outside the National Capital Region, quarantine restrictions have been tightened in the cities of Davao and Cagayan de Oro, and experts are calling for similar moves in other areas outside the NCR.

“While the situation in NCR is normalizing, surges all over the country now exist and they threaten the health capacity of many regions,” warned OCTA Research Group fellow Ranjit Rye during an online forum organized by the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

Citing the case of Davao City, Rye welcomed the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to approve the request of the city government to revert to the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio requested the IATF last Monday to place Davao City under MECQ status until June 30, citing how the daily average of COVID-19 infections increased to 200 cases.

She said COVID-19 patients admitted at the Southern Philippines Medical Center, temporary treatment monitoring facilities and isolation facilities reached 1,665 as of May 31.

Yesterday, the IATF announced that its Screening and Validation Committee decided on approving the city’s reclassification to MECQ starting today until June 20.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said an extension beyond June 20 will be subject to review by the IATF “about two weeks from now.”

PAGASA DECLARES START OF RAINY SEASON

MANILA — The state weather bureau officially declared yesterday the start of the rainy season in the western section of the country, including Metro Manila.

Vicente Malano, administrator of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), noted the occurrence of widespread rains in monitored stations in the past five days and the prevalence of the southwest monsoon.

He said intermittent rains, associated with the southwest monsoon, will continue to affect Metro Manila and the western section of the country, which are under Type 1 climate or those with distinct dry and wet seasons.

Malano also advised the public to brace for above normal rains in the next two months.

“The probability of near to above normal rainfall conditions is high in the next two months,” he said.

However, he said breaks in rainfall events, also known as monsoon breaks, may still occur and last for several days or weeks.

The southwest monsoon was triggered by the passage of Tropical Storm Dante in the country. PAGASA said one to three cyclones are expected to enter the country this month, and two to four in July.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

RABIYA MATEO’S BOYFRIEND CONFIRMS BREAKUP WITH BEAUTY QUEEN

The Long-time boyfriend of reigning Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo, Neil Salvacion, has finally broken his silence, admitting that they have broken up amid persistent rumors about their relationship.

In an Instagram story, Salvacion revealed that he and Mateo are not together anymore.

“The real thing is, we’re not together anymore, but we’re both okay, moving forward, we talked and we’re both happy with our own lives,” he said.

This came after Mateo admitted in an interview with Boy Abunda that she is in a "complicated situation" with Salvacion, adding that she hopes to resolve it when she returns home.

Netizens also noticed that they are not following each other anymore on Instagram which further intensified rumors.

Salvacion also lamented how people spread rumors without knowing the real story.

He also defended himself and Rabiya since the issue surfaced on social media.

“We don’t deserve all the negativities manifested towards us, especially towards Rab, she worked hard to achieve whatever she has right now, and she (deserves) it all,” Salvacion continued.

“It’s NEVER okay to degrade a person just to prove a point, I mean, if you have nothing good to say, It’s better to keep it within yourself,” he added.

“It doesn’t cost a cent to be kind guys, let’s spread kindness and be respectful towards each other, may it be through thoughts, words or deeds,” Salvacion concluded.

The Filipina beauty queen is still in the United States, weeks after finishing in the Top 21 of the 69th Miss Universe pageant.

Rumors of the breakup came after fans noticed that Salvacion deleted all of his photos of and with Mateo on his Instagram page.

Around the same time, Mateo was spotted in the US with former "Pinoy Big Brother" housemate Andre Brouillette, fueling rumors of a budding romance.

The beauty queen later said that there is "no malice" in her photos with Brouillette, pointing out they only got to meet each other thrice.

SPORTS

SKATER MARGIELYN DIDAL EARNS OLYMPIC BERTH WITH 13TH PLACE FINISH IN WORLD FINALS

MANILA— Filipino skater Margielyn Didal has earned a slot to the Tokyo Olympics after ranking 13th in the World Skate Championships in Rome, Italy, the Skateboarding Association of the Philippines (SAP) said early Saturday.

SAP made the announcement ahead of the conclusion of the Rome finals, when an official announcement of qualified skaters will be made.

"The official announcement of qualified skaters will only be released after the World Championships Finals in Rome, but Skate Pilipinas would like to be the first to announce that our very own @margielyndidal has earned a slot for the Tokyo Olympics. Congratulations Margie! Mabuhay ka Margie!" SAP said in an Instagram post.

Didal's finish keeps her in the running by making the Top 16 cutoff.

The 22-year-old Cebuana skater's placement will make her the 10th Filipino to compete in the quadrennial games, where skateboarding is making its debut this year.

Filipino athletes who earlier qualified for the Olympics are weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, boxers Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, gymnast Caloy Yulo, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, taekwondo Jin Kurt Barbosa, and rower Cris Nievarez.

Didal, who won gold in the women's street events in the Asiad in 2018 and in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, is currently ranked 14th in the world.

The Tokyo Olympics is set to push through in July following postponement last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NBA SCORES JUNE 3

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

3 Nuggets4-2    29        32        37        28        126

6 Trail Blazers2-4          33        35        33        14        115

GAME 6: DEN LEADS 4-2, MODA CENTER AT THE ROSE QUARTER, PORTLAND, OR

SCORING LEADERS

N. Jokic DEN

36 PTS 8 REB 6 AST

D. Lillard POR

28 PTS 4 REB 13 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

2 Suns4-2         36        26        27        24        113

7 Lakers2-4      14        27        35        24        100

GAME 6: PHO LEADS 4-2, STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CA

SCORING LEADERS

D. Booker PHO

47 PTS 11 REB 3 AST

L. James LAL

29 PTS 9 REB 7 AST

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 47.75

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To love is to admire with the heart; to admire is to love with the mind. - Theophole Gautier