PHILIPPINES, RUSSIA VOW TO BOOST TIES

MANILA — The Philippines and Russia vowed to strengthen bilateral ties as they exchanged greetings for their respective national holidays over the weekend.

Greeting the Philippines on Saturday’s 123rd Independence Day celebration, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote to President Duterte and reaffirmed how the relationship between both nations have been “traditionally friendly.”

“I am confident that by joining efforts, we will secure further development of constructive bilateral dialogue, fruitful cooperation in different fields, as well as partnership to respond to the pressing international challenges,” Putin said in the letter released by Malacañang to media.

“It fully meets the interests of our two nations and goes in line with strengthening security and stability in the Asia-Pacific Region. I sincerely wish you good health and every success, and to the people of the Philippines well-being and prosperity,” he added.

Earlier that day, Malacañang made public Duterte’s message for the celebration of Russia Day.

“I warmly congratulate Your Excellency and the people of the Russian Federation on the occasion of Russia Day. On this day of national unity and celebration, let me convey the Filipino people’s best wishes for the continued success and prosperity of your great nation,” Duterte said.

“I am confident that our strong relations will continue to thrive in the years ahead as we deepen cooperation in more areas of mutual interest, including in our common fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

Duterte noted that the Philippines and Russia marked 45 years of “warm and fruitful ties” this year.

“It was my great pleasure to have commemorated this special milestone with Your Excellency on the 2nd of June,” he added.

A Malacañang statement issued after the teleconference said Putin has vowed to increase the volume of deliveries of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines.

AIR FORCE FLIES OVER PHILIPPINE RISE WITH ESPERON

MANILA — Celebrating 123 years of the country’s independence, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. led the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in a solidarity maritime patrol over the Philippine Rise on Saturday, with two fighter jets escorting his aircraft.

Aboard a C-295 plane, he was joined by Northern Luzon Command Commander Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Burgos and other members of the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea.

PAF Commanding General Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes, on the other hand, flew aboard one of the two FA-50 fighter jets that escorted Esperon’s group.

The flight mission flew over sovereignty buoys or markers in the Philippine Rise, the former Benham Rise in the eastern seaboard that was renamed five years ago.

PAF public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano said the ceremony commemorating the 123rd Philippine Independence Day and the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the renaming of the Philippine Rise was also held at Clark Air Base, Pampanga.

Mariano said escort missions – such as in maritime patrols – build confidence and assure the Filipino people that the PAF “will always be there to keep our airspace inviolable and safe for all of us.”

“The commemoration aims to promote marine conservation and to assert the country’s sovereign rights on the Philippine Rise, formerly known as the Benham Rise,” he said.

DUTERTE, DAUGHTER SARA UNLIKELY TO RUN UNDER ONE TICKET IN 2022 POLLS, SAYS LACSON

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio are unlikely to run together under one ticket in the 2022 elections, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Monday.

While having the pair elected to the 2 highest executive positions is "a possibility," Lacson said information reaching his office is that they would not be each other's running mate.

"Both of them running in the same slate, I don't think it will happen. The information that is reaching us is that Mayor Duterte is running under a different slate from that of Mayor Sara Duterte. It’s Sara and somebody else, and then somebody else and President Duterte," Lacson told ANC's Headstart.

"The possibility that both of them would be elected into office is there, but I don’t see the probability of them running together under one ticket," he said.

The elder Duterte has been formally urged by his political party, PDP-Laban, to run for vice president. However, he told Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy that he is "ready for retirement."

In the same interview, Duterte said he is discouraging his daughter Sara from seeking the presidency. Her name had been floated as a possible candidate, with at least one ally saying there was "no doubt" in his mind that she would run.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque also revealed that Duterte has listed Sara as one of his choices to be his successor in the 2022 elections.

Lacson said in a democracy, it is the electorate who decides who gets to sit in public office, but having 2 Dutertes in the highest positions in government can "definitely" be considered a dynasty.

However, he pointed out that while the Constitution bars political dynasties, there is no enabling law that defines this, "so it's not illegal per se."

"It’s unconstitutional but there’s no enabling law so we’re in a bind," he said.

SARA DUTERTE TO VP ROBREDO: REFRAIN FROM GIVING ADVICE IF YOU KNOW NOTHING

MANILA - Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday told Vice President Leni Robredo to refrain from "giving advice if she knows nothing about what is happening on the ground" after the latter pointed out that the President's hometown has an "alarming" number of COVID-19 cases.

President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter said Robredo should "avoid involving the COVID-19 surge in Davao City in her attempt at politicking."

"This has been the hallmark of her term as VP, where she puts forth comments on matters and affairs she lacks understanding and knowledge on and does not offer anything helpful to solve a problem," Duterte-Carpio said in a statement.

"There will be a proper time to attack my performance as an LCE (local chief executive) in this pandemic if she dares to run for President."

Robredo, in her weekly radio show, said Davao City could learn from Cebu City which has managed its COVID-19 surge.

"Makakatulong na tingnan kung anong ginawa sa Cebu. Kasi kung titingnan mo ngayon na nagsaspike na, sa Cebu parang controlled, ‘di ba? Parang controlled and marami ang ginawa—ang partnership doon, hindi lang talaga LGU (local government unit) pero very active doon ang medical community," she said.

"In fact noong pumunta kami, nakatrabaho talaga namin ang medical community, very, very active sila doon. So tingin ko ang mga lessons sa Cebu, ganoon din. Makakapulot ng aral ang Davao."

Aside from Davao City, Robredo also mentioned the cities of Bacolod City, Dumaguete, Tacloban, Iloilo, and Butuan as those with increasing number of coronavirus infections.

Duterte-Carpio, meantime, said Robredo "should not attack the medical community of Davao City as being inactive when they have been silently suffering and working tirelessly to help save lives since March of last year."

"She should open her eyes to the surge of cases in localities all around the world and she might be able to say that a surge in cases where 85% of the cases are asymptomatic is primarily identified by aggressive testing, coupled with tracing and isolation/quarantining," she said.

'THINGS CAN CHANGE': 1SAMBAYAN SAYS NOMINEES FOR 2022 STILL 'FLUID'

MANILA - Pro-democracy coalition 1Sambayan said Monday its nominees for the 2022 elections could still change, saying everything is still "fluid" until the filing of candidacy in October.

Lawyer Howard Calleja, one of the coalition's co-convenors, said they respect the "time of discernment" for the group's pool of possible candidates for president and vice president.

"I think what is clear is everything is fluid and open. When you say you are not interested or when you say there's no plans, but of course all of these can change tomorrow or next week. That's why we are saying we are giving them time. We respect the time of discernment," he told ANC's "Rundown".

"But again, we have to realize that the time of discernment is sometime on October 1 to 8, which is the filing of Comelec candidacy, should really be clear not only to us but to the Filipino people," he added.

While 1Sambayan is still broadening its coalition, Calleja noted that their nominees agreed to field only 1 candidate against the administration.

"We have a big field of individuals to choose from. We are broadening to all groups that's why we are asking things are fluid, things can change, things can add or can remain the same," he said.

GOV'T RELEASES 200,000 NATIONAL IDS; 35 MILLION PINOYS FINISH STEP 1

MANILA - The Philippine government has released 200,000 national ID cards to Filipino citizens with another 200,000 cards ready for delivery, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Monday.

Deputy National Statistician Rosalinda Bautista said a total of 35 million Filipinos have completed Step 1 of the registration process, which is done through house-to-house collection and through the PSA's PhilSys website.

Twelve million Filipinos have completed Step 2 or the collection of biometric information, she added. Step 3 is the delivery of the physical ID card and unique PhilSys number (PSN).

Bautista said Filipinos should not pick up their national IDs at the post office "because our contract states that it should be house to house delivery."

She added citizens who get their national IDs should not post photos of the IDs on social media.

AS PROSECUTOR'S TERM ENDS, 'DRUG WAR' VICTIMS' KIN PUSH FOR ICC PROBE

MANILA — Families of people who died in President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody “drug war” are making an urgent appeal to International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who ends her term of office on June 15.

Assisted by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, the families wrote to Bensouda and called for an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in the Philippines and the issuance of an warrant of arrest against Duterte. Bensouda's office is conducting an preliminary examination into allegations made against the Duterte administration to determine whether to go forward with an investigation.

Incoming prosecutor Karim Khan was also furnished a copy of the letter.

"We post that, relevant to the current stage of the preliminary examination at Phase Three, the most effective and most just remedy to crimes against humanity in the context of [Duterte’s] ‘war on drugs’ will be achieved in the trial against said Respondent before the [ICC],” they said.

They told the ICC prosecutor that an investigation would serve the interest of justice and allow witnesses as well as the victims' relatives to give their testimony.

Church-based and sectoral group Rise Up is one of the many that submitted communications to the international tribunal accusing Duterte and his officials of committing crimes against humanity.

They claimed that there is “no genuine and effective national investigation or prosecution of crimes committed in the Philippine ‘war on drugs.’”

PHILIPPINES RANKS 8TH AMONG 10 IN ASEAN VACCINE ROLLOUT

MANILA — The Philippines ranks eighth among 10 Southeast Asian nations in terms of vaccinating its whole population and second in vaccine deployment against COVID-19.

Data provided by international think tank Our World in Data this month showed that the Philippines has vaccinated only about 4.23 percent of its total population as of June 8, with 6.31 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered so far.

Singapore – the second least populated nation in the region – leads with 42.8 percent vaccinated, followed by Cambodia with 16.72 percent, and Brunei – the least populated country in the region – with 11.37. With an absolute growth of at least 11 percent since April, Brunei is already ahead of Laos, which has vaccinated 9.74 percent of its population.

In terms of doses administered the Philippines is second to Indonesia, which had deployed 31.2 million doses. The Philippines is trailed by Thailand with 5.67 million, Cambodia with 5.13 million, Singapore with 4.39 million, Malaysia with 4.1 million, Myanmar with 2.99 million, Vietnam with 1.41 million, Laos with 1.08 million and Brunei with 61,000.

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WITH ICUS FULL, GOV'T URGED TO RETAIN METRO MANILA'S GCQ WITH HEIGHTENED RESTRICTIONS

MANILA - A group of doctors on Monday urged government to defer the easing of quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila as they said intensive care units remain full.

Metro Manila and nearby provinces Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, or the NCR Plus, may shift to a looser general community quarantine status (GCQ) this week as COVID-19 figures in the area improve, Malacañang earlier said.

It would be better for the capital region to maintain its GCQ with heightened restrictions instead of reverting to a total lockdown when cases again surge, said Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians.

"Sa ngayon although mas kaunti siya kumpara sa mga kaso nung March o April, medyo madami-dami pa rin po ang mga pasyente nating nakikita lalo na sa ICU...Medyo marami kaming nakikitang severe to critical. We would expect ito po ay magtutuloy pa," she told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

"Kailangan siguro maghinay-hinay muna tayo, 'wag muna luwagan ang quarantine measure kasi mas mahirap po bumalik sa total lockdown."

Limpin also urged government to send assistance to provinces facing a surge of COVID-19 cases and to tighten local governments' borders.

"Ang kanilang ICU capacity napupuno na rin ho. Sila po ay humihingi na ng tulong sa'min," she said.

The Philippines on Sunday tallied 7,302 new cases of the COVID-19, bringing its total to 1,315,639. Of this figure, some 59,865 were active infections while 22,788 were fatalities.

GOKONGWEI GROUP, UNIONBANK PLAN TO LAUNCH OWN DIGITAL BANKS: BSP

MANILA - The Gokongwei Group and UnionBank of the Philippines have also applied for digital banking licenses under the new framework of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, BSP Gov. Benjamin Diokno said Monday.

Currently, Singapore-based UnoBank, neobank Tonik and the OF (Overseas Filipino) Bank have secured digital banking licenses from the BSP.

The BSP recently launched the digital bank category. It plans to approve just 5 licenses for the initial phase.

In an interview with ANC, Diokno said there were 4 more pending applications including one from the Gokongwei group and from UnionBank.

"We’re expediting the processing. We’re very excited about this because this is part of our digitalization program," he said.

The Gokongwei group has interests in real estate, airlines, food and beverage as well as brick and mortar banking, among others.

UnionBank, meanwhile, has been ramping up its digitalization efforts even before the pandemic.

Onboarding clients is easier and at least 80 percent cheaper with digital banking, Diokno said. Digital banks can also help the BSP achieve its digitalization goals, he added.

The BSP said it could reach its goal of digitalizing at least 50 percent of transactions and encourage 70 percent of Filipinos to own financial accounts by end of 2022.

FILIPINO PHOTOJOURNALIST MAKES PULITZER PRIZE FINALS

While the Philippines was making its mark in the sporting world with the triumphs of Yuka Saso, Alex Eala, and the Olympics-bound athletes, another Filipino was also quietly doing the country proud in the field of journalism.

Photojournalist Ezra Acayan made it to the roster of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize, becoming a finalist in the Feature Photography category of the prestigious award.

Acayan did this via his work with other Getty photographers in the coverage of the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Getty Images is one of the largest suppliers of stock images and editorial photography in the world.

The Pulitzer caps Acayan's stellar year having won the other "majors" in photography, including World Press Photo award (2021 Photo Contest 2nd Prize for Nature, Stories), the US National Press Photographers Association (3rd place in the Breaking News Story category), the Pictures of the Year International (Singles and Picture Story of the Science and Natural History category) and Pictures of the Year Asia (Photographer of the Year).

Acayan said it was "incredible news and one of the biggest honors of my life and my career (and feels) privileged to tell stories from our little corner of the world in this global tragedy that changed all our lives."

Only a few Filipinos have achieved the Pulitzer, mainly because it is an award for stories published in American publications. The last Filipino journalist to win this was Manuel Mogato in 2018 for his work on the Philippine drug war for Reuters.

Acayan is also the current chairperson of the Photojournalists' Center of the Philippines, an organization of Filipino photographers working for the rights of visual journalists.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

SHARON CUNETA SHOCKS FANS WITH 'BODY SHOT' PHOTOS WITH MARCO GUMABAO

MANILA -- The more conservative fans of Sharon Cuneta got the shock of their lives after the veteran actress posted photos from her upcoming movie "Revirginized" with actor Marco Gumabao.

In the photos, the 55-year-old Cuneta can be seen doing body shots on her younger leading man. Gumabao is only 26 years old.

"OMG I have NEVER done this in real life (I don’t drink tequila or anything else with alcohol! Hahahahaha!)," she wrote in the caption.

In the comment section of her post, Gumabao left the message: "Can’t wait to see the whole film."

On his Facebook page, Darryl Yap, who directed the movie, also shared the "body shot" photos and wrote: "Marco Gumabao is Mega Tested. Mega Approved."

“Revirginized,” which according to Yap will be released in August, is Cuneta’s first project with her former mother studio, Viva Films, after 18 years.

In the movie, she plays a woman who discovers her awakening after many years of solitude.

Rosanna Roces plays a pivotal role in the transformation of Cuneta’s character.

Cuneta previously said that she is proud of “Revirginized” which opens a new chapter for her as an actress.

The movie also features Albert Martinez and comebacking actress Cristina Gonzales.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES JUNE 12

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

1 Jazz2-1          23        26        34        23        106

4 Clippers1-2    27        37        30        38        132

GAME 3: UTA LEADS 2-1, STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CA

SCORING LEADERS

D. Mitchell UTA

30 PTS 5 REB 4 AST

K. Leonard LAC

34 PTS 12 REB 5 AST

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

A man's treatment of money is the most decisive test of his character. How he makes it and how he spends it. - James Moffat