PHILIPPINES KEEPS PANDEMIC IN MIND IN DECISION TO ACCEPT AFGHAN REFUGEES

MANILA – The Department of Justice is still waiting for the directive of the Office of the President before it can act on accepting refugees from Afghanistan, an official said Thursday.

Thousands of Afghans are trying to flee their war-torn country after the Taliban took back control of the government in August.

Malacañang has said the Philippines is willing to receive asylum seekers from Afghanistan, but Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. tweeted that the Philippines will not accept nor listen to any proposition to accept any refugees unless it is government to government and only by their respective Foreign and Justice ministers.

Atty. George Ortha II, Refugee and Stateless Protection unit head at the Department of Justice, said the government’s main concern is how many refugees it can let in amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is not just a simple case of taking in asylum seekers or refugees. Because of the sheer number of possible refuges from Afghanistan, it will take a whole of government or even a whole of nation approach,” he said.

Ortha said allowing Afghan refugees in the Philippines must be done “the right way.”

“If we will take in hundreds or thousands of Afghan nationals, it’s really a big task for the Philippines. I’m not saying that we should not do it, but we have to do it the right way.”

“Otherwise it might create more problems in the future,” he said.

“We have to take into consideration the capacity also of the government. Once they are in the Philippines, where do we place them? How do we secure them? Even the basic needs of these applicants, how do we provide for them?”

Ortha added, however, that the Philippines is part of an emergency transit mechanism agreement with the United Nations and the International Office for Migration, whereby it can take in refugees whose application for asylum in other countries is still being processed.

“We will process the application, we’ll evaluate it and if we see that there’s merit to it then we will temporarily take them in the Philippines. At the very least they are already in a safe place while their application for asylum is being processed.”

Ortha said Afghans who may eventually reach the Philippines may also apply for asylum here.

Ortha said there are currently about 800 refugees in the Philippines. Around 500 applications are pending, he said.

CHINA DEMANDS ALL FOREIGN VESSELS REGISTER FOR SOUTH CHINA SEA ACCESS

The Pentagon on Wednesday appeared to dismiss Beijing's new demand that all foreign ships entering the South China Sea must register with Chinese maritime authorities, calling it a "serious threat" to freedom of navigation and trade.

"The United States remains firm that any coastal state law or regulation must not infringe upon navigation and overflight rights enjoyed by all nations under international law," said John Supple, a Pentagon spokesman, in response to questions about China's decree this week.

"Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims, including in the South China Sea, pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded lawful commerce, and the rights and interests of South China Sea and other littoral nations," he said.

The comments came two days after China announced that foreign vessels entering Chinese "territorial waters" would have to report their ship and cargo information to the country's maritime authorities.

The rule is supposed to apply to the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and the various islands and reefs dotted across the water that Beijing claims as its inalienable territory.

"The United States remains committed to upholding the rules-based international order and a free and open Indo-Pacific region," said Supple, the Pentagon spokesman.

China's new rule was supposed to take effect on Wednesday, according to the country's Maritime Safety Administration. The Chinese government has not clarified how it will be enforced.

PHILIPPINES GETS 703,000 MORE PFIZER DOSES

MANILA — More doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine have reached the Philippines under the government's procured supply.

An Air Hongkong plane carrying the 703,000 doses landed at the NAIA Terminal 3 on Wednesday evening, according to the National Task Force Against COVID-19.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said majority of the additional supply would go to hard-hit regions such as Calabarzon, Central Luzon and Ilocos Region, to name a few.

He added the government wants the jabs to reach areas that have never received Pfizer doses so they would be knowledgeable in handling the jabs when more arrive in the coming months.

Wednesday's delivery is part of the 40 million doses in total the government secured with the US manufacturer.

COMING THIS SEPTEMBER: 25 MILLION COVID-19 VACCINE DOSES

MANILA— The Philippines is set to take delivery of some 25 million COVID-19 shots this September, an official said on Wednesday.

Government expects to receive the following vaccine batches this month, said Carlito Galvez, chief implementer of the National Task Force on COVID-19.

Sinovac- 12 million

Pfizer- 5 million

COVAX Facility (brand not disclosed)- 3 million

Moderna- 2 million

AstraZeneca- 1 million

Sputnik V- 1 million

Donation (brand not disclosed)- 1 million

The bulk of the arriving vaccines will go to areas outside Metro Manila, which is close to vaccinating half of its target population, said Palace spokesman Harry Roque.

"Talagang tinututukan na po natin ang mga regions para tumaas po ang ating vaccination these coming days," Galvez said.

"Mayroon po kaming mga negotiations na gagawin sa Pfizer, Moderna para ma-accelerate po iyong mga deliveries po natin," he said in a press briefing.

The Philippines has so far received some 51.9 million COVID-19 shoots, of which around 33.7 million have been administered. At least 13.9 million have been fully vaccinated so far.

DBM SLASHES DOH BUDGET FOR COVID-19 RESPONSE BY 73%

MANILA — The Department of Health initially proposed a P73.99 billion budget for its continuing response to COVID-19 in 2022, but the Department of Budget and Management slashed this by 73% to just P19.68 billion, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday.

Duque told lawmakers during the House appropriations committee’s hearing on their proposed P242.22-billion budget for 2022 that their initial proposal to the DBM would have included hazard pay, meals, accommodation and transportation allowances, and life insurance for healthcare workers.

But since the DBM only approved a P19.68 billion budget for DOH’s COVID-19 response, there is no funding for these benefits in the National Expenditure Program, he admitted.

He also said the pandemic might last for one to two more years, based on projections made by the World Health Organization and other experts.

Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo (Marikina) asked Duque if DOH’s current budget is too small, given the projection that the pandemic will persist longer, pointing out that the government spent around P11.4 billion a month this year for its response to the pandemic.

Duque tried to give reason as to why the DBM slashed their budget, saying that this might have happened due to the presumption that the country will reach herd immunity soon.

“Ang tingin ko po, we are hoping that once we reach the herd immunity and vaccinate at least 77 million of our people, baka naman po ang sitwasyon ay sadyang mas maging maayos. Kasi nga po mayroon na pong proteksyon,” he said.

Still, Duque said that they will submit to the House their original budget proposal for the consideration of lawmakers who have the power to amend the executive’s proposed spending plan.

SARA DUTERTE SAYS BONG GO OFFERED TO RUN AS HER VP

MANILA - Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Wednesday said Senator Christopher "Bong" Go offered to be her running mate if she decides to run for president in the 2022 elections.

In a statement posted on her Facebook page, Duterte-Carpio said aside from Go, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also personally expressed interest to be her vice-president.

She, however, denied the claim of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, that Senator Imee Marcos wants to be her vice-president.

"This is not true. She visited me in Davao last May 29 to personally relay her birthday wishes. So far this is the only visit she has made to me in Davao," she said.

Duterte-Carpio also confirmed that common friends relayed the offer of former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro to also be her vice-president.

She said there were also groups that want either House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez or Senator Sonny Angara to be her running mate but added that she cannot confirm if these are true.

The filing of certificates of candidacy for Halalan 2022 is on October 1-8.

Meanwhile, Duterte-Carpio reiterated that there is no conflict between her, her father, and Go.

She earlier told Go and President Rodrigo Duterte to come clean to the public on their plans for the 2022 elections instead of talking about her.

Duterte-Carpio is not a member of PDP Laban, preferring to chair her regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

She has not yet made a final decision on whether she would seek a final term as Davao City mayor or vie to be her father’s successor in 2022.

President Duterte is constitutionally barred from reelection and is seeking the vice-presidency instead.

Duterte-Carpio, however, rejected the idea of having her father as a running-mate.

DILG EXTENDS AYUDA PAYOUT TO SEPTEMBER 10

MANILA — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday gave local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila a final extension to complete the distribution of ayuda or cash aid to low-income families affected by the enhanced community quarantine or ECQ.

The DILG extended the ayuda payout to Sept. 10.

The department said 94 percent of the P11.2-billion ECQ assistance had been disbursed to beneficiaries as of the Aug. 31 deadline.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said this means a total of P10.6 billion in cash aid has been distributed to qualified beneficiaries.

DILG spokesman Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said 10,663,537 beneficiaries have received financial aid in the National Capital Region (NCR), which was placed under ECQ from Aug. 4 to 20.

Out of the 16 cities and one municipality in the NCR, only Quezon City, Manila, Pasig, Caloocan, Malabon and Navotas were able to meet the payout deadline, according to Malaya.

HOUSE AFFIRMS DISMISSAL OF LEONEN IMPEACH CASE

MANILA — The House of Representatives affirmed yesterday the dismissal of the impeachment complaint filed against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.

Voting 165-1 with one abstention in plenary session, lawmakers adopted Resolution No. 2068 of the justice committee dimissing the complaint outright for insufficiency in form.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate, one of the congressmen who voted to dismiss the case, said the impeachment complaint filed by Edwin Cordevilla, secretary general of the Filipino League of Advocates for Good Government, did not comply with House rules that “it should be based on personal knowledge or authentic records.”

Last May, the justice panel chaired by Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso III junked the complaint, citing as ground the lack of personal knowledge of Cordevilla on the allegations raised against Leonen.

GOV'T LOWERS PRICE CAP FOR RT-PCR TESTS

MANILA — The government reduced the price cap for real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests in a bid to make coronavirus testing more affordable and accessible to Filipinos.

Below is the new price cap for RT-PCR testing based on Department of Health Circular 2021-0374:

Public laboratories: P2,800 for plate-based, P2,450 for GeneXpert

Private laboratories: P3,360 for plate-based, P2,940 for GeneXpert

For swab specimen collections at homes, the government also set a price cap of P1,000 on top of testing costs.

The new price cap for RT-PCR testing will take effect on September 6.

According to the circular released on Tuesday, laboratories, health facilities and testing centers may have process lower than the prescribed price cap for RT-PCR testing and home service fee. However, no manufacturer, distributor or testing facility should exceed the price cap.

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PH'S TOTAL COVID-19 CASES TOP 2 MILLION WITH 14,216 NEW INFECTIONS

MANILA - The Philippines' total recorded COVID-19 cases crossed the 2 million mark on Wednesday after 14,216 more infections were logged, data from the health department showed.

The country, which is battling a new surge in virus infections driven by the more virulent Delta variant, now has 2,003,955 total coronavirus cases since the pandemic started.

Active cases reached 140,949, accounting for 7 percent of the running tally.

"The relatively low number of cases today is due to lower laboratory output last Monday," the Department of Health (DOH) said.

According to the latest bulletin from the DOH, the positivity rate is at 26.4 percent, based on the results of 51,473 individuals tested on Monday.

There were also 86 new deaths and 18,754 new recoveries.

The ABS-CBN IRG said the day's additional deaths is the lowest in over 2 weeks or since Aug. 16, when the agency logged 27 fatalities.

The country's total fatalities climbed to 33,533, and the total recoveries, to 1,829,473.

NO LONGER A FAMILY TOURIST DESTINATION? BORACAY MOVING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, SAYS MAYOR

MANILA - Critics of a proposal to open a casino in Boracay must have an open mind, its mayor said Thursday, adding that the island has a system in place for casino tourists.

"After ng closure, pinag-usapan na ang Boracay maging family tourist destination. Ngayon iba na naman ang magiging direction so tingnan natin ano ang mangyari d'yan. Minsan ang pagiisip kasi natin pag sa casino iba na ang pananaw natin," Malay town mayor Frolibar Bautista said in an ABS-CBN's Teleradyo interview.

Billionaire Andrew Tan earlier said his company Megaworld is ready to proceed with a casino project in Boracay following President Rodrigo Duterte’s announcement that gambling will be allowed on the famous resort island.

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation Chair Andrea Domingo earlier confirmed to media that Duterte had given the go signal for two casino projects in Boracay Island, by Megaworld and Macau-based Galaxy Entertainment Group.

Tan said they are ready to push forward with Boracay Newcoast, a casino project which was previously shelved due to a casino ban on the island ordered by Duterte.

Mayor Bautista noted casino operations will increase funds as the island was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The local government will get 5 percent of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation income from the casino and the employment it would generate, he said.

"Meron na tayong system kung paano tanggapin at paano natin iimplement ang minimum health protocols sa Boracay," he said.

The mayor said locals who oppose the new policy should keep an open mind.

POLICE VISIBILITY TO INTENSIFY AS CHRISTMAS SEASON STARTS

MANILA — The Philippine National Police has tasked police personnel on the ground to be more visible in public areas such as malls and shopping centers as the "ber months" begin.

In a statement sent to reporters Thursday, Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said that Filipinos usually find themselves in malls or in other leisure areas once the ber months come around.

“Even though it is not the same as before where the entry of the 'ber months' is felt due to our future pandemic, your PNP will remain alert to keep an eye on our compatriots especially in the area that used to be a shelter where people can take risks. snatchers and other social reprimands such as the market especially the Divisoria and other places," said Eleazar.

With the unusual situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Eleazar directed police officers to ensure that the minimum health standards are observed by the public in shopping centers and other public places.

"But your police will still focus primarily on the implementation of public health safety protocols because despite the challenges we face, it is still important that every Filipino family is safe and together in their homes towards the celebration of Christmas," the PNP chief said.

Eleazar urged the public to cooperate with authorities in their continued enforcement of the guidelines in the midst of the pandemic.

Metro Manila's virus reproduction rate has gone down, but an increase in new cases is still seen to persist at a slower pace, the OCTA Research Group said Thursday.

The PNP has so far recorded 117,000 quarantine "violators" in Metro Manila since the shift to modified enhanced community quarantine.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

'DIFFICULT, PAINFUL:' LJ REYES BARES BREAKUP WITH PAOLO CONTIS

MANILA – Actress LJ Reyes has admitted that she and partner Paolo Contis have separated, and that the process has been "difficult" and "painful."

In the teaser of her recorded virtual interview with Boy Abunda, Reyes was unable to hold back her tears as the Kapamilya TV host asked her about the separation.

“It was so difficult. It was so painful. Kung hindi malakas 'yung pananampalataya ko sa Panginoon, hindi ko alam kung saan ako pupulutin,” Reyes said in the 21-second clip.

When prodded about who initiated the break up, Reyes explained: “Tito Boy kasi matagal ko nang nararamdaman na parang nakahiwalay na siya sa amin.”

Reyes was in a 6-year relationship with Contis, with whom she has a 2-year-old daughter.

The two were rumored to have separated after hawk-eyed fans noticed that Contis unfollowed Reyes on Instagram early last month.

They also observed that Contis has removed Reyes' photos from his page.

Meanwhile, Lolit Solis, who manages Contis’ career, also claimed through a social media post that the two have indeed separated and have outgrown their relationship.

Abunda’s full interview with Reyes will premiere via his YouTube channel at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

SPORTS

PARALYMPICS: BEJINO MISSES CUT IN 400M FREESTYLE-S6

Para swimmer Gary Bejino did not qualify to the final of the men's 400-meter freestyle-S6 event in the Tokyo Paralympics, after finishing last among 13 athletes in the heats.

Swimming in the first heat on Thursday at the Tokyo Aquatics Center, Bejino finished last with a time of 5:52.28. He was 46 seconds behind Brazil's Talisson Henrique Glock, who clocked 5:06.28.

Only the top eight finishers across the two heats qualified to the final later in the day.

The 25-year-old Bejino will conclude his maiden Paralympics campaign on Friday, when he swims in the men's 100-meter backstroke-S6.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have. - Vince Lombardi