ICC PRE-TRIAL CHAMBER GREENLIGHTS PROBE ON PH DRUG WAR, DAVAO KILLINGS

MANILA — The International Criminal Court (ICC) will investigate President Rodrigo Duterte and his war on drugs campaign, the international tribunal announced Wednesday.

In a statement, the ICC said its Pre-Trial Chamber has “granted” the ICC Prosecutor’s request to proceed with its probe of the the drug war in the Philippines from July 2016 when President Duterte took office until March 16, 2019 when the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute which created the ICC took effect.

The probe will also cover killings in Davao from November 1, 2011 to June 30, 2016, when Duterte served both as mayor and vice mayor.

ICC Pre-Trial Chamber noted that specific legal element of crime against humanity of murder under Article 7(1)(a) of the Rome Statute has been met with respect to killings that happened in these two periods.

“The Chamber emphasised that, based on the facts as they emerge at the present stage and subject to proper investigation and further analysis, the so-called 'war on drugs' campaign cannot be seen as a legitimate law enforcement operation, and the killings neither as legitimate nor as mere excesses in an otherwise legitimate operation,” the ICC said.

“Rather, the available material indicates, to the required standard, that a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population took place pursuant to or in furtherance of a State policy, within the meaning of Article 7(1) and (2)(a) of the Statute,” it added.

Article 7 of the Rome Statute refers to crimes against humanity.

Bensouda also said that so-called vigilante killings were committed by private citizens recruited, coordinated, and paid by police to kill civilians.

In arriving at the conclusion, the ICC said the Pre-Trial Chamber considered the Prosecutor’s request, supporting materials as well as the 204 victims’ representations received by the chamber.

The ICC announced in August that an overwhelming number of victims who approached the international tribunal are in favor of the ICC probe.

PHILIPPINES WILL NOT COOPERATE WITH ICC PROBE OF 'WAR ON DRUGS' - DUTERTE AIDE

MANILA — The Philippines will not cooperate with a formal investigation launched by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into possible crimes against humanity committed in President Rodrigo Duterte's "war on drugs", a presidential spokesperson said.

Judges at the ICC on Wednesday approved a formal probe into Duterte's signature anti-narcotics campaign in which thousands have died, a move welcomed by rights groups.

Judges' assessment of material presented by prosecutors, was that "the so-called ‘war on drugs’ campaign cannot be seen as a legitimate law enforcement operation", but rather amounted to a systematic attack on civilians.

Duterte has previously sought to shrug off the investigation and on Thursday his chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said the ICC had no jurisdiction.

"The president's position does not change. ICC is bent, at the inception, of proceeding with this case in violation of our constitution and defiance even of its own Rome statute," Panelo told DZBB radio station.

Panelo said ICC investigators would not be permitted to enter the country to conduct the probe.

LACSON ON LEGITIMACY OF PHARMALLY DEAL: LET RECORDS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

MANILA — Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Thursday said records speak for themselves after a Philippine budget official insisted in a hearing before the House of Representatives that there was no overpricing in the Pharmally supply contract for face mask, PPEs and other medical equipment.

“'Yung record ang magsasalita rito dahil kung ikumpara mo sa presyo na kino-quote o pagbenta ng ibang supplier, ‘di hamak na mas mataas ang galing sa Pharmally. 'Yun na lang pagbasehan natin kasi 'yung salita versus salita walang kahihinatnan so we refer na lang sa records, official lahat 'yun,” said Lacson.

Former PS-DBM director Warren Liong recently faced the House of Representatives panel investigating the Pharmally deal with government and denied that they were influenced by anyone in awarding the supply contract to the foreign firm.

Pharmally is under inquiry for supposedly supplying overpriced medical goods to the government when the COVID-19 pandemic started last year.

The pharmaceutical firm bagged some P8.6 billion in government contracts, including those related to the supply of supposedly overpriced anti-virus masks and face shields last year. The face masks were priced at P27.72 each.

“Kung kaya palang ibenta ng P13.50 ng ibang mga supplier pati 'yung isa yung Indian na 50,000 pieces, ganun din nasa mga trese rin, so namumukod tangi talaga 'yung presyo ng Pharmally na mataas. So bahala na 'yung mga kababayan natin ang maghusga kung may overpricing o wala,” said Lacson.

Lacson said they will question other non-cabinet members if no one would attend the hearing.

“Limitado makukuha naming information pero sino mawawalan? It’s their loss. Hindi ito loss ng senado. More than the Senate, ang mawawalan dito taumbayan kasi gustong malaman ng taumbayan ang katatatohan tapos pagkakait mo,” he said.

PHILIPPINES GETS 753,480 NEW PFIZER DOSES

MANILA — More doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine procured by the government arrived in the Philippines on Wednesday night.

An Air Hongkong plane carrying the 753,480 additional doses arrived at the NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay sometime at 9 p.m. of September 15.

Of that total figure, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 said Cebu and Davao would get 51,480 doses each. The two are the areas in the country with capacity to store the Pfizer jabs, apart from Metro Manila.

This new delivery brought the Philippines' total supply of the said vaccine to over 6.60 million doses, per Philstar.com's monitoring.

‘A BIT STRANGE’: POPE RAILS AGAINST VACCINE ‘DENIER’ CARDINALS

Pope Francis spoke out Wednesday against "denier" cardinals who refused the coronavirus vaccine, in a thinly veiled barb against his main opponent who recently contracted COVID-19.

"In the College of Cardinals, there are a few deniers. One of them, the poor man, contracted the virus," the pontiff told reporters as he flew home from a trip to Slovakia.

The 84-year-old did not name the man he was referring to, but conservative US Cardinal Raymond Burke, one of Francis' fiercest and most vocal critics in the Catholic Church, was recently admitted to hospital in the United States with COVID-19.

The pope said that in the heart of the Vatican, "everyone is vaccinated, with the exception of a small group".

"We are studying how to help them," he said during a press conference onboard the papal plane.

The pope is a strong advocate of coronavirus vaccines and has previously expressed his incomprehension with those who refuse to take it.

"It's a bit strange because humanity has a history of friendship with vaccines," Francis said, highlighting the jabs that have for decades protected children against measles or polio.

"We should clarify things and speak calmly," he advised, while also conceding that the debates over the different anti-coronavirus vaccines could create uncertainty or fear.

'WALA TAYONG MAGAGAWA': GLOBAL DEMAND SQUEEZING SUPPLY OF TOCILIZUMAB - GALVEZ

MANILA - The Philippines is having a hard time securing more supplies of tocilizumab due to the high global demand for the drug, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Thursday.

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche, the manufacturer of the drug being used in severe cases of COVID-19, could no longer accommodate additional orders, Galvez told President Rodrigo Duterte in a taped address.

"Kinausap na po natin yung ambassador of Switzerland 2 months ago. Yung Roche, yung gumagawa nito... mayroon na silang mga allocated supplies," he said.

"Sa atin, 5,000 lang ang allocation before. Dinoble po nila ng 10,000 every month. Talagang wala po tayong makukuha kasi global supply ang ano [issue] natin," he said.

"Wala tayong magagawa, sir."

“Kausap na namin ang manufacturers nito, ang Roche Philippines, and they gave us that declaration na hanggang end of the year mukhang mahihirapan na maka-access pa ng gamot na ito,” DOH Spokesperson Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an earlier virtual briefing.

Tocilizumab is the generic name of an anti-inflammatory drug currently used by doctors worldwide to treat severe and critical COVID-19 patients.

In the Philippines, two brands are available, Actemra of Roche and Temziva, distributed by Biocare Life Sciences.

BIR PROBES 250 TOP-EARNING SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS FOR TAX COMPLIANCE: FINANCE DEPT

MANILA— At least 250 social media "influencers" are currently being investigated by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to check if they have been paying taxes, the Department of Finance (DOF) said Thursday.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue has issued Letters of Authority (LOAs) to investigate several "top earner" influencers, the DOF said in a statement.

Social media influencers who earn money from their posts are classified as self-employed individuals engaged in the trade of business as sole proprietors, the DOF said citing a BIR report.

Earnings are "generally considered as business income" under BIR's Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 97-2021, it added.

“We will do the investigation so that they would pay the necessary corresponding tax on their earnings,” BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa said in his report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez.

The country's tax collection bureau earlier reminded social media influencers who allegedly make "huge" earnings from posts and vlogs to register and pay taxes.

The BIR cited reports that some influencers "have not been paying their income taxes, despite earning huge income from the different social media platforms."

Based on the circular, social media influencers include those who earn their income from:

YouTube Partner Program

Sponsored social and blog posts

Display advertising

Becoming a brand representative/ambassador

Affiliate marketing

Co-creating product lines

Promoting own products

Photo and video sales

Digital courses, subscriptions, e-books

Podcasts and webinars

Those who receive free goods in exchange for promotions must declare as income the fair market value of the products, the circular stated.

Those who "willfully attempt" to evade tax payments or fail to make a tax return and supply the accurate and correct information will be held criminally liable under the tax code, it added.

Meanwhile, influencer group Creator and Influencer Council of the Philippines (CICP) said it is open to discussions with the government in terms of easing the burden of tax compliance.

THE REST

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PNP: 328,000 VIOLATORS ACCOSTED DURING MECQ IN METRO MANILA

MANILA— Some 328,000 violators of minimum health and safety protocols were accosted during the implementation of the modified enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, the Philippine National Police said Thursday.

The police force released the figures as the region shifted to Alert Level 4 under a new scheme that allows for greater economic activity.

"Naga-average ng 12,600 per day. 'Yan ay dito po sa Metro Manila," PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar told Teleradyo.

The violations were recorded from Aug. 21 to Sept. 15, he added.

Of the total number of violators, Eleazar said 59 percent were warned, 36 percent were fined and 5 percent were charged.

"Despite of the effort sa mga police natin, talagang masasabing andami pa rin nating mga violators," he said.

As the capital region shifted to Alert Level 4 Thursday, the PNP chief urged the public to follow minimum health standards.

"Sa pagpapatupad nito, lalo na’t sasabihin natin na marami nang bukas na industries [at] establishments, ating pakiusap sa ating mga kababayan, hindi na natin sila mache-check na sa kanilang mga travel, sa kanilang movements, but we are requesting for them na ‘pag nasa labas, sundin ang mga required protocols," he said.

PASIG NAMED TOP CITY IN NCR WITH MOST IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

MANILA - Pasig City was named as the National Capital Region's most improved local government unit in environmental health services, the mayor of the city announced on Wednesday.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto posted a copy of a document from the Department of Health showing that Pasig City got a total score of 91 for the quality of its water supply, sanitation, food sanitation, and governance and surveillance.

"Congratulations to our Sanitation Section... we are the #1 Most Improved LGU in Environmental Health Services!!" Sotto said in a tweet.

The document did not show the dates when the inspections and evaluations were done.

For 2021 alone, Pasig - Metro Manila’s 4th richest city - allocated 21 percent of its P12-billion budget for health projects.

'PUSONG BATO' HITMAKER DIES AFTER REPORTEDLY REJECTED BY 32 HOSPITALS

MANILA — The singer-composer of the Original Pilipino Music hit song “Pusong Bato” died due to respiratory complications.

Renee "Alon" dela Rosa died earlier today at the Novaliches District Hospital. He was 61.

His wife Raquel Hernandez told ABS-CBN in an interview that they are still awaiting for the results of his COVID-19 test. She also said that her husband was rushed to at least 30 hospitals, but they were turned away because of overcapacity.

“Naka-oxygen siya dahil may oxygen tank kami. Hindi namin matanggap na hindi siya nabigyan ng first aid man lang o dextrose," Raquel said.

Renee’s friend Lito Camo said on the show "Tutok to Win sa Wowowin" earlier today that he talked to his friend before he was rushed to the hospital.

"Nagulat na lang ako dahil tumawag siya sa akin, nag-video call siya kahapon. Then nakita ko na hinang-hina siya," he said.

The show’s host Willie Revillame said that the lack in hospital beds is one of the country's worst problems during the pandemic.

"Talaga hong 32 ospital po ang pinuntahan. Talaga hong hindi dahil sa hindi siya tinanggap. Punong-puno po ang ospital hanggang sa emergency room, lahat po. Napakasakit po ng nangyayaring ito, ang nangyayari sa ating lahat," Willie said.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

‘REINVENTED’ LIZA IS FIERY AS A REDHEAD

MANILA — Screen superstar Liza Soberano is “reinvented” with a drastically different look, as the cover girl of fashion magazine L’Officiel.

The Kapamilya actress is seen as a redhead in the pictorial with lensman BJ Pascual, donning runway pieces from the Fall/Winter 2021 collection of Dior.

Soberano’s hairstyle was inspired by the Disney film “Brave,” according to her long-time collaborator Renz Pangilinan.

“The story of Merida is that she’s an independent girl in the woods so I think it matches the vibe. I wanted a look that she has never done before, and I think we nailed it,” she said.

Soberano’s skin, meanwhile, was meant to be appear “raw and uncovered,” makeup artist Robbie Pinera said.

Fittingly, Soberano is dubbed the “girl on fire” in the feature, which touches on the actress’ transformation over her decade-long career in showbiz.

“To sympathize with how a celebrity bears the pressure of fame would normally be a trivial affair. But we’re living in a post-‘Leave Britney alone’ world.

“What morbidly fascinates us, the spectating public, is how fame can change someone, like how Liza Soberano has changed in the whirlwind of the past ten years,” the magazine said of its muse.

Sharing the cover on her Instagram page, Soberano said she is honored to be part of L’Officiel’s 100th anniversary as its September cover star.

“What a dream it was working on this at such a beautiful location and with such a creative and talented team!” she wrote.is fiery as a redhead

SPORTS

PBA: GINEBRA KEEPS QUARTERFINALS HOPES ALIVE WITH COME-FROM-BEHIND WIN VS PHOENIX

Barangay Ginebra fought from 19 points down to hack out a come-from-behind 94-87 win against Phoenix Super LPG in the PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday night at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

It was a crucial victory for the defending champions who are at the verge of being eliminated from title contention.

The Gin Kings drew big numbers from Stanley Pringle, LA Tenorio, Scottie Thompson and Christian Standhardinger to complete their comeback against the surging Fuel Masters.

Pringle led the way with 31 points spiked by four triples to go with his seven rebounds and two assists.

Tenorio fired six triples, some of them in the payoff period to finish with 23 markers, four boards and five assists. He atoned for his scoreless spell during their 88-67 loss to TNT.

Despite being down 19 points, the Kings patiently chipped away the deficit until Standhardinger's basket gave them the lead, 83-81.

Tenorio then hit a dagger three with 1 minute remaining to give Ginebra a 92-87 advantage. Pringle delivered the finishing kick with another basket 31 seconds left.

With the win, Ginebra climbed to 4-5 and occupied the eighth spot at the homestretch the of the eliminations. Phoenix went down to ninth with a 4-6 card.

"It is a big game, we needed that, not just to move up the standings but to create a positive feeling around the team," said Cone, whose wards sustained back-to-back losses before beating the Fuel Masters.

They also had to do without versatile power forward Japeth Aguilar, who had to sit out the game due to a sprained MCL.

Others stepped up for his absence. Standhardinger fired 21 points, while Thompson added 12 markers.

They ruined Jason Perkins' 30-point effort for Phoenix, which also got 18 points from Matthew Wright.

"I know were down in the standings. Midway in the second quarter they could have said 'no mas.' But they kept fighting," said Cone.

TNT SNAPS NORTHPORT'S WIN STREAK, GETS TWICE-TO-BEAT BONUS

TNT Tropang GIGA shrugged off a slow start to overcome NorthPort in the PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

The Texters were down by double digits in the first two quarters, but Mikey Williams and Kib Montalbo hit their long-range jumpers to lead TNT to a 102-92 win.

With the victory, the Tropang GIGA remained on top of the standings with a 9-1 record and gained a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

Prized rookie Williams finished with 29 points including five treys, while Montalbo set a career-high 22 markers on four triples.

Troy Rosario and Kelly Williams added 18 and 11, respectively to ruin coach Pido Jarencio's return to NorthPort.

The Batang Pier, led by Paolo Taha with 20 points, had to play minus Greg Slaughter and Sean Anthony in the contest.

The Texters played catch up in the second quarter with a 20-5 run that gave them a slim 42-41 lead at the half.

But TNT continued their assault in the second half and never looked back.

Robert Bolick managed to finish with 12 points and 11 assists for the Batang Pier, who saw their three-game streak end. NorthPort fell to a 4-4 win-loss card.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right or better. - John Updike