DUTERTE THREATENS TO FILE RAPS VS GORDON FOR SBMA, PDAF FUNDS

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday continued his attack against Senator Richard Gordon, this time threatening to file malversation charges against the senator for allegedly misused funds while he was still the chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Duterte, who has spent a bulk of his recent public addresses to attack Gordon, alleged that the senator has yet to return around P140 million which had been flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) during Gordon's stint as SBMA chairman.

He also accused Gordon of pocketing P86 million of his previous Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) given to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).

"So I would like to inquire from the Ombudsman if there is a case filed against you because lahat na disallow and the money was not returned. The money was not used in the right way, it deduces into something na personal liability mo," Duterte said in a taped speech aired late Wednesday.

"Kindly settle, or not, I will personally see to it that a case would be filed against you," he added.

Gordon served as the chairman of SBMA from 1992 to 1998.

Duterte also urged Gordon to give up one of his positions, claiming that it is illegal for him to be both a senator and the chairman of the PRC at the same time.

"Do not say that Red Cross and ikaw ay (you are) separate identity. That's bullsh*t. You are a dual personality that is banned or prohibited by law. Dapat noon pa dinemanda ka na. Wala lang naglakas ng loob (You should have been sued long ago. It's just that nobody was brave enough)," he said.

"Bawal 'yan, actually. Bawal. Bitawan mo na 'yan because I will insist that you give up one because you cannot be both," Duterte added.

This is the second time this week that Duterte mentioned Gordon and the PRC in his late-night "Talk to the Nation".

On Monday, Duterte insisted on having the COA look at the finances of the PRC.

GORDON SEES NO WRONG WITH GIVING PDAF TO PRC

MANILA — Sen. Richard Gordon yesterday confirmed that he infused a portion of his congressional allocation to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) more than 10 years ago, but stressed there was nothing irregular in the move.

Concurrent Red Cross chief Gordon made the statement in response to President Duterte’s latest attacks on him, saying the senator has given some P88 million from his then priority development assistance fund (PDAF) to the PRC that may have found its way back into the lawmaker’s pockets.

The senator said the PRC disbursed the funds to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) even as he challenged Duterte to prove that he pocketed the PDAF allocation.

“Yes.. we gave it to the DSWD,” Gordon told TeleRadyo in Filipino.

He recalled that a portion of the funds was used to buy produce, like mangosteen, “at the right prices” from Sulu that were loaded in the military’s C-130 cargo plane for distribution to other regions, “so that the people, instead of buying AK-47s (rifles) or steal, would have incentives to engage in decent livelihood.”

He said the humanitarian organization also at times engages in livelihood assistance programs for the poor, and such were approved by the DSWD and cleared by the Commission on Audit (COA).

DUTERTE SAYS NO NEED TO USE FACE SHIELDS IN OPEN AREAS

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said the public can now stop using face shields in open areas.

Duterte said he approved the recommendation of government advisers who said the use of face shields can be lifted in areas that do not fall under the 3C category: crowded, closed and close contact.

"'Yan tatlo na 'yan, face shield is a must pa rin. 'Yun ang recommendation. Labas sa tatlong limitations, puwede na na hindi gumamit," he said in a recorded speech.

Duterte in June limited the use of the plastic face coverings on top of face masks to hospitals.

Days later, he again required face shields in public areas, both indoors and outdoors, after the health department confirmed the first few cases of the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant.

Duterte explained he got scared of the Delta COVID-19 variant and that was why he required the use of face shields again.

GOV'T MULLS VACCINATING CHILDREN VS COVID-19 BY MID-OCTOBER

MANILA — The government is studying the possible COVID-19 vaccination of the 12 to 17 age group by the middle of October, an official said on Wednesday, as coronavirus infections hit more children.

The Philippines has about 23.75 million COVID-19 shots on hand and around 20 million more jabs are set to arrive until the first week of October, noted vaccine "czar" Carlito Galvez Jr.

To use up these shots, authorities need to administer some 800,000 vaccine doses a day. On the average, 400,000 to 500,000 shots are given daily, Galvez said in a taped meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte.

"We are experiencing saturation point in NCR and other cities. Meaning, parang nagmi-meet na po, sir, 'yong demand at saka 'yung supply; meaning, kailangan na po nating mag-open ng other sectors," he told the President.

"We are proposing, Mr. President, to open up the vaccination for children by mid of October," added Galvez, who also serves as chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19.

The vaccine supply, he said, would be enough to cover some 12 million children between 12 and 17 years old.

"Pero ang recommendation po natin, mauna muna po 'yung mga may comorbidities at saka po 'yung mga anak po ng mga healthcare workers," Galvez said.

The Philippine drug regulator has cleared the COVID-19 vaccines of Moderna and Pfizer for children aged 12 and up.

940,680 PROCURED PFIZER DOSES ARRIVE IN PHILIPPINES

MANILA — The Philippines on Wednesday night received nearly a million doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, part of the country's purchased supply of the jabs.

State-run PTV reported that an Air Hongkong plane carrying the 940,680 doses landed at the NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay past 9 p.m. of September 22.

Per the National Task Force Against COVID-19, some 811,980 doses were delivered to a cold storage facility in Marikina.

Some 128,700 of the newly arrived doses would, in turn, go to Cebu.

The latest shipment brought the country's total supply of Pfizer doses at 10.12 million, per Philstar.com's monitoring.

TRILLANES: VP LENI MUST MAKE IMMEDIATE DECISION IF SHE PLANS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday said he hopes Vice-President Leni Robredo would announce her plans for the 2022 elections soon, as more names have announced their bid for the presidency.

"Muli, nananawagan kaming mga Magdalo kay VP Leni na magbigay na ng agarang desisyon ukol sa darating na 2022 elections," said Trillanes, chairman of the Magdalo group.

"Kailangan nang sagutin ang pangamba ng karamihan kung pamumunuan niya ba ang tunay na oposisyon sa pamamagitan ng pagtakbo bilang presidente o ipapaubaya na lang sa iba na ipagpatuloy ang laban tungo sa tunay na pagbabago.

"Hindi tayo nagmamadali pero hindi rin dapat tayo nagpapahuli sa usapin ng taumbayan."

SENATE OKS BILL RAISING AGE OF SEXUAL CONSENT

MANILA — The Senate has approved on second reading a bill raising the age of sexual consent to 16 years old to help prevent statutory rape.

Passed on Tuesday night was Senate Bill 2332, which seeks to amend the Revised Penal Code to raise the age for determining statutory rape from 12 to 16 years old, following lengthy debates on the measure.

The bill was principally authored by Sen. Risa Hontiveros and sponsored by Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human rights. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri is a co-author.

Apart from increasing the age of sexual consent, the bill also amends the language of the law to be gender-responsive and to reflect that rape is committed by a person who shall have carnal knowledge against any person, rather than the previous definition that rape is between a man and a woman only.

The bill is a long-awaited legislative move, as the country currently has one of the lowest ages for determining statutory rape, second only to Niger, at 11 years old, Zubiri pointed out.

“As the father of three young kids, this is a really important bill for me. I know many parents and groups are waiting for the passage of this measure,” Zubiri said in mixed Filipino and English.

Hontiveros said there are too many horror stories coming from child rights advocates about victims being asked to prove in court that they did not consent to the sexual act, “with some even being asked if they enjoyed it.”

“That’s why victims often just keep quiet. As a mother, I am disgusted that the current state of our laws subjects a 13-year-old to this kind of cruelty. As a policymaker, I am pleased that we now take advantage of a historical opportunity to correct this,” Hontiveros said.

Although Congress was “waylaid by the pandemic” and “faced unprecedented challenges,” she said it was able to pass the bill as well as the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children Act.

MMDA: ALERT LEVEL 4 EXPERIMENT A SUCCESS

MANILA — The initial enforcement of the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 in Metro Manila has been a “success,” Metropolitan Manila Chairman Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos said yesterday.

The experiment, which has been going on for one week, is running “beautifully,” he said in Filipino during the online Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

He reported that figures related to COVID-19 transmission in the metropolis started to decline since Alert Level 4 was imposed on Sept. 16.

Abalos also credited what he believed was the success of the Alert Level 4 enforcement to the implementation of granular or area-based lockdowns.

He said “pinpointing with precision” which areas should be sealed off allowed the “healthy population” or uninfected persons to go out for work and help revive the economy.

COLMENARES: UNIFYING OPPOSITION COULD BE HARDER NOW, AS PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS POP UP

MANILA—There is still hope for a unified opposition, even though Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso and others aspirants have declared their intention to seek the presidency, former lawmaker Neri Colmenares said.

But Colmenares, a former Bayan Muna representative, said it could be more difficult for opposition candidates to beat the administration candidate.

“You see, a united opposition is the best weapon against President Duterte. An opposition that is not that united into a single one candidate will increase the level of difficulty with regards to opposing or defeating President Duterte,” Colmenares said in an interview on ANC’s “Rundown” on Thursday.

Colmenares was one of the convenors of opposition coalition 1Sambayan, which has sought a single slate of national candidates in the 2022 elections to counter the Duterte administration's bets.

He is now on leave from the group while he makes a bid for the Senate.

“I’m not saying the opposition will lose. I’m saying it increases the level of difficulty. So that it will take double time from us,” he said.

Like 1Sambayan convenor Atty. Howard Calleja, Colmenares said things may change even after the filing of certificates of candidacy.

PRESYO NG LOCAL PALAY BUMAGSAK; PAGBUHOS NG IMPORTED RICE SINISISI

Bagsak-presyo ang bentahan ng palay sa ilang probinsiya - bagay na itinuturo ng mga grupo sa marami at murang imported na bigas.

Sa monitoring ng Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (sinag) , nasa P14 pesos kada kilo ang bagong aning palay sa region 1, P13.50 kada kilo naman sa region 2, at P10 kada kilo sa Mindoro.

Pawang mababa ito kumpara sa production cost o ginagastos ng mga magsasaka sa pagtatanim hanggang sa pag-ani ng palay na P15.50 kada kilo.

Ayon kay SINAG Chairman Rosendo So, dapat hindi bababa sa P17 kada kilo ang bagong aning palay at hindi bababa sa P20 kada kilo ang tuyong palay.

"Ang fresh harvest dapat ibenta ng P17 para kumita sila ng P1.50/kilo. Kung ang ani nila is 4 tons, ang mangyayari niyan is 4 tons times 4,000 kilos times P1.50. May P6,000 sila sa isang ektarya kung ang presyo is fresh harvest sa P17. Ngayon P14 yung fresh harvest so lugi talaga sila," ani So.

Sa tala ng Philippine Statistics Authority o PSA, mababa ang farmgate price ng palay noong 2020 kumpara noong mga nakaraang taon.

Ayon kay Federation of Free Farmers National Manager Raul Montemayor, isang rason na bagsak presyo ang palay ngayon ay dahil sa madami at napakamurang imported na bigas.

Hindi rin aniya nakatulong ang Rice Tariffication Law na ang pangako ay mas malaking kita para sa mga magsasaka at mas murang bigas para sa mga konsyumer.

Bagkus, ay patuloy lang na bumababa ang presyo ng imported na bigas.

THE REST

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QC GOV'T TO VACCINATE RESIDENTS IN CLOSED AND LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES

MANILA — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered the Quezon City Health Department to vaccinate all individuals residing and working in closed and long-term care facilities in the city.

This comes after the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit reported that in 13 orphanages, home care facilities, apostolate centers, and rehabilitation centers it surveyed, some 594 have yet to receive at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine out of over 1,000 employees and clients working there.

“We are working closely with the city’s vaccination team so inoculation can be done at the soonest possible time,” QCESU chief Dr. Rolando Cruz said in a statement sent to reporters Thursday.

ST. LUKE'S MEDICAL CENTER AT FULL CAPACITY; 119 HEALTH WORKERS UNDER QUARANTINE

MANILA - The management of St. Luke’s Medical Center said on Thursday that they are still at full capacity as over a hundred of their health workers are in different stages of quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19.

“Merong babalik na bukas, merong babalik three, four days from now kasi iba-iba yung kanilang time sa pagkaka-positve sa test at saka iba iba yung time na nag-exposure sa kanila,” Dr. Art Dela Peña, the hospital’s president & CEO, said.

Dela Peña said they can manage the flow of COVID-19 admissions but with health workers getting sick, there are not enough manpower to look after patients.

“Hindi naman wonderwomen at supermen ang aming mga nurses. Nagkakasakit din. As of today 119 yung either naka quarantine because nagpositive sa swab o kaya yung iba naman nagkameron ng high risk exposure so kinakailangang i quarantine din. yun po ang nagpapahirap sa amin,” said Dela Peña.

In an interview on TeleRadyo, Dela Peña said they are at full capacity, with many COVID-19 patients seeking treatment at their emergency rooms waiting to be admitted.

St. Luke’s has branches in Quezon City and Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. It also has a medical center extension clinic in Ermita, Manila.

“Sa ngayon, 8 ang critical na naka ventilatory support na nandoon na sa emergency room kasi ang aming ICU talagang punong-puno. Kung i-aacount mo yung naghihintay sa emergency room at saka yung aming ICU, 175 percent occupied kami,” he said.

But he assured that those at the emergency room are being attended to while waiting to be admitted at the hospital. He said they will expand their capacity once more health workers and rooms become available.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

ALL SET: ELLEN ADARNA, DEREK RAMSAY SEND OUT WEDDING INVITATIONS

MANILA — Celebrity couple Ellen Adarna and Derek Ramsay have started sending out wedding invitations, indicating that the big day is nearing.

The actress posted a video of the invite through Instagram Stories on Tuesday, saying they were to be delivered to the principal sponsors.

“Sending out for our ninongs and ninangs,” she is heard saying in the clip.

She did not reveal the wedding date.

The “Save the Date” invitation shows a sketch of Ramsay’s face covered with Adarna’s hand that sports a ring. The image is based on the photo the couple shared in March to announce their engagement.

The card also comes with a bouquet of flowers.

Among those who received the invitation is celebrity doctor Vicki Belo, based on her Instagram Stories update showing the bouquet and thanking the couple.

Adarna, 33, and Ramsay, 44, became officially a couple on February 4, and got engaged on March 30.

Shortly after their engagement, Ramsay revealed that they intend to get married before the end of the year.

SPORTS

MERALCO DEF. NLEX, 104-101

Meralco Bolts (8-2) uses strong fourth quarter to beat NLEX Road Warriors (5-6), 104-101 to claim their 8th win in the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup and officially secured the second seed and twice-to-beat advantage in the QF on Wednesday at the Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

Allein Maliksi led the Bolts with 22 points (8/14 FG, 4/6 3PT, 2/2 FT), 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 29 minutes of play. Rookie Alvin Pasaol with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting including 3 three-pointers, 2 rebounds and a steal. Mac Belo with a solid game of 16 points (4/6 3PT, 4/4 FT), 7 rebounds and 5 assists while Raymond Almazan finished with a double-double of 13 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks and 1 assist.

The Bolts spoiled NLEX rookie Calvin Oftana's career-high 34 points (12/18 FG, 8/11 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist and 1 steal in 29 minutes of play. Meralco shot 40/75 or 53% from the field (NLEX - 34/88 FG, 15/39 3PT) including a 13-of-21 shooting from downtown and went 11-of-17 from the free throw line and committed 17 turnovers (NLEX - 16TO) in the contest.

The Scores:

MERALCO 104 - Maliksi 22, Pasaol 17, Belo 16, Almazan 13, Quinto 10, Caram 10, Pinto 8, Jackson 2, Hodge 2, Baclao 2, Jamito 2, Newsome 0.

NLEX 101 - Oftana 34, Soyud 14, Quinahan 13, Ighalo 8, Mcaloney 7, Paniamogan 6, Cruz 3, Semerad 3, Miranda 2, Alas 2.

Quarters: 30-20, 65-54, 89-74, 104-101.

SAN MIGUEL DEF. ALASKA, 101-100

Marcio Lassiter nailed the game-winning three as San Miguel Beermen (7-4) defeated Alaska Aces (3-7), 101-100 to claim their seventh win and to advance to the quarterfinal round in the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday at the Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

CJ Perez led the Beermen with 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists and a block in 34 minutes of play. June Mar Fajardo with a double-double performance of 17 points (7/10 FG, 3/4 FT), 10 rebounds, 6 assists and a block.

Chris Ross scored 17 (7/11 FG), 5 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal while Marcio Lassiter added 13 points on 3-of-13 shooting including the game-winning basket with 3.8 seconds left off CJ perez pass.

The Scores:

SAN MIGUEL 101 - Perez 20, Ross 17, Fajardo 17, Tautuaa 15, Lassiter 13, Pessumal 9, Santos 7, Zamar 3, Gamalinda 0.

ALASKA 100 - Tratter 24, Brondial 17, Herndon 15, Casio 11, Teng 9, DiGregorio 9, Ahanmisi 6, Adamos 3, Banal 3, Ilagan 2, Stockton 2.

Quarters: 33-19, 43-47, 75-77, 101-100.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 50.27

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness. - Bertrand Russell