PHILIPPINES URGES UN RIGHTS BODY: RESPECT STATE SOVEREIGNTY

MANILA — Opposing the “politically motivated” use of human rights, the Philippines called on the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) to observe the highest standards of balance, fairness, inclusivity and full respect for the sovereignty of member states.

In his address to the General Assembly during the presentation of the report of the HRC by president Nazhat Shameem Khan recently, Ambassador Enrique Manalo stressed the Philippines’ opposition to politically motivated use of human rights, and noted that “Country-specific resolutions that do not have the support of the State concerned stand little chance of making a meaningful difference on the ground, and are therefore a waste of resources.”

He expressed regret that program budget implications for country-specific resolutions go mostly to salaries and travels, and barely have provisions for actual projects that benefit concerned communities.

Manalo urged for a review of the structure of the budget for technical cooperation to ensure that it is fit for generating concrete and positive change on the ground.

He emphasized that the HRC must observe the highest standards of balance, fairness and objectivity in its discourse, and must conduct its work in the spirit of inclusivity, and with full respect for the sovereignty and the national processes of member states.

CONGRESS RESUMES SESSION WITH 2022 BUDGET AS PRIORITY

MANILA — The Senate and the House of Representatives are set to resume sessions today after a month-long Halloween break, with the ratification of the P5.024-trillion national budget atop the agenda.

“Our commitment is to ensure that the budget bill, which is focused on getting the Philippines back on the road toward full recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, reaches President Duterte’s desk before yearend,” Speaker Lord Allan Velasco vowed.

The lone Marinduque congressman also reiterated his commitment to ensure the timely enactment of the government’s spending plan, even as he welcomed the assurance from the Senate leadership that it will not allow a reenacted budget in 2022.

“We are glad that the Senate is on the same page as the House insofar as the national budget is concerned,” Velasco said, insisting that the enactment of the 2022 budget bill would be important in the government’s efforts to build back better amid the health crisis.

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez also supported the Speaker, saying the ratification of the national budget for 2022 is the “top priority” of the House leadership under Velasco.

“We assure the President that the House will immediately ratify the national budget for next year before we adjourn next month,” the congressman of the first district of Leyte – who sits as chairman of the House committee on rules – said.

The House transmitted Bill 10153 or the 2022 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) last Oct. 25, two days ahead of its original schedule.

The House passed on third and final reading its version of the 2022 GAB last Sept. 30, after the committee on appropriations headed by Rep. Eric Go Yap of party-list ACT-CIS finished the month-long budget deliberations of agencies.

“As soon as the Senate is done with its own version of the budget, the House will be selecting the contingent to the bicameral conference committee to help reconcile the two versions,” the Speaker promised.

PHILIPPINES, SPAIN INK PACT ON INTEL PROTECTION

MANILA — The Philippines has signed an agreement with Spain, ensuring the protection of classified intelligence information that both countries intend to share in the field of defense.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana signed the agreement with Spain’s Minister of Defense Margarita Robles in Madrid last week.

According to Arsenio Andolong, spokesman for the Department of National Defense, the pact recognizes the importance of information sharing in fostering a mutual understanding and closer cooperation between the two countries.

“It is an important step to further deepening defense relations between the Philippines and Spain, as the two countries both endeavor to develop their defense capabilities and promote shared interest in a rules-based international order,” Andolong said.

The defense chiefs discussed matters of mutual interest, including the importance of strengthening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region, fostering multilateral cooperation and addressing the global issue of climate change.

Lorenzana also welcomed the growing defense relations between the Philippines and partner countries in Europe, including Spain.

He will be attending the International Defense Industry Exhibition 2021 while in Madrid.

REPARATION LAW FOR MARTIAL LAW VICTIMS DID NOT CONVICT MARCOSES, SAYS ESCUDERO

MANILA - A law mandating reparation for martial law victims did not convict the Marcos family, its principal author and sponsor said Monday.

"That law did not convict anyone, that law simply provides compensation of victims of torture and human rights violation during the time of former president Ferdinand Marcos," Sorsogon Gov. Francis "Chiz" Escudero, who is running again for the Senate, said in an interview on Headstart.

Escudero said anyone was welcome to campaign in Sorsogon in the upcoming polls, including his former colleague in the Senate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

"My position would still be the same. If he will come here we will accept him and I would want our people to come and meet him and get to decide for themselves," he said.

It is up to Marcos whether he would apologize for his family's supposed crimes, Escudero said.

"It’s up to senator Marcos if he wants to apologize because if you force an apology out of him, it’s also not going to be believable much less acceptable to those asking for his apology," he said.

"I don’t think he has any plans of doing so given his past interviews, his past decisions. Whether he should say sorry or not is up to him. If he does not let the voters use that as basis whether to vote for him or not."

PACQUIAO EXPECTS HONEST, COMPETENT SERVICE FROM OFFICIALS IF HE'S ELECTED PRESIDENT

MANILA — Presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Sunday indicated that he expects people around him and officials working with him, should he win next year's elections, to be upright and competent.

The retired boxing champion said was ready to cut ties with people who would commit any wrongdoing under his administration.

"Dahil sa aking desisyon na pagtakbo ay kailangang ituwid na ang mga taong nasa paligid ko. Kailangan walang pabor-pabor dito. Hindi porke't kasama kita, papaboran kita," Pacquiao said in a statement.

Pacquiao said he had severed ties with close associates after learning they had been using his name to make money, though he did not name any of them or give specific details.

He said he would also be strict with other government officials if he is elected to the country's top post, giving them only six months to one year to accomplish tasks.

"Halimbawa, inilagay kita dyan at binigyan kita ng six months or one year... 'pag wala kang maipakita na improvement o development sa ahensiya na ibinigay ko sa iyo, kailangang palitan kita," he said.

Pacquiao, who is being endorsed by PROMDI party, visited the Legazpi Sunday Market in Makati on Sunday morning, seeking to boost the morale of small businesses.

"Kailangan nating lumabas at makisalamuha sa mga tao upang maramdaman talaga natin ang kanilang kalagayan," he said. He was joined by his running-mate, former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson and his running mate Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III went to Laguna on Saturday.

Vice-President Leni Robredo visited Bacolod City, where she met with members of Murcia Women's Association—Lakas ng Kababaihan (MWA-LNK), a beneficiary of rice-retailing livelihood from her office in the municipality of Murcia.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso wrapped his visit in Cebu where he was welcomed by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and her brother, Cebu 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia.

Former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., meanwhile, got the endorsement of former Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile.

A total of 97 people filed their candidacy for president next year, but the list will be trimmed by the Commission on Elections to remove those it will declare as nuisance. The final list is expected in mid-December.

The official campaign period for national position candidates for the May 9, 2022 elections will begin only on Feb. 8, 2022.

THE REST

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PH CONFIRMS 2,605 NEW COVID CASES; ACTIVE CASES AT LOWEST SINCE MARCH 1

MANILA - The Philippines confirmed 2,605 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the country’s total to 2,803,213.

The Department of Health also reported 3,901 new recoveries, pushing the total number of Filipinos who recovered from the disease to 2,725,257.

This means that the country has a total of 33,526 active cases as of 4 p.m. Sunday.

One hundred ninety one new deaths were also reported, bringing the country’s death toll from the disease to 44,430.

The 5.2 percent positivity rate is the lowest since February 15.

The number of active cases is the lowest since March 1.

The government has said that it wants to inoculate over 77.1 million Filipinos by the end of the year, and has raised its vaccination target to 1.5 million per day.

METRO MANILA MAYORS OK LIFTING FACE SHIELD POLICY - MMDA

MANILA—Local chief executives in the capital region have agreed to lift the mandatory use of face shields, except in critical areas, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said Monday.

"Napagkasunduan namin itong initial position ng Metro Manila mayors to do away with face shields," MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos told TeleRadyo.

"Wala na hong face shields maliban lamang sa mga critical areas kamukha ng ospital, kamukha ng health centers... and even 'yung mga public transport system po natin," he added.

He made the remark following the announcement of the City of Manila that it will also do away with face shields.

Abalos said Metro Manila mayors would submit their position to the government's pandemic task force for the scrapping of the face shield requirement.

MORE GROUPS OPPOSE REMOVAL OF 'SUBVERSIVE' MATERIALS FROM SCHOOL LIBRARIES

MANILA — More groups have condemned the decision of several state universities and colleges (SUCs) to remove reading materials deemed "subversive" from their libraries.

The Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP) said the banning of "subversive" books and literature from libraries was a "clear violation" of freedom in publishing and freedom of thought.

"To remove literature which explicitly accounts for Philippine radical thought, and other similar books, will raise a future generation that is ignorant and subservient," the BDAP said in a statement issued late Saturday.

"We need to remember that the goal of subversive literature is to encourage people to think for themselves while having access to different perspectives and possible ideals," added the group, which is composed of stakeholders from the publishing industry.

If the Philippines wants to "progress as a nation, we need to read books grounded in the Filipino experience," the group said.

"We must become independent thinkers and discerning, judicious learners. We must read other minds to be able to tell right from wrong," it added.

The Kalinga State University, Isabela State University and Aklan State University earlier surrendered books on the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and National Democratic Front to the military.

Critics, including UP Diliman officials led by Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo, have called the removal of the materials an attack on academic freedom.

ANTI-DRUG COP EDUARDO ACIERTO RESURFACES, CHALLENGES GORDON TO BARE INTEL REPORT

MANILA — Former cop Eduardo Acierto has resurfaced in a video challenging officials in the Duterte administration to act on his earlier intelligence report on Michael Yang, the businessman and former presidential adviser being linked to allegedly irregular pandemic contracts.

In his first public statement in years, the former deputy director for administration of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group asked why the Senate blue ribbon committee and other government offices failed to act on the leaked document in 2018.

The video called attention to Acierto's earlier report that allegedly links President Rodrigo Duterte's former economic adviser Yang to a clandestine drug lab that Acierto's unit raided in Davao City.

Acierto, an ex-police senior superintendent who has been in hiding since 2019, claimed those seeking to "hide the truth" persist in their attempts to find him and kill him.

"I'm asking Gordon and the blue ribbon committee to publish my intelligence report on Michael Yang and Allan Lim," Acierto said in Filipino.

Acierto has made similar claims in the past, saying in 2019 that his report had been ignored by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Palace. PDEA, in September, said that the Michael Yang who was adviser to Duterte was not involved in the drug trade.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Wilkins Villanueva is quoted in a previous report telling a House hearing that Yang would have been killed long ago if he were involved in drugs.

"I'm not the drug lord. The real drug lords are Michael Yang and Allan Lim, along with their protectors," Acierto insisted in the video, naming President Duterte and his former aide, now a senator.

He also claimed that the Senate would not be investigating the government's deals with its favored pandemic supplier, Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., if it had acted on his initial report in 2018.

"Surely now you can see that I was telling the truth. The truth is coming out now... If they didn’t hide my report, Pharmally’s corruption would not happen [and] the lives of healthcare workers wouldn’t be put at risk because of delayed, substandard face masks and face shields," Acierto claimed.

VILLAR TOPS RPMD SENATORIAL SURVEY

MANILA — Former public works secretary Mark Villar has topped a survey on the preferred senatorial candidates in the 2022 national elections, according to the RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD).

The non-commissioned survey, conducted from Oct. 17 to 27, used face-to-face interviews nationwide with 10,000 registered voters as respondents.

The survey showed Mark Villar and Raffy Tulfo enjoyed a majority of the voters’ preferences with 53.5 percent and 53.1 percent ratings, respectively.

Dr. Paul Martinez of the RPMD said among the 30 candidates, 16 have a statistical chance of winning, with 12 of them being former or incumbent members of Congress.

Following Villar and Tulfo were Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero (48.9 percent), Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano (48.5 percent), Antique Rep. Loren Legarda (48.2 percent) and former vice president Jejomar Binay (37.4 percent).

In 7th to12th place were former senator Jinggoy Estrada (35.1 percent), Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian (34.6 percent), Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri (33.5 percent), Sen. Risa Hontiveros (30.2 percent), former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista (29.1 percent) and Sen. Joel Villanueva (28.7 percent).

Ranking 13th to 16th were Sen. Richard Gordon (28.3 percent), former senator Joseph Victor Estrada Ejercito (27.5 percent), former representative Gilbert Teodoro (26.2 percent) and former senator Gringo Honasan (25.8 percent).

The survey had a plus or minus two percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence level and forms part of the presidential and vice presidential survey series called “RPMD-Halalan 2022.”

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

KRIS AQUINO SHARES PHOTOS OF FAST FOOD 'FIRST DATE' WITH FIANCE MEL SARMIENTO

MANILA - Kris Aquino and her fiance former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mel Sarmiento turned heads when they dined in at a fast food restaurant wearing a gown and a barong Tagalog.

Aquino on Instagram shared photos of her and Sarmiento during what she said was their first date.

The couple came from a wedding, where Aquino was one of the sponsors. On their way home, which took around three hours, she said they dropped by a fastfood chain.

"It was more than 3 hrs to get back kaya nag stop sa fast food and it’s been YEARS since I’ve entered that particular brand and after the pandemic naaliw sa kin everyone with me especially Mel, because I said ang sarap maging normal, regular person," she wrote in the caption.

Aquino and Sarmiento, however, were far from being regular people since they were wearing the same clothes they wore for the wedding they attended.

"Sinira ni @rbchanco because sabi nya wala raw nag da-dine in naka gown and nagpapa picture lahat ng crew. i said walang basagan ng trip…" she added.

Aquino also thanked the branch for allowing them to dine in and accommodating them on what she said is their first time to eat out.

"I just want to say thank you to the service crew at McDo Silang for having been so gracious & opening up an area for us. 1st time Mel & i ever ate out so you can say it was our 1st date - we won’t forget you," she wrote.

Aquino surprised the public a few weeks ago with a post with Sarmiento for the first time while sharing a clip of them together.

Saying she is looking forward to becoming a Sarmiento, Aquino thanked him for being her “best friend and the man I said yes to spending the rest of my life with.”

Sarmiento was the third and final DILG secretary under former President Aquino’s term, replacing Mar Roxas, who had tendered his resignation to focus on his presidential campaign.

Prior to his stint with the Aquino administration, Sarmiento was secretary general of the Liberal Party, the late president’s political party.

Aquino was formerly married to basketball star Yap. They had a civil wedding in 2005. They welcomed Bimby two years later in 2007. They separated in 2010, and their marriage was nullified two years later in 2012.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES NOV 6

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Rockets1-8       27        20        24        23        94

Nuggets5-4       26        20        26        23        95

BALL ARENA, DENVER, CO

SCORING LEADERS

            D. Theis HOU

18 PTS 5 REB

            N. Jokic DEN

28 PTS 14 REB 2 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Jazz7-2 24        28        26        37        115

Heat7-2 27        28        32        31        118

FTX ARENA, MIAMI, FL

SCORING LEADERS

            D. Mitchell UTA

37 PTS 7 AST

            T. Herro MIA

29 PTS 2 REB 3 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

76ers8-2           22        35        27        30        114

Bulls6-3            21        26        30        28        105

UNITED CENTER, CHICAGO, IL

SCORING LEADERS

            J. Embiid PHI

30 PTS 15 REB 3 AST

            Z. LaVine CHI

32 PTS 9 REB 3 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Celtics4-6         15        25        32        32        104

Mavericks6-3    29        28        22        28        107

AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER, DALLAS, TX

SCORING LEADERS

            J. Tatum BOS

32 PTS 11 REB 2 AST

            L. Doncic DAL

33 PTS 9 REB 5 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Hawks4-6         26        32        40        19        117

Suns5-3            25        34        27        35        121

FOOTPRINT CENTER, PHOENIX, AZ

SCORING LEADERS

            T. Young ATL

31 PTS 2 REB 13 AST

            D. Booker PHO

38 PTS 6 REB 4 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Lakers5-5         14        22        26        28        90

Trail Blazers5-5 36        15        42        12        105

MODA CENTER AT THE ROSE QUARTER, PORTLAND, OR

SCORING LEADERS

            M. Monk LAL

13 PTS 4 REB 3 AST

            D. Lillard POR

25 PTS 3 REB 6 AST

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

There's harmony and inner peace to be found in following a moral compass that points in the same direction regardless of fashion or trend. - Ted Koppel