PH CONSULATE TO BRING HOME PINOYS FROM CHINA'S VIRUS-HIT HUBEI PROVINCEMANILA - Foreign Affairs Sec. Teodoro Locsin Jr. has ordered the Philippineconsulate in Shanghai to start processing the repatriation of Filipinos inChina's Hubei province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)outbreak.Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Civilian Security andConsular Concerns Brigido J. Dulay, in a tweet on Tuesday, said "2 privatecharter airlines are on standby to fly to Hubei to bring our people homeupon clearance by Chinese authorities."Filipinos in the area who wish to go home should contact the PhilippineConsulate General in Shanghai through the following Hotline No.: (+86) 1391747-7112The repatriated Filipinos will undergo quarantine, as per protocol of theDepartment of Health.Meanwhile, the DFA said Filipinos who wish to stay in China should heedhealth advisories from local authorities. They should also cooperate inefforts to stop the further spread of the 2019-nCoV.Filipinos in affected areas needing medical assistance and treatment shouldimmediately go to the nearest medical facility.In cases of emergency, Filipinos in Hubei province may contact thePhilippine consulate in Shanghai, or any of the two 24-hour hotlinesestablished by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs: +86-27-8712-2256 and+86-27-8781-1173.Filipinos may also call the MFA hotlines should they need assistance andsupplies, among others.Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana earlier said 150 Filipinosin Hubei's Wuhan city are running out of supplies like food and water amidthe lockdown in the area.The Philippines remains free from a fast-spreading coronavirus from China,the health department said Tuesday, even as it monitored 27 suspected casesof the respiratory disease.2 CHINESE CRUISE SHIPS ARRIVE IN MANILAMANILA — Two cruise ships one from Hong Kong and another from China dockedin Manila this week, with over 1,400 Chinese passengers allowed todisembark.But the ship from Hong Kong, which arrived yesterday, was not allowed toproceed to Subic and both vessels were ordered to return to their ports oforigin.The cruise ship passengers were found to be free of symptoms of the novelcoronavirus or 2019-nCoV, Philippine health officials assured the public.Turning back the ships, however, was seen as part of measures to prevent thespread of 2019-nCoV in the Philippines.Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Capt. Armand Balilo said theyreceived notice from port authorities in Subic prohibiting the entry of theWorld Dream cruise ship with 778 passengers from Hong Kong.“The trip of the cruise ship World Dream to Subic has been cancelled. It’sleaving today (Tuesday) on its return trip to Hong Kong. The port statecontrol has given us notice that the ship is not allowed in Subic,” Balilosaid.The port state control is the PCG’s arm that controls the entry of foreignshipping in the Philippines.The other Chinese vessel, MV Ligulao, arrived on Monday in Manila fromLianyungang, Jiangsu, China. It is set to leave today, the coast guard said.It was carrying 700 passengers.Based on reports, at least eight confirmed cases of coronavirus have beenrecorded in Hong Kong and 4,500 confirmed cases in China. Death toll stoodat 106 as of yesterday morning.Asked if the passengers were cleared of nCoV, Balilo answered in theaffirmative.‘NO ORDER TO BAN CHINESE FROM PHILIPPINES’MANILA — Malacañang sees no need to bar Chinese – even those from Wuhan –from entering the Philippines even as the Bureau of Immigration (BI) hassuspended the issuance of visa-upon-arrival (VUA) to Chinese nationals.Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo yesterday urged Filipinos in China tofollow rules enforced by the Beijing government for preventing the spread ofthe novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV, whose origins have been traced to WuhanCity.The move followed reports of lockdown in several cities in China,particularly in Hubei province where the deadly virus originated and hadalready killed dozens.Chinese tourists in groups usually secure VUAs upon entering the country.“The Civil Aeronautics Board has already suspended direct flights fromWuhan,” said BI chief Jaime Morente. “We are now temporarily suspending theissuance of VUA for Chinese nationals to slow down the influx of grouptours.”But he stressed there is no ban on Chinese nationals.Taiwan immigration authorities, according to an article in the Taipei Times,have cancelled entry permits for 429 people in 24 tour groups from Wuhan.“We have not received any directive imposing policy changes on Chinesenationals,” said Morente. “But we are taking this proactive measure to slowdown travel and possibly help prevent the entry of the 2019-nCov.”Any change in policy on dealing with the matter, he said, would be made bythe Department of Foreign Affairs or the Office of the President, as advisedby the Department of Health (DOH).CHINA CONFIRMS 5,974 VIRUS CASES, EXCEEDING NATION'S SARS TOTALWUHAN, China — The number of confirmed cases in the new virus outbreak inChina reached 5,974 on Wednesday, overtaking the number of people infectedin the mainland by the SARS epidemic in 2002-2003.China's national health commission reported more than 1,400 confirmed newcases on Wednesday, as the death toll rose to 132.There were 5,327 confirmed cases in mainland China during the Severe AcuteRespiratory Syndrome epidemic.That outbreak killed more than 770 people globally, including 349 inmainland China.Some experts have praised Beijing for being more reactive and open about thenew virus compared to its handling of the SARS crisis.But others say local officials had earlier been more focused on projectingstability than responding to the outbreak when it began to spread earlierthis month.Japan and the US evacuated nationals from hard-hit Wuhan city at the centerof the outbreak on Wednesday.JAPAN TO HELP PHILIPPINES TEST SUSPECTED CORONAVIRUS CASES: HEALTH CHIEFMANILA - Japanese experts will help the Philippines screen potential casesof a novel coronavirus outbreak that the world is trying to contain,Manila's health minister said Wednesday.A government research institute in Muntinlupa can only check for thepresence of coronavirus, but cannot identify whether this is the same strainthat has killed more than 100 since emerging from China a few weeks ago,said Health Secretary Francisco Duque.Authorities are checking 24 suspected cases of the novel coronavirus(2019-nCoV) locally, their specimens sent to experts in Australia forlaboratory tests. Three other people earlier tested negative for the newpathogen, he said.Japan will give the Philippines a "primer" that can determine whether thecoronavirus that infected a patient has the same genetic code as the strainfrom China, eliminating the need to consult Australian experts."Tumatagal ang panahon dito sa Australia e. Sabi ko, no, kailangan magkaroontayo ng sariling kakayanan. Tutulong ang Japanese na magbibigay po sa atinnitong primer," he told DZMM.Authorities will bring home Filipinos from the Chinese central city ofWuhan, where the 2019-nCoV was first detected, the foreign department saidTuesday.The health department is checking where it can quarantine travelers fromWuhan for 14 days, the incubation period for the novel coronavirus, saidDuque.China said Wednesday deaths due to the novel coronavirus had risen to 132with nearly 6,000 people infected. Governments and companies around theworld have warned against travel to China and readied their citizens therefor possible repatriation.DUTERTE NAMES HONEYLET’S COUSIN TO GOVERNMENT POSTMANILA — President Duterte has appointed the cousin of his partner HoneyletAvanceña to the newly formed housing agency.Melissa Avanceña Aradanas was named assistant secretary of the Department ofHuman Settlements and Urban Development on Jan. 21, a list of appointmentsthat Malacañang released yesterday showed.The agency, which was formed in February last year through Republic Act11201, is the main planning and policymaking entity for all housing, humansettlement and urban development concerns.Aradanas was one of the officials of the Presidential Commission on UrbanPoor who were fired in December 2017 over alleged unnecessary foreign trips.She was appointed deputy secretary general of the Housing and UrbanDevelopment Coordinating Council three months later.Malacañang, through then presidential spokesman Harry Roque, had defendedAradanas’ reappointment, saying “no one can question the inherent power ofthe President to appoint anyone.”Meanwhile, Duterte renewed the appointment of Budget Secretary WendelAvisado, who was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments last month.PHILIPPINE NAVY HAS FIRST FEMALE COMMODOREMANILA — For the first time in the history of the Philippine Navy (PN), afemale member has been promoted to star rank, equivalent to a brigadiergeneral.Capt. Luzviminda Camacho received her first star during yesterday’s donningof ranks at Camp Aguinaldo, where she serves as chief of the Armed Forces ofthe Philippines-Office of Legislative Affairs (AFP-OLA).“She made history as the first female commodore in the Philippine Navy,”Capt. Jonathan Zata, AFP Public Affairs Office (PAO) chief, said.Camacho, who entered the service through the Navy Officers Candidate Course(OCS), was the first woman officer in the Navy to command a navy warship,following a series of sea duties that included serving as engineeringofficer of a naval gunboat.She was the first female commander of a contingent of Filipino peacekeeperssent by the government to Haiti.Camacho joined two other senior military officers who were also promoted tothe next rank yesterday.Promoted to the rank of lieutenant general was Maj. Gen. Roberto Ancan,commander the Cebu-based Central Command (Centcom).Brig. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr., commander of the AFP Civil Relations Service(CRS), was promoted to major general.“The promotion of generals and senior officers in the military signified theadvancement in their career as soldiers. it also implies bigger and morecrucial responsibilities that they have to carry toward the attainment ofthe AFP’s mission,” Zata said.FALSE VIRUS NEWS CAN DRAG 'BETTER PREPARED' PHILIPPINES: EX-SARS FIGHTERMANILA -- Fighting misinformation risks eating into the Philippinegovernment's resources that would otherwise be spent on dealing with the newcoronavirus that the world is trying to contain, said Manila's former healthminister who led the response to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS) nearly two decades ago.Compared to SARS, the Philippines is "better prepared" to respond to thenovel coronavirus from Wuhan, China as negative pressure or isolationchambers and quarantine procedures are in place, said former healthsecretary Manuel Dayrit."Disinformation may cause public confusion, and cause wasteful deployment ofresources in efforts to verify and to take corrective action," said Dayrit,also a former dean of the Ateneo School of Medicine who served at the WorldHealth Organization in Geneva after his stint at the Department of Health."The downside is that false news and maliciously-manufactured informationcan really confuse and scare people," he told ABS-CBN News in an emailinterview.STAGE SET FOR PRURIDE PH CYCLING FESTIVALMANILA — Once again, insurance and investment firm Pru Life UK is presentingits award-winning cycling event, the PRURide PH, from March 11 to 15.The event, which was launched in 2016, is expected to draw more than 2,500cyclists, including local and international professionals, that will vie 10high-octane categories.“We are excited to launch PRURide PH 2020 after the success of our firstthree editions,” said Pru Life UK senior vice president and chief customermarketing officer Allan Tumbaga in yesterday’s PSA Forum at Amelie HotelManila.The challenging three-day race is accredited by the Union CyclisteInternationale, the world-governing body in the sport, as a 2.2 stage race.It will be the first UCI-sanctioned race in the Philippines this year andfor the second straight year is included in the UCI world calendar.MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE SUSPECT ARRESTEDManila — Another police officer tagged in the Maguindao massacre wasarrested on Monday.Police Officer 1 Suari Esmail Pagabangan was apprehended at his hideout atthe boundary of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat and Sultan Sa Barongis, Maguindanoat around 12:30 p.m.A reward of P300,000 has been offered for information leading toPagabangan’s arrest.Lt. Col. Barney Condes of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion saidPagabangan was under surveillance for a week.Pagabangan is the fourth suspect and second police officer taken intocustody after the promulgation of the Maguindanao massacre case last month.Last week, PO1 Ysmael Baraguir surrendered in Barangay Linandangan inPagalungan town.A total of 76 other suspects remain at large.‘KAYO NA NI JANELLA?’ JOSHUA'S PRANK CALL GOES AWRYMANILA — The unwitting target of Joshua Garcia’s prank call, Dimples Romana,did not realize her sensitive words to her “Block Z” co-star would be airedon radio, and heard by a celebrity once romantically involved with theactor.Garcia picked Romana as his prank call victim as he, along with his formergirlfriend Julia Barretto and other “Block Z” cast members, promoted thezombie flick on MOR 101.9 on Wednesday.When Garcia told Romana he was about to confess a secret, Romana guessed twothings: that he and Barretto are back together, or that he and his currentonscreen partner Janella Salvador are now a couple.Garcia and Salvador’s “love team” was launched in the recently concludeddrama series “The Killer Bride” — after the controversial falling outbetween Garcia and Barretto, who were formerly an onscreen tandem as well.Early this month, Barretto made headlines when she appeared to unfollow bothGarcia and Salvador’s accounts on Instagram, just after the actor shared asweet photo with his new leading lady.When Romana, in the prank call, brought up the two women, Garcia divertedthe topic to his “confession” of having a brewing romance with McCoy deLeon, also their “Block Z” co-actor.When Romana candidly quipped that de Leon is “happy with his love life,” theruse was exposed — as the actor rushed to stop Romana from saying more,indicating that his romance wasn’t yet known to the public.RATINGS: CARDO PREVAILS OVER LATEST CHALLENGERMANILA — Cardo remained the far-and-away king of Philippine TV on Monday ashe defeated, yet again, a new challenger in terms of nationwide viewership.“FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” which for over four years has followed theadventures of the heroic Cardo (Coco Martin), was unmoved from the top spotagainst the debut of “Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday.”ABS-CBN’s primetime stalwart, in fact, registered double the viewership ofits latest rival, with 33.8% versus 16.7%, according to Kantar Media.Throughout its top-rating run since September 2015, “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano”has made a mark on Philippine pop culture, with Cardo’s seeming“immortality” spawning memes online and references in other programs.In terms of enduring relevance and unwavering viewership, the DreamscapeEntertainment production is unparalleled — a fact even stars of its formerrival programs have acknowledged, with the likes of Dennis Trillo andDingdong Dantes congratulating Martin on the show’s continued success.With portrayed conflicts as grave as the protecting a fictional presidentfrom assassination, Martin has teased that “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” is poisedto go international this year, with the inclusion of foreign actors and thefilming of scenes overseas, on top of larger-scale action sequences.HIDILYN DIAZ CLINCHES GOLDS AT WEIGHTLIFTING WORLD CUPMANILA - Hidilyn Diaz took home 3 gold medals in the 2020 WeightliftingWorld Cup in Rome on Tuesday.She topped the snatch (93 kilograms), clean and jerk (119 kg), and overalllift (212 kg) in the women's 55-kilogram division.Diaz's dominant showing in clean and jerk enabled her to beat competitorsfrom Ukraine, Tunisia, among others.She is looking to return to the Olympics after 3 straight stints, the lastone capped by a silver medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.The 2020 Tokyo Olympic berths will be handed out after the Asianchampionships in Kazakhstan in April.Diaz, who has been in Rome since Jan. 18 training for the Cup, told ABS-CBNNews there's no time for complacency as she still has a lot to prepare forthe Olympics."Marami pa kaming kailangan gawin para sa Tokyo 2020," she said.She said China will be one of the countries she expects to give her a runfor the money, followed by Kazahkstan and Uzbekistan."If we're ready, if we're willing to give everything with guts, kayang-kayapo natin," said Diaz, who has been on a roll the past few years, bagginggold medals in the 2018 Asian Games and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.After winning in the SEA Games, Diaz chose not to spend the holidays in herhome province and instead prepared for the World Cup."People wonder why I am not home in Zamboanga for the holidays," she wroteon Instagram late December."As we get closer and closer to #tokyo2020 I can't stop my training since weare 4 weeks out from competition (World Cup). These are the sacrifices usathletes and coaches make to achieve the dream for our country and I amgrateful for my coaches."NBA SCORES JAN 27FINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Cavaliers 13-34    24    29    36    26    115team logo Pistons 17-31    23    22    27    28    100SCORING LEADERSC. Sexton CLE23 PTS, 3 REB, 5 ASTR. Jackson DET16 PTS, 2 REB, 2 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Magic 21-27    21    27    23    21    92team logo Heat 32-14    31    23    31    28    113SCORING LEADERSN. Vucevic ORL13 PTS, 12 REB, 4 ASTD. Robinson MIA21 PTS, 5 REB, 1 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Mavericks 29-17    25    34    29    19    107team logo Thunder 28-20    22    25    30    20    97SCORING LEADERSL. Doncic DAL29 PTS, 11 REB, 5 ASTD. Schroder OKC21 PTS, 7 REB, 6 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Spurs 20-26    28    20    37    24    109team logo Bulls 19-30    21    29    25    35    110SCORING LEADERSD. DeRozan SA36 PTS, 10 REB, 3 ASTZ. LaVine CHI23 PTS, 6 REB, 2 ASTFINAL/OT    1    2    3    4    OT    Tteam logo Kings 17-29    24    26    28    41    14    133team logo Timberwolves 15-32    37    31    29    22    10    129SCORING LEADERSB. Hield SAC42 PTS, 5 REB, 3 ASTA. Wiggins MIN36 PTS, 9 REB, 8 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Rockets 29-17    28    31    28    39    126team logo Jazz 32-14    20    26    29    42    117SCORING LEADERSE. Gordon HOU50 PTS, 6 REB, 3 ASTD. Mitchell UTA36 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Civilian Security andConsular Concerns Brigido J. Dulay, in a tweet on Tuesday, said "2 privatecharter airlines are on standby to fly to Hubei to bring our people homeupon clearance by Chinese authorities."Filipinos in the area who wish to go home should contact the PhilippineConsulate General in Shanghai through the following Hotline No.: (+86) 1391747-7112The repatriated Filipinos will undergo quarantine, as per protocol of theDepartment of Health.Meanwhile, the DFA said Filipinos who wish to stay in China should heedhealth advisories from local authorities. They should also cooperate inefforts to stop the further spread of the 2019-nCoV.Filipinos in affected areas needing medical assistance and treatment shouldimmediately go to the nearest medical facility.In cases of emergency, Filipinos in Hubei province may contact thePhilippine consulate in Shanghai, or any of the two 24-hour hotlinesestablished by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs: +86-27-8712-2256 and+86-27-8781-1173.Filipinos may also call the MFA hotlines should they need assistance andsupplies, among others.Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana earlier said 150 Filipinosin Hubei's Wuhan city are running out of supplies like food and water amidthe lockdown in the area.The Philippines remains free from a fast-spreading coronavirus from China,the health department said Tuesday, even as it monitored 27 suspected casesof the respiratory disease.2 CHINESE CRUISE SHIPS ARRIVE IN MANILAMANILA — Two cruise ships one from Hong Kong and another from China dockedin Manila this week, with over 1,400 Chinese passengers allowed todisembark.But the ship from Hong Kong, which arrived yesterday, was not allowed toproceed to Subic and both vessels were ordered to return to their ports oforigin.The cruise ship passengers were found to be free of symptoms of the novelcoronavirus or 2019-nCoV, Philippine health officials assured the public.Turning back the ships, however, was seen as part of measures to prevent thespread of 2019-nCoV in the Philippines.Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Capt. Armand Balilo said theyreceived notice from port authorities in Subic prohibiting the entry of theWorld Dream cruise ship with 778 passengers from Hong Kong.“The trip of the cruise ship World Dream to Subic has been cancelled. It’sleaving today (Tuesday) on its return trip to Hong Kong. The port statecontrol has given us notice that the ship is not allowed in Subic,” Balilosaid.The port state control is the PCG’s arm that controls the entry of foreignshipping in the Philippines.The other Chinese vessel, MV Ligulao, arrived on Monday in Manila fromLianyungang, Jiangsu, China. It is set to leave today, the coast guard said.It was carrying 700 passengers.Based on reports, at least eight confirmed cases of coronavirus have beenrecorded in Hong Kong and 4,500 confirmed cases in China. Death toll stoodat 106 as of yesterday morning.Asked if the passengers were cleared of nCoV, Balilo answered in theaffirmative.‘NO ORDER TO BAN CHINESE FROM PHILIPPINES’MANILA — Malacañang sees no need to bar Chinese – even those from Wuhan –from entering the Philippines even as the Bureau of Immigration (BI) hassuspended the issuance of visa-upon-arrival (VUA) to Chinese nationals.Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo yesterday urged Filipinos in China tofollow rules enforced by the Beijing government for preventing the spread ofthe novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV, whose origins have been traced to WuhanCity.The move followed reports of lockdown in several cities in China,particularly in Hubei province where the deadly virus originated and hadalready killed dozens.Chinese tourists in groups usually secure VUAs upon entering the country.“The Civil Aeronautics Board has already suspended direct flights fromWuhan,” said BI chief Jaime Morente. “We are now temporarily suspending theissuance of VUA for Chinese nationals to slow down the influx of grouptours.”But he stressed there is no ban on Chinese nationals.Taiwan immigration authorities, according to an article in the Taipei Times,have cancelled entry permits for 429 people in 24 tour groups from Wuhan.“We have not received any directive imposing policy changes on Chinesenationals,” said Morente. “But we are taking this proactive measure to slowdown travel and possibly help prevent the entry of the 2019-nCov.”Any change in policy on dealing with the matter, he said, would be made bythe Department of Foreign Affairs or the Office of the President, as advisedby the Department of Health (DOH).CHINA CONFIRMS 5,974 VIRUS CASES, EXCEEDING NATION'S SARS TOTALWUHAN, China — The number of confirmed cases in the new virus outbreak inChina reached 5,974 on Wednesday, overtaking the number of people infectedin the mainland by the SARS epidemic in 2002-2003.China's national health commission reported more than 1,400 confirmed newcases on Wednesday, as the death toll rose to 132.There were 5,327 confirmed cases in mainland China during the Severe AcuteRespiratory Syndrome epidemic.That outbreak killed more than 770 people globally, including 349 inmainland China.Some experts have praised Beijing for being more reactive and open about thenew virus compared to its handling of the SARS crisis.But others say local officials had earlier been more focused on projectingstability than responding to the outbreak when it began to spread earlierthis month.Japan and the US evacuated nationals from hard-hit Wuhan city at the centerof the outbreak on Wednesday.JAPAN TO HELP PHILIPPINES TEST SUSPECTED CORONAVIRUS CASES: HEALTH CHIEFMANILA - Japanese experts will help the Philippines screen potential casesof a novel coronavirus outbreak that the world is trying to contain,Manila's health minister said Wednesday.A government research institute in Muntinlupa can only check for thepresence of coronavirus, but cannot identify whether this is the same strainthat has killed more than 100 since emerging from China a few weeks ago,said Health Secretary Francisco Duque.Authorities are checking 24 suspected cases of the novel coronavirus(2019-nCoV) locally, their specimens sent to experts in Australia forlaboratory tests. Three other people earlier tested negative for the newpathogen, he said.Japan will give the Philippines a "primer" that can determine whether thecoronavirus that infected a patient has the same genetic code as the strainfrom China, eliminating the need to consult Australian experts."Tumatagal ang panahon dito sa Australia e. Sabi ko, no, kailangan magkaroontayo ng sariling kakayanan. Tutulong ang Japanese na magbibigay po sa atinnitong primer," he told DZMM.Authorities will bring home Filipinos from the Chinese central city ofWuhan, where the 2019-nCoV was first detected, the foreign department saidTuesday.The health department is checking where it can quarantine travelers fromWuhan for 14 days, the incubation period for the novel coronavirus, saidDuque.China said Wednesday deaths due to the novel coronavirus had risen to 132with nearly 6,000 people infected. Governments and companies around theworld have warned against travel to China and readied their citizens therefor possible repatriation.DUTERTE NAMES HONEYLET’S COUSIN TO GOVERNMENT POSTMANILA — President Duterte has appointed the cousin of his partner HoneyletAvanceña to the newly formed housing agency.Melissa Avanceña Aradanas was named assistant secretary of the Department ofHuman Settlements and Urban Development on Jan. 21, a list of appointmentsthat Malacañang released yesterday showed.The agency, which was formed in February last year through Republic Act11201, is the main planning and policymaking entity for all housing, humansettlement and urban development concerns.Aradanas was one of the officials of the Presidential Commission on UrbanPoor who were fired in December 2017 over alleged unnecessary foreign trips.She was appointed deputy secretary general of the Housing and UrbanDevelopment Coordinating Council three months later.Malacañang, through then presidential spokesman Harry Roque, had defendedAradanas’ reappointment, saying “no one can question the inherent power ofthe President to appoint anyone.”Meanwhile, Duterte renewed the appointment of Budget Secretary WendelAvisado, who was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments last month.PHILIPPINE NAVY HAS FIRST FEMALE COMMODOREMANILA — For the first time in the history of the Philippine Navy (PN), afemale member has been promoted to star rank, equivalent to a brigadiergeneral.Capt. Luzviminda Camacho received her first star during yesterday’s donningof ranks at Camp Aguinaldo, where she serves as chief of the Armed Forces ofthe Philippines-Office of Legislative Affairs (AFP-OLA).“She made history as the first female commodore in the Philippine Navy,”Capt. Jonathan Zata, AFP Public Affairs Office (PAO) chief, said.Camacho, who entered the service through the Navy Officers Candidate Course(OCS), was the first woman officer in the Navy to command a navy warship,following a series of sea duties that included serving as engineeringofficer of a naval gunboat.She was the first female commander of a contingent of Filipino peacekeeperssent by the government to Haiti.Camacho joined two other senior military officers who were also promoted tothe next rank yesterday.Promoted to the rank of lieutenant general was Maj. Gen. Roberto Ancan,commander the Cebu-based Central Command (Centcom).Brig. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr., commander of the AFP Civil Relations Service(CRS), was promoted to major general.“The promotion of generals and senior officers in the military signified theadvancement in their career as soldiers. it also implies bigger and morecrucial responsibilities that they have to carry toward the attainment ofthe AFP’s mission,” Zata said.FALSE VIRUS NEWS CAN DRAG 'BETTER PREPARED' PHILIPPINES: EX-SARS FIGHTERMANILA -- Fighting misinformation risks eating into the Philippinegovernment's resources that would otherwise be spent on dealing with the newcoronavirus that the world is trying to contain, said Manila's former healthminister who led the response to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS) nearly two decades ago.Compared to SARS, the Philippines is "better prepared" to respond to thenovel coronavirus from Wuhan, China as negative pressure or isolationchambers and quarantine procedures are in place, said former healthsecretary Manuel Dayrit."Disinformation may cause public confusion, and cause wasteful deployment ofresources in efforts to verify and to take corrective action," said Dayrit,also a former dean of the Ateneo School of Medicine who served at the WorldHealth Organization in Geneva after his stint at the Department of Health."The downside is that false news and maliciously-manufactured informationcan really confuse and scare people," he told ABS-CBN News in an emailinterview.STAGE SET FOR PRURIDE PH CYCLING FESTIVALMANILA — Once again, insurance and investment firm Pru Life UK is presentingits award-winning cycling event, the PRURide PH, from March 11 to 15.The event, which was launched in 2016, is expected to draw more than 2,500cyclists, including local and international professionals, that will vie 10high-octane categories.“We are excited to launch PRURide PH 2020 after the success of our firstthree editions,” said Pru Life UK senior vice president and chief customermarketing officer Allan Tumbaga in yesterday’s PSA Forum at Amelie HotelManila.The challenging three-day race is accredited by the Union CyclisteInternationale, the world-governing body in the sport, as a 2.2 stage race.It will be the first UCI-sanctioned race in the Philippines this year andfor the second straight year is included in the UCI world calendar.MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE SUSPECT ARRESTEDManila — Another police officer tagged in the Maguindao massacre wasarrested on Monday.Police Officer 1 Suari Esmail Pagabangan was apprehended at his hideout atthe boundary of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat and Sultan Sa Barongis, Maguindanoat around 12:30 p.m.A reward of P300,000 has been offered for information leading toPagabangan’s arrest.Lt. Col. Barney Condes of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion saidPagabangan was under surveillance for a week.Pagabangan is the fourth suspect and second police officer taken intocustody after the promulgation of the Maguindanao massacre case last month.Last week, PO1 Ysmael Baraguir surrendered in Barangay Linandangan inPagalungan town.A total of 76 other suspects remain at large.‘KAYO NA NI JANELLA?’ JOSHUA'S PRANK CALL GOES AWRYMANILA — The unwitting target of Joshua Garcia’s prank call, Dimples Romana,did not realize her sensitive words to her “Block Z” co-star would be airedon radio, and heard by a celebrity once romantically involved with theactor.Garcia picked Romana as his prank call victim as he, along with his formergirlfriend Julia Barretto and other “Block Z” cast members, promoted thezombie flick on MOR 101.9 on Wednesday.When Garcia told Romana he was about to confess a secret, Romana guessed twothings: that he and Barretto are back together, or that he and his currentonscreen partner Janella Salvador are now a couple.Garcia and Salvador’s “love team” was launched in the recently concludeddrama series “The Killer Bride” — after the controversial falling outbetween Garcia and Barretto, who were formerly an onscreen tandem as well.Early this month, Barretto made headlines when she appeared to unfollow bothGarcia and Salvador’s accounts on Instagram, just after the actor shared asweet photo with his new leading lady.When Romana, in the prank call, brought up the two women, Garcia divertedthe topic to his “confession” of having a brewing romance with McCoy deLeon, also their “Block Z” co-actor.When Romana candidly quipped that de Leon is “happy with his love life,” theruse was exposed — as the actor rushed to stop Romana from saying more,indicating that his romance wasn’t yet known to the public.RATINGS: CARDO PREVAILS OVER LATEST CHALLENGERMANILA — Cardo remained the far-and-away king of Philippine TV on Monday ashe defeated, yet again, a new challenger in terms of nationwide viewership.“FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” which for over four years has followed theadventures of the heroic Cardo (Coco Martin), was unmoved from the top spotagainst the debut of “Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday.”ABS-CBN’s primetime stalwart, in fact, registered double the viewership ofits latest rival, with 33.8% versus 16.7%, according to Kantar Media.Throughout its top-rating run since September 2015, “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano”has made a mark on Philippine pop culture, with Cardo’s seeming“immortality” spawning memes online and references in other programs.In terms of enduring relevance and unwavering viewership, the DreamscapeEntertainment production is unparalleled — a fact even stars of its formerrival programs have acknowledged, with the likes of Dennis Trillo andDingdong Dantes congratulating Martin on the show’s continued success.With portrayed conflicts as grave as the protecting a fictional presidentfrom assassination, Martin has teased that “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” is poisedto go international this year, with the inclusion of foreign actors and thefilming of scenes overseas, on top of larger-scale action sequences.HIDILYN DIAZ CLINCHES GOLDS AT WEIGHTLIFTING WORLD CUPMANILA - Hidilyn Diaz took home 3 gold medals in the 2020 WeightliftingWorld Cup in Rome on Tuesday.She topped the snatch (93 kilograms), clean and jerk (119 kg), and overalllift (212 kg) in the women's 55-kilogram division.Diaz's dominant showing in clean and jerk enabled her to beat competitorsfrom Ukraine, Tunisia, among others.She is looking to return to the Olympics after 3 straight stints, the lastone capped by a silver medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.The 2020 Tokyo Olympic berths will be handed out after the Asianchampionships in Kazakhstan in April.Diaz, who has been in Rome since Jan. 18 training for the Cup, told ABS-CBNNews there's no time for complacency as she still has a lot to prepare forthe Olympics."Marami pa kaming kailangan gawin para sa Tokyo 2020," she said.She said China will be one of the countries she expects to give her a runfor the money, followed by Kazahkstan and Uzbekistan."If we're ready, if we're willing to give everything with guts, kayang-kayapo natin," said Diaz, who has been on a roll the past few years, bagginggold medals in the 2018 Asian Games and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.After winning in the SEA Games, Diaz chose not to spend the holidays in herhome province and instead prepared for the World Cup."People wonder why I am not home in Zamboanga for the holidays," she wroteon Instagram late December."As we get closer and closer to #tokyo2020 I can't stop my training since weare 4 weeks out from competition (World Cup). These are the sacrifices usathletes and coaches make to achieve the dream for our country and I amgrateful for my coaches."NBA SCORES JAN 27FINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Cavaliers 13-34    24    29    36    26    115team logo Pistons 17-31    23    22    27    28    100SCORING LEADERSC. Sexton CLE23 PTS, 3 REB, 5 ASTR. Jackson DET16 PTS, 2 REB, 2 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Magic 21-27    21    27    23    21    92team logo Heat 32-14    31    23    31    28    113SCORING LEADERSN. Vucevic ORL13 PTS, 12 REB, 4 ASTD. Robinson MIA21 PTS, 5 REB, 1 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Mavericks 29-17    25    34    29    19    107team logo Thunder 28-20    22    25    30    20    97SCORING LEADERSL. Doncic DAL29 PTS, 11 REB, 5 ASTD. Schroder OKC21 PTS, 7 REB, 6 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Spurs 20-26    28    20    37    24    109team logo Bulls 19-30    21    29    25    35    110SCORING LEADERSD. DeRozan SA36 PTS, 10 REB, 3 ASTZ. LaVine CHI23 PTS, 6 REB, 2 ASTFINAL/OT    1    2    3    4    OT    Tteam logo Kings 17-29    24    26    28    41    14    133team logo Timberwolves 15-32    37    31    29    22    10    129SCORING LEADERSB. Hield SAC42 PTS, 5 REB, 3 ASTA. Wiggins MIN36 PTS, 9 REB, 8 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Rockets 29-17    28    31    28    39    126team logo Jazz 32-14    20    26    29    42    117SCORING LEADERSE. Gordon HOU50 PTS, 6 REB, 3 ASTD. Mitchell UTA36 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST