COVID-19 ALERT 3 UP IN 6 PROVINCES STARTING FRIDAY
MANILA — Six more provinces will be escalated to COVID-19 Alert 3, government said on Thursday.
Palawan, Camiguin, Davao Occidental, Dinagat Islands, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu will be under Alert Level 3 from Friday, Jan. 28, 2022 until Feb. 15, 2022, said Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.
The third alert in a 5-level system bans contact sports, fun fairs, casinos, and face-to-face classes, except those previously allowed by the COVID-19 task force or the Office of the President.
Alert 3 also limits to fully vaccinated individuals and reduces to 30 percent the indoor operating capacity of dine-in services, religious gatherings, fitness studios, personal care services, and recreational venues.
An area’s alert level depends on its COVID-19 daily attack rate, growth rate, and healthcare utilization.
Metro Manila and several other areas are under Alert 3 at least until Monday.
WHO STAFF ACCUSE TOP BOSS OF RACISM AND ABUSE AT MANILA HQ
Staffers have accused the top director of the World Health Organization in the Western Pacific of racist, unethical and abusive behavior that has undermined the UN health agency's efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
The allegations were laid out in an internal complaint filed in October and in an email last week sent by unidentified staff to WHO's senior leadership and its executive board. Two of the authors said more than 30 current and former WHO officials were involved in writing the email.
The internal complaint and email describe a "toxic atmosphere" with "a culture of systemic bullying and public ridiculing" at WHO's Western Pacific headquarters in Manila, led by Dr Takeshi Kasai, director of a vast region that includes China and Japan. There are also recorded snippets of meetings where Kasai is heard making derogatory comments about staff based on nationality. Eleven former or current WHO staffers who worked for Kasai said he frequently used racist language.
The complaint and message also accused Kasai of improperly sharing potentially sensitive vaccine information with his home country, Japan. In an email to the AP, Kasai denied allegations of racism and unethical behaviour.
"I ask a lot of myself, and our staff," he said. "This has particularly been the case during the Covid-19 response. But it should not result in people feeling disrespected."
NTC DEFENDS GRANT OF FREQUENCIES TO DUTERTE ALLIES, SAYS NO 'MIDNIGHT DEAL'
MANILA - A senior official of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) defended the grant of frequencies formerly held by ABS-CBN to allies of President Rodrigo Duterte and fended off criticism that it was a “midnight deal.”
NTC Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarrios said the commission decided to allocate the frequencies because they had been left unused for more than a year now.
“It’s been more than 1 year already since these spectrums remain unused, unutilized and unassigned so the Commission en banc decided to assign so that it can used for public good and public convenience,” said Cabarrios in an interview with ANC.
Cabarrios also brushed off criticisms that the granting of frequencies was rushed to skirt an election ban on granting new permits for the use of radio frequencies.
A think-tank earlier noted that under subsection 6.4 of Republic Act No. 9006 or the Fair Elections Act, "No franchise or permit to operate a radio or television station shall be granted or issued, suspended or canceled during the election period."
The NTC orders assigning frequencies used by ABS-CBN were dated Jan. 5 (Wednesday) and Jan. 6 (Thursday), a few days before this year's election period opened on Jan. 9 (Monday).
But Cabarrios said leaving the frequencies idle was “disadvantageous to the public.”
He also said that waiting for the next administration to be installed before assigning the frequencies would mean that they would be idle for more than 2 years.
NO MEETING WITH ROBREDO OR HER TEAM, META SAYS OF SUSPENDED LAWYER'S CONSPIRACY CLAIM
MANILA — Facebook’s parent company, Meta, did not have a meeting with Vice President Leni Robredo or her team for the removal of accounts supportive of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, contrary to an ubstantiated claim of a suspended lawyer running for senator.
"No one from Meta has recently met with the vice president or her team, or made any agreement to remove political content from our platforms,” a Meta spokesperson told Philstar.com in an email on Friday.
The spokesperson added: "We do not arbitrarily censor peaceful political speech on Facebook, and we will only remove content or accounts if they violate our Community Standards."
A source in the Robredo campaign also told reporters that no such meeting happened.
Larry Gadon, who is running for senator under Marcos’ ticket, claimed on Thursday that Robredo’s camp met with Facebook officials supposedly to remove or suspend accounts of supporters of Marcos and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. He claimed to have a source in "Facebook Philippines" who told him about the alleged meeting.
Gadon further claimed that Robredo’s campaign was behind the recent purge of pro-Marcos Twitter accounts.
But what he left out was that Twitter suspended these accounts after its investigation found that these violated its policies against platform manipulation and spam. The Marcos campaign has also distanced itself from those accounts.
Social media platforms often shy away from content-based restrictions and instead suspend or remove accounts or content if they violate their policies on having multiple fake accounts.
COMELEC'S GUANZON VOTES TO DISQUALIFY BONGBONG MARCOS IN HALALAN 2022
MANILA - Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Thursday revealed she voted in favor of a consolidated case involving 3 petitions to disqualify presidential frontrunner Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. in the May polls.
"I voted to DQ (disqualify)," Guanzon told ABS-CBN News.
Guanzon voted in favor of the 3 petitions because she believes Marcos Jr. has been sentenced in a crime involving moral turpitude, which is one of the grounds for disqualification under the Omnibus Election Code.
Guanzon is part of the three-member Comelec First Division handling consolidated petitions for Marcos' disqualification from the presidential race over a 1995 tax evasion conviction.
The petitions were separately filed by martial law survivors, led by Bonifacio Ilagan; Akbayan party-list; and Abubakar Mangelen.
A majority vote is needed to grant or junk the petitions. The other members of the 1st Division are Commissioners Aimee Ferolino and Marlon Casquejo.
According to Guanzon, Ferolino is the "ponente" or the the commissioner assigned to write the ruling.
Guanzon, who is set to step down from office next week, admitted the division has yet to take a vote on the consolidated case.
"The ponente, who has the duty to write the resolution, 16 days na hindi pa niya nilalabas, eh may agreement naman kami na Jan. 17 ilabas," Guanzon explained.
GUANZON SUSPECTS AN "UNSEEN HAND" HAS DIPPED ITS FINGERS INTO THE CASE.
"Ibig sabihin may political interference kasi obvious ba hindi na siya sumasagot sa telepono niya, ayaw na niya talaga sumagot," Guanzon said, referring to Ferolino.
Ferolino refused to comment on Guanzon's moves, citing the subjudice rule.
In a statement, Akbayan, one of the petitioners, lauded Guanzon's vote.
"Comm. Guanzon's vote also gives us hope that there are more voices inside the Comelec that do not believe in, or at the very least, doubt the electoral qualification of Bongbong," the group said.
PARTIDO FEDERAL WANTS GUANZON PROBED, SANCTIONED FOR 'ILLEGAL' DISCLOSURE OF DQ VOTE
MANILA — Partido Federal ng Pilipinas on Friday called on the Commission on Elections to investigate Commissioner Rowena Guanzon for disclosing her vote on the pending disqualification suit against their presidential bet Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Lawyer George Briones, PFP general counsel, said Guanzon should be "disbarred, with forfeiture of her retirement benefits and lifetime pension" for "illegally" disclosing her vote on the disqualification petition against Marcos pending before the Comelec’s First Division.
“The [PFP] requests the Comelec En Banc to conduct an administrative investigation immediately against [Guanzon]” for alleged violation of the Canons of Judicial Ethics and Code of Judicial Conduct before her retirement benefits are released,” Briones said.
Guanzon on Thursday said in two TV interviews that she voted to disqualify —which also means a vote to grant the petitions — Marcos. She also hinted that there is a “powerful” individual intervening in the release of the main ruling.
SENATOR WARNS OF SUMMER BROWNOUTS DUE TO 'NEGLIGENCE OF POWER AUTHORITIES'
MANILA - There will be brownouts prior and after the May elections due to the negligence of power authorities, a senator said Friday.
The Department of Energy, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, and Energy Regulatory Commission have yet to enforce solutions that will address power outage every summer, said Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Energy.
"This seems to me those solutions are not in place yet that's why we have high possibility of experiencing brownout this coming summer season. We will not have brownout on election day," he told ANC's Headstart.
"The simple reason is that walang trabaho eh, no one's going to go to work, walang demand. The problem is a week before that and 2 weeks after that, based on projections of NGCP and historical data."
The DOE has yet to implement to the fullest the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS), which shortens the process of completing requirements of energy-related projects, according to Gatchalian.
"The EVOSS law is probably being implemented about 10 percent. unfortunately it’s not being pushed to the fullest," he said.
PHILIPPINES AGAIN IN LAST SPOT IN COVID-19 RESILIENCE RANKING
MANILA — The Philippines once again placed at the bottom of a ranking that measures the resilience and response of the world’s biggest 53 economies to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With a score of 48.3, the Philippines dropped to the last spot in Bloomberg’s COVID-19 resilience ranking for the third time in the last five months. The country placed 50th last month.
“Difficulties administering vaccines in remote areas continue to be a vulnerability as the country sees an Omicron surge worse than other Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand,” Bloomberg said.
It also said that developing nations, including the Philippines, are struggling to administer COVID-19 vaccines due to logistical issues.
The ranking is based on 12 indicators related to virus containment, quality of healthcare, immunization coverage, overall mortality, and progress toward opening borders.
The Philippine government has repeatedly dismissed the Bloomberg ranking, saying it does not cover all countries in the world. Lawyer Harry Roque, a former Palace spokesperson, said in September 2021 that "being in last place does not mean we are in last place in the entire world."
"We’re only last among the countries studied by Bloomberg," he also said.
The United Arab Emirates topped the Bloomberg’s COVID-19 resilience ranking, followed by Saudi Arabia, Finland, Turkey, Singapore.
Joining Philippines in the bottom rungs of the ranking were Argentina (49th), Russia (50th), Romania (51st), and Vietnam (52nd).
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HOUSE OKS BILL GRANTING BENEFITS TO HEALTH WORKERS
MANILA — The House of Representatives has approved a measure that will institutionalize benefits for the country’s medical frontliners.
In hybrid plenary session last Wednesday afternoon, congressmen decided via voice voting to approve on second reading House Bill 10701 that seeks to provide continuous benefits for public and private health care workers (HCWs) as well as barangay health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and future health emergencies.
The plenary passed the measure just two days after it was approved by the appropriations committee chaired by ACT-CIS and Benguet caretaker Rep. Eric Yap.
“This is one of our ways to support our HCWs who are considered heroes in this pandemic. This is an affirmation of the commitment by our Congress to protect the welfare of our frontliners and somehow reciprocate the sacrifices they made for our country in battling COVID-19,” Yap explained.
Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte called on fellow congressmen for a swift passage of the measure in the plenary to complement President Duterte’s order for the release of P1.185 billion for the special risk allowance (SRA) of medical frontliners.
“The Congress can go one step further by passing the bill institutionalizing this allowance and other benefits for our medical frontliners,” he said.
3 NEGROS POLL AREAS OF CONCERN EYED
BACOLOD CITY — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may declare three “areas of concern” in Negros Occidental, according to provincial police deputy spokesperson Lt. Abegael Donasco.
The Comelec had earlier identified Moises Padilla and Escalante City, where election-related violent incidents were recorded in previous elections, as areas of concern.
Donasco said intense political rivalry and the presence of private armed groups are among the parameters being considered to declare another area of concern, which she did not identify.
Mayor Ernesto Estrao of Hinobaan town had earlier said the killing of an organizer of their political party on Jan. 6 was politically motivated.
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said the PNP has started validating the areas identified as hot spots in the May elections.
DOJ ORDERS NBI TO PROBE SCAM VICTIMIZING TEACHERS
MANILA — The Department of Justice on Wednesday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the alleged phishing scam that victimized teachers with LandBank accounts.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra directed NBI officer-in-charge Eric Distor to submit a report within 30 days.
Guevarra instructed the NBI to file charges against those involved in the scam if evidence warrants.
The Teacher’s Dignity Coalition (TDC) said over P1 million was stolen from the LandBank accounts of teachers.
Benjo Basas, who heads the TDC, said 20 of the 50 complaints they received had been submitted to the Department of Education.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
YOUTUBE TAKES DOWN CHANNELS SPREADING FAKE NEWS VS SHARON, KIKO PANGILINAN
"Pag hindi tayo kumilos, hindi rin sila kikilos."
Senator and vice-presidential candidate Francis Pangilinan on Friday scored a win against purveyors of fake news after Google and YouTube shut down YT channels that spread lies about his family.
Pangilinan earlier filed 2 separate cyber libel complaints against YouTube channels “Latest Chika” and “Starlet" for releasing videos claiming the senator had physically abused his wife and that the couple was being split because of a third party in the marriage.
Pangilinan's wife, actress-singer Sharon Cuneta, has denied being abused by her husband and laughed off rumors that she had an affair with a younger man.
"Sa kaso mismo, nakapending pa rin," Pangilinan said in a TeleRadyo interview.
"Sa mga YouTube channel na naglalabas ng kasinungalingan, sa awa ng Diyos ay tinakedown na ng YouTube at ng Google," he added.
"Sana hindi na kinakailangang umabot pa sa sampahan ng kaso para i-take down dahil sila na mismo may community standards. Nakita natin pag hindi tayo kumilos, hindi rin sila kikilos."
In the interview, Pangilinan urged the justice department to speed up its investigation on the cyber libel complaint, noting that more people are being targeted by lies and misinformation.
"Tayo ay nagpapasalamat sa YouTube at sa Google at ilang reklamo namin ay sa wakas ay nabigyan ng pansin. Sana ganun din sa iba na walang pangalan...Marami ang nabibiktima ng fake news at hindi tama," he added.
In his complaint, Pangilinan accused the yet to be identified owners, authors or persons behind the 2 channels of violating section 4(c)(4) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175) on cyber libel in relation to Art. 355 of the Revised Penal Code on libel.
He said the videos “created in the minds of the viewers that [he] physically hurt or abused [his] wife and caused her physical injuries and that she has filed a criminal case against [him] for physical injuries.”
"The contents of the videos are all false, have no factual basis and are intended to destroy or damage my reputation as a Senator, public servant, and a husband to one of the most beloved celebrities in the Philippines, my wife Sharon. More importantly, the libelous videos are meant to destroy the family. The libelous videos are not only intended to damage my relationship with my wife but are also meant to destroy my relationship with our children,” the senator said in his complaints.
SPORTS
NBA SCORES JAN 26
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Hornets27-22 33 38 42 45 158
Pacers17-32 36 34 24 32 126
GAINBRIDGE FIELDHOUSE, INDIANAPOLIS, IN
SCORING LEADERS
K. Oubre Jr. CHA
39 PTS 5 REB 3 AST
I. Jackson IND
17 PTS 4 REB 2 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Clippers25-25 23 26 27 35 111
Magic9-40 25 23 30 24 102
AMWAY CENTER, ORLANDO, FL
SCORING LEADERS
A. Coffey LAC
19 PTS 6 REB 5 AST
F. Wagner ORL
21 PTS 3 REB 9 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Bucks30-20 35 22 20 22 99
Cavaliers30-19 26 39 30 20 115
ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE, CLEVELAND, OH
SCORING LEADERS
G. Antetokounmpo MIL
26 PTS 9 REB 3 AST
K. Love CLE
25 PTS 9 REB 2 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Knicks23-26 16 30 21 29 96
Heat31-17 30 29 33 18 110
FTX ARENA, MIAMI, FL
SCORING LEADERS
O. Toppin NY
18 PTS 5 REB 1 AST
D. Robinson MIA
25 PTS 2 REB 1 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Kings18-32 33 17 24 30 104
Hawks22-25 21 46 27 27 121
STATE FARM ARENA, ATLANTA, GA
SCORING LEADERS
H. Barnes SAC
28 PTS 9 REB 2 AST
O. Okongwu ATL
18 PTS 7 REB 2 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Nuggets26-21 29 25 42 28 124
Nets29-19 28 37 26 27 118
BARCLAYS CENTER, BROOKLYN, NY
NBA Recap: Nets Fall To Nuggets Without Big 3
SCORING LEADERS
N. Jokic DEN
26 PTS 10 REB 8 AST
C. Thomas BKN
25 PTS 1 REB 1 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Raptors23-23 27 23 32 23 105
Bulls30-17 31 36 24 20 111
UNITED CENTER, CHICAGO, IL
SCORING LEADERS
G. Trent Jr. TOR
32 PTS 1 REB 2 AST
D. DeRozan CHI
29 PTS 7 REB 7 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Grizzlies33-17 34 27 33 24 118
Spurs18-31 25 33 28 24 110
AT&T CENTER, SAN ANTONIO, TX
SCORING LEADERS
J. Morant MEM
41 PTS 5 REB 8 AST
D. Vassell SA
20 PTS 4 REB
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Mavericks28-21 40 28 30 34 132
Trail Blazers20-28 25 34 22 31 112
MODA CENTER AT THE ROSE QUARTER, PORTLAND, OR
SCORING LEADERS
K. Porzingis DAL
22 PTS 5 REB 1 AST
A. Simons POR
23 PTS 2 REB 7 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Suns38-9 39 11 24 31 105
Jazz30-19 18 30 16 33 97
VIVINT ARENA, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
SCORING LEADERS
D. Booker PHO
43 PTS 12 REB 4 AST
J. Clarkson UTA
26 PTS 5 REB 2 AST
INDICATORS
FOREX $1 = P 51.34
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Never work just for money or for power. They won't save your soul or help you sleep at night. - Marian Wright Edelman
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