PHILIPPINES SETS NEW COVID-19 RULES FOR ARRIVING TRAVELERS

MANILA — The Philippines will enforce new protocols for arriving travelers, Malacañang said Friday as the government suspended its COVID-19 risk classifications for countries and territories.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Philippines suspended the "green-yellow-red list" system, which is used to classify countries, territories and jurisdictions based on their COVID-19 risk levels.

Starting February 1, fully-vaccinated travelers will be required to present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin.

Upon arrival in the Philippines, they will no longer be required to observe mandatory facility-based quarantine. But they will need to self-monitor for any signs or symptoms for seven days with the first day being the date of arrival and report to the local government unit of destination upon the manifestation of symptoms, if any.

Nograles said fully-vaccinated travelers must have any of the following proofs of vaccination against COVID-19:

World Health Organization International Certificates of Vaccination and Prophylaxis

VaxCertPH

National or state digital certificate of the foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement unless otherwise permitted by the IATF

Meanwhile, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated travelers will need to present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin.

They will also be required to undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative RT-PCR test taken on the fifth day. Then, they will undergo home quarantine until the 14th day, with the date of arrival being the first day.

The government tasked local government units and Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams to monitor arriving passengers undergoing home quarantine.

PHILIPPINES, US KICK OFF MARITIME EXERCISES

MANILA — Filipino and US troops have launched weeklong joint exercises that include amphibious operations in support of counterterrorism.

The Marine Exercise 2022 Philippines (MAREX 22 PH) officially began Thursday in opening ceremonies at Fort Bonifacio.

Commandant Maj. Gen. Ariel Caculitan of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) led the opening rites as keynote speaker.

Marine Corps Public Affairs Office chief Maj. Emery Torre said MAREX 22 aims to develop Phl-US Marine Forces’ capabilities in amphibious operations, internal security operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR).

The joint exercises will be held mostly in areas under the Western Command in Palawan and the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) until Feb.2.

PHILIPPINES OKS SINOPHARM, SPUTNIK LIGHT AS COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTER

MANILA — Individuals fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinopharm may now receive booster shot, the Department of Health announced Friday.

In a briefing, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said those who got Sinopharm for their primary series can receive the same brand, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna for their booster.

Vergeire also announced that Sputnik Light, the single-dose version of the jab made by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute, was authorized to be used as booster for those who got AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, and Sinovac shots.

The Sinopharm and Sputnik jabs, however, cannot be administered as booster for pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Currently, only individuals aged 18 and above may get booster.

COMELEC'S FEROLINO SAYS GUANZON BOMBSHELL MEANT TO PRESSURE HER ON MARCOS JR. CASES

MANILA — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Aimee Ferolino on Friday broke her silence after being tagged by her fellow First Division member Rowena Guanzon in the "delay" of the resolution of 3 disqualification cases against presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr.

In an unusual move, Guanzon on Thursday dropped a bombshell and revealed her vote to disqualify Marcos, pending the promulgation of the division on the consolidated petition.

Ferolino, Guanzon revealed, is the ponente or assigned writer of the resolution.

Guanzon, in an interview on ANC on Friday, said that 1st Division members had an "internal agreement" that there was a "deadline" to decide on the cases after 10 days.

She noted it had been more than 10 days since the deadline, which was reportedly on Jan. 17, but there was no written resolution yet from Ferolino.

"This unreasonable and malicious delay, for me, is because there is really an intention to defeat my vote which is known to the commissioners already on Jan. 18 because I gave them my separate opinion," Guanzon said.

She claimed that Ferolino's alleged delay and "conspiracy" with other officials to discount her vote against Marcos prompted her to publicize her decision as commissioner.

"So I released it. I said to the public that this is the reason for the delay," Guanzon said.

She noted she is set to retire on Feb. 2, along with Comelec chair Sheriff Abas and fellow commissioner Antonio Kho Jr.

According to Ferolino, it was impossible to resolve the cases based on that timeline due to their volume.

Ferolino also alleged that Guanzon, in multiple instances, tried to convince her to disqualify Marcos.

The commissioner alleged that Guanzon's disclosure of her vote was meant to influence her decision.

Ferolino asked Comelec to review Guanzon's interviews and social media posts that named her as the ponente, which put her in a dangerous position.

MAKABAYAN ENDORSES ROBREDO FOR PRESIDENT

MANILA — After initially holding back on their endorsement for a presidential candidate, the progressive Makabayan coalition said Friday it will be backing Vice President Leni Robredo in the race to Malacañang.

“Nais kong ipahayag, sa ngalan ng aking partido, ang Makabayan coalition, ang aming pag-endorso at malakas na suporta kay VP Leni Robredo bilang kandidato sa pagkapangulo ng Pilipinas at kay Senator Kiko Pangilinan bilang bise presidente,” Bayan Muna chairperson Neri Colmenares said in a pre-recorded message shown during opposition coalition 1Sambayan’s campaign launch.

Colmenares, who is also now included in 1Sambayan’s Senate slate, said Makabayan’s support for Robredo and Pangilinan is based on their agreement on issues including the pandemic response, uplifting the lives of workers, farmers, the poor and Indigenous people, the environment, human rights, peace and sovereignty.

“Ako ay nananalig na sa ating pinagkaisang lakas, tayo ay magtatagumpay laban sa tambalan ng kadiliman na nais ipagpatuloy ang tiraniya at baluktot na pamamahala sa ating bansa.”

While Colmenares is now in 1Sambayan’s Senate slate, which left out all of Robredo’s guest candidates, it is not yet clear whether he will also be included in the vice president’s senatorial lineup.

Makabayan had held off on formally endorsing Robredo even after 1Sambayan’s endorsement of her due to concerns that such an announcement of support might close the door on unifying non-administration aspirants and that the vice president has not met with them personally.

PACQUIAO: FILIPINOS SHOULDN'T VOTE FOR BONGBONG, ISKO DUE TO 'CORRUPTION ISSUES'

MANILA — Filipinos should not vote for presidential aspirants Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso because of corruption issues linked to them, Sen. Manny Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao, in an interview with television host Boy Abunda aired on Friday, was asked to give reasons why Filipinos should not vote for other presidential candidates in the May polls.

His responses were:

On Moreno: “May corruption issue” (Has corruption issue)

On Sen. Panfilo Lacson: “Hindi ko alam” (I don’t know)

On Vice President Leni Robredo: “Hindi ko alam” (I don’t know)

On Marcos: “May bahid ng corruption. May issue ng corruption. Alam mo naman ang corruption sa ating ang dahilan bakit tayo naghirap.” (Has corruption issue. You know that corruption is the reason why the country is suffering.)

In 2014, five barangay chairpersons from the City of Manila filed a plunder complaint before the Office of the Ombundsman against then-Vice Mayor Domagoso and several local executives for allegedly pocketing over P70 million in real property taxes.

Meanwhile, the family of Marcos, led by late dictator Ferdinand Sr., and his cronies supposedly stole P530 billion from state coffers. The Presidential Commission on Good Government has so far recovered at least P174 billion of the Marcos ill-gotten wealth. Over 200 cases related to the Marcos wealth remain pending in courts.

In 2016, youth group iBalik ang Bilyones ng Mamamayan filed a plunder and graft complaint against Marcos over his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

One of Pacquiao’s campaign platforms is combating corruption, which he blamed for poverty.

Why Manny?

Pacquiao then enumerated reasons why the public should elect him as the country's next leader.

“Naranasan kong matulog sa kalye. Naranasan kong walang pagkain sa isang araw. Ramdam ko ang naramdaman ng sambayanang Pilipino at nakita ko ang problema ng ating bansa. Dahil sa nakita ko, kaya kong resolbahin,” he said.

Pacquiao is running under the Progressive Movement for the Devolution of Initiatives (PROMDI) alongside Rep. Lito Atienza (Buhay party-list).

PACQUIAO MAINTAINS HARD STANCE VS ABORTION EVEN IN RAPE-INDUCED PREGNANCIES

PROMDI presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao has stood his ground against abortion, even in rape-induced pregnancies.

"Wala namang kasalanan ang mga bata, na ipagbuntis siya... 'Wag naman sanang maapetukan ang bata sa pangyayari," said Pacquiao, a pro-life advocate, during the 2022 Presidential One-On-One Interview with Boy Abunda on Friday.

Rape victims instead should undergo counselling to make them realize what he describes as the "gift of life" they received.

Pacquiao said he understands that rape victims get traumatized by their ordeal and they do not want to keep the child.

But with adequate counselling and time to heal, he believes they would be made to understand that the babies in the womb deserve to live, too.

"Kagagahasa pa lang kaya sariwa pa lang ang sugat. Kailangang pagalingin muna ang sugat saka mo ipaparealize," said Pacquiao. "(Give them) a few months. Mahi-heal ang sugat na iyan at maiintidihan nila ng mabuti. Kailangan lang ng tamang guidance counselling."

"Baka ang batang ipanganak mo 'yan pa ang maging inspirasyon sa mga tao pagdating ng panahon. Maturuan lang ng husto, maituwid mo lang ang buhay mo. Hindi nagtatapos ag kinabukasan natin dito."

Meanwhile, Pacquiao said the government should regulate the use of social media to prevent the proliferation of cyberporn.

He said other countries have regulations, particularly on the access of websites.

"Dapat kontrolin ng ating gobyerno ang signal natin, lahat ng techhnology para hindi maabuso. Ngayon naabuso ata, pati bata nakakapanood. Dapat hindi makapanood ang mga bata," he said.

"Nagagawa po sa ibang bansa (ang regulation) bakit sa atin hindi? 'Yung iba kasi hahanapan ka ng tunay mong ID, para makapanood ka."

Pacquiao added that he could not bear the thought that one of his children would get addicted to such practice.

"Hindi ko matanggap iyon. Talagang susugpuin ko iyan."

PACQUIAO SAYS NO TO TOTAL MINING BAN

MANILA — Sen. Manny Pacquiao said Friday he is against banning mining in the Philippines despite its adverse environmental impacts as he argued that the extraction of minerals can be kept “responsible.”

“Okay naman ‘yun basta responsible at hindi ka nakakasira ng kalikasan,” Pacquiao said in an interview with television host Boy Abunda.

Environmental impacts such as water pollution and destruction of key biodiversity, and protected areas have been documented in mining sites.

Alyansa Tigil Mina earlier said that “responsible mining” has no legal definition so there are no parameters to measure, making it difficult to hold mining firms accountable if they fail to be responsible.

The presidential aspirant said the number of mining projects in the country will be controlled, when asked if he will uphold the Duterte administration’s order that lifted a nine-year-old moratorium on new mining agreements if he wins in the May polls.

In December, the Department of Environment and Natural resources also issued a directive lifting a four-year-old ban on open-pit mining.

“For example, in Mindanao, in that area, only one license should be granted and there should be a limit. The government needs to focus on monitoring open-pit mining,” Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao also said that miners should conduct rehabilitation programs to avoid the further degradation of the environment.

Presidential aspirants Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson also believe that “responsible” or “sustainable” mining could be done in the Philippines.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, for his part, said the mining industry should be strengthened to create more jobs.

THE REST

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PHILIPPINES REPORTS 18,638 NEW COVID-19 CASES

MANILA — The Philippines reported 18,638 new coronavirus infections on Friday, bringing the total number of cases to 3,511,491.

Of these new infections, 98% or 18,281 occured in the last two weeks, according to the Department of Health.

The DOH said the top regions with the most number of new infections in the past 14 days were Calabarzon (2,379 or 13%), Metro Manila (2,211 or 12%) and Western Visayas (1,969 or 11%).

The DOH also said that of the total number of infections, 231,658 are still active.

It also tallied 68 more fatalities, bringing the death toll to 53,801, while 13,106 more recovered, pushing the total number of recoveries to 3,226,032.

AREAS UNDER GRANULAR LOCKDOWN RISE TO 853

MANILA — Areas under granular lockdown due to rising COVID cases have climbed to 853, an increase of 53 percent in one day, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported yesterday.

PNP data showed 853 areas nationwide under granular lockdown, affecting 1,072 households or 2,289 families. The figure is 53.41 percent higher compared to 556 areas under lockdown on Thursday.

The region with the most number of locked down areas is the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 338, followed by Ilocos (316) and Cagayan Valley (137). Mimaropa and Zamboanga peninsula, meanwhile, have 29 and 16, respectively.

In Metro Manila, there are only 17 areas under lockdown, about 65.3 percent lower compared to 49 in the previous day. In total, there are 56 households or 86 people in NCR who were prevented from going outside their homes during the lockdown.

From 900 calls daily during the peak of the COVID surge, average calls received by the government’s referral hotline decreased to 500 to 700 per day, according to One Hospital Command Center medical officer Marylaine Padlan.

Padlan noted that most of the calls still come from the National Capital Region (NCR) and its adjacent regions of Central Luzon and Calabarzon.

PHILIPPINES CRIME RATE DROPS BY 14%

MANILA — The crime volume in the country dropped by nearly 14 percent last year, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported yesterday.

Data from the PNP showed that 37,626 incidents were recorded in 2021 compared to the 43,696 documented in 2020.

The figure is lower by 71.42 percent compared to a total of 131,685 crimes recorded when President Duterte assumed office in 2016.

PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos attributed the downtrend in crime incidents to the intensified implementation of the Enhanced Managing Police Operations following the declaration of a national health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Incidents of theft dropped from 12,130 to 11,492, a decrease of 5.26 percent; physical injury, 33.20 percent; homicide, 19.53 percent, and motorcycle theft, 15.29 percent.

Carlos lauded his predecessors for their relentless anti-crime operations amid the pandemic.

MANILA READY TO VACCINATE AGES 5 TO 11

MANILA — The Manila city government is ready to inoculate minors aged five to 11 beginning Feb. 4.

In a Facebook live address on Wednesday night, Mayor Isko Moreno said they are waiting for the arrival of Pfizer jabs for the pediatric vaccination of the age group.

The vaccination of minors aged five to 11 will be held at the Manila Zoo and the new Ospital ng Maynila.

Over 10,500 minors have registered for the inoculation of this age group, according to Moreno.

A total of 135,124 minors aged 12 to 17 received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines and 113,150 got their second dose in Manila as of Tuesday.

As of yesterday, the city had recorded 1,439 active cases of COVID-19.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

'HINDI NA MAGBABAGO': CARLO AQUINO, TRINA CANDAZA RELATIONSHIP ON THE ROCKS?

Speculations are swirling on social media on the relationship of Carlo Aquino and his girlfriend Trina Candaza after the latter released a cryptic post about “a partner seeing another woman.”

Candaza on Facebook posted about valuing a woman’s worth based on the actions of her partner after a breakup, which netizens believe to be alluding to Aquino.

“You will really know your worth to your partner if ano magiging actions niya pag wala ka na sa kanya,” Candaza said.

“Kung may pinupuntahan na agad na babae…Wag na kayo umasang mag babago pa yung jowa niyo na sakit sa ulo, hindi na yan magbabago,” she added.

It was in January 2019 when reports about Aquino dating Candaza surfaced on social media, even when he was being romantically linked with former girlfriend Angelica Panganiban at the time.

In September of the same year, the veteran actor posted a photo with Candaza which further strengthened the rumors that they are in a relationship.

A year later, the couple welcomed their first child, Enola Mithi.

In an interview with ABS-CBN’s Darla Sauler, Aquino said he takes into consideration his partner and baby daughter in all decisions he makes because he is already a family man.

In 2021, Aquino recalled how he pursued Candaza romantically when he appeared in the vlog of his “La Vida Lena” co-star Erich Gonzales.

Noting his interest in motorcycles, Aquino narrated he and a friend were attending a show at the World Trade Center, when he first crossed paths with Candaza.

“Siyempre may mga models, may mga babae. Tapos nakita ko siya. Tapos sabi ko, ‘Ang ganda ng mata mo.’ Siya lang ‘yung napansin ko talaga. Tapos nagpa-picture ako sa kanya,” Aquino said.

Aquino has yet to issue a statement on Candaza's post.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES JAN 27

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Lakers24-25      22        26        20        19        87

76ers29-19       32        22        34        17        105

WELLS FARGO CENTER, PHILADELPHIA, PA

SCORING LEADERS

A. Davis LAL

31 PTS 12 REB 1 AST

J. Embiid PHI

26 PTS 9 REB 7 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Timberwolves24-24       29        32        20        34        115

Warriors36-13   29        28        38        29        124

CHASE CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA

SCORING LEADERS

K. Towns MIN

31 PTS 12 REB 6 AST

S. Curry GS

29 PTS 8 REB 6 AST

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 51.23

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

A gossip is one who talks to you about others, a bore is one who talks to you about himself; and a brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to you about yourself. - Lisa Kirk