DUTERTE FORBIDS US TRAVEL FOR CABINET MEMBERSMANILA - President Duterte has barred all of his Cabinet officials fromtraveling to America, following his decision to terminate unilaterally theVisiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States."I am terminating (the VFA). I was not joking. The day I said it, it's theday that I decided to terminate it," Duterte told reporters last night atthe end of the anniversary celebration of the Department of Social Welfareand Development in Quezon City.Duterte rejected any insinuation that it was out of a whim that he hadordered the termination of the VFA.He said his decision was reached not solely out of consideration for Sen.Ronald dela Rosa - his close ally whose US visa had been revoked under theGlobal Magnitsky Act - "but for every Filipino" who wants to go thereespecially for business.The President said the matter of terminating the VFA is already for theDepartment of Foreign Affairs to handle.Meantime, he remained firm on his directive for all Cabinet members to deferplans to go to the US either for official or personal visits."I will not allow any Cabinet member to go down (there) at this time. NoCabinet member should be allowed to go to the United States, indefinitely,"he said.At the same time, Duterte said he is "slowly toning it down," referring tothe country's bilateral relations with the US. "We limit our contact (withthe US) in whatever aspect of international relations.""I don't know with the Senate or Congress. They are not under myjurisdiction, but as for my Cabinet members, I will ask them not to go tothe US in the meantime. Parang (Like a) boycott," he added.The President also said he is turning down the invitation of US PresidentDonald Trump to the special US-ASEAN Summit set in Las Vegas, Nevada inMarch."I think by this time, our foreign office has advised (the US)... I am notgoing. They don't want proxies there," he said.Duterte said he is skipping the summit due to "strategic geopoliticalconsiderations," but did not elaboratefurther.CHINA VIRUS DEATH TOLL RISES TO 170, MORE THAN 1,700 NEW CASESWUHAN - The nationwide death toll from China's viral epidemic has leaped to170, the government said on Thursday, with more than 1,700 new infectionsconfirmed.Thirty-seven of the 38 new deaths came in hard-hit Hubei province, theepicenter of a contagion that is causing mounting global fear.Another death occurred in southwestern Sichuan province, the National HealthCommission reported.Tibet also reported its first case, the commission said.The 38 new deaths marked the biggest single-day jump yet and come as amassive containment effort is underway that has effectively locked down tensof millions of people in Hubei.Most of the latest reported infections also occurred in Hubei, which tallied1,032.The World Health Organization on Wednesday warned all governments to "takeaction" over the deadly SARS-like virus.Hundreds of foreigners were evacuated from the epicenter of the outbreak onWednesday.The contagion has spread to more than a dozen countries, with Finland andthe United Arab Emirates becoming the latest to report their first cases.The WHO has called an urgent meeting for Thursday over whether the viralepidemic should be declared a global health emergency -- a designation thatcould lead to increased international coordination.Airlines around the world are already either suspending or paring backservices in and out of China, following cases of human-to-human transmissionoutside the country.WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Twitter that the organization"deeply regrets" what he called a "human error" in WHO reports last weekthat referred to the global risk of the outbreak as "moderate" instead of"high".ENVOY REJECTS PH TRAVEL BAN TO CHINAMANILA - Imposing a travel ban to China is not needed, the Philippine'sAmbassador to Beijing said Thursday as the death toll of the new coronaviruscontinued to climb in the mainland.China has imposed a lockdown in 18 cities in Hubei province, where the viruswas first detected."A travel ban in a sense is not needed because a travel ban has been imposedby China itself," Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sto. Romana toldANC's Early Edition.The Department of Foreign Affairs, however, has directed its embassy therenot to issue visas to residents of Hubei, where the virus originated, andChinese citizens with recent history of travel to the province.Philippine authorities are also preparing for the repatriation of some 50Filipinos in China.They are, however, urged to "rethink the situation" as returning home toManila would mean "increased risk to exposure" to the virus, Sto. Romanasaid."The WHO (World Health Organization) director-general actually visitedBeijing and had talks with Chinese officials. He himself said evacuation isnot necessary, quarantine is the best way," he said."Exercise self-quarantine, minimize social contact. This is the best way,"he said.The new strain of virus, which can cause a pneumonia-like acute respiratoryinfection, has not infected any Filipinos in China, according to thediplomat.Those who wish to return home will be placed under a 14-day quarantine,health officials earlier said.MARY JANE VELOSO'S RECRUITERS CONVICTED OF LARGE-SCALE ILLEGAL RECRUITMENTMANILA -- Two people who booked Mary Jane Veloso a job in Indonesia, whereshe is on death row on drug charges, were found guilty of large-scaleillegal recruitment involving 3 other Filipina victims on Thursday.A court in Nueva Ecija sentenced Veloso's neighbors, Cristina Sergio andJulius Lacanilao, to life imprisonment and a fine of P2 million in the casefiled by Lorna Valino, Ana Marie Gonzales and Jenalyn Paraiso.Veloso is not a complainant in the case. However, Manila raised the chargesagainst Sergio and Lacanilao when it asked Jakarta to stay her execution in2015.The prosecution "sufficiently established the guilt of both accused...beyondreasonable doubt," the court decision read.Veloso earlier claimed the two offered her a job as a domestic helper inMalaysia.In Malaysia, however, Veloso said was told the job was no longer availableand was sent to Indonesia instead, where she was arrested at Yogyakartaairport for allegedly carrying 2.5 kilograms of heroin inside her luggageprovided by Sergio.Indonesia sentenced Veloso to death in October 2010 over drug traffickingcharges. She was scheduled to be executed in 2015 but was spared fromcapital punishment after the Philippine government said her testimony wouldbe vital in human trafficking charges against her recruiters.Aside from illegal recruitment and human trafficking complaints, Sergio andLacanilao also face charges for estafa.Securing a human trafficking conviction in a Philippine court could helpVeloso escape death row, lawyer Edre Olalia, president of the National Unionof People's Lawyers (NUPL), earlier said.CHINESE MAN ON NCOV WATCH DIES IN MANILAMANILA - A 29-year-old Chinese patient under investigation for the 2019novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, who was earlier admitted to the San LazaroHospital has now been confirmed dead due to pneumonia, according to theDepartment of Health's afternoon press briefing on Wednesday.San Lazaro Hospital Director Dr. Edmundo Lopez said that it is not verifiedif the 2019-nCoV factored in the death since the Chinese national displayeda host of other health problems like testing positive for HIV, as well asswelling and lung findings.The DOH is still waiting for the results of laboratory samples for 18patients from the local Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, as well assix confirmatory results from an Australia-based laboratory.Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the initial count of 27PUIs has gone down to 23 after four patients were discharged.All of the PUIs have a travel history to Wuhan in China, the ground zero ofthe newly discovered strain of coronavirus. None of them are Filipinos andmost are Chinese nationals.The Philippines still has no confirmed cases of the 2019 nCoV.The Health department also said it will continue to look into the reportedcases in Baguio to check if they qualify as PUIs.FBI RAIDS QUIBOLOY'S CHURCH IN LA, ARRESTS 3 LEADERS IN IMMIGRANTTRAFFICKING SCAMMANILA - The Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the church of evangelistApollo Quiboloy in Los Angeles that led to the arrests of three churchadministrators who allegedly trafficked followers as part of a six-yearfundraising scam.Federal agents raided the Kingdom of Christ Church in a human traffickinginvestigation Wednesday morning, the reports of the CBS Los Angeles and theABC News said.The bust led to the arrests of local church leader Guia Cabactulan andMarissa Duenas, who allegedly handled fraudulent immigration documents, inVan Nuys. Amanda Estopare, who allegedly handled fundraising quotas, wasarrested by FBI agents in Virginia."Three people we took into custody today are being held for their roles inthe immigration fraud. So we believe they are, in some cases, takingpassports away from individuals that are coming into United States from thePhilippines," said FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller in a television interviewwith CBS Los Angeles.According to the reports, immigrants who escaped from the church toldfederal agents that they had been sent across the United States to solicitdonations year-round for the church's charity and were physically andpsychologically abused if they did not meet the quota.The money raised for the Children's Joy Foundation USA was supposed tobenefit poor people but the workers, in the complaint, said most of themoney was used to finance the operations of the church and the luxuriouslifestyle of Quiboloy."They (respondents) are forcing these individuals, in some cases, to workall day, to solicit funds for what they are saying are for impoverishedchildren in the Philippines but in reality we believe that the money isgoing to fund the lavish lifestyles of the leaders of this scheme," Eimillersaid.Federal investigators said $20 million was sent back to the church in thePhilippines between 2015 and mid-2019.Quiboloy-who proclaimed himself as the "Appointed Son of God-has beenfriends with President Rodrigo Duterte for more than 30 years. In October2019, he claimed he stopped a major earthquake in Mindanao.His mega-church claims to have six million followers all over the world.NO PROMOTION FOR OVERWEIGHT COPSNearly half of the country's 180,300-strong police force are overweight andmust work hard to slim down if they want to move up the ranks.Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, spokesperson for the Philippine NationalPolice, on Wednesday said 36 percent of all policemen were overweight andanother 10 percent were obese.Banac told reporters that while the numbers were "not too alarming," the PNPwould have to push officers to achieve their ideal weight based on the bodymass index (BMI), which indicates a person's ideal weight based on age andheight.He said there was no deadline set for the PNP personnel to attain theirideal weight, but he pointed out that the officers should show "someimprovement monthly, otherwise their schooling would be affected and theneventually their promotion."VOTER REGISTRATION IN TAAL - AFFECTED AREAS RESUMING ON FEBRUARY 3, 2020MANILA - Voter registration areas affected by Tal Volcano's eruption inBatangas and Cavite will resume on Monday, February 3, the Commission onElections (Comelec) announced Thursday.In Batangas, voter registration will resume in Alitagtag, Balete, Laurel,Lemery, San Nicolas, Sta. Teresita, Taal, Talisay, Cuenca, Lipa City,Tanauan City, Balayan, Calaca, Calatagan, Tuy, San Luis, Mabini, Lian, andMalvar.In Cavite, voter registration will likewise resume in Alfonso, Indang,Silang, Tagaytay City, and Amadeo.Meanwhile, voter registration will resume in the municipality of Mataas naKahoy (Mataasnakahoy) in Batangas on February 10, Jimenez added.SANGLEY AIRPORT DEAL SEEN AS FAVORING CHINAA plan to solve congestion at Manila's international airport could soontransition from just a dream to reality with the $10-billion Sangley PointInternational Airport (SPIA) project that will rise near the entrance ofManila Bay, some 35 kilometers from the capital.But indications that the project would be awarded to a consortium thatincludes state-run China Communications Construction Co. (CCCC) raisequestions on the joint venture selection process that the provincialgovernment of Cavite launched last October.People who reviewed the joint venture documents and feasibility study saidthese showed that a Chinese partner was favored from the beginning. TheInquirer has also seen copies of the documents.Unrealistic deadlineThe sources included groups that decided to back out due to what theydescribed as the project's subjective criteria and a rushed selectionprocess.Instead of at least six months to a year, bidders were given just more thantwo months to prepare proposals before the deadline on Dec. 17, 2019. At thetime, the Cavite government had wanted to hold a groundbreaking ceremonyearly this year."It was clear to us that the project is really for China," said someone whohad seen the documents.JOSHUA EXPLAINS SWEET VIDEOS WITH JANELLA DURING FINALE PARTY OF 'KILLERBRIDE'MANILA - He called her "baby." He posted on social media sweet photos ofthem together. And yet Joshua Garcia claims he and Janella Salvador are justgood friends.Speaking on "Tonight with Boy Abunda" on Tuesday, Garcia shared why he andSalvador have become very close after they got to work opposite each otheron "The Killer Bride.""Sobrang close lang talaga naming magkaibigan," he said. "Si Janella kasi,siya 'yung friend ko na katulad ko, parang ako. Ang dami namingsimilarities."Garcia also went on to explain why they seemed inseparable and appeared tobe very sweet during the finale viewing party of their series earlier thismonth."Nag-post din ako ng picture para malaman din ng lahat na magkaibigan kami.Siguro nung last day, kaya parang mukhang may something sa amin, kasi sigurosobra lang naming mami-miss ang isa't isa," he said.In the end, Garcia said: "Gusto ko siyang maging kaibigan habang buhay, morethan maging girlfriend."Garcia and Salvador previously described the formation of their tandem, nowdubbed "Joshnella," as a case of "perfect timing."The two had been cast in a number of projects together as early as 2016, butnone of them ever made it to the screen - until "The Killer Bride" in August2019.PEREZ EMERGES TOP SCORER; FAJARDO REBOUND KINGMILAN - CJ Perez distinguished himself as the first rookie in memory toclinch the scoring honors, June Mar Fajardo extended his reign as the kingof the boards while Jayson Castro emerged as champ in playmaking in PBASeason 44.The top performers in other key departments were Stanley Pringle(three-point shooting), Sean Anthony (steals) and Poy Erram (blocks).Perez, the Columbian Dyip super rookie out of Lyceum U, is in contention forthe MVP honors on a stellar showing which he highlighted by topping thescoring race with an average of 20.8 points per game.The 6-foot-1 slasher/shooter showed his scoring prowess even with GilasPilipinas in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China. In his topnotch rookie yearin the PBA, he beat all comers, becoming another young star to win thescoring honors after Terrence Romeo from 2015 to 2017 then Pringle in 2018.Phoenix Pulse gunner Matthew Wright (18.89 ppg), Fajardo (18.87) and BobbyRay Parks were close second, third and fourth, followed by Pringle at fifth(17.0). The next five were RR Pogoy (16.6), Anthony (16.4), Troy Rosario(15.3), Castro (15.2) then Ian Sangalang (15.1).Fajardo, meanwhile, easily re-stamped his class as the ruler in the businessof rebounding, with an average of 13.0 per game. A far second was Sangalang(8.5), followed by Raymond Almazan (8.0), Erram (7.8) and Anthony (7.6).Castro was the barometer in dishing out assists with 6.1 per outing.Runners-up were Chris Ross (5.4), Scottie Thompson (5.0), Chris Banchero(4.89) and Robert Bolick (4.88).Aside from being right there among the top in scoring and rebounding,Anthony also marked his rock-solid season with his season-best 2.4 stealsper game, topping former steals champ Ross (2.2).Then there's the rise of Erram as the sultan of swats with 2.1 per outing,outperforming Japeth Aguilar (1.6), Fajardo (1.5), Almazan (1.3) and ArwindSantos (1.2).The top guns from beyond the arc were Pringle (2.42), Pogoy (2.34), RashawnMcCarthy (2.3), Wright (2.24), Marcio Lassiter (2.17), LA Tenorio (2.15),Parks (2.13), Simon Enciso (2.083), Rosario (2.080), Baser Amer (2.07) andPaul Lee (2.06).In terms of percentage, the deadliest were Philip Paniamogan (40.8 percent),Von Pessumal (40.6 percent) and Rey Nambatac (40.2 percent).The deadliest from the line were Amer (87.5), Tenorio (86.3) and Lee (85.9).Pringle, Perez and Parks were the most exposed as they all played at least37 minutes per game.The most error-prone were Wright (3.4), Fajardo (3.2), McCarthy (3.12),Moala Tautuaa (3.11) and Perez (3.0).NBA SCORES JAN 28FINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Knicks 13-35    26    24    16    26    92team logo Hornets 16-31    15    32    21    29    97SCORING LEADERS    J. Randle NY24 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST    T. Rozier CHA30 PTS, 10 REB, 1 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Warriors 10-38    27    27    28    22    104team logo 76ers 31-17    26    33    27    29    115SCORING LEADERSD. Russell GS28 PTS, 5 REB, 7 ASTJ. Embiid PHI24 PTS, 10 REB, 1 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Hawks 12-36    23    33    27    31    114team logo Raptors 33-14    33    35    29    33    130SCORING LEADERS    J. Collins ATL28 PTS, 12 REB, 0 AST    P. Siakam TOR24 PTS, 9 REB, 2 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Pelicans 19-29    40    34    30    21    125team logo Cavaliers 13-35    34    31    25    21    111SCORING LEADERSJ. Holiday NO28 PTS, 2 REB, 8 ASTC. Sexton CLE24 PTS, 3 REB, 4 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Wizards 15-31    28    35    41    27    131team logo Bucks 41-6    42    46    29    34    151SCORING LEADERSB. Beal WAS47 PTS, 0 REB, 6 ASTK. Middleton MIL51 PTS, 10 REB, 6 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Celtics 31-15    36    17    27    29    109team logo Heat 32-15    28    20    28    25    101SCORING LEADERSG. Hayward BOS29 PTS, 9 REB, 2 ASTG. Dragic MIA23 PTS, 2 REB, 4 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Nuggets 32-15    18    32    16    30    96team logo Grizzlies 23-24    31    32    19    22    104SCORING LEADERSN. Jokic DEN25 PTS, 13 REB, 5 ASTD. Brooks MEM24 PTS, 1 REB, 3 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Suns 20-27    32    28    48    25    133team logo Mavericks 29-18    19    36    22    27    104SCORING LEADERSD. Booker PHO32 PTS, 6 REB, 9 ASTL. Doncic DAL21 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST