‘GOVERNMENT ACTING ON EUROPE PARLIAMENT CONCERNS’

MANILA — The government is acting on the issues on human rights and extrajudicial killings raised by the European Parliament, Malacañang said yesterday, as it accused critics of supposedly using the concerns raised by the legislative body to influence voters in the May 9 elections.

The European Parliament recently approved a resolution strongly condemning the “thousands of extrajudicial killings and other serious human rights violations” linked to President Duterte’s drug war.

The resolution also reiterated the parliament’s call for the Philippine government to immediately end “all violence and human rights violations targeting suspected drug offenders” and condemned “all threats, harassment, intimidation and violence” against those seeking to expose allegations of extrajudicial killings and other abuses.

The legislative body likewise urged the European Commission to set clear, public, time-bound benchmarks for the Philippines to comply with its human rights obligations under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) scheme.

It asked the commission to immediately initiate the procedure that could lead to the temporary withdrawal of the Philippines’ trade perks “if there is no substantial improvement and willingness to cooperate on the part of the Philippine authorities.”

Under the GSP+ scheme, more than 6,000 Philippine exports to European Union (EU) member-states enjoy zero duties.

“We wish to reiterate that the government has already taken steps to address the concerns raised by the European Union Parliament – issues that we believe are being used by the detractors of the Duterte Administration to color the perceptions of Filipino voters who in May will choose the country’s next leaders,” acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said in a statement.

'OPLAN BAKLAS' COPS GET WARNING AS PNP STRESSES THEY ONLY FOLLOWED COMELEC REQUEST

MANILA — Police officers filmed taking down campaign posters of Vice President Leni Robredo in Santiago City, Isabela will get a warning, the Philippine National Police said, adding the cops were only following requests by local election officials.

"Based on the information we received [on] what happened in Santiago, Isabela, it was not the police who voluntarily dismantled the campaign materials...The election officer himself asked for help from the police because they were short of numbers," Police Col. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, told Super Radyo DZBB.

What happened: A mural of presidential candidate Robredo and her running mate Sen. Kiko Pangilinan on private property in Barangay Ipil in Echague town, Isabela was painted over by the Comelec, supporters said in a Facebook Live.

Other supporters of the tandem also reported that campaign materials of the tandem have been removed by the Comelec, even if these were displayed in private properties.

The political party of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno also reported campaign tarpaulins for his presidential run taken down in Santiago, Isabela.

Will the cops face charges?: The cops in question got off with a warning. Fajardo was careful to assert that the police officers merely "complied with the request."

"We will find out if the police can refuse even one of the deputized agencies of the COMELEC, maybe there is dereliction of duty," she said.

Fajardo said the police officers involved were already “reprimanded” for their actions, adding that the police organization is welcoming possible complaints to clear any gray area in the performance of their duty.

Will the cops face charges?: The cops in question got off with a warning. Fajardo was careful to assert that the police officers merely "complied with the request."

"We will find out if the police can refuse even one of the deputized agencies of the COMELEC, maybe there is dereliction of duty," she said.

Fajardo said the police officers involved were already “reprimanded” for their actions, adding that the police organization is welcoming possible complaints to clear any gray area in the performance of their duty.

She also claimed that police officers need to be clearly briefed by poll body officials in other instances where their assistance is needed. The PNP and COMELEC will have a meeting to clarify the role of the PNP in Oplan Baklas or the removal of illegal campaign materials, she said.

What does Comelec say?: The Comelec has asserted that posters expressing support for candidates are considered election materials and are subject to regulation.

The camp of Robredo said they are also considering filing a case against the Comelec.

RIGHTS GROUP: REPORTS OF COVID-POSITIVE OFWS BEING DITCHED IN HONG KONG ARE REAL

MANILA—Reports of Filipino workers being abandoned by their employers in Hong Kong upon testing positive for COVID are real, a labor rights group says.

Eman Villanueva of BAYAN Hong Kong and Macau said his office has informed the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong of Filipino workers being abandoned by their employers upon testing positive for COVID-19.

"Unfortunately, totoo siya. Sana nga hindi totoo. 'Yung unang-una na mga 3 hanggang 5 na mga kababayan natin na ganyan ang nangyari. Alam 'yan ng Consulate," Villanueva told Teleradyo Monday.

He said some of those who were abandoned by their employers have also been dismissed from service.

"Mayroon nga tayong mga kababayan na nag-positive sa COVID but because asymptomatic or 'yung iba mild ang symptoms, hindi sila ina-admit sa hospital kasi overwhelmed 'yung mga public hospitals. Siyempre marami sa kanila, dinismiss na sila along the way," Villanueva added.

According to Villanueva, these incidents happen because the employers worry about getting infected as well.

"I'm not saying na mga salbahe talaga ang mga employers, mga Hong Kongers, but I think sa mga ganoong situation, ano lang sila, namimili. 'Yun ang problema. ‘Teka, positive, kaysa kapag pinatuloy, lahat tayo mahawa.’ ’Yung ganoon, ang immediate reaction, 'wag tanggapin," he said, adding that other migrant workers, such as Indonesian workers, are also being abandoned.

Villanueva said his office is helping other workers stranded at airports due to the backlog in the release of RT-PCR test results, a requirement to go back to the Philippines.

Acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Hong Kong immediately provided COVID-stricken Filipino workers with food, hygiene kits and power banks to allow them to communicate while waiting for calls from the Center for Health Protection and the Hong Kong Labor Department.

The POLO also coordinated with a non-government organization to provide an isolation facility to accommodate several Filipino migrant workers.

'NO MATTER WHAT': ISKO SAYS WILLIE ONG STILL HIS VP BET DESPITE BEING PAIRED WITH SARA DUTERTE

MANILA - Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso on Monday maintained that he is still campaigning for Willie Ong, his party's vice presidential candidate, even if several local politicians have endorsed him with a different candidate.

Domagoso's statement came after Ong released a video clarifying his earlier interview with ABS-CBN News wherein the doctor admitted that he was "hurt" when some camps decided to carry the Manila mayor's candidacy but not his.

“Both of us uphill ang battle namin but no matter what Isko-Doc Willie ako," Domagoso told ABS-CBN News in a text message.

Ong was noticeably absent from Aksyon Demokratiko's 3-day sortie in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato, where local officials are supporting Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for vice president.

Domagoso told reporters there that Ong was unable to come due to a scheduled interview in Quezon City.

The pick-up truck the Manila mayor used for his motorcade in Maguindanao was peppered with posters showing the faces of Domagoso and President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter, as shown in one photo that went viral online.

The posters bore the logo of the Isko-Sara Movement, a group pushing for a Domagoso-Duterte tandem in the upcoming elections.

Several groups, especially from Mindanao, have committed to backing Domagoso's presidential bid, but are rooting for Duterte-Carpio, Aksyon Demokratiko chairman Ernest Ramel said in a recent press conference.

Aksyon's allies in several areas have their own reasons, but the party stands by its candidates, Ramel said.

One Cebu, the ruling party in the Philippines' most vote-rich province, has endorsed President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter for vice president and is considering endorsing Domagoso for president.

In Ong's video statement uploaded on his Facebook page on Monday, the cardiologist said that he remains "focused" in his campaign.

ISKO MORENO TO COPY, IMPLEMENT LAWS AFFECTING BARMM

MANILA — Presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno will just “copy” the existing policies being enforced to preserve peace and prosperity in Mindanao’s Bangsamoro region.

“What is good here is I will just copy and implement policies,” he told reporters during his visit to Buluan town, Maguindanao which is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Sunday.

He said a “meeting of minds” and an “agreement” between the Moreno presidency and the BARMM government would have to be made for laws that affect the Bangsamoro region to improve the lives of its residents.

Moreno visited Maguindanao on Sunday to attend the oath taking of around 20,000 members of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party led by Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu, who previously endorsed the standard bearer of Aksyon Demokratiko.

He was joined by his senatoriables Carl Balita, Jopet Sison and Samira Gutoc, who hails from the Bangsamoro region, particularly the war-torn Marawi City.

After the oath taking, Moreno and Mangudadatu toured the Maguindanao methane natural gas facility, which the presidential bet said could be “a key for Mindanao to grow and become rich.”

UP STATISTICS PROFESSORS: DO NOT ACCEPT SURVEY RESULTS AS THEY ARE

MANILA — Members of the faculty of the UP School of Statistics in Diliman reminded the public to be critical of surveys, especially those with questionable methodologies and those that "disregard ... the principles of data gathering."

In a statement on their Facebook page Monday, the professors also raised the alarm on institutions, social media influencers and media organizations who are "abusing survey methodologies" by using social media and man on the street interviews to project voting preferences for the country.

"Surveys reveal facts, beliefs, sentiments, and opinions based on a representation of the population. However, the quality of any inference cannot rise above the quality of the methodology it is based upon... Biased methodologies will only give biased results," the UP Stat faculty members said.

"Thus, we call on the public to be critical of surveys in this respect. Do not immediately accept survey results as they are," they added.

Alhough they did not mention whether the surveys they meant are related to the national and local elections taking place on May 9, the election season has historically seen a rise in survey and data analysis firms publishing their findings.

The statistics professors said there are some indicators that a survey was conducted properly, adding that the public should ask these questions when reading survey results:

How were the respondents selected?

Which sectors of the population are being represented in the survey?

 Is the sample size appropriate based on the target margin of error, level of confidence, and nature of the target population?

What events surround the period of data gathering?

 Were the respondents interviewed in a neutral yet professional tone?

 What are the control mechanisms were implemented to ensure accuracy of the protocols in data collection?

'Be wary of entities doing their own brand of research'

On Monday, the professors also cautioned the public against entities who are doing their own brand of research and publicizing the results.

THE REST

========

PHILIPPINES LOGS 1,427 NEW COVID-19 CASES, LOWEST SO FAR THIS YEAR

MANILA - The Philippines on Monday announced 1,427 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily tally so far this year, data from the health department showed.

The positivity rate has declined to 7.5 percent, based on test results of samples from 25,000 individuals on Feb. 19, Saturday, according to the latest Department of Health bulletin. This is the lowest positivity rate since Dec. 28, according to Edson Guido, head of the ABS-CBN Data Analytics Team.

Of the newly reported cases, 1,389 or 97 percent occurred within the recent 14 days. Metro Manila (318 cases), Calabarzon (168 cases) and Western Visayas (159 cases) were the top regions with cases in the recent two weeks.

The daily tally has remained below 2,000 for the third straight day, according to the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group, following 1,712 announced on Sunday, and 1,923 on Saturday,

FILIPINOS' LOVE FOR NFT GAMES IS TURNING PHILIPPINES INTO A CRYPTO 'ROLE MODEL'

MANILA — The way by which blockchain gaming spreads like wildfire among Filipinos is making the Philippines a likely “role model” for play-to-earn concept in Southeast Asia, but there are still some hurdles that cryptocurrencies have to clear in the country.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed the volume of cryptocurrency transactions grew 362% year-on-year to nearly 20 million in the first half of 2021. These transactions were worth P105.93 billion, up 71% on an annual basis as many Filipinos sought the anonymity offered by cryptocurrencies to store and grow their wealth amid hard times caused by the pandemic.

The lack of regulation and taxation did not stop Filipinos from dealing with virtual assets — not even the volatile nature of cryptocurrencies. For one, Axie Infinity rose to popularity nationwide amid the coronavirus pandemic, as many Filipinos who sought a way to make a living on the side found the allure of play-to-earn games irresistible. The popularity reached lofty heights last year as 40% of players of the game were reported to be based in the country.

"I think one of the interesting phenomenon or trends, what is the growth of this? I'm pretty sure you have heard about the play-to-earn phenomenon that has grown in the Philippines has now become the role model for the play-to-earn concept," Pang Xue Kai, co-founder of Indonesia-based cryptocurrency exchange Tokocrypto, said in an interview.

But Axie’s fame came with a hitch. The game's popularity, alongside a burgeoning digital economy, compelled the government to crack down on players and managers scrambling on what to do under a possibly new tax regime. This is a move that Xue Kai projects that other countries might soon follow, with India imposing a 30% tax on cryptocurrency trading.

The growth of the cryptocurrency economy within the Philippines did not escape the traditional financial system's radar as well. UnionBank of the Philippines announced earlier this year they would be launching their own cryptocurrency trading platform, which would provide custodial services.

That said, Xue Kai believes what’s worth emulating in the Philippines is “the involvement of the banks or the involvement of the traditional financial services in crypto.”

TARLAC LAWMAKER CHARLIE COJUANGCO DIES

MANILA — Rep. Carlos “Charlie” Cojuangco (Tarlac), 58, has died, his wife China Jocson announced Tuesday.

“It is with a heavy heart that we regret to inform you that my husband, Claudia and Jaime's father, Carlos “Charlie” Cojuangco, has passed away,” Jocson said on her Facebook account.

She said that details of Cojuangco’s wake and interment will follow.

“Thank you for your thoughts and prayers through this difficult time,” she added.

Jocson did not disclose the cause of Cojuangco’s death, but Bilyonaryo reported in October that he was rushed to a hospital after suffering an aneurysm while racing at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga.

Among the bills he authored are economic stimulus proposals for the country to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to becoming Tarlac representative, Cojuangco had represented in Congress the province of Negros Occidental, the hometown of his mother, Gretchen.

Cojuangco was the youngest son of tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., who was also a crony of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

SHARON CUNETA TO STAR IN 'THE MANGO BRIDE' FILM ADAPTATION

MANILA — Sharon Cuneta is set to star in the film adaptation of the award-winning novel "The Mango Bride," the veteran actress confirmed Monday.

Posting a report by US trade magazine Variety, Cuneta said she wanted to connect Filipino narratives to a global audience.

“I wanted to do ‘The Mango Bride’ because it’s the best way to connect to a global audience by putting some of the best Filipino talents and stories together to tell an emotional and uplifting story like this," Cuneta said in the report.

"I have long been a fan of Marivi Soliven’s writing, from ‘Suddenly Stateside,’ her collection of light essays about living in the US, to ‘The Mango Bride.’ She captures the Filipino migrant and Filipino-American experience skillfully,” she added.

"The Mango Bride" revolves around two Filipino women, Amparo and Beverly, whose lives and stories will intertwine. In 2011, the novel won the grand prize in the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.

On Facebook on Monday, Cuneta asked for prayers as she takes on this new milestone.

"Hollywood, here come the PINOYS!!! Please pray for this project to succeed. My prayer is that it is able to open doors for ALL OF US in the industry - FINALLY," she wrote.

'WHEN WE'RE BOTH READY': ELLEN ADARNA OPENS UP ABOUT HAVING BABY WITH DEREK

MANILA – Three months after tying the knot, Ellen Adarna opened up about her plans of having a baby with Derek Ramsay.

“Are u and Derek planning to have a baby soon?” her follower asked her in an online Q&A she conducted on Instagram on Monday.

To which, Adarna replied: “When we are both ready dai, it will happen. Chill.”

Last January, Ramsay also said he wants to have a baby with his wife “probably next year.”

“I want a boy, Ellen wants a girl," Ramsay said also in an online Q&A session on Instagram.

The two are set to have their honeymoon in Africa this year. They previously revealed that they will be bringing Modesto Elias, Adarna’s son with actor John Lloyd Cruz, to the trip.

Ramsay and Adarna tied the knot in Bagac, Bataan last November, nine months after they confirmed their relationship to the public.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES FEB 20

NOTE: NBA will resume on Feb 25, 2022

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

All Stars0-1       45        49        45        21        160

All Stars1-0       47        46        45        25        163

ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE, CLEVELAND, OH

2022 NBA All-Star Game Team Durant vs Team LeBron

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 51.38

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. - Allan K. Chalmers