NDRRMC: 76 REPORTED DEAD, 29 MISSING DUE TO AGATON

MANILA — The reported deaths from landslides and floods spawned by tropical depression Agaton climbed to 76 on Maundy Thursday, as dozens remained missing, according to the national disaster agency.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 72 of the reported deaths were from Eastern Visayas, where a series of landslides devastated communities

Twenty-nine people were still missing while 8 others were injured, the NDRRMC said.

Some 51,000 were still in evacuation centers, while around 162,000 were staying with relatives or friends, after Agaton damaged at least 354 houses, the agency said in its 8 a.m. report.

It pegged the initial damage to agriculture at around P134 million.

Authorities earlier said 26 people died in the coastal village of Pilar, which is part of Abuyog, Leyte, after a torrent of mud and earth on Tuesday pushed houses into the sea and buried most of the settlement.

"I have to be honest, we are no longer expecting survivors," Abuyog Mayor Lemuel Traya told AFP, adding that emergency personnel were focused on the difficult task of retrieving bodies.

A number of villagers were also in hospital.

COMELEC KEEPS INTING AS GUN BAN PANEL CHAIR, DENIES INFIGHTING

MANILA - The Commission on Elections en banc has deferred action on the irrevocable resignation of Commissioner Socorro Inting as gun ban committee chairperson, a fellow commissioner said Wednesday.

Inting resigned as a "protest" to the amendment that gives power to Comelec chairman Saidamen Pangarungan to unilaterally declare an area under Comelec control.

“Wala pa rin munang pagbabago sapagkat dinefer ng en banc yung pag-consider sa irrevocable resignation ni Comm. Inting," Comm. George Erwin Garcia told reporters.

Garcia denied there is infighting in the Commission after Inting's resignation.

“Ay, hindi po totoo yun. Kami po kanina, medyo madami-dami yung agenda na na-dispose," he said.

“Wala naman pong mga opposition. Walang mga objection. Lahat po, natapos namin hanggang tanghali yung lahat ng nakalagay sa agenda namin. Walang mga kuro-kuro na infighting, na divided na ang Commission. 'Di po totoo yun.”

In her resignation letter obtained by ABS-CBN News, Inting said the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns (CBFSC) has been rendered "pointless" and "inutile" following the amendments finalized in last week's en banc meeting.

"The bestowal on the Chairman of the Commission of the power to grant gun ban exemptions and place Election Areas of Concern under Comelec Control based on the vague and arbitrary phrase of "meritorious and urgent cases" essentially rendered futile or pointless the existence and functions of the CBFSC," Inting said in her letter.

The Comelec Chairman said the power to bypass the CBFSC and put an area under Comelec control would allow him to respond faster once election-related violence erupts in an area.

Pangarungan, Garcia and Aimee Neri were all appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to the Comelec last month.

PCIJ RELEASES LOPEZ MINE AUDIT REPORTS; MICC REVIEW STAYS SECRET

NARRA, PALAWAN – Teofilo Tredez knows about the ills of mining like the back of his hands. A farmer-leader and an environmental para-enforcer, he works with a nongovernment organization that has prompted the closure and suspension of at least two nickel mines in his town.

“Ang ginagawa nila ay kunin ang minerals at sirain ang kalikasan. Maiiwan sa amin ay basura, graba, kasabay ng laterite na mapupunta sa aming sakahan (What they do is get the minerals and destroy nature. What is left to us are waste, gravel, and laterite that goes to our farms),” he said on an October morning while walking along a river that was inundated by mine waste in 2012.

Tredez, 55, lives in Narra, named after the sturdy national tree, which like all towns in southern Palawan has been a host to nickel mines that threaten their farmlands and the province’s pristine natural reserves.

Citinickel Mines and Development Corp., the company found responsible for polluting waterways on top of mining in a restricted zone, was already suspended when the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) launched an audit and moved to shut its operations along with 27 other mines in 2017.

The trail of violations documented by Tredez’s group, the Palawan NGO Network Inc. (PNNI), was so compelling that the landmark audit, led by the late Environment Secretary Gina Lopez, had to affirm its findings. Five years on, the mine audit remains an unfinished business with closure orders on 15 of the 28 mines still on appeal. None of the mines ever stopped operating, however.

If it weren’t for the strong network of environmental defenders in Palawan, the infractions of Citinickel and other mines in the country's last ecological frontier would not have been acted upon. In fact the full reports produced by the Lopez audit have not been made public up to now. Some high-ranking mining officials told PCIJ that they themselves did not see the audit.

Moreover, the project-level reports from the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) review of large-scale mines that cost taxpayers P72 million were said to be covered by executive privilege. The council entered into a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the mining firms whose operations were subjected to review.

With the Duterte administration lifting the moratorium on new mining agreements and the ban on open-pit mining in 2021, environmental advocates were worried that the opaqueness of the process would worsen the already weak monitoring and regulation of mines.

Transparency advocates likewise argue that it’s all the more important to open mining to scrutiny if the government will accept new applications.

IBP REMINDS BETS, SUPPORTERS: WOMEN'S BODIES, SEXUALITY NOT FOR USE AS CAMPAIGN GIMMICKS

MANILA — Candidates and their supporters should not be using women as tools to court votes, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines said Thursday as the campaign seasons enters its last few weeks.

It said campaigns and the public should instead to uphold women's rights and protect them from gender-based violence.

In a statement, the national organization of lawyers said it "takes notice of the disturbing pattern of sexism, misogyny and violence in the conduct of the current elections campaign."

"Leaders and those who seek to become elected officials must be the first to ensure that laws protecting women from all forms of gender-based violence are upheld and that women are properly portrayed and represented in the electoral process," they said.

The IBP took note of "scantily clad women" hired to entertain in sorties and the spread of fake pornographic videos and social media posts about a presidential bet’s daughter and a revived scandal between a former president and an American actress.

"A woman’s body and sexuality must neither be used to earn more votes nor weaponized to smear a candidate," the IBP said.

Although they did not identify any incident, the statement was issued after rumors spread online linking Vice President Leni Robredo’s eldest daughter Aika to alleged sex videos. Robredo has vowed legal action on the issue.

The rumored affair between the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and American actress Dovie Beams has also resurfaced.

The IBP condemned "the systematic and persistent practice of objectifying and degrading women and all other forms of gender based violence against women committed during this campaign period."

"These acts are insidious as they take advantage of pre-existing and structural gender biases against women and they erode the hard earned progress on women’s right to be free from discrimination and violence," they added.

ELEAZAR DEFENDS ROBREDO’S DAUGHTER VS ‘SEX VIDEO’

MANILA — The proliferation of a fabricated video targeting one of the daughters of Vice President Leni Robredo exposed one of the vulnerabilities of the government in securing cyberspace and protecting netizens, senatorial candidate Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar said yesterday.

Eleazar was reacting to a fake video of Aika, Robredo’s eldest daughter, which made rounds on social media.

“Cybercrime is really the crime of the future. It’s a big challenge for the government to watch closely and prevent criminalities in cyberspace,” he said.

“What happened to Aika should have never happened to any woman in the first place. They don’t deserve that kind of scandalous, fake and malicious video,” he added.

The retired police general urged law enforcement agencies, particularly the Philippine National Police (PNP), to investigate the case and determine the criminals behind the malicious attack against Aika.

“I believe that our police organization is apolitical. The only thing that they have to do is to let the investigation take its course,” he said.

Eleazar, who also became a commander of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, has vowed to create legislation that would enhance the investigative and operational capabilities of the country’s law enforcement agencies if elected to the Senate.

1,000 COPS TO SECURE NAZARENE PROCESSION

MANILA — At least 1,000 personnel of the Manila Police District (MPD) will be deployed to Quiapo Church to secure the procession of the image of the Black Nazarene on Good Friday.

In a radio interview yesterday, MPD public information chief Maj. Philipp Ines said police would be deployed to Quiapo Church starting today.

Ines said police would also be posted in other areas where devotees are expected to converge.

The annual Catholic tradition was suspended for two years because of the pandemic.

Devotees are not allowed to clamber onto the Black Nazarene image during the procession, according to Quiapo Church parochial vicar Fr. Douglas Badong.

The church has allowed the traditional “pahalik” on the Jesus Christ image.

Meanwhile, environmental group EcoWaste Coalition has appealed to the faithful not to leave trash at pilgrimage sites.

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FDA APPROVES SECOND COVID BOOSTER FOR ELDERLY, IMMUNOCOMPROMISED

MANILA - The Food and Drug Administration has amended the emergency use authorization of COVID-19 vaccines to include a second booster shot for the elderly, immunocompromised, and health workers, the Department of Health said Wednesday.

The fourth dose shall be given at least 4 months after the 1st booster, the DOH said in a statement.

It can be given earlier to moderate and severe immunocompromised patients subject to their doctor's assessment, it added.

"The FDA thus recognized waning immunity in the specific populations. The National COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center or NVOC is now drafting guidelines for implementation of the second booster dose roll-out," the agency said.

A second COVID-19 booster shot could be useful for those moderately or severely immunocompromised during a surge in cases, according to Dr. Imelda Mateo, president of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians.

The Department of Health has also applied to amend the EUA for booster jabs for children ages 12 to 17.

DOH: LAX ADHERENCE TO COVID-19 CURBS MAY LEAD TO 500,000 ACTIVE CASES IN MAY

MANILA — Waning compliance with pandemic guidelines could push active coronavirus infections to around half a million by the middle of May, the Department of Health warned on Thursday.

The DOH said it observed a 12-percent decline in Metro Manila's compliance with minimum public health standards (MPHS) from March to April. Nationwide, this figure was at 7 percent, said the agency.

"Analysts determined that decreases in MPHS compliance could translate to large increases in the number of active cases," the health department warned in a statement.

It said a 20-percent decrease in compliance at the national level could lead to around 34,788 active cases, while a 30 percent adherence decline might push the cases up to 300,000.

Within Metro Manila, estimates showed that a 50-percent decrease in MPHS compliance may lead to around 25,000 to 60,000 new cases per day, bringing the number of the region's active cases to almost half a million by mid-May, the DOH said.

This is "more than three times higher than the active cases during the Omicron wave’s peak in January, it added.

Metro Manila and dozens of other areas are under the loosest pandemic alert level until April 30. This allows all establishments and activities to operate at full on-site capacity, with face-to-face classes subject to the approval of the Office of the President.

Data from the Australian Tuberculosis Modelling Network (AuTuMN) Team show that the entry of a new variant that is 2 times more transmissible than omicron could lead to a peak of around 2,418 intensive care unit admissions in Metro Manila as early as mid-May.

This peak is 2.6 times higher than the 666 admissions last seen in January 2022, and 8.6 times higher than the current 253 admissions, the Health department noted.

61 YEARS SINCE GAGARIN FLIGHT, SPACE TECH AND RESEARCH WITHIN REACH FOR FILIPINOS

MANILA — Space research and development is becoming more affordable for small countries, and for a developing country like the Philippines, it is a dream that has turned into reality.

Six years ago, the country's first microsatellite, Diwata-1, which Filipino and Japanese scientists and engineers worked on, was launched into space from the International Space Station.

The 50-kg microsatellite would train its cameras back to Earth, and collect data for disaster response and management, and environment assessment.

The country now has six small satellites in space. Three more are under development, with the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment Satellite (MULA) being the country's first commercial-grade satellite of its kind.

Filipinos are not strangers to space, according to Dr. Rogel Mari Sese, the chair of the Aerospace Engineering Department at Ateneo de Davao University.

In the latter part of the 1800s, the country had the Observatorio Meteorologico de Manila, now known as Manila Observatory, which first conducted activities in weather observation and then later ventured into studies related to astronomy, he told Philstar.com.

It was only a decade ago, however, that the Philippine government started to recognize the importance of space-related activities because of two major events.

Sese said space research and development is now a possibility even for countries with smaller GDPs compared to the Philippines, like Luxembourg and New Zealand, which were already able to establish their own space agencies.

On April 12, the world celebrated the International Day of Human Space Flight. Sixty-one years ago, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin flew to space, a historic moment which paved the way for space exploration. The event marked the beginning of the space era, according to the United Nations.

"When people think of space, they think of it as a very far-away notion...that it's not relevant to our daily lives, but the reality is, the technologies and applications from space are finding their way into our daily lives through this global space economy, through the many services and products that we come to depend on," PhilSA Director General Joel Marciano told Philstar.com.

For him, participating in the space economy is a national imperative since it contributes to the local economy and helps develop a highly-skilled workforce.

PhilSA is currently developing the country's fledgling space sector — both in the upstream and downstream segments.

The PhilSA's main thrust right now is to ramp up public awareness and appreciation of space-related activities and projects, Marciano said.

PAGASA: FAIR WEATHER ON MAUNDY THURSDAY; SCATTERED RAINS SEEN IN SOME AREAS

MANILA — The Philippines will experience generally fair weather on Maundy Thursday, but typhoon Malakas will stir rains over parts of Visayas and Bicol region, the state weather bureau said.

PAGASA said the trough or extension of Malakas, which is outside the Philippine area of responsibility, will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms in Eastern Visayas, Masbate, Sorsogon, and Dinagat Islands.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains, the weather agency said.

"Malaking bahagi ng ating bansa ang nakakaranas ng magandang panahon, maliban sa mga isolated na pag-ulan, pero sandali lamang ito... Iyong mga kalat-kalat na pag-ulan ay hindi kasing-tindi ng mga pag-ulan na naranasan po natin noong panahon na andito si bagyong Agaton," said PAGASA weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio.

Agaton (international name: Megi) triggered floods and landslides that left at least 76 dead and scores missing, officials said on Wednesday, as rescuers dug up more bodies with bare hands and backhoes in crushed villages.

The storm has since weakened into a low pressure area and fizzled out.

Meanwhile, Malakas, which was called Basyang before it left the Philippine area of responsibility, was last spotted 1,645 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon at 3 a.m. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour near the center and 190 kph gusts, PAGASA said.

SPORTS

GINEBRA DEF. MERALCO, 95-84 (PBA FINALS GAME 4) APRIL 13

Barangay Ginebra uses strong third quarter to beat the Meralco Bolts, 95-84 in game 4 to tie the series at 2-2 of the 2021-22 PBA Governors' Cup Finals on Wednesday in front of 17,298 crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.

Scottie Thompson, the Best Player of the Conference, led the Gin Kings with 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting including four 3-pointers along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 40 minutes of play. Best import Justin Brownlee with a solid double-double performance of 27 points (11/17 FG, 2/7 3PTS, 3/4 FT), 18 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. LA Tenorio added 17 points, 5 assists and 2 steals while Christian Standhardinger added 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.

Finals Game 5 is on Sunday, April 17 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The Scores:

GINEBRA 95 – Brownlee 27, Thompson 27, Tenorio 17, Standhardinger 11, Chan 9, Pinto 4, Tolentino 0, J. Aguilar 0, Mariano 0.

MERALCO 84 – Bishop 25, Newsome 15, Black 14, Almazan 11, Quinto 6, Hodge 5, Hugnatan 3, Maliksi 3, Banchero 2, Caram 0, Baclao 0.

Quarters: 24-21, 41-41, 68-54, 95-84.

NBA SCORES APR 11

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Cavaliers0-1      20        23        30        35        108

Nets1-0 40        17        28        30        115

GAME 1: BKN LEADS 1-0, BARCLAYS CENTER, BROOKLYN, NY

SCORING LEADERS

D. Garland CLE

34 PTS 1 REB 5 AST

K. Irving BKN

34 PTS 3 REB 12 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Clippers0-1       26        25        33        20        104

Timberwolves1-0           20        33        25        31        109

GAME 1: MIN LEADS 1-0, TARGET CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS, MN

SCORING LEADERS

P. George LAC

34 PTS 7 REB 5 AST

A. Edwards MIN

30 PTS 5 REB 2 AST

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 52.03

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so. - Zig Ziglar