PBBM TO DRUM UP PH INTEREST AT ASEAN-EU SUMMIT

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. flew to Brussels, Belgium on Sunday, set to push for the country’s priorities on trade, maritime cooperation, and climate action at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union (ASEAN-EU) Summit.

In his departure speech at the Maharlika Hall at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City, President Marcos said this would be the first meeting between ASEAN and EU member states’ leaders at the European Union headquarters.

“I am pleased to highlight the Philippines’ role as the country coordinator for ASEAN in its dialogue relations with the EU,”  Marcos said.

“And after the successful series of Summits hosted by ASEAN Chair Cambodia last month, I look forward to a productive and meaningful Summit that recognizes ASEAN and the EU’s four-and-a-half decades of long-standing relations,” Mr. Marcos pointed out.

The President also said the summit is celebrating 45 years of ASEAN-EU relations with in-depth discussions on the most relevant issues concerning both regional organizations, such as global and regional security challenges, sustainable development, and economic cooperation, among other things.

Marcos will deliver his remarks at the C-Suite Luncheon and the ASEAN-EU business summit, saying the events serve as an opportunity to “drum up economic interests once again, and engagement for the Philippines in view of the presence of key business leaders in Europe at the event.”

The President will also call on King Philippe of Belgium, as well as hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts in Europe.

In a briefing on Friday, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu said  Marcos is expected to hold ten bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the ASEAN-EU summit.

The President is expected to meet with the King of Belgium, leaders of Estonia, the Czech Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Finland, the Netherlands, and the EU.

The President is also expected to meet the Filipino community on the first day of his trip to Belgium.

MARCOS SAYS PHILIPPINES ‘NEEDS’ MAHARLIKA FUND

MANILA — In his first public remarks about the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that establishing the sovereign wealth fund would be “another way” to get additional investments.

Asked by reporters aboard flight PR001 en route to Belgium if the Maharlika fund would be advantageous to the country, Marcos said, “For sure. I wouldn’t have brought it up otherwise.”

“It’s very clear we need added investment. This is another way to get that,” he continued.

The president also said debates on the proposal should cease “until we see the final form” of the bill.

“Because we could be debating about provisions that will no longer exist. Let us wait for what the legislature would do,” Marcos said partly in Filipino.

Part of the job of lawmakers is to debate on proposed laws and propose changes to these.

Marcos said the proposal is going through the “regular process” in the legislature, which he said should be allowed to do their jobs so the measure comes out “perfect.”

As it stands, lawmakers in the House of Representatives have introduced amendments to the Maharlika fund bill meant to pacify reactions over the proposal, particularly its funding provisions.

Among these tweaks are the removal of state pension funds Government Service Insurance System and Social Security System as sources of seed money for Maharlika and the use of earnings from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas instead.

Other amendments include the replacement of the president by the finance secretary as chairman of the Maharlika fund’s board to “insulate [the fund] from politics.”

For former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, the amendments to the bill still do not change the fact that there are no surplus revenues that the Maharlika fund can tap into.

“We are wallowing in debt, we are not wallowing in wealth. So there is no such thing as surplus funds,” Carpio told ABS-CBN News Channel’s “Headstart.” “It is a sovereign debt fund.”

COMELEC EYES 1 MILLION NEW VOTERS AS VOTER REGISTRATION RESUMES

The Commission on Elections is eyeing 1 million to 1.5 million new voters after registration of voters resumed today until January 31, 2023.

Comelec spokesman Atty. John Rex Laudiangco said voter registration will be conducted every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Sundays, at the Office of the Election Officer of the city, municipality or district where the applicant resides.

There will be no voter registration on December 24 and 31.

Laudiangco said Comelec wants voter registration to be done early in preparation for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls in October 2023.

The poll body is also working on opening up satellite voter registration in malls. The spokesman urged registrants to download and fill up registration forms found at the Comelec website for faster transaction.

Aside from voter registration, Comelec will also accept applications for transfer, reactivation of registration, change or corrections of entries in the registration records, reinstatement of name in the list of voters, and transfer of registration records from post to local.

Comelec is also reactivating its "Register Anywhere" project for people who are from from their permanent residences by reason of occupation, business or study. Registrants must bring any valid ID except cedula and police clearance.

DENGVAXIA PARENTS HIT DOH ANEW

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health has been accused of failing to renew its memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Medical Association, Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, and Association of Hospital Administrators to establish an express lane for people injected with Dengvaxia vaccine who would seek medical treatment.

The Samahan ng mga Magulang, Anak at Biktima ng Dengvaxia, along with the group’s president Sumachen Dominguez, volunteer-parent Rhea Lyn Jusayan raised concern over the vaccine’s adverse effects on more than 800,000 children, including her survivor child.

There was also the alleged non-renewal of hospital arrangement between the DOH and various medical facilities to treat children suffering from the ill effects of the anti-dengue vaccination in 2016 until 2017.

In related developments, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go lauded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for directing the Department of Health to prioritize the fight against tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus infections in addition to COVID-19.

“It is important to continue the fight against HIV and TB infections, even as we focus on the ongoing battle against COVID-19,” said Go.

The parents appealed to President Marcos Jr. to investigate the plight of those inoculated with the Dengvaxia vaccine, saying the DOH had neglected them because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They anchored their fear on a November 2017 official statement of Sanofi Pasteur Inc., the vaccine manufacturer, posted on its official website that the vaccine had four adverse side effects—severe dengue, anaphylactic reaction, viscerotropism and neurotropism — on a person who is inoculated without a prior dengue infection even years after the inoculation.

Another member, Angelica Dioquino, said her daughter died after receiving the jab due to severe dengue infection.

ERC HOLDS ELECTRICITY RATE HIKES

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has issued status quo orders that effectively prevent retail electricity suppliers from increasing their rates to large companies.

Several large companies had earlier asked the ERC to issue temporary restraining orders and cease-and-desist orders to prevent their retail electricity suppliers from disconnecting their supply.

The companies alleged that the retail electricity suppliers breached their supply contracts by imposing higher charges beyond what was agreed and wanted to impose fuel cost recovery adjustments due to the alleged extraordinary increases in fuel costs.

ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said the status quo would hold until the commission decides on the motions filed before it.

“If consumers are disconnected, not only will the petitioner be affected, but its customers as well. With the disconnection, the supply chain will be disrupted, and a domino effect will ensue downstream,” it said.

The companies said the retail electricity suppliers cited a change in circumstance due to “the unprecedented increases in the global price of oil, coal and gas and other fuel sources to increase the rates.”

Most of the companies filed cases against MPower, Inc. and Vantage Energy Solutions Management Inc., the retail electricity suppliers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

They also filed cases against San Miguel Corp.-owned San Miguel Electric Corp. and SMC Consolidated Power Corp. for alleged breach of retail electricity supply agreements.

‘ONE SECURITY CHECK’ POLICY PUSHED IN 42 AIRPORTS

MANILA — To enhance ease of travel, air passengers will only have to go through one security check at the country’s 42 airports once the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) approves the new policy of the Office of Transportation Security (OTS).

“We will make the travel experience more pleasant with balanced security measures,” OTS administrator Ma. O Aplasca said as his office proposed the removal of the initial security check at airports.

The proposed one security checkpoint in all airports managed by the CAAP has already made a successful dry-run last Dec. 1 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.

If CAAP director general Manuel Antonio Tamayo will approve its implementation in all 42 airports of the country, Aplasca said the initial security check will already be removed by early next year.

“I and my men are now conducting security assessments in different airports in the country, assessing the security situations and will make a recommendation to DG Tamayo for their approval,” he said.

GOVERNMENT URGED TO INVEST IN DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE

MANILA — A consumer welfare watchdog is calling on the government to put more investments in digital infrastructure and in upgrading the skills of Filipinos.

Orlando Oxales, lead convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines, said a parallel effort between the government and private sector in digital infrastructure buildup and skills upgrading would boost the push for digital transformation.

“There is no argument that digital is the way to go,” Oxales said in a statement after President Marcos’ speech during the Telco Summit 2022 in Pasay City last week.

“What we need to plan and execute effectively is how we can achieve real digital transformation not only in select sectors or geographic locations, but across the archipelago. Collaborating with the private sector, providing more incentives and instituting a digital skills improvement program are key steps to achieve this,” Oxales added.

Oxales pointed out that financial transactions have gone digital, especially for millions of ordinary and unbanked consumers who are now using online payment platforms such as GCash for everyday purchases.

FBI CAN'T PURSUE QUIBOLOY WITHOUT EXTRADITION: EX-UP LAW DEAN

Extraditing Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Pastor Apollo Quiboloy to the United States for alleged corruption and sex trafficking is a political act that will need the approval of the President, a former UP law dean said Monday.

Ex-UP Law Dean Pacifico Agabin said the US Federal Bureau of Investigation cannot go after Quiboloy for alleged sex trafficking and bulk cash smuggling "as long as he remains in the Philippines."

"Kung nandito siya sa Pilipinas ay walang magagawa ang FBI...Habang nandito si Pastor sa Pilipinas, wala silang magagawa doon sa Amerika," he said in a TeleRadyo interview.

He noted that the US government could submit a request for extradition to the Philippines if it has strong evidence that Quiboloy committed crimes in the US.

If the Department of Foreign Affairs gets an extradition request, the foreign minister must consult with the president because extradition is a political act, he said.

"Ang gagawin ng Amerika ay kailangan magpadala ng extradition request dito sa Pilipinas. Ang extradition maraming proseso ang kailangan doon. Kung di papayag si Presidente, walang magagawa ang Amerika. Kung ma extradite si Pastor, doon lang magkakaroon ng trial sa Amerika," he said.

He added, however, that the US could try to pressure the Philippines to extradite Quiboloy if the President refuses the request.

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8 DIE IN TANAY FLASH FLOOD

MANILA — Eight persons died after a jeepney loaded with 25 people was swept away by a flash flood in Tanay, Rizal on Saturday night. Authorities have yet to identify the fatalities, which included seven senior citizens and a five-year-old child, according to a report released by the Tanay disaster risk reduction and management office.

The victims were reportedly on their way home from the town proper when they figured in the accident.

Quoting a witness, municipal disaster office chief Norbeto Matienzo Jr. said the jeepeney was reportedly crossing a river in Barangay Sta. Ines when it developed engine trouble and got stuck.

The tide suddenly rose and water came rushing toward the jeepney, causing the vehicle to roll to its side before it was swept away, Matienzo said.

Authorities expressed belief the victims went to the town proper to collect the ayuda distributed by the municipal government.

Investigation is ongoing.

28 NPAS SURRENDER IN SARANGANI

COTABATO CITY – Twenty-eight alleged New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas surrendered to the military in Kiamba, Sarangani on Friday.

The guerrillas renounced their membership in the communist movement, in the presence of Mayor George Falgui and other local officials during a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Army’s 38th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Barangay Tambilil.

The surrender was facilitated by the local officials and Lt. Col. Michael Angelo Candole, commander of the 38th IB.

Eight of the surrenderees said they were involved in extortion activities, according to Maj. Gen. Roy Galido, chief of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

The Army withheld the identities of the surrenderees.

Meanwhile, in Bulacan, an alleged female rebel leader was arrested in San Jose del Monte in Bulacan last week.

83 HELD IN ONLINE LENDING SCAM

MANILA — Police have arrested more than 80 people for allegedly operating an illegal online lending agency in Manila. Members of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) on Friday raided the suspects’ office in Barangay 497, Sampaloc by virtue of a search warrant.

Police said 83 collection agents of the agency were apprehended after they were caught in the act of sending threatening messages to customers.

The suspects unlawfully accessed their clients’ personal information and posted these online with libelous remarks, according to police.

“Customers who fell (for) this scam suffered public humiliation and harassment, coupled with threats and illegal access to their phones’ contact list when (they could not) pay on time,” the PNP-ACG said in a statement.

ACG director Brig. Gen. Joel Doria said he ordered the conduct of intelligence-driven operations against online lending agencies to protect the public.

“These online lenders take advantage of poor netizens once they click on advertisements and promotions through social media that offer instant loans,” Doria said.

The suspects are facing charges of violating Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act, cyber libel, grave threats and violation of Memorandum Circular No. 18 issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Let this serve as a warning to illegal online lending agencies: the PNP-ACG is watching you in cyberspace,” Doria said.

MORE PUMP PRICE CUTS SET FOR DEC. 13

MANILA - Petroleum firms on Monday said they would cut prices of gasoline, kerosene and diesel on Dec. 13.

Adjustments will take effect on early Tuesday.

PILIPINAS SHELL

Gasoline P1.70 per liter rollback

Keroses P4.40 per liter rollback

Diesel P3.40 per liter rollback

CLEANFUEL

Gasoline P1.70 per liter rollback

Diesel P3.40 per liter rollback

SEAOIL

Gasoline P1.70 per liter rollback

Keroses P4.40 per liter rollback

Diesel P3.40 per liter rollback

ROSAL FURTHER INTENSIFIES, BUT NO STORM SIGNALS YET -- PAGASA

MANILA -- Tropical storm Rosal has further intensified while moving northeastward away from the country, state weather bureau PAGASA said Monday.

In its latest tropical cyclone bulletin, PAGASA said Rosal was seen at 770 km east of Calayan, Cagayan at 4 a.m. on Monday.

It has maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center, and gusts of up to 105 kph. It is moving northeastward at 20 kph.

No tropical cyclone wind signals are raised at this time. The state weather bureau noted, however, that in the next 24 hours, the combined effects of the surge of the northeast monsoon or amihan and the tropical cyclone may also bring moderate to rough seas over the seaboards of Central Luzon and the eastern and western seaboards of Southern Luzon.

These conditions may be risky for those using small seacrafts, PAGASA said.

The surge of the northeast monsoon partly enhanced by this tropical storm may bring occasional gusts reaching gale-force over Batanes and strong breeze to near-gale strength over Babuyan Islands, and the coastal and upland areas of Ilocos Norte, northern and eastern Cagayan, and eastern Isabela.

PAGASA said Rosal may weaken by Tuesday. It is forecast to become a remnant low tomorrow evening or on Wednesday early morning before dissipating shortly thereafter.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

ANDREA BRILLANTES TO PLAY 'DYESEBEL' IN NEW ABS-CBN SERIES

MANILA — Kapamilya actress Andrea Brillantes will play the iconic role of "Dyesebel" in an upcoming ABS-CBN teleserye.

According to talent manager Ogie Diaz, Andrea will star in the iconic Pinoy mermaid role in 2023.

"Walang iba kung hindi si Andrea Brillantes, sa 2023 ito," Ogie said in his Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update YouTube channel.

"Andrea, good luck sa pagiging Dyesebel mo 'no? Kasi 'yong iba nagtatanong kung marunong bang mag-swim si Andrea. Yes, marunong mag-swim," he added.

Ogie said that Andrea's mom Belle is a certified diver and they are now training for the coveted role.

"Actually, 'yung nanay niya diver. Napakahusay sa diving ng nanay niya. Talagang nagpa-practice na si Andrea. Mahusay na siyang sumisid," he said.

Ogie hopes that Andrea's boyfriend Ricci Rivero will be her leading man in the teleserye because of his manly features.

"Maganda kung si Ricci," Ogie said.

Conceived by Mars Ravelo, "Dyesebel" is a mermaid who becomes human through a deal with a sea witch.

Other actresses who portrayed the role were Vilma Santos, Alma Moreno, Alice Dixson, Charlene Gonzales, Marian Rivera and Anne Curtis.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 55.37

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance. - Will Durant