May 8-10, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 34 • 2 Sections - 20 Pages
USA
DATELINE O Canada: Duterte sets May 15 deadline to take trash back FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte gave Canada until May 15 to ship out the garbage it illegally shipped to the Philippines around five years ago, Malacañang said Tuesday, May 7. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said if Canada fails to comply with the deadline, the government will be shipping out and throwing the trash on Canada’s beaches. “They were given—the president gave May 15 as the deadline. If they cannot get that, then we will be shipping them out and throw them to the shores or beach of Canada,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing. The issue was tackled during the Cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Monday night, May 6, where the Foreign Affairs department said the Canadian government vowed to shoulder all the expenses in shipping out the tons of garbage, Panelo said. Last month, Duterte lashed out at Canada, even threatening to declare war against the North American country if it would not take back its trash.
Lacson to ‘Bikoy’: ‘Truth is never time-bound’ by MAILA
AGER Inquirer.net
MANILA — Peter Joemel Advincula, who claimed to be “Bitoy,” cannot dictate on the Senate Committee on Public Order that would look into his own allegations. “He cannot dictate on the committee,” Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the committee, said in a text message on Tuesday, May 7.
“Truth is never time-bound. If he can’t be spontaneous, the only logical conclusion is he has not yet weaved his lies,” he added. Lacson made the remark when sought for comment on Advincula’s reported statement that he could only testify in the Senate after the May 13 elections. In the said news report, Advincula also requested Lacson to give him more time to prepare for the hearing. The committee has already
sent a formal invitation letter to Advincula through the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) for a hearing slated at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, 10. It was at the IBP office in Pasig where Advincula surfaced and identified himself as the “Bikoy” who appeared in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos. In the videos, Bikoy accused President Rodrigo Duterte’s fam- Peter Joemel Advincula, who claims to be “Bikoy,” reads his statement at the ily and allies of involvement in il- multi-purpose hall at headquarters of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines
u PAGE A2
CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom wants the state to provide health coverage to low-income young adults who are in the country illegally, but his plan would siphon public health dollars from several counties battling surging rates of sexually transmitted diseases and, in some cases, measles outbreaks. Public health officials describe the proposed reallocation of state dollars as a well-meaning initiative that nonetheless would have “dire consequences” to core public health services. There have been 764 confirmed cases of measles this year through May 3 in 23 states, including California, the highest number since 1994, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Monday, May 6. State public health officials also are struggling to address record rates of sexually transmitted diseases, with more than 300,000 cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis reported in 2017. The reallocation of state money “would exacerbate our already limited capacity to respond to outbreaks and public health emergencies,” said Jeff Brown, director of Placer County’s Health and Human Services Department,
Inquirer.net photo by Edwin Bacasmas
Duterte ‘in good health,’ Palace assures public by CATHERINE
VALENTE ManilaTimes.net
u PAGE A2
A plan to cover immigrants would divert public health dollars
in Pasig on Monday, May 6.
PAYS HIS RESPECTS. President Rodrigo Duterte pays his last respects to former House Speaker Prospero Nograles as he visits the wake at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City on Sunday, May 5. Nograles, 71, died on Saturday morning, May 4, due “respiratory failure, secondary to pneumonia.” Duterte and Nograles were once political rivals that lasted for almost two decades. Malacañang photo by Alfred Frias
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is “in good health,” Malacañang assured the public, even after the Chief Executive was out of the public eye for nearly a week. Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte had plenty of work, including courtesy calls and private meetings, and deserved to rest once in a while. “Alam mo (You know) he is in good health, otherwise he cannot be taking that kind of punishing schedule,” Panelo said during an interview with dzBB radio. “You noticed eh palaging madalas ang kanyang mga speaking engagement, sunod-sunod (he has many speaking engagements); apart from that marami siyang mga (he has) courtesy calls and private meetings. Talagang masipag, hindi mo talaga mapigilan ganoon talaga ang nature niya (He is really hardworking. You can’t stop him, that’s his nature),” he said.
u PAGE A2
Palace on ‘Chinese-only’ establishments: We cannot allow that to happen
MALACAÑANG said reports that some Chinese establishments are keeping Filipino customers out should be investigated. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the government cannot allow this to happen. “They cannot be discriminating against Filipinos. It’s public business and therefore should cater to all,” Panelo said in a press briefing Monday, May 6. Sen. Panfilo Lacson had called for the closure of “Chinese only” establishments in the country. In an earlier interview with radio dzBB, Lacson said Filipinos appear to be secondclass citizens in their own country when Chinese restaurants bar them from entering. “It’s bad enough that there is discrimiu PAGE A3
nation when we go to western countries you can see that there are some countries that still have a strong racial discrimination whether they admit it or not,” Lacson said in Filipino. “But we are here in our own country, you will not be allowed to enter and eat in a Chinese restaurant? And you are Filipino? That should be closed,” the senator added. Panelo said Malacañang would ask Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to look into reports of establishments that are excusively for Chinese nationals. Malacañang also advised Filipinos to avoid confrontation if ever they encounter “Chinese-only” establishments. “The better step, or thing to do, is to file a complaint. [If] you engage the owner or try Chinese workers walk past posters showing images of home as they begin the day’s work on
u PAGE A2
the China-funded Binondo-Intramuros Bridge in Manila. Inquirer.net photo by Joan Bondoc
Journalists linked to ‘Oust Duterte’ Unicef sounds alarm on decline of PH’s measles immunization coverage matrix vow to ‘never go down’ by KATRINA
HALLARE Inquirer.net
by GLEE JALEA ManilaTimes.net
JOURNALISTS who were linked to the so-called “Oust-Duterte matrix” reiterated the need to stand together in fighting for the truth amid alleged threats from the government. In a public forum hosted by the University of the Philippines Third World Studies Center at the UPDiliman in Quezon City on Tuesday afternoon, May 7, journalists and professionals converged to tackle the contingency plans and long-term solutions that must be done under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte where
media and various organizations were seen as constantly under threat. The forum dubbed as “This is The Matrix: A Free Public Forum” was a take from the controversial matrix, which was published last April 22 by The Manila Times. Written by Dr. Dante Ang, The Times chairman emeritus, the matrix linked a hooded “Bikoy,” who accused members of President Rodrigo Duterte’s family of illegal drug activities in a series of videos entitled “Ang Totoong Narcolist”, to a number journalists, among them Ellen Tordesillas, president of VERA Files and Maria Ressa,
u PAGE A3
MANILA — The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has expressed alarm over the decline of the country’s measles immunization coverage. In a statement to celebrate World Immunization Week, Unicef said the Philippines’ measles immunization coverage declined “in an alarming rate,” with a record of less than 70 percent, which is far below the required 95 percent. The coverage was 88 percent A health worker administers vaccines as part of the Department of Health-organized in 2013 and 73 percent in 2017, immunization program to celebrate the World Immunization Week 2019 at Ama Dome, Baseco Unicef added. compound in Tondo, Manila. Celebrated every last week of April, World Immunization Week aims The UN agency said the decline to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against preventable diseases. PNA photo by Oliver Marquez in the immunization coverage
leaves 2.9 million Filipino children vulnerable to diseases such as measles, rubella, and polio. “Public hesitancy, vaccine stock-outs, the lack of aptly trained health workers and accessibility of hard-to-reach areas put many children susceptible to diseases,” the statement read. “This leads to more outbreaks and put more children at risk of getting sick from life-threatening diseases.” “Every child has the right to the best possible health care and access to disease protection through timely vaccination. Vaccines are the safest and most effective way of saving lives,” Unicef Representative Julia Rees said.
u PAGE A4