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NCR lockdown eyed anew As hospitals report full bed capacity due to continuous rise in cases

By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

ALACAÑANG on Monday warned that Metro Manila, home to more than 12

million people, may return to stricter quarantine restrictions if hospital beds start to run out due to the growing number of COVID-19 infections.

Metro Manila was under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the most restrictive form of lockdown, for more than two months, before restrictions were relaxed under a general community quarantine (GCQ) on June 1. Areas under a GCQ allows some businesses and public transportation to open on a limited

capacity in a bid to move the economy forward. “If many of us do not follow health protocols or do not observe social… or physical distancing, wash hands, and continue to leave their homes for unnecessary reasons, we may revert to ECQ or MECQ,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. Next page

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 133 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Sagada turns away Palace team to film scenes for SONA By Nickie Wang ACTOR Piolo Pascual and film director Joyce Bernal, along with a team from the Malacañang Presidential Broadcast Staff-RTVM, were denied access to shoot in the COVID-free Sagada Mountain province, where they were supposed to film background views for President Rodrigo Duterte’s next State-of-the-Nation Address. Next page

No MRT-3 service, 186 crew with COVID

Film director Joyce Bernal (wearing a black face mask), along wit members of the Presidential Broadcast Staff-RTVM, met with the Sagada Bantay COVID-19 task group Sunday after the former arrived in the province to shoot for the President's July 20 State of the Nation Address. The shoot would have featured the highland town (left), with its postcard-pretty village seen here on a sunny day.

By Darwin G. Amojelar and Willie Casas

had tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Transportation said Monday. As of July 6, a total 186 MRT MRT-3 operations would be temporarily personnel were positive for COVID-19. shut down starting today (Tuesday) Of the total, 169 personnel came from until July 11 after more of its personnel MRT-3 depot and the remaining 17 from

Anti-terror law critics ask SC to suspend it

WORLD ROUNDUP

• Experts to WHO: Virus airborne • Bubonic plague: China on alert

By Rey Requejo, Macon Ramos-Araneta, and Joel Zurbano CRITICS of the new anti-terrorism law, signed on Friday by President Rodrigo Duterte called on the Supreme Court to suspend its implementation, due on July 18, arguing it threatened human rights and freedom of speech. The law gives the security forces sweeping powers to go after terrorists, but critics fear it could be used to stifle dissent and target government opponents. The National Union of Peoples' Lawyers and retired SC justice Antonio Next page

SCIENTISTS are calling on the World Health Organization to revise recommendations regarding the novel coronavirus, saying there is evidence that the disease is airborne, the New York Times reported Saturday (Sunday in Manila). The WHO has said the coronavirus disease spreads primarily from person to

station personnel. The DOTr said temporary shutdown would be undertaken to give way to RT-PCR (swab) testing of all MRT-3 personnel, including those of its maintenance provider and subcontractors, Next page

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JULY 6)

46,333 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,303

2,099 NEW

1,258 FRESH

DEATHS

NEW

12,185

243

RECOVERIES

NEW

Next page Starting today, MRT-3 will temporarily halt its operations for five days after 189 of its personnel, including ticket sellers, contracted the novel coronavirus. MRT-3 has ramped up its safety and hygiene protocols, adopting a ‘five-minute disinfection hustle’ inside its trains at the end stations at North Avenue and Taft Avenue.

Network insists fair reporting on political issues By Maricel V. Cruz

Agents of the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) flag down and mark as colorum three vans illegally operating as company shuttle service along Pasong Tamo Extension Monday morning. Passengers (inset) were asked to disembark as the vehicles were impounded.

EMBATTLED broadcast giant ABSCBN on Monday asserted it has been balanced in its news reporting, especially on political issues, and that it treats journalism as a public service. At the continuation of the House hearing on the network's franchise renewal application, ABS-CBN integrated news and current affairs head Regina Reyes denied allegations of being biased in political reporting, especially during elections. "Since our return to air in 1986, we have endeavored to perform our duty

Members of the Makabayan bloc of party-list representatives, led by former lawmaker Neri Colmenares, file a petition Monday against the Anti-Terrorism Act before the Supreme Court in Manila, challenging the constitutionality of the measure. Norman Cruz

Rody not sick, only emotional—Roque PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte regards the death of four soldiers gunned down by policemen in Jolo, Sulu, as a personal loss, Malacañang said Monday. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the remark after observers noticed

that Duterte appeared sick and in low spirits during his speech at the Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City on Friday, where he appealed to the soldiers to stay calm and not to take revenge. Next page

News

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Frontliners get full coverage T The agency made the announcement to remind all hospitals in the country that they should not be charging any copayment against patients whose job is in the medical frontlines. The call is in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s appeal to give health care workers and front liners all possible

support in recognition of the risks they face on a day-to-day basis to help treat COVID-19 patients. Restriction repeated The Bureau of Immigration has reminded the Filipinos who plan to travel abroad as tourists are still restricted from leaving amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commissioner Jaime Morente issued the statement after receiving a report that six Filipinos were recently barred from going to Cambodia via a special chartered flight from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The passengers were reportedly offloaded because their trip abroad was not essential, and neither did they fall under the category of travelers exempted from the travel ban while the country is under quarantine. Plasma banks Senator Imee Marcos on Monday proposed the creation of plasma banks in all public and private hospitals as COVID-19 survivor Senator Sonny Angara launched plasmangpagasa.com

NCR...

243 more patients recovered from the respiratory disease. The DOH said they are strictly monitoring six areas where there has been a spike in COVID-19 cases for the past week. These were Cebu City, Cebu province, and the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, Quezon City and Manila. As of July 4, the Philippines has 55 certified polymerase chain reaction facilities and 20 GeneXpert laboratories that have tested a total of 738,502 individuals. Meanwhile, 1,306 or 40.74 percent of intensive care unit beds for COVID-19 patients are currently occupied while 1,971 or 19.89 percent of mechanical ventilators are in use. But Vergeire reported that 11 Metro Manila hospitals have reported 100 percent utilization of their ICU beds for COVID-19 patients. She identified the hospitals as Veterans Memorial Medical Center; University of Santo Tomas Hospital; University of Perpetual Help; Tondo Medical Center; Seamen’s Hospital; Philippine Children’s Medical Center; Metro North Medical

Center and Hospital; Las Piñas Doctors Hospital; De Los Santos Medical Center; Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center; and Capitol Medical Center. Vergeire added that the Lung Center of the Philippines reported a 97-percent utilization of its COVID-19 ICU beds while the East Avenue Medical Center recorded 89 percent and the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medical Center posted 83 percent. “When we talk about the percentage of beds that had been occupied already, it is not equivalent to the entire bed capacity of the hospital. Here, we are just referring to the dedicated beds for COVID-19,” she said. Vergeire earlier said there were some hospitals that ignored the DOH requirement to designate 30 percent of hospital beds for COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, the critical care resources of state hospitals in Metro Manila have reached a “moderate risk level” though not yet overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases. During an online forum Monday, Vergeire said isolation beds in government

hospitals in Metro Manila are 68 percent; ward beds, 79 percent; and ICU beds, 51 percent occupied. About a third of mechanical ventilators were in use. The Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center in Manila earlier said it would no longer accept COVID-19 patients as its COVID-19 wards were already running at full capacity. In Cebu City, the critical care and isolation bed utilization were at 62.45 percent. Its case doubling time for COVID-19 cases was 7.62 days. National Task Force Against COVID-19 spokesperson Restituto Padilla said that at least three hospitals reported to the task force that they have reached their full capacity and will start referring future COVID-19 patients to other hospitals. Also on Monday, a government scientist said the recent surge in COVID-19 cases may be partly due to a mutation in the novel coronavirus which is making it at least three times more infectious. Dr. Edsel Salvana said “it is very clear our overall cases are ramping up” even if some of the new confirmed cases were backlogs.

Currently, 964 additional negative personnel are required to resume work. During the temporary shutdown, thorough disinfection of all MRT-3 facilities will be conducted, including its depot, stations, and trains. To help ferry commuters, the MRT-3 Bus Augmentation Program will continue with 90 buses and a fixed dispatching interval of every 3 minutes. In addition, 150 buses will be deployed for the EDSA Busway service, carrying passengers between Monumento and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITx). A mini loop will also run between Timog Ave. and Ortigas to service passengers, where shuttle services /mini buses will be allowed to pick up and drop off passengers at the curbside. During this pandemic, the mandate to support the reopening of the economy shall be balanced with the health and safety of the riding public, and of our public transport personnel. In related developments, the number of police officers infected with COVID-19 was now 902, according to Philippine National Police chief Gen. Archie Gamboa. In a press briefing at Camp Crame, Gamboa said that of the confirmed cases as of 6 a.m. Monday, there were 479 active cases while 414 have recovered. The death toll stands at nine. Gamboa said the high number of cases was registered at the National Capital Region Police with 354; Police Regional Office-7 (Central Visayas), 248; the National Support Units, 81; and PRO 4-A (Calabarzon), 69. “Incidentally, PRO7 posted the 830 suspected cases that are awaiting confirmatory testing,” Gamboa said. Based on PNP data, there are at least 1,148 policemen who are classified as suspected Covid-19 cases while 726 others are considered as probable cases.

World...

two most populous states—Victoria and New South Wales—will be closed overnight Tuesday, officials from both states said. Home to more than 6.6 million people, Victoria announced a record 127 new cases Monday as the virus spread through Melbourne—including a cluster in several densely populated apartment blocks. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews described the decision to close off the state as "the smart call, the right call at this time, given the significant challenges we face in containing this virus." US hospitals overwhelmed Officials at the epicenter of the worsening coronavirus crisis in the United States warned Sunday (Monday in Manila) their hospitals were in danger of being overwhelmed by the upsurge. The US has struggled to respond to the devastation wrought by the virus, with its national death toll rising to near 130,000 out of 2.8 million confirmed cases, and many states hit by increasing infections after lockdowns were eased. Hospital beds are full in parts of Texas, while calls for fresh stay-at-home orders are growing. The US' annual July 4 holiday weekend was overshadowed by growing evidence that its fractured response has exacted a heavy price across the south and west, after previous hotspots such as New York emerged from the worst of the virus. India 3rd hardest hit India announced Monday it had nearly 700,000 coronavirus cases, taking it past Russia to become the third-hardest-hit nation in the global pandemic. The health ministry said 697,358 cases had now been recorded, a rise of 24,000 in 24 hours, while Russia has just over 681,000. AFP

By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio Araja

HE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation said medical frontliners and allied workers are entitled to full hospitalization coverage should they get infected by the COVID-19 virus.

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Health official have repeatedly advised the public not to be complacent even if quarantine measures have been relaxed, saying the easing is being done to reopen the economy gradually and not because the threat of the virus is no longer present. On the other hand, the Department of Health (DOH) said that it will meet with hospital representatives to check the situation in their respective facilities. DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said government hospitals in Metro Manila are not yet filled with COVID-19 cases. The country’s tally of COVID-19 cases breached the 46,000 mark on Monday after the DOH reported 2,099 more COVID-19 infections—1,258 “fresh” and 841 reported “late”—bringing the total to 46,333. The death toll climbed to 1,303 with six new fatalities, the DOH said. Total recoveries rose to 12,185 after

No... From A1

to prevent further spread of the disease, and, most importantly, to protect the health and safety of both its personnel and commuters. The Department of Health on Monday advised the public who had contact with the ticket sellers of MRT-3 to check their own health. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in an interview on GMA Network’s Unang Hirit, said authorities would push the contact tracing of passengers who had transactions with the ticket sellers. Vergeire said the DOH was having talks with the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the management of MRT-3 on how they would trace the concerned passengers. At the same time, Vergeire said the Philippines planned to further expand the testing criteria for COVID-19, as it expected test kits for 10 million people. The duration of the temporary shutdown is currently for five days, or until July 11, 2020, or until RT-PCR testing confirms a sufficient number of COVID-19 negative personnel to enable resumption of at least limited operations. “This means that the period of the shutdown may be shortened or extended, depending on the pace and results of RTPCR testing,” DOTr said. “This also means that operations will resume even if the number of available personnel can only operate a limited number of train sets at the beginning,” it added. The RT-PCR testing of MRT-3 personnel will be done by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) at the Palacio de Manila swabbing center as well as with the assistance of the Red Cross. Out of MRT-3’s more than 3,200 workforce, it will require at least 1,300 personnel to be able to resume limited operations.

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person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when a person with COVID-19 coughs, neezes or speaks. But 239 scientists from 32 countries, in an open letter to the agency, which the researchers plan to publish in a scientific journal next week, outlined the evidence showing smaller particles could infect people, the New York Times said. Whether carried by large droplets that zoom through the air after a sneeze, or by much smaller exhaled droplets that may glide the length of a room, the coronavirus is borne through air and can infect people when inhaled, the scientists said. Bubonic plague case Authorities in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia are on high alert after a suspected case of bubonic plague, the disease that caused the Black Death pandemic, was reported Sunday. The case was discovered in the city of Bayannur, northwest of the Chinese capital of Beijing, according to state-run Xinhua news agency. A hospital alerted municipal authorities of the patient's case on Saturday. By Sunday, local authorities had issued a citywide Level 3 warning for plague prevention, the second lowest in a fourlevel system. The warning will stay in place until the end of the year. Victoria sealed off Australia will effectively seal off the state of Victoria from the rest of the country, authorities said Monday, announcing unprecedented measures to tackle a worrying surge in coronavirus cases. For the first time since the epidemic began, the border between Australia's

Network... From A1

Rody... From A1

The soldiers were said to be tailing suicide bombers affiliated with the Abu Sayyaf group on June 29 when they were shot dead by the policemen. Duterte’s visit in Zamboanga City was the first time he met with government troops since the Philippines was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. “He really took what happened in Jolo as a personal loss, which is why he promised that justice would be served,” Roque said in a virtual presser. But he allayed the concerns over Duterte’s health, saying he was not suffering from any condition but was simply “emotional” over the death of the four soldiers. He compared Duterte’s feelings to those of a father grieving over the loss of a son, noting that his voice was cracking while delivering his speech. “He is really low-spirited because he is sad. He’s like a father who lost a son,” Roque said. He appealed to his audience to wait for the results of the National Bureau of

Investigation’s probe into the alleged “misencounter” between the members of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines that resulted in the killing of the soldiers. “Let us wait for the results of the investigation of the NBI because the President himself is the most affected by their deaths aside from their families,” Roque said. He said Duterte was set to address the public in Davao City today, Tuesday, to give an update on the COVID-19 situation. In his speech on Friday, Duterte acknowledged that the incident had created an animosity between the AFP and the PNP, “which is not good because, in the end, it would be the people [who] will bear the brunt of all these things.” He told the military not to hold a grudge against the police as “there is a more important task to do and that is to protect the people of the Philippines.” Killing policemen would not bring their four comrades back to life, he said, asking the military and the police to wait for the results of the investigation being conducted by the NBI, which would be made public “so that everybody will understand the situation.”

as a news organization. As professional journalists, we strive to keep biases in check and to report on newsworthy events, persons and issues in an accurate, fair and balanced manner," Reyes told the panel. But Reyes, a veteran reporter prior to heading the network's news department, admitted that they have committed mistakes. "Just like other news organizations, we are not perfect. Despite our measures to be careful and police our ranks, we admit that we also commit mistakes. But we immediately acted on errors and corrected them. We have mechanisms for handling mistakes committed in the performance of our duty," she said. Reyes added: "Just like those in government, journalists and the news media operate as trustees of the public. As such, our first loyalty is to citizens, and our primary obligation is to the truth. We know that as we hold power to account, we ourselves are accountable to the public we serve." This developed as Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Monday the House leadership will not impose on its members how to vote

to connect donors with hospitals. While the effective vaccine for COVID-19 and its possible mutations remained unavailable, Marcos said, the government must prepare for the long haul. "Not even medical experts can tell the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, how much further cases of infection in the country will increase and when a vaccine will be found,” Marcos said. Enforce the guidelines Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered the city’s 142 village officials to strictly enforce the general community quarantine guidelines within their areas of jurisdiction.

on bills seeking to grant a new franchise to broadcast network ABS-CBN. “From the start, we’ve been saying, if you are pro, open your mind to those who are criticizing. If you are a critic, open your mind to the answers of the management. So that’s why we made the hearings public, so that the people can decide for themselves," Cayetano said. Cayetano, who ran for vice president but lost in 2016, earlier accused ABS-CBN of unfair coverage during the campaign. During the hearing Monday, Cayetano submitted written testimony on ABS-CBN’s alleged "partiality" and "favoritism" in its 2016 election coverage, which Cayetano said will be given to the network’s executives so they could reply to his allegations. Reyes said ABS-CBN is aware that while the media company has the power and duty to hold public officials to account, the company itself is accountable to the public it serves. "We uphold this accountability and responsibility as vigorously as we uphold press freedom, freedom of expression, and free speech," she said. "In these most trying of times, we continue to deliver the news each day knowing that it is an opportunity and a privilege, not just to be a witness to history, but to be a force for good," Reyes added.

Anti-Terror... From A1

Carpio have also expressed intention to file petitions against the new law. Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra welcomed the filing of petitions challenging the constitutionality of several provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 before the Supreme Court. "The Supreme Court is the final arbiter of all constitutional issues raised against the anti-terrorism law," Guevarra said. "The court's ruling will also guide the DOJ (Department of Justice) and the ATC (Anti-Terrorism Council) in the preparation of the implementing rules and regulations of the law," Guevarra added. The new law repeals the Human Security Act of 2007. It punishes those who will propose, incite, conspire, participate in the planning, training, preparation, and facilitation of a terrorist act; including those who will provide material support to terrorists, and recruit members in a terrorist organization. Rights groups had called on Duterte to veto the law, which allows for a special council composed of members of his cabinet to order the warrantless arrest of anyone they deem a terrorist. It also allows for suspects to be detained for up to 24 days without charge and scraps heavy fines for law enforcers for wrongful detention. The government argues the law, which was approved by Congress last month, is needed to combat terrorism in the country's south where communist and Islamist groups have waged long-running insurgencies. In at least four separate filings with the Supreme Court on Monday, lawyers, professors and some members of Congress called for the legislation to be halted before it takes effect to allow for a judicial review and the removal of what they say are unconstitutional provisions. "In a democratic society, security must never be attained nor maintained at the expense of human rights and civil liberties," opposition lawmaker Edcel Lagman said in his petition. Besides members of the Makabayan bloc in Congress, a group of lawyers along with former Education Secretary Armin Luistro, and Far Eastern University law dean Mel Sta. Maria have also filed petitions challenging the constitutionality of the anti-terrorism law. The Supreme Court confirmed the filings. Other groups have expressed plans to challenge the law. With AFP

Sagada... From A1

In an emergency meeting held on Sunday, Bernal and her crew were asked by the Municipal Disaster Risk and Management Office (MDRRMO) to leave Sagada despite having travel papers and authorization from Malacañang. In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the Sagada Municipality said a coordinator from the Malacañang Presidential Broadcast Staff contacted the office of Sagada Mayor James Pooten and MDRRMO on July 1 requesting to shoot in the highland town for Duterte’s SONA to take place on July 20. “Both declined the request,” the municipality wrote on Facebook. However, on Sunday, the team was informed that Bernal and her crew escorted by military and PNP personnel were already on their way to Sagada to shoot. “Upon the query of the body for any written communication regarding the video shoot, it was found that an email was sent by Direk Joyce Bernal’s team after office hours on July 3, 2020, Friday. The letterwas informing the Mayor of the team coming on the night of July 5, 2020. Attached to the letter was an Authorization Letter signed by Denis Wilfred P. Pabalan, executive director of the Malacañang Presidential Broadcast Staff-RTVM,” the statement said. The statement further said that during the emergency meeting where Bernal was invited, the local authority explained their sentiments and reasons why they were not allowing her and her team to shoot any video material in Sagada. “Direk Joyce clearly understood the decision of the body and she was apologetic. She appealed that they be given the night to rest in the Cellar Door and to ensure that their vehicles were ready for the long trip back to Manila. The body agreed since they were already at the Cellar Door,” the statement concluded, adding that their Local COVID Task Force would be conducting monitoring activities for the Cellar Door management to ensure that those in the establishment underwent a mandatory quarantine. Meanwhile, the mayor of Sagada also released a statement explaining the incident. Mayor Pooten said Bernal and her team were asked to leave the highland town because they were giving the health and safety of his town utmost priority. He said no permits or authorizations could change their decision to keep the town sealed from visitors and tourists. With Dave Leprozo

News ‘P10b RCEF budget enough for farmers’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Cynthia Villar said the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund does not need any additional budget allocated from the COVID 19 prevention as it has a P10B budget per year annually from the national budget for the next 6 years. Villar, chairperson of the Senate agriculture committee, said the budget being asked by the Department of Agriculture is not for RCEF but for their other programs. Aside from the RCEF, she said the DA has a separate National Rice Program with a P7 billion yearly budget allocated to buy fertilizer and hybrid seeds. The Rice Tariffication Law or Republic Act 11203 which took effect March 2019. It created the RCEF which guarantees a P10 billion allocation annually or higher to be taken from tariff collected by the Bureau of Customs. The law provides that for the years 2019 to 2024, a P10 billion fund shall be allocated as follows: P5 billion or 50 percent, for the procurement of rice farm equipment—tillers, tractors, threshers, milling, transplanters, harvesters, irrigation pumps, and drying facilities that will be given to 947 or so rice-producing towns in the country to be implemented by PhilMech; P3 billion or 30 percent, will be allotted for the development, promotion, distribution and production of inbred seeds by PhilRice; P1 billion or 10 percent will go to cheap credit with twopercent interest per year to be implemented by LandBank and the Development Bank of the Philippines; and 10 percent or P1 billion is for training programs.

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

People affected by oil spill should be paid—solon By Maricel V. Cruz A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Monday said the owner of the barge carrying petroleum products that blew up off Iloilo City should pay for the environmental degradation caused by the spill and the economic losses that it caused on coastal communities. Rep. Michael Defensor of Anakalusugan, also a former Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, said: “We

are also counting on the operator of the power barge – AC Energy Corp. – to pay for the cleanup of the spill.” “The Oil Pollution Compensation Law of 2007, or Republic Act 9483, imposes strict liability for oil pollution damage and guarantees adequate reparation for adversely affected populations, especially those that depend on fishing and seashell harvesting,” Defensor said. Under the law, Defensor said owners of vessels that “cause pollution damage

or create a grave and imminent threat of causing such damage,” are liable for several offenses. These include, he said, expenses actually incurred in clean-up operations at sea or on shore; costs incurred for preventive measures and further loss or damage caused by such preventive measures; consequential loss or loss of earnings suffered by owners or users of property contaminated or damaged as a direct result of the spill; pure economic loss or loss

of earnings sustained by people, even if the property tainted or spoiled by the slick does not belong to them; damage to human health or loss of life as a direct result of the incident; and environmental damage and other reasonable measures of restoration.

LEARNING MODULES. Public school teachers and property custodians from different schools sort out modules at the Geronimo Santiago Elementary School in San Miguel, Manila on

Agriculture chief faces graft case By Rio N. Araja AGRICULTURE Secretary William Dar is facing a complaint of graft, nepotism and grave abuse of authority before the Office of the Ombudsman. In a 26-page complaint-affidavit, exdeputy executive director John Pagaduan of the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries accused Dar of graft; violation of Executive Order No. 262 and Presidential Decree No. 807 or the Civil Service Decree; nepotism, and grave abuse of authority. He alleged that Dar appointed his sonin-law—Alexander Arizabal Jr.—as the general manager of the Human Settlement Development Corp., an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture. He said Arizabal is a concurrent information systems analyst III in the same agency.

Monday. The modules will be distributed to the parents of the students as learning materials for the upcoming school year’s distance learning. Norman Cruz

‘Use SEF to help private teachers’ By Maricel V. Cruz

LAWMAKER has proposed the use of the special education fund of local government units in extending financial assistance to private school teachers aside from giving them training, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City said that helping teachers should be included in the proposed expanded utilization of the local education fund. “Congress has all the authority to decide on what’s best for the country. And I believe we can assist private school teachers whose remunerations are lagging behind. When we give assistance

to teachers, it is for the benefit of the students,” he said during a recent virtual meeting of the House committee on higher education chaired by Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, which is considering a proposal to expand the use of the SEF. “Teachers are like candles who in teaching their students consume themselves in order to give light to their stu-

dents,” he said. Romulo voiced concern over a constitutional provision which he said clearly states “that public funds should not be used for private purposes.” But Rodriguez said the prohibition would not apply “because we’re not helping the private sector or school per se but we are helping the students of our country in private schools.” Besides, he said there is nothing wrong if the proposed financial aid to teachers is treated as assistance to private schools, since the government has been helping private educational institutions through various programs, including GASTPE (government assistance to students and teachers in private education). Rodriguez likewise cited the Education Act of 1965 of the United States which

provided $1.3B in direct aid not only to public schools but also to parochial/sectarian private schools, sidestepping even the religious issue. Also its Higher Education Act of 1965 appropriated $650M for scholarships for students in both public and private Colleges and universities. “Even in America where we got our Constitutional provision that public funds can only be used for public purposes, its Congress has appropriated funds for private schools because the Assistance ultimately to their students is for a public purpose”, Rodriguez informed the Committee. “We can legislate that the special education fund in the local level be used for the purpose of assisting private schools. Their students are part of the public,” he told the Romulo committee.

DENR’s LMB to go digital soon By Rio N. Araja

JEEPNEY INSPECTION. In line with the order of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board for the resumption of

operations of traditional jeepneys on Monday, July 6, 2020, operatives of the i-ACT conducted a thorough inspection at Samson road in Malabon City. iACT Facebook page

Oil firms cut gas, kerosene prices; diesel prices stay By Alena Mae S. Flores THE country’s oil firms cut pump prices starting 6 a.m. Tuuesday, ending eight weeks of consecutive oil price hikes. The oil firms cut the price of gasoline by P0.65 per liter for gasoline and P0.40 per liter per kerosene to reflect the movement of prices in the world market. Diesel prices did not move. Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, PTT Philippines, Total Philippines, Flying V and Seaoil Philippines announced the price cut while other oil firms are expected to

follow. Over the weekend, Unioil Philippines said consumers can expect a price cut of P0.70 to P0.80 per liter for gasoline and no movement for diesel. World oil prices declined last week amid rising coronavirus disease infections in the US, which traders fear could affect oil demand. Prior to this week’s rollback, total year-to-date adjustments to stand at a net decrease of P4.97 per liter for gasoline, P8.84 per liter for diesel and P12.99 per liter for kerosene. On June 30, the oil firms raised the

price of gasoline by P0.70 per liter, diesel by P0.30 and kerosene by P0.40 per liter to reflect the movement of oil prices in the world market. Meanwhile, Phoenix Petroleum announced it wrapped up its fuel donation initiatives with a total of 179,079 liters of free Phoenix fuels as part of its campaign to help battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Phoenix participated in various programs and partnered with local government units (LGUs) and non-governmental groups in the past three months to be able to provide relief to frontliners, health workers, and affected communities.

THE Land Management Bureau under the Department of Environment is moving to fast track its digital transformation to ensure safe, fast and efficient delivery of land-related services to the public under the so-called “new normal” triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Its director—Emelyne Talabis—said the bureau eyes the completion of the migration of all its land records from the manual system to the computerized Land Administration and Management System (LAMS) this year. She said the agency is also working to digitize the processing of public land application, verification and approval of survey plans, and access to land information in order to minimize physical presence of clients and stakeholders at LMB offices nationwide. “Even before the pandemic, the LMB is already revisiting the processes and procedures under LAMS since its launch in 2016. This new normal all the

more showed the urgency of our development plans for LAMS,” she added. LAMS is a computerized information system that consolidates land data and records in the country for quick and easy processing, tracking and retrieval of land information. Warlito Quirimit, the head of both the LMB Information and Communication Technology Section and LAMS National Coordinating Desk, said the bureau looks forward to the full implementation of the inspection, verification and approval of surveys under the LAMS. According to Quirimit, LMB also plans to provide the public online access to spatial data with plotting features overlaid on satellite imagery or Google Earth, including adjoining lots, if available. “An online payment mechanism for the implementation of cashless transactions is also in the work,” he disclosed. “We aim to hasten these modernization plans brought by the new normal requirements,” he said.

Drug dealer arrested in Taguig City By Joel E. Zurbano POLICE arrested a suspected drug dealer caught in possession of more than P108,000 worth of shabu in a checkpoint Sunday night in Taguig City. Arrested was Victoriano Amesola, 48, a native of Lanao del Norte and resident of 107 Tawi-Tawi Street, Barangay Maharlika, Taguig City. Confiscated from the suspect were three plastic sachets containing 15.89 grams of shabu worth P108,052.00, a .45 caliber pistol with magazine and 10 pieces of ammunition, and a color green Mazda with registration plate number UHG 182.

Members of the Taguig City Police Sub-station 2 led by P/Capt. Joseph Inomis were conducting checkpoint operations at the corner of Rogan Street and Mindanao Avenue in Maharlika Village around 8:55 p.m. when they chanced upon Amesola in possession of a gun. The authorities made a body search on Inomis and found the prohibited substance. Inomis is now detained at Taguig Sub-station 2 detention center and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and RA 10591 (Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition).

BIG CATCH. Port of Subic District

Collector Maritess Martin and ESS Chief Captain Regie Tuason and Spy Chief Vernie Enciso inspect smuggled cigarettes seized on Wednesday, July 1, worth P94 million.

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

BOC-Subic nabs P94m cigarettes smuggled as LEDs

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2020

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Better virus outcomes in 3 provinces IN BRIEF Angeles improves ’19 tax collection ANGELES CITY—For the first time in 13 years, this city, under the leadership of Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. has recorded a budget surplus of P192,961,702.95 for 2019. This came after the city government's initiative to implement sound fiscal management and intensified collection of business and real property taxes and other local taxes, Lazatin said. The mayor said the positive revenue collection is evident of the growing confidence of the business sector to the current administration. He maintained he will not increase business and real property taxes so as not to burden the members of the business sector. Lazatin said he had reviewed all ordinances that burdened local businessmen. He said the P20 tourism fee being imposed on hotel guests had been repealed, which gained positive reactions from hotel operators. Lazatin stressed Angeles will remain a business-friendly city under his watch with continuous dialogues with members of the business sector to get inputs in coming out with city policies. Butch Gunio

Ex-PDEA deputy joins Clark airport CLARK FREEPORT—Irish Calaguas has been appointed Vice President for Airport Operations and Management Group of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC), airport authorities announced Monday. Calaguas was former Deputy Director General for Administration of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, where she worked with current CIAC President and CEO Aaron N. Aquino. The CIAC Board approved Calaguas’ appointment as VP, which was left vacant following the designation of Aquino as the government firm’s president. Also a former journalist before joining the government service, Calaguas was the executive assistant of former three-term Angeles City Mayor Carmelo F. Lazatin. She managed Biotop Philippines Agriculture Co. Inc., a multimillion-peso agro feed mill company owned by the Lazatin family in City of San Fernando, Pampanga, in 2013 after Lazatin retired. Jess Malabanan

Navotas, Grab PH ink ‘GrabBayanihan’ pact THE City Government of Navotas and Grab Philippines have sealed an agreement to provide livelihood opportunities to Navoteños through GrabBayanihan. Mayor Toby Tiangco and Brian Cu, Grab Philippines President, led the virtual signing of the memorandum of agreement. The GrabBayanihan Socio-Economic Recovery Initiative aims to provide livelihood opportunities to residents of Navotas who were adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the consequent community quarantine. Under the MOA, the city government—through the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), City Franchising and Permits Processing Unit (CFPPU), and City Business Permits and Licensing Office (CBPLO)—will help recruit tricycle drivers and work-displaced Navotenos, who own at least one motorcycle, to work as delivery riders for GrabFood and GrabExpress. The city government will also entice owners of licensed micro, small and medium enterprises to become Grab merchants and operate their businesses digitally through the Grab app. Jun David

display of strong leadership and governance that unified the community led to the successful containment of COVID-19 in three provinces.

Former Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said that while the provinces of Agusan del Sur, Aklan, and Bataan had very distinct profiles, they all had governors that manifested the same kind of “unifying leadership” and had set in place a functional and “inclusive governance” structure to effectively manage the pandemic. During the recent online forum “Provincial Initiatives to Mitigate COVID-19 Risks,” three governors, under a health leadership and governance program since 2016 of event organizer Zuellig

Family Foundation (ZFF), presented the challenges they faced at the start of the pandemic and the actions they have taken to overcome them. Agusan del Sur Gov. Santiago Cane Jr., who allotted P514 million to their response primarily for their frontliners and social amelioration support programs, said being immersed in the plight of his poor constituents clarified his priorities. Under ZFF’s program, governors are made to undergo a “deep dive.” With its resources, regular medical services

continued, frontliners were provided psychosocial and mental wellness support, and households were given food. Financial assistance was extended not only to Agusan’s city and municipalities, but also to its students and overseas Filipino workers stranded across the country. Agusan del Sur was kept COVIDfree until it was placed under general community quarantine and returnees entered, bringing positive COVID-19 cases to 16 as of end-June. As a landlocked province, it continues to fortify its borders with plans to build a new and better holding area complete with laboratory capacity, an isolation facility, and housing for front-liners.

Farming and deliverance from a pandemic PALAUIG, Zambales—Inspired by a biblical story about the deliverance of Israelites from a pandemic, Agrarian Reform Secretary John R. Castriciones has been going around to spread his message of hope to farmers. Under his leadership, the agency initiated what they called “their boldest move in history.” Anthony Delos Reyes, a young farmer from Barangay Pangolingan here, was surprised when a convoy stopped by the roadside adjacent his 7,500 square meter farm. He was surprised to meet high ranking Department of Agrarian Reform officials accompanied by Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane. “If my father is here today, I am sure he would be jumping with joy. I was 13 years old when I started to work in this farm. Finally, this much-awaited land title came,” a tearful Delos Reyes said while extending his arm for a fist-bump, the popular signature of President Rodrigo Duterte’s supporters, with the DAR Secretary and Governor Ebdane. Not far from Delos Reyes’ farm, DAR Central Luzon Regional Director Ma. Celestina M. Tam organized as drop-off of farm inputs and seeds. Other farmers also received their land titles in a simple ceremony constrained by strict health protocols. “We have 2.4-million names in the list of agrarian reform beneficiaries in our database. The total land distributed to the tillers is more than 4-million hectares. Up to now, we are still distributing land titles that farmers longed for decades ago,” DAR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and Research Virginia N. Orogo said. “The average age of farmers is 57. This pandemic seems to have created an opportunity to reverse this trend. Airline workers turned jobless. Some flight stewards are now selling fish balls in the streets. It’s time for us to embrace farming as a way of life,” Castriciones told a group of senior farmers.

THE Bureau of Customs-Port of Subic recently seized smuggled cigarettes misdeclared as LED lights with an estimated value of P94 million, after their containers went through X-ray and physical examination. Port of Subic District Collector Maritess Martin and ESS Chief Captain Regie Tuason and Spy Chief Vernie Enciso inspected the smuggled cigarettes seized on Wednesday, July 1. Martin issued a warrant and seizure and detention (WSD) against the shipment, while the consignee is now subject for further investigation for the possible violation of National Tobacco Administration (NTA) Board Resolution # 079-2005 in relation to Section 1113 of Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA). In a related development, the Port of Subic also surpassed its assigned revenue target for the month of June, collecting a total of P2.768 billion against its target of P1.913 billion with a positive deviation of 9% or P855,527,541.93. “In addition to our vigilance on the smuggling of prohibited, regulated and contraband goods, the Port of Subic is in conformity with the rules, regulations and all policies of BOC and policies set by SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority),” Martin said in a statement. “We reiterate that the Port of Subic and the entire BOC is vigilant as well against smuggling and seizure of banned meat products from 23 countries heavily affected with Swine Fever,” she added. “Also, the bureau fully embraces the new normal of its day-to-day activities, cascading value transformation best practices in order to uplift the overall character of personnel to resist graft and corruption, transform each BOC personnel into proactive agents in curbing smuggling, strengthen border controls, balanced trade facilitation, and increased lawful revenue collections.”

Heritage Park tabbed as site for exercising By Joel E. Zurbano

DELIVERANCE. Farmer Anthony Delos Reyes finally receives the title to his 7,500 square-meter farm lot in Barangay Pangolingan, Palauig, Zambales. DAR officials led by Agrarian Reform Secretary John R. Castriciones visited him to personally deliver his much-awaited Certificate of Land Ownership Award. Farm inputs and seeds were distributed as aid to farmers during the coronavirus pandemic.

THE Heritage Memorial Park along Bayani Road in Taguig City is now open for physical activity of the people amid the coronavirus disease pandemic. The city government on Saturday began stationing personnel in the area, which was designated as one of the exercise safe zones in the city, to monitor the people exercising, jogging, and biking, and to ensure they are practicing health protocols imposed by the government. "This go-to site for various exercises is one of the exercise safe zones in the city much like the Taguig Lakeshore complex and the 3.5-kilometer C6 Bike Lane in Barangay Lower Bicutan," Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano said. After initial reports involving citizens, runners and bikers failing to comply with health and safety protocols, the local government worked on making Bayani Road an exercise safe zone, with many more sites already in the pipeline. Cayetano said the personnel manning safe zones will ensure the strict implementation of national and local guidelines through what they described as “tapang at malasakit” approach. On Sunday morning, the team at the Heritage Memorial Park area provided the people free masks and drinks while working out. Doing away with plain punitive methods, the city government will place signages across the sites reminding the public of the measures in place, and then designate police and local government employees to inform people politely about possible violations.

BARMM to award 7,000 study grants to technical skills students COTABATO CITY—The Bangsamoro Government is set to award some 7,000 study grant slots to students of technical skills development training through its Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education’s (MBHTE). MBHTE Minister Mohaguer Iqbal of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said the regional government was providing the scholarship program to potential youth candidates, under the Technical Voca-

tional Education and Training (TVET) of his ministry. Among potential beneficiaries are children of former Moro combatants as part of the Normalization Process provided under the Annexes of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, Iqbal said. The TVET scholarship package includes Skills Training (ST) Entrepreneurship Training (ET), Values Transformation Training (VTT), with

a National Assessment Program, and that the intended beneficiaries will have a monthly stipend of P 3,000.00 each from a Training Support Fund of P100.00 per day per student. Iqbal said the scholarship program is designed to increase potential learners’ access to TVET especially at the community level, in support to the BARMM leadership’s call for ‘Moral Governance’; to respond to the region’s 12-Point agenda, which include

addressing the pressing challenges on education and poverty; and to provide assistance to students through collaborative governance. As a distinguished member of the Bangsamoro Parliament, Iqbal said the technical skills training and educational program also formed part of the implementation of the normalization process contained in the Annex on Normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). Nash B. Maulana

Opinion A personal manifesto for our times TONY LA VIÑA THE passage of the Anti-Terrorism Law compels me to write down my core beliefs, the principles that guide in in my personal and public life, and my principal engagements. If ever I am red-tagged, accused of being a terrorist or worst arrested or even killed because of such tagging and accusation, this manifesto speaks for itself: who I am, what I believe in, and the work that I do.

There is hope as long as we live and love. My worldview is Catholic, Christian, Humanist, Filipino, and Mindanawon. I believe in the tenets of the Catholic Church and the Christian faith, as summarized best by the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Beatitudes, the Sermon of the Mount, and the catechism of the Catholic Church. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that Jesus Christ has saved me and that work of salvation is continuing. My Christian faith calls me to be a person for others, to be always in solidarity with the poor (concretely indigenous peoples, farmers, workers, the urban poor, people with disabilities), to promote social, environmental, and climate justice, to advocate human rights for all without derogation, and to defend the planet. The encyclical Laudato Si, issued by Pope Francis in 2015, summarizes how I see human engagement with the world and with each other. We are called to love and care for all creatures without exception. We are stewards and not masters of the universe. We must respect nature and acknowledge it has rights. I am a teacher. I teach philosophy, constitutional and political law, public international law, the art and science of negotiations, environmental law and policy, climate justice, and disaster management, social innovation and entrepreneurship, public management and leadership, and governance. I teach undergraduate students, JD law students, MPM, LLM, JSD, and PHD students in a dozen schools in Manila and Mindanao. I have scaled up my teaching because the issues I care about demand intergenerational work. The best contribution I can make is to teach and mentor future generations. This I have done and continue to do—teaching and mentoring hundreds of human rights and environmental lawyers, politicians and civil servants, and social activists and en-

Facebook page: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

Staying safe amid the pandemic ABOUT TOWN

ERNESTO M. HILARIO WHAT did the World Health Organization prescribe at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as an integral part of the containment protocol? Aggressive contact tracing, that's what. And it's the component that our overburdened health care system apparently has not been able to implement in an aggressive manner, for one reason or another. But help is on the way. Staysafe.ph is an online-based contact tracing app for the highly infectious disease. The app was launched in April this year and will be turned over to the Department of Health (DOH) by its developer, Multisys Technologies Corp., next month. The app, according to Malacañang, is the country’s “official social distancing, health condition reporting, and contact tracing system.” Online-based apps like Staysafe will help the government augment its human contact tracing efforts to save lives. The app's function will be limited to the collection of data, which will be stored in DOH’s "Covid Kaya," a case and contact tracing reporting system for epidemiology and surveillance officers. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has indicated that the DOH would accept the StaySafe.PH application upon issuance by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) of a certification that the donation is technically feasible and secure, that systems are compatible, and that the arrangement is compliant with data privacy laws.

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2020

EDITORIAL

trepreneurs. I have also taught many military and police officials, both high level and rank and file. I am a thinker. Working with others all over the world, I like to do research, develop and apply academic tools and frameworks to understand problems, and generate ideas and solutions. To disseminate the latter, I write columns, scholarly papers and articles, and books. I am a lawyer and an advocate. My main legal practice is environmental law which I have practiced here and abroad. Early in my career, I specialized in climate change and I still do a lot of work in that area today. But from the beginning, I have also been a human rights lawyer, having joined the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) immediately after I passed the bar. As an advocate, I always side with the poor and marginalized, aware that our legal system is frequently an instrument of oppression. I believe in the rule of law, but I am not naïve about how the law is often weaponized against people to perpetuate injustice. A lawyer who is faithful to the attorney’s oath must fight back against such an evil way of using the law. We see this today in the Senator Leila De Lima case, the Maria Ressa case, the ABS-CBN controversy, and the newly enacted anti-terrorism law. Today, I am a convenor of Manananggol Laban sa Extrajudicial Killings (Manlaban) and Concerned Lawyers for Civil Liberties (CLCL). I work closely with the National Union of People’s Lawyers whose lawyers are the most courageous, competent, and imaginative I have worked with. I lawyer, among others, for Kabataan Party List whose leaders and members are the best of their generation. I also lawyer for Aetas that are being driven away by their ancestral domain in Clark. As a Filipino, I would defend. our national sovereignty and territory. The current government has betrayed us on this—yielding to China, as the previous government did the same to the United States—and we must push back this before it is too late. I am a leader and social entrepreneur. I am a change-maker, committed to innovation when demanded by the times while making sure the core of institutions is strengthened. I also try to be a servant-leader, knowing that. empathy and personal integrity are good qualities to have and for others to emulate. I believe in non-violence and the peaceful resolution of all personal and social disputes. I believe in reason and dialogue. I believe in the family and community. I believe in the young of this country and the world. I believe there is hope as long as we live and love.

EAGLE EYES

Adelle Chua, Editor

The WHO warned recently that a "new and dangerous phase" of the pandemic is likely to take place as people grow tired of lockdowns and social distancing. Staysafe would prove highly useful amid this "dangerous phase" of the pandemic as the government gradually reopens the economy in Metro Manila under a General Community Quarantine (GCQ) situation since most workers have a smartphone with 3G capabilities or higher. Staysafe, therefore, can assist the government in carrying out its Test-Trace-Treat or T-3 strategy.

This app will be useful during this dangerous phase. Staysafe, however, has been criticized by former DICT Undersecretary Eliseo Rio, who says he was eased out of government after raising questions over the app's supposed limitations. The DICT had formed a technical working group (TWG) to check on the technical specs of Staysafe. The TWG also included the DOH and the Department of the Interior and Local Government along with multiple groups of experts from the private sector. Staysafe was analyzed by technical experts, and several technical workshops and meetings were held to discuss and evaluate its capabilities. These meetings included highly skilled professionals who were fair and objective in coming up with their evaluation of Staysafe. After the app's acceptance on April 8, the NTF checked Staysafe’s capabilities. It was approved by IATF on April 22 through Resolution No. 27. Thus, it took the DICT-led TWG to evaluate Staysafe before IATF declared it as the official con-

An imminent danger would obtain from a wolf that promises he will not eat them. Remarkably, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. quickly demonstrated how broadly this government can apply the terrorist brush, when he said those who opposed the new law were probably “supporters of terrorists.”

ECENT statements from lawmakers and government officials do very little to assure us that the newly passed AntiTerrorism Act of 2020 will not be abused to stifle legitimate dissent.

We can derive as much confidence from such assurances as sheep would obtain from a wolf that promises he will not eat them.

Even without the law, we have seen how this administration has sought to silence its critics while disavowing any connection to those efforts. These are the same officials, after all, who assured us that the Palace had nothing to do with the effort by the solicitor-general, the government's top lawyer, to ask the Supreme Court to shut down a broadcast network that annoys the President, or with the tax and libel suits filed against an online news service that has been critical of the administration's bloody war on drugs. The military, police, and national security officials have all insisted that they will ensure that the law will not be abused. But we can derive as much confidence from such assurances as sheep

“Law-abiding” Filipinos, he said, have nothing to fear from the law that allows warrantless arrests of terror suspects. Would that include critics of the new anti-terrorism law, though? We should ask the 11 members of leftist organizations including three minors who were arrested in Laguna for

protesting the anti-terrorism law. Some lawmakers say more safeguards could be worked into the law's implementing rules and regulations, suggesting that a constitutionally defective law can somehow be made less objectionable by more well-defined rules. Without conceding that point, we wonder why these defects could not have been cut out from the original bill before it became a law that has been denounced both here and abroad as being violative of human rights and civil liberties. Then we have the Defense secretary who has appealed to the public to “give this law a chance” so that the government can “contain and eradicate terrorists who don't play by any rules and who hide behind our laws to pursue their evil deeds.” The Defense chief also urges the public “not to be swayed by misinformation and disinformation” and to “read and understand” the law. A group of lawyers has done just that, of course, by challenging the law's constitutionality before the Supreme Court. It is likely that they, too, have read the law and understood it to be the danger it truly is—even though neither they nor we are no supporters of terrorists.

Jolo LAST Friday, the President finally signed into law the controversial anti-terror bill (now R.A. 11479), surprising no one. This after all was a bill he had certified as urgent to Congress, dovetailing with his consistent televised warnings against terrorist threats even at the height of the lockdown. Equally predictable was the subsequent flood of petitions questioning the constitutionality of the new law before the Supreme Court. This is how separation of powers is supposed to work. Nonetheless, I find it unlikely that even the noisiest judicial activist—and there’s hardly any of them now in the High Court—would try to overturn a law that was properly written by Congress as the representatives of the people’s will, at the behest of a very popular commander-in-chief. The National Security Adviser has already moved to quell public misgivings by underscoring that the initial list of terrorists will start with names put forward by the United Nations, no friend of Duterte’s. Secretary Esperon described a disclosure and proscription process that heavily involves the courts, the human rights commission, and a Cabinet-level anti-terrorism council. There’s very little room in it for scoundrels and scalawags in uniform. *** The last is a point worth making in view of what some might say is the infelicitous timing of the new law, coming the same week that a team of four Army intelligence agents were gunned down by nine policemen detailed in the troubled provincial capitol of Jolo. If even soldiers can be victimized by such injustice—the critics argue—how much more innocent civilians? This seems to me to be a glass that should be viewed as half-empty and not half-full. As a result of the killing of the soldiers, the Abu Sayyaf terrorists whom they were trying to track down were able to disappear from view. We can thus only hope that the nine policemen involved will be grilled as roughly as needed in order to find out who masterminded the whole con-

tact-tracing app for COVID-19. A unified and centralized system is the only system that will ensure successful online contact tracing. Accrediting multiple contact tracing apps would only result to redundancy and further delay the work of the DOH in providing up-to-date information about the COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, using Staysafe on 3G phones is a good start. It would at least cover tens of millions of Filipinos using 3G-capable phones. A 2017 Global Mobile Consumer Survey conducted by Deloitte showed that more than half of Filipino mobile consumers—55 percent—now use 4G LTE networks. That was three years ago. This number has already increased since then, with 4G LTE phones becoming more affordable and LTE coverage expanding across the country. Multisys, Staysafe’s developer, has put up digital platforms used by over 2,000 companies in the country and by 200 local government units (LGUs). Multisys has also been tapped by Ma-

FORMATION

GARY OLIVAR spiracy--whether it was someone higher up the chain of command, a criminal syndicate, or some influential local politico or religious leader.

Terrorists do not take vacations. This is precisely the point about modern-day terrorism: that its tentacles can reach high into the senior reaches of a police organization, or up to the most respected ranks of a community. Those tentacles are wielded by the most innocuous sources. And they will not spare even Army soldiers doing their job, let alone innocent civilians. Other critics complain that there are other things more important to worry about: the virus, the anemic economy, Chinese incursions, and so much else. All these other concerns do operate to weaken us. But there remains one simple fact which those critics overlook: Terrorists do not take vacations. It is precisely when their targets are weakest, most distracted, most divided, that they take the opportunity to strike. Unfortunately for us, one such moment is what we find ourselves in today. *** Over the weekend I ran into my old friend Atty. Ferdie Topacio, the loquacious lawyer who’s made it a personal crusade to run after the misdeeds and malfeasances of the late and unlamented PNoy administration. With so much talk these days about the need for a vaccine against COVID-19, I

nila Mayor Isko Moreno to strengthen the city government’s efforts to fight COVID-19. The Go! Manila app provides convenient and efficient online services to Manila residents and minimizes physical contact of its citizens. The mayor also endorsed the use of the Manila.StaySafe.PH, which is connected to the Staysafe app, to improve COVID-19 contact tracing among Manila residents. Online contact tracing to complement the work of human contact tracers is a key element in saving lives and flattening the COVID-19 curve as shown by countries like Taiwan and South Korea. The government should strengthen its contact-tracing capabilities after the WHO's urgent warning that the pandemic has reached a "dangerous" phase. This is timely and appropriate at this time when the government is starting to relax mobility restrictions to jumpstart the economy and transition to the new normal.

asked Ferdie whatever happened to the case he’d filed years ago over the Dengvaxia vaccine. This was a monumental screw-up that cost the lives of children and inadvertently encouraged the recurrence even of non-dengue diseases (like polio) because it scared so many parents away from any kind of vaccination. To my surprise, I learned that the cases he filed are still pending before the Ombudsman. In case the reader has forgotten the sad events of 2014 to 2017, here’s a summary of the “glaring anomalies and discrepancies” alleged: • That PNoy himself met with representatives of Sanofi, the vaccine manufacturer, on at least two occasions abroad, in China and France; • That his Health Secretary was personally following up the vaccine’s application for product registration with the FDA; • That PNoy and several of his key Cabinet members, including Budget Secretary Abad and Executive Secretary Ochoa, misappropriated some Ps 3.5-Billion of public funds by allocating them for Dengvaxia, in contravention of the 2015 national budget and to the prejudice of over 800,000 Filipinos who were administered an “untested and unsafe” vaccine; and • That these same senior officials were accordingly charged with plunder, malversation of public funds, and graft and corruption. Some of these names are already greasy. For example, the former Budget Secretary is generally conceded to be the slippery mastermind behind the misappropriations earlier committed under PNoy’s unconstitutional DAP program. And for years, his tiny home province of Batanes enjoyed the highest share of national budget per capita compared to everyone else. We can only hope that the Ombudsman will move more quickly in holding such people to account. Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@ yahoo.com.

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Is the Anti-Terrorism Law really on our side?

EVERYMAN 70 countries, traders back HK security law by Herman Tiu Laurel

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TUESDAY, TODAY JULY 7, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Wong: Now is time to ‘stand with HK’

Pink ice in Alps sparks algae probe

THE world must stand in solidarity with Hong Kongers after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the semi-autonomous city, activist Joshua Wong said Monday, vowing to continue campaigning for democracy. Wong, one of the city’s most prominent young activists and a figure loathed by Beijing, was speaking outside a court where he and fellow activists are being prosecuted for involvement in last year’s democracy protests. China enacted a sweeping security law for the restless city last week, banning acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. The law has sent a wave of fear through the city, and criminalized dissenting opinions such as calls for independence or autonomy. At his court appearance on Tuesday, Wong, 23, remained unbowed. “We still have to let the world know that now is the time to stand with Hong Kong,” he told reporters. “They can’t ignore and silence the voice of Hong Kong people. With the belief of Hong Kong people to fight for freedom, we will never give up and surrender to Beijing.” AFP

SCIENTISTS in Italy are investigating the mysterious appearance of pink glacial ice in the Alps, caused by algae that accelerate the effects of climate change. There is debate about where the algae come from, but Biagio Di Mauro of Italy’s National Research Council said the pink snow observed on parts of the Presena glacier is likely caused by the same plant found in Greenland. “The alga is not dangerous, it is a natural phenomenon that occurs during the spring and summer periods in the middle latitudes but also at the Poles,” said Di Mauro, who had previously studied the algae at the Morteratsch glacier in Switzerland. The plant, known as Ancylonema nordenskioeldii, is present in Greenland’s so-called Dark Zone, where the ice is also melting. Normally ice reflects more than 80 percent of the sun’s radiation back into the atmosphere, but as algae appear, they darken the ice so that it absorbs the heat and melts more quickly. More algae appear as the ice melts more rapidly, giving them vital water and air and adding red hues to the white ice at the Passo Gavia, altitude 2,618 meters. AFP

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A321NEO #14 with CAB Registration No. RP-C4137), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastucture and Services Industries Service

(MS-JULY 7, 2020)

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A321NEO #15 with CAB Registration No. RP-C4139), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastucture and Services Industries Service

(MS-JULY 7, 2020)

WELCOME BACK. A child carried by the mother feeds the giraffe in an enclosure at the Singapore Zoo in Singapore on July 6,

2020, on its first day of reopening to the public after the attraction was temporarily closed due to concerns about the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. AFP

Dozens feared dead, missing in Japan floods T ENS of thousands of rescue workers in Japan on Monday combed through the wreckage of houses shattered by deadly floods and landslides in a desperate search for survivors as the death toll rose and more torrential rain loomed. At least 37 people are feared dead after record rains lashed areas of western Japan in the early hours of Saturday, causing rivers to break banks and flooding low-lying regions. “Rescue workers are tirelessly continuing the search this morning,” a spokesman for the western Kumamoto prefecture told AFP, with at least 13 people still unaccounted for. Although the rain has subsided from its peak levels, the floods washed away roads and bridges, leaving many in isolated communities cut off. A local firefighter in the western region of Kagoshima told AFP they had deployed boats to rescue 11 people but that conditions were making it hard to reach some of the people stranded.

“Calls came from people telling us that they wanted to flee their home but they could not do it on their own,” he said. “Some roads are submerged and you cannot drive through them.” In one of the hardest-hit areas, residents spelled the words “rice, water, SOS” on the ground, while others waved towels and called for rescue and relief goods. At a nursing home for the elderly, 14 people were feared dead when water from a nearby river inundated the ground floor, leaving those in wheelchairs unable to reach higher ground. Emergency services, aided by locals in rafts, managed to rescue around 50 staff and residents from the facility,

NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A321NEO #16 with CAB Registration No. RP-C4140), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City

Notice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing business under the names and styles of Cebu Pacific and Cebu Pacific Air with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasay City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Operator of Air Transport Services under the Preferred Activity – Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs – Air, Land and Water Transport - Air Transport (A321NEO #19 with CAB Registration No. RP-C4143), on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.