Manila Standard - 2021 June 17 - Thursday

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Face shields lifted outdoors Treatment czar cites low transmission in open spaces; ease in travel set

By Willie Casas, Joel E. Zubano and Maricel V. Cruz

F

ACE shields can now be removed when outdoors since the risk of COVID-19 transmission in open spaces is low, treatment czar Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said Wednesday amid the downward trend of cases in the National Capital Region that led to the easing of some quarantine restrictions.

The Department of Transportation said it is also studying a gradual increase in the public transport capacity, without compromising health safety standards. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) likewise extended Next page

VOL. XXXV • NO. 122 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NCR sustains drop in virus cases, Año hopes for merrier Christmas By Willie Casas

erage daily attack rate (ADAR) of six per 100,000, which puts Metro Manila under a moderate risk classification. The reproduction number in NCR over the same period was 0.69, it added. Año, who is vice chairman of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, said the government sees a significant chunk of the population protected against the coronavirus before the year ends. “We’ll have a merrier... Christmas this year because we will be hitting the population protection level before the end of the year. That means

AS FRESH cases of COVID-19 continue to drop in the National Capital Region (NCR) and more people get vaccinated, Christmas should be merrier for Filipinos this year, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Wednesday. In its latest report, the independent OCTA Research Group said Metro Manila recorded an average of 829 cases per day from June 9 to 15, which is a 13 percent decrease from the previous week. OCTA said it corresponds to an av-

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DOLOMITE WHITE. The Manila Bay beautification project continues with the installation of a rock garden and beach umbrellas at the dolomite beach area near the US Embassy along Roxas Boulevard. (Inset) Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu (right) leads the inspection of the ongoing rehabilitation and clean-up efforts on June 16, 2021. Norman Cruz

Duterte vows to make good on his word to back Romualdez for VP By Joyce Pangco Pañares

Duterte

Romualdez

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said he will support House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez should the lawmaker decide to run for the vice president in next year’s national elections. Duterte recalled that during last year’s jockeying for the House Speaker post, he told Romualdez not to bother with the intramurals in Congress and instead wait for the 2022 polls. “This is the truth: I told (then Marinduque Rep.

and now House Speaker Velasco) Lord and (then House Speaker Taguig Rep.) Alan Cayetano to just split the term. The problem was there was a serious contender also for the speakership – Congressman Romualdez. So this was my deal with him: ‘Do not bother with that (speakership) and in the next election, which is just around the corner, if you run for vice president, I will support you.’ And I will hold on to that commitment,” the President said. Next page

Palace says ICC drug war report mere ‘hearsay’

AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JUNE 16)

1,332,832 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

5,414 56,170 NEW

ACTIVE

23,121

158

1,253,541

7,637

NEW

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

By Vito Barcelo and Joel Zurbano MALACAÑANG is confident the International Criminal Court’s request for a full investigation in the government’s war against illegal drugs will not prosper since the report collated by ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda was all based on hearsay. “We are confident it will not prosper beyond this stage because in the first place, you need cooperation of the state if you are going to resort to a case buildup but right now, all they have is hearsay information,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said

COVID-19 PH

YOUNG GILAS TEAM STUNS KOREA IN FIBA QUALIFIERS

Story on C1

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Manila among 50 ‘champion cities’ in global challenge By Willie Casas MANILA, the national capital of the Philippines, is one of 50 Champion Cities selected as finalists in the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2021 Global Mayors Challenge, a global innovation competition that identifies and accelerates the most ambitious ideas developed by cities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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SJ Belangel, the smallest man in the court, delivered the biggest blow in the form of an off-balanced three-point shot off the backboard at the buzzer as Gilas Pilipinas stunned Korea, 81-78, in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. With the win, Gilas remained unbeaten in Group A with a 4-0 card as it nailed a seat in the FIBA Asia Cup in Indonesia this August.

Ombudsman clears eight PhilHealth execs of graft

NEW

House panel eyes penalties for book errors By Maricel V. Cruz A COMMITTEE in the House of Representatives is eyeing penalties against persons found responsible for the publication and distribution of school books and other learning materials as well as home schooling modules found to contain obscenities, errors and misleading information. The House Committee on Public

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Clark Banaag

By Rio N. Araja FOR lack of merit, the Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed a graft and administrative complaint filed by some of the employees of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. against their former and incumbent officials for getting back at their subordinates. In a 29-page resolution dated March 22, Ombudsman Samuel Martires approved the recommendation of the Special Panel of Investigators junking the complaint against Senior Vice President for Management Services Sector Dennis Mas, Vice President for Corporate Planning and Organizational and System Development Office Shirley Domingo, SVP for Legal Services Sector Rodolfo Next page

BNMI APPOINTS YOUNGEST DIRECTOR Story on B4


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