The racial problem furnishes the key not only to the understanding of human history but also to the understanding of every kind of human culture.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/14/20/pnp-chief-orders-relief-restrictive-custody-of-11-bulacan-cops-for-kidnapping-killing-6-drug-suspects |
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Gamboa on Thursday ordered the relief and restrictive custody of 11 police officers accused of kidnapping and killing 6 alleged drug traffickers in San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has recommended the filing of criminal complaints of kidnapping with murder and planting of evidence against the policemen over an alleged fabricated anti-drug operation that led to the death of 6 men.
The policemen made it appear that the victims fought back in separate buy-bust operations from Feb. 14 to 18, the NBI said.
However, the victims were photographed inside the police station while blindfolded and tied. They were later brought to a remote area where they were killed, the agency added.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112264 |
Police authorities here have launched an investigation into the reported breach in quarantine protocol by a returning resident who tested positive last week for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Col. Aden Lagradante, city police director, said Friday they received confirmation that the male patient, who returned home last July 30 due to the death of his mother, is a member of the Quezon City Central Police District.
He directed the city police’s investigation and detection management branch to look into the movements and actions made by the policeman.
Based on protocol, he said the patient should have complied with the mandatory 21-day quarantine in a designated isolation facility as set by the local government.
But the policeman and another sibling were fetched by a city official from the isolation center hours upon arrival and brought to their home to continue their quarantine despite an ongoing wake for their deceased mother.
The cop turned out positive for Covid-19 on Aug. 7, triggering concerns of possible transmission to his family members and other persons who visited his mother’s wake.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1322080/central-luzon-top-cop-sued-for-removing-ecija-town-police-chief |
The Central Luzon police director has been sued by this town’s mayor for allegedly disrupting the enforcement of the local quarantine when he removed the San Antonio chief of police.
Mayor Arvin Salonga filed criminal and administrative complaints against Police Brig. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, director of Police Regional Office 3 in Camp Olivas (PRO3), for transferring Police Maj. Roderick Corpuz to Tarlac City. The complaints against Sermonia were received by the Office of the Ombudsman on Aug. 12, records show.
In the complaint, Salonga said the working relationship between San Antonio and the police had been “exemplary” under Corpuz’s watch. The mayor said the former police chief had been committed to “the strict and effective implementation of the programs and executive orders issued by the [municipal government] especially during this time that the country is facing the coronavirus disease (COVID -19) pandemic.”
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1313801/palawan-board-orders-preventive-suspension-of-narra-town-mayor |
The provincial board of Palawan, acting as an adjudication body, ordered a 60-day preventive suspension of farmer-turned-mayor Gerandy Danao in Narra town for administrative charges.
In a 13-0 vote, with one abstention, the 10-page preventive suspension order was served by the Provincial Legal Office (PLO) on Tuesday afternoon, after the Narra municipal council, led by Vice Mayor Crispin Lumba Jr., filed administrative complaints against the town’s chief executive.
The suspension was supposed to start upon receipt of the order, but Danao’s camp refused to receive the document.
Danao was facing three administrative cases filed on May 25 by the municipal council for “grave misconduct,” “gross negligence,” and his “conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service.”
The grave misconduct complaint was anchored on the permit Danao had allegedly issued to the cockpit arena in Barangay Antipuluan, which was without the approval of the local Sanggunian.
The municipal council also pointed out that he allegedly failed to prepare and submit the Executive Budget for 2020; and failed to efficiently enforce and implement Municipal Ordinance No. 2020-976, an ordinance appropriating about P9.8 million to buy equipment and facilities in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) threat.
The Sanggunian Bayan also pinpointed Danao’s mismanagement that subsequently resulted in the “decrease in the productivity” of the Narra Municipal Water System.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/08/16/2035604/ex-ilocos-mayor-charged-resort-takeover-surrenders |
Former mayor Edward Josh Cobangbang of Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, who was charged with serious illegal detention and grave coercion in connection with the illegal takeover of a government-owned resort in 2017, surrendered on Friday.
Cobangbang, 25, who went into hiding after an arrest warrant was issued by Sanchez Mira Cagayan Regional Trial Court Branch 12 Judge Gemma Bucayu-Madrid on Oct. 22, surfaced with his father former mayor Edwardo Cobangbang at the Ilocos police office in San Fernando City, La Union, regional director Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin said.
Fifteen officials and employees of the Cabugao municipal government who were indicted for the same offense surrendered on Saturday last week.
They allegedly padlocked the Cabugao beach resort, with its operator, her four-year-old son and several employees trapped inside.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1322597/3-cops-accused-of-taking-p827k-from-pogo-workers |
The police are looking for three of their colleagues who broke into a compound housing Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) employees in Muntinlupa City last week and took their valuables worth around P827,000.
Pat. Ryan John Mercado, Cpl. Michael Rikk Carpena and Staff Sergeant April Nikko Faelnar, along with four accomplices, were charged with robbery in the city prosecutor’s office over the weekend.
Mercado used to be with the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) who went Awol, or absent without official leave, after he failed a surprise drug test.
Caperna, who was with the Muntinlupa police, also went Awol after he was transferred to the NCRPO Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit.
Faelnar, on the other hand, was identified as an active member of the Southern Police District.
Only one of the suspects had been arrested, Angelo Perlota, who drove the van being used by Pogo employees. The NCRPO said he had admitted being the tipster of the group.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1322875/soldier-woman-nabbed-in-samar-drug-bust |
A soldier and a woman are facing charges after they were arrested in a drug bust in Catbalogan City, Samar on Saturday, August 15.
Corporal Raffy Garcia, 33, a member of the 8th Infantry Division, and Renalyn Atiga, 23, were accused of selling shabu (methamphetamine) to a poseur-buyer.
They will be charged for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, particularly for selling prohibited drugs.
The offense is non-bailable.
Authorities consider Garcia of Sta. Margarita town in Samar a high-value target and a former surrenderer during the Oplan Tokhang program of the Philippine National Police.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112519 |
A mayoralty candidate in the 2019 election died in an ambush Monday afternoon staged by two unidentified men on board a motorcycle in Barangay Banga here.
Lt. Col. Bernardo Pagaduan, Meycauayan police chief, identified the victim as Ryan Afable Cayanan, 45, a businessman and resident of the said barangay.
Based on initial investigation, one of the two suspects shot the victim around 12:30 p.m. as he was crossing the stretch of MacArthur Highway on board his motorcycle.
"Three bullet wounds from a caliber .40 gun hit various parts of the victim's body that resulted in his death," Pagaduan said.
After the attack, the two suspects fled to an unknown direction.
The victim was rushed to the Meycauayan Doctors Hospital but pronounced dead while being treated.
Authorities are still determining the motive for the shooting. According to initial investigation, the victim posted the following message on his Facebook page before the ambush:
"Lahat nang galaw ko may CCTV footage kayo, mga kababayan, kapag may nangyari po sa aking masama, alam nyo na po sino may gawa. Ang nais ko lamang po patas na pagbabago para sa Meycaueño, magiging masaya po akong mamatay para sa inyo (All my movements have CCTV footage. My province mates, if anything wrong happens to me, you know who did it. My only desire is change for Meycaueños. I will be happy to die for you)."
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| https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2020/08/maguindanao-town-councilor-killed-in-pdea-drug-bust-in-cotabato-city/ |
A councilor Northern Kabuntalan town in Maguindanao who is on the list of high-valued targets (HVT) of anti-narcotics operatives was killed in a buy-bust operation on Sunday afternoon.
Killed for allegedly resisting arrest was Councilor Jaymar Nandang of Northern Kabuntalan, Maguindanao.
Nandang “resisted and fought our operatives when we asked for his surrender after we confirmed his illegal activity. We had no choice but to fire at him first before he could hurt our team,” said Director Juvenal Azurin, chief of Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).A village councilor who was a high value target was killed in a buy-bust operation when he resisted arrest.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1323600/complaints-filed-vs-gamboa-for-alleged-tampering-with-evidence-in-death-of-ex-solons-aide |
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Gamboa is facing grave misconduct and other complaints for allegedly hiding and tampering with evidence in the probe into the death of Richard Santillan, an aide of former Biliran Rep. Glenn Chong.
The complaints filed by Santillan’s wife Jeanette and Chong on Tuesday before the Office of the Ombudsman accuse Gamboa, in his capacity as PNP officer-in-charge and eventually as PNP chief, of allegedly tampering with evidence in the investigation.
Santillan was killed during a police operation in Cainta in 2018, but Chong claimed that the body of his slain aide bore torture marks. The PNP, then under the helm of former police chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde, said that a shootout happened between police officers and Santillan’s side.
“By knowing, willfully and maliciously, and feloniously concealing from complainants the Crime Scene Photographs which are material evidence in the prosecution for the violation of Section 38 of Republic Act No. 10591 for the planting of incriminating evidence against Richard Santillan,” the complaint added.
All in all, the complaint against Gamboa consists of one count of grave misconduct, one count of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, five counts for violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials, and five counts for breaching sections in Presidential Decree No. 1829 or the Obstruction of Criminal Prosecution.
A police officer who was charged with two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder has not resisted arrest when served with a warrant.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ilocos Police Regional Office (PRO-1) said Master Sgt. Dario Naval Cahigas, police assigned at the Regional Police Holding Assistance Service of PRO-1, surrendered to the authorities during the serving of an arrest warrant.
Cahigas was one of police suspects in the ambush of Balaoan Vice Mayor Al-Fred Concepcion, Mayor Aleli Concepcion and their companions.
The ambush happened on Nov. 14, 2018 when the Concepcions were on their way to the municipal hall onboard their car when they were blocked by gunmen who fired at their convoy.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112723 |
A policeman was wounded after he was shot on Tuesday afternoon by a former colleague in Barangay Lagasit here.
In an interview on Wednesday, Lt. Benedict Espinoza, officer-in-charge of San Quintin Police Station, identified the victim as Staff Sgt. Gaspar Lucena, assigned at the Pangasinan 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) in Tayug town.
One of the suspects identified was Robert Carbonel, a dismissed policeman.
Based on their investigation, Espinoza said Lucena was at his hut when Carbonel, along with a still unidentified male, allegedly alighted from their motor vehicle and shot the victim several times.
“The victim managed to evade some of the shots, but he was hit twice on his side,” he said.
Lucena was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital in Tayug town, while Carbonel was immediately arrested following a manhunt operation by the police.
“It appears that the motive behind the shooting is an old grudge between the two,” Espinoza added.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/752021/ombudsman-slaps-six-month-suspension-on-former-current-philhealth-officials/story/ |
Ombudsman Samuel Martires has issued a six-month long preventive suspension against 13 Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) officials.
Based on two separate suspension orders obtained by GMA News, the two suspension orders were executed last August 18.
It was unclear, however, which cases prompted the issuance of the suspension orders. The Senate, House of Representatives as well as the task force formed by Malacañang are currently looking into allegations of corruption within PhilHealth.
GMA News Online has reached out to Martires and his office for clarification, but has yet to receive a reply as of press time.
In a Twitter post, PhilHealth said it has yet to receive a copy of the Ombudsman order supposedly placing some of its senior officers under preventive suspension.
“As of this time, the concerned officers are not aware of the charges against them. We will issue a full statement as soon as we get hold of the said order,” the state insurer said.13 PhilHealth officials suspended but none them are yet aware of the charges against them.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/334650/show-cause-order-issued-against-ermita-chief-over-tigbakay |
The Department of Interior and Local Government in Central Visayas (DILG-7) has issued a show-cause order to the chief of Barangay Ermita here over the tigbakay, or cockfighting, that was caught being held in the village over the weekend.
The DILG-7 ordered Ermita Captain Mark Miral to explain the incident that involved residents who participated in the illegal activity amid the strict protocols against public gathering under the General Community Quarantine. The individuals were also caught not wearing face masks.
Tigbakay, or cockfighting, is illegal under the Presidential Decree 449 or Cockfighting Law of 1974 as amended by PD 1602 or An Act Prescribing Stiffer Penalties on Illegal Gambling.
The Carbon Police Station will already be filing charges against the five individuals who were arrested due to the illegal activity.
Miral, as the barangay chief, will have to explain within 48 hours why the barangay should not be held responsible for the incident.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/334654/barangay-councilor-in-balamban-cebu-arrested-for-illegal-drugs |
A councilor of a village in Balamban town in Cebu who had a standing warrant of arrest for an illegal drug case was nabbed on Tuesday afternoon, August 18, 2020.
Teofilo Bariquatro, 48, was arrested the Sitio Sandayong of Barangay Sunog in Balamban. He is a councilor of the said village.
Bariquatro was charged for possession of marijuana plants back in 2005.
The Intelligence Unit of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) led by Police Lieutenant Randy Korret was able to locate Bariquatro after nine days of monitoring.
According to Korret, a warrant of arrest for possession of illegal drugs was issued for Bariquatro in June 2006 from Honorable Judge Villarin of Regional Trial Court Branch 29 of Toledo City, Cebu.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1324431/nbi-files-criminal-raps-vs-ex-pcso-chairman-14-others |
Fifteen former and incumbent officers of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) including its former chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz are facing criminal charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged irregularities in their agency.
In a letter dated July 7, but was presented to the media on Tuesday, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recommended filing a case for violation of Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Gross Misconduct against former PCSO chairman Corpuz; former general manager Alexander Balutan; Mabel Mamba; Francisco Joaquin; Marlon Balite; Sandra Cam; and Jesus Manuel Suntay.
Also, the NBI filed a case for violation of Section 4(b) of the Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Gross Misconduct against Remeliza Gabuyo, Atty. Lauro Patiag, Atty. Anna Liza Inciong, Merceditas Hinayon, Arnel Casas, Andy Gauran and Edwin Mackay.
The NBI, meanwhile, filed another case for obstruction of justice and serious dishonesty against Gabuyo.
“Due to the acts and/or omissions of the PCSO Officers and employees the funds that should have been part of the Charity Funds to be enjoyed by the echelons of the society were enjoyed only by a few PCSO employees,” read the NBI letter.
Gabuyo, meanwhile, faced obstruction of justice after she allegedly “misled the NBI” for failing to include a document that the NBI requested while investigation in the agency is ongoing.The NBI has recommended charges of graft and corrupt practices and gross misconduct against 15 PCSO officials as well as obstruction of justice and serious dishonesty against another PCSO official.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1324643/49-barangay-execs-face-complaints-over-sap-irregularities-lockdown-violations |
(We have already filed formal complaints, we filed [complaints against] 49 barangay officials before the Ombudsman. Not only because of social amelioration but also due to health protocol violations.)
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/08/13/2034928/dole-orders-all-workers-wear-face-shields |
“Based on a resolution of the IATF, not only would workers be required to use face masks, but also face shields. That’s the new protocol,” Bello told journalists.
He said employers should provide workers with face shields: “You only have to buy it once and it doesn’t cost that much.”
Although penalties for non- compliance will not be harsh, Bello said employers would be held administratively liable if their offices would not observe the new rule.
Employees who have no face shields would be denied entry.
“We will not suspend or close the company. They will be reminded of the health protocol. It’s excessive to shutter them, it would affect the employees. If there are no offices, there would be no jobs,” Bello said.
The IATF also approved a new workplace policy, mandating that only one person at a time would be allowed in smoking lounges.
“Having two or more is prohibited,” he added. Government officials earlier said face shields are highly encouraged and would soon be required.
(The DOH is trying to balance it especially since using face shields also entails cost, so we are really studying whether or not we make it mandatory.)
“But for now we are just encouraging it based on studies that have been done by our local researchers that it adds more to the protection of an individual from this transmission of the disease,” she added.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1319329/doh-wearing-of-face-shields-only-encouraged-and-not-mandatory-for-now
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112281 |
City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, Jr. issued a memorandum on Thursday requiring all individuals visiting malls, public markets, establishments, and other public areas to wear face shields aside from face masks.
Lazatin said the move is one of the measures to be implemented in the city to curb the rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112047 |
The country’s poor families and vulnerable sectors need not worry about complying with the health and safety protocols against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as the government on Wednesday launched a community distribution of free washable face masks to contain the pandemic.
Dubbed as "Bida Solusyon: MaskVIDA (Mask for Vulnerable and Indigent; Delivered and Available) laban kontra Covid-19", the campaign of the Department of Health (DOH) seeks to provide about 30 million free face masks to Filipinos.
During the launch at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III Wednesday said the program seeks to boost the efforts of the both national and local governments to combat the pandemic while providing livelihood to others.
"Proper wearing of face mask reduces the spread of the virus by 85 percent,” Duque said.
Meanwhile, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said the initiative was in response to the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to provide free face masks to each Filipino household.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/08/10/2034129/stop-use-thermal-scanners-mists-checkpoints |
According to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), medical professionals suggested during a meeting last Friday to stop the use of thermal scanners and misting tents at the quarantine control points.
The experts – composed of doctors from San Lazaro Hospital, Sta. Ana Hospital, Chinese General Hospital and the health offices of Quezon City and Muntinlupa City – also recommended a stop to the use of the disinfection tent as “studies show it is no longer effective in the elimination of the (coronavirus).”
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/08/13/20/former-pampanga-solon-wants-ban-on-coronavirus-rapid-test |
Former Pampanga Rep. Anna York Bondoc on Thursday called for a ban on rapid testing for the coronavirus.
The test can yield false positive results that can lead to a 14-day quarantine without pay and discrimination in the community, said Bondoc, a pulmonary doctor and critical care specialist.
Those who get false negative results can further spread the virus, she said.
Dubai, India and 2 states in Australia have prohibited the use of rapid tests for diagnosing coronavirus patients, Bondoc said.
"I'm hoping that the President and the IATF (inter-agency task force) will take a second look at the rapid test and then ipatawag po kami (summon us), let’s talk about it," she told ABS-CBN News' TeleRadyo.
"I do believe that banning rapid test for the diagnosis of acute COVID would be the right step," she added.The rapid test yields unreliable results.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/751122/pilipinas-shell-permanently-shuts-down-batangas-refinery-due-to-covid-19-impact/story/ |
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. is shutting down its refinery in Tabangao, Batangas City as it shifts its strategy from manufacturing to importation to sustain its business amid the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Pilipinas Shell said it is “making strategic choices to secure the long-term sustainability of its business and thrive in both the ongoing energy transition and the new normal created by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The company noted that with the price of fuel products lower than or almost equal to the cost of refining crude oil, the company decided to permanently shut down its refinery operations in Tabangao.
The 110,000-barrel-a-day Tabangao refinery will be transformed into a “world-class” full import terminal to optimize its asset portfolio and enhance its cost and supply chain competitiveness, the company said.
“We have the technical capability and financial flexibility to manage and adapt to disruptive conditions. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global, regional and local economies, and the oil supply-demand imbalance in the region, it is no longer economically viable for us to run the refinery,” Pilipinas Shell president and CEO Cesar Romero said.
Romero said the shift in supply chain strategy from manufacturing to full import, is a move that will further strengthen Pilipinas Shell’s financial resilience “amidst the significant changes and challenges in the global refining industry and the change to the new normal brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
It also prepares the corporation for a future that will rely on more and cleaner energy solutions, he said.
To recall, Pilipinas Shell announced the temporary shut down of the Tabango refinery in mid-May as demand for fuel products saw a drastic decline due to lockdown measures implemented to arrest the spread of COVID-19.
Demand for petroleum products declined by 20% to 30% in March, and by as much as 60% to 70% in April during the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine, according to the Department of Energy.
The transformation of the Tabangao refinery into a full import and storage terminal for finished products and components will translate to an estimated asset impairment of P6 billion to be recognized by Pilipinas Shell in the third quarter.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112173 |
"Ang pagkukulang po tinatama na natin at saka 'yung mga comments at suggestions ng ibang mga (We are correcting lapses and the comments and suggestions from the) healthcare workers and medical professionals––is really, we take into considerations," Galvez said in a virtual interview with Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
Citing the government's past experiences in Cebu City, Galvez said the lack of enough isolation facilities has led to a sharp spike of coronavirus cases.
During that time, he said, some local government units did not strictly enforce isolation protocols, which contributed to the sudden surge of Covid-positive patients.
"About 1,900 individuals have been subjected to home quarantine in Cebu, yet when we implemented strict isolation rules, we have seen a vast improvement on the crisis situation," he said in Filipino, citing the UP OCTA Research Team could prove that cases have decreased and the city's "critical care" for the Covid-19 patients was organized.
"The cases have decreased as well as the fatality rate," he added.
Galvez said cases in Cebu slowed down due to recalibration of the government's action plan and response strategies on the pandemic.Sounds like they will be doing in the rest of the country what they did in Cebu which means strict isolation for COVID-19 patients rather than home quarantines.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112302 |
"We can't ban smoking because it will adversely affect the tobacco industry," Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a statement, noting that this will not only affect the tobacco companies but also their workers.
Bello said the tobacco industry remits to the government PHP145 billion in excise taxes yearly, employs 2.5 million workers, and contributes heavily to the government’s universal health fund.
He said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is pushing to ban smoking but he opposed it, owing to its serious repercussion on businesses and employment.
"If we ban smoking, those figures will be severely affected," Bello said, adding that as head of the labor department, his job “is to protect and preserve employment."How hypocritical can this guy be? The ban on liquor has done the exact same thing: affecting jobs and depleting money that would be collected by excise taxes!
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| https://entertainment.inquirer.net/387371/even-in-new-normal-slapping-and-kissing-scenes-in-films-possible-heres-how |
In “Ang sa Iyo ay Akin,” (ASIAA) the Kapamilya network’s latest teleserye offering, you will witness kissing scenes and jawbreaking on-screen slaps, as well as see lead actresses Jodi Sta. Maria and Iza Calzado attempt to upstage each other.
While kissing and slapping are prohibited in all production sets because social distancing is encouraged to avoid contracting the deadly COVID-19, ASIAA director FM Reyes said the audience could expect these elements in the series.
“Dayaan lang ’yan. You can always position the camera to make it seem like someone is kissing another,” Reyes explained during a recent virtual media gathering organized by ABS-CBN.
“You have to be clever in finding ways to be able to practice social distancing but still come up with scenes that your audience will find engaging and riveting. In the beginning, they get surprised whenever they review each take. They eventually understood what I was trying to make them do, so they took blocking more seriously,” the director pointed out.
In terms of working on the set while at the same time minding the health and safety protocols imposed by the government, codirector Avel Sunpongco said: “It was a really difficult adjustment. We had to undergo rapid antibody testing before we started working. During the actual shoot, we followed rules created by ABS-CBN that was more stringent than the one issued by the government.
“It’s hard to work wearing a mask, especially when you’re giving instructions to your actors. They have to be able to see the expression on your face so they will understand what kind of emotion you want them to express for that particular scene. Luckily, everybody cooperated. We were able to accomplish all our objectives,” Sunpongco said.
Reyes added: “After I learned about the virus and its effect, I said I have to go on living. I can’t let this virus keep me from doing what I do best. As their leader, I had to live by example. I also told them, ‘we have to take care of each other. We have to triumph over this virus.’”At least some actors still have jobs. Elsewhere like in the USA practically all motion picture production has ground to a halt.
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| https://business.inquirer.net/305393/filipinos-eke-out-a-living-online-as-covid-19-pandemic-decimates-jobs-and-incomes |
With at least two million without jobs and over 83,000 businesses shuttered because of the coronavirus pandemic, people here are trying to eke out a living selling anything they can online or knocking on doors from one house to another.
Pilots and flight attendants have hung up their snazzy uniforms and now driving around Manila to deliver dim sum. A popular rapper raps jingles on his Facebook and YouTube accounts to promote his fried chicken business.
Those living in gated communities are setting up Facebook pages to connect buyers and sellers within the neighborhoods. Anything from rugs and air-conditioners, to a used McLaren sports car, is being traded.
Ms Jazzmin San Mateo, a senior high student, says her 40-year-old mother began selling noodles, spring rolls and fried bananas online after she was furloughed from her job as a payrolls officer in June.
Her mother always had a knack for cooking, and had been supplementing her income with a makeshift food stand in front of their home, she adds. The single parent supports four school-going children.From delivery driving, selling home made food, going door-to-door selling fish, and selling things online are just some of the ways Filipinos are scratching by during the pandemic.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/08/16/2035611/more-emphasis-enforcement-lgus-urged-form-disiplina-brigades |
Local government units have been encouraged to organize "Disiplina Brigades" as part of the government's "BIDA ang may Disiplina” campaign, the Department of Interior and Local Government said.
The DILG again pushes the narrative — disputed by survey data — that the public is to blame for the sharp rise in coronavirus cases since the implementation of general community quarantine, an aporoach that academics and professionals in the health sector have warned against.
"The Barangay Disiplina Brigades shall be composed of community members, including barangay tanods, who will remind their neighbors and friends of minimum health standards and call the attention of those who violate health protocols," the department's statement issued Saturday evening reads.
The department called the program "a bid to change the behavior and encourage discipline among Filipinos." Under the program, Filipinos are urged to practice "B.I.D.A: B - Bawal walang mask; I - I-sanitize ang mga kamay, iwas-hawak sa mga bagay; D - Dumitansya ng isang metro; and, A - Alamin ang totoong impormasyon."
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112408 |
“I agree that we need to mobilize the military in so far as putting more boots on the ground and enforcing the MECQ because if we don’t enforce the MECQ to the letter, then it is useless closing the economy,” he said. “It’s a double whammy. You don’t stop the virus and you’re preventing people from earning.”
“For practical purposes, we really need to have more enforcers on the ground, and this is where the military plays a very big role. In fact, we in Valenzuela we wrote AFP to give us more military presence kasi nga ang dami naming police na nagkakasakit (because we have many infected police personnel),” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian also said the display of authority by military personnel compels the public to follow quarantine protocols.
He debunked the notion that the national response to Covid-19 is militaristic, emphasizing that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is not the one enforcing the strategy to beat the virus.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/751659/palace-glad-only-45-of-filipinos-have-no-jobs-amid-covid-19-crisis/story/ |
(I'm delighted we didn't lose 100% of our jobs despite the extremely long time we were locked down. I'm still surprised at our resilience, and only 45% lost their jobs. It could have been worse because complete lockdown is happening to us.)
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1322876/palace-duterte-gets-regular-covid-19-testing-while-in-perpertual-isolation |
“The President is in perpetual isolation because no one can come close to him. I think sinabi ko na rin sa inyo (I’ve told you), whenever we meet with him, there is a velvet rope that keeps him at least six feet away from everyone else so no one can really come close to the President,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.
“He does undergo regular PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests. Nagrereklamo siya nga kasi paulit-ulit na yung pagsundot sa ilong niya (He’s complaining becuase of the swab tests). And I think it’s also a requirement of Davao City Mayor Sara whenever he goes back in Davao so he complies with the requirements of the local government,” he added.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/08/17/2035946/new-coronavirus-mutation-found-philippines |
A mutation of the novel coronavirus believed to be more infectious than the original variant has been detected in the Philippines, genomic researchers said.
The new mutation of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been reported to have become the dominant coronavirus strain circulating around the world. Researchers called the new strain G614.
When the outbreak began in the country last March, the original D614 genotype showed up in the positive samples collected by the Philippine Genome Center (PGC). But in a new study, genomic researchers detected both the D614 and the G614.
“We now report the detection of the D614 variant among nine randomly selected COVID-19 positive samples collected in Quezon City in July. In the month of June, both the D614 as well as the G614 have been detected in a small sample of positive cases,” PGC said in an August 13 bulletin.
“Although this information confirms the presence of G614 in the Philippines, we note that all the samples tested were from Quezon City and may not represent the mutational landscape for the whole country,” it added.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1323550/leyte-town-quarantine-facility-guard-arrested-after-rape-of-patient |
A 49-year-old security guard was arrested on Monday (Aug. 17) for allegedly raping a female COVID-19 patient in a quarantine facility in Villaba town, Leyte province.
The guard, whose identity was withheld by authorities, was also fired from his work after the alleged sexual assault that took place at the village of Tinghub in Villaba, according to the town mayor, Jorge Veloso, in a statement.
According to the 44-year-old female patient, she was raped twice by the suspect. The first rape happened last Saturday (Aug. 15) and the second took place two days after.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1323106/face-mask-and-shield-combo-part-of-new-normal |
In the next two weeks, everyone in the National Capital Region, including Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan provinces, will be required to wear both a face shield and a face mask outside their homes.
Under the new Department of Health (DOH) plan of action, poor people will be provided with both face masks and face shields for their protection.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has cited data that wearing both a mask and a face shield can reduce the infection rate by 93 percent.Now everyone must be bombarded with a disorienting glare when they go about their business.
