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Concern over Dutertre’s health rises in SWS poll

A SURVEY by the Social Weather Stations conducted in the fourth quarter last year found 66% of Filipino adults saying they are worried (22% worried a great deal and 44% somewhat worried) and 34% saying they are not worried (16% are somewhat not worried and 18% are not worried at all) about President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s health.
The Fourth Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey, conducted from December 16-19, showed public concern over Mr. Duterte’s health rise by 11 points from 55% (18% worried a great deal and 38% somewhat worried, correctly rounded), while those not worried fell by 10 points from 44% (22% are not too worried and 23% are not worried at all, correctly rounded).
The noncommissioned survey also found that 49% believe (17% strongly believe and 32% somewhat believe), and 24% do not believe (11% somewhat not believe and 13% strongly not believe), Mr. Duterte has health problems. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are undecided about the matter. This gives a net belief score of +25 (% believe minus % not believe), 6 points above the net +19 (45% believe, 26% do not believe) in September 2018, the polling group said.
The survey also found higher public satisfaction with Mr. Duterte among those worried about his health. “Net satisfaction (% satisfied minus % dissatisfied) with the performance of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte was higher at an excellent+71 among those worried about his health (up from the very good +68 in September), compared to the good +37 among those not worried about it (up from the good +36 in September),” SWS said.
“The 11-point rise in the overall proportion of those worried (% worried a great deal and % somewhat worried) about Pres. Duterte’s health from September 2018 to December 2018 was due to increases in all areas,” the polling group said, adding:
“The proportion of those worried about the President’s health was highest in Mindanao at 73% (up by 12 points from 61% in September 2018), followed by Metro Manila at 66% (up by 7 points from 59%), the Visayas at 66% (up by 15 points from 51%), and Balance Luzon at 63% (up by 10 points from 53%).”
“Net belief (% believe MINUS % not believe) that Pres. Duterte has health problems was highest in Metro Manila at +31 (same as +31 in September), followed by Balance Luzon at +28 (up from +21 in September), the Visayas at +26 (up from +14 in September), and Mindanao at +14 (up from +12 in September).”
It was higher in overall urban areas at +29 (same as +29 in September), compared to overall rural areas at +22 (up from +12 in September) [Chart 10].
It was highest in class ABC at +31 (up from +19 in September), followed by class E at +27 (up from +8 in September), and class D at +24 (up from +21 in September) [Chart 11].
The survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 360 each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao (sampling error margins of ±2.6% for national percentages, and ±5% each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao).

3-year timeline to end insurgency bound to fail- Sison

By Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
COMMUNIST Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria C. Sison said the timeline of the military to end communist insurgency in the country is bound to fail.
“The scheme will surely fail from day to day, week to week, month to month and from year to year as the NPA will intensify tactical offensives and mass work. The same military and police of the same exploiting classes cannot accomplish in 3 years what they failed to accomplish in 50 years,” said Mr. Sison in a statement on Wednesday, Jan.9.
Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana said on Tuesday that the military is aiming to end the insurgency in the last three years of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Mr. Sison noted that the government was not able to terminate their presence in the country during the first three years of Mr. Duterte as the president.
“The Duterte regime has reset by three years the deadline for its scheme to destroy the New People’s Army,” said Mr. Sison.
He added, “In the next three years, Duterte himself will have difficulty surviving politically. These are lame duck years for him, during which infighting among his followers will be debilitating and challenges will rise from within the ruling system as well as from the revolutionary forces.”
Mr. Lorenzana also told reporters that the government is willing to resume the peace talks as long as it will be held here in the country as the communist leader is currently based at Utrecht, Netherlands.
In response, Mr. Sison said: “The demand that the peace negotiations be held in the Philippines is calculated by the Duterte regime to put the NDFP negotiating panelists, consultants and resource persons under the regime’s surveillance, control, duress and manipulation, reducing the peace negotiations to the status of the fake localized peace talks.”
“The problem with the Duterte regime is that it thinks peace negotiations are merely for the surrender and pacification of the revolutionary forces and that the sincerity of the NDFP is merely the willingness to surrender to the unjust ruling system of big compradors, landlords and corrupt bureaucrats like Duterte,” said Mr. Sison.

House committee, Ombudsman coordinating on alleged flood control scam

THE HOUSE of Representatives’ rules committee is already coordinating with the Office of the Ombudsman for an investigation on the alleged flood control scam, House Majority Leader Rolando G. Andaya, Jr. said on Wednesday. “Some of these investigators have already made contact with the House rules committee. They are requesting for copies of testimonial and documentary evidence, which our committee generated during the public hearing in Naga City,” Mr. Andaya, who represents the 1st district of Camarines Sur, said in a statement. “Apparently, the Office of the Ombudsman has noticed red flags of corruption on the evidence presented and on the testimonies made during the hearing,” he added. The House committee uncovered during the hearing last week that flood mitigation projects are targeted for “parked funds” due to the lack of a comprehensive plan. House Minority Leader Danilo E. Suarez, for his part, said he will support the majority leader if he chooses to file a complaint against Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno before the Ombudsman. “I will co-sign the charges against him (Diokno), if Nonoy will ask me,” Mr. Suarez, who represents the 3rd district of Quezon, said in a briefing on Wednesday. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

CSC sets computerized exam dates

THE CIVIL Civil Service Commission (CSC) has set 13 dates for the Computerized Career Service Examination (COMEX) in the first half of 2019. COMEX is the computerized mode of administration of the exams for government workers in addition to the traditional pen and paper test held twice a year. There will be nine examinations to be conducted at the CSC Central Office in Batasan Hills, Quezon City and four in the regional offices. Online reservation opens four working days prior to the date of examination and starts at 10:00 a.m. for the central Office and 8:00 a.m. in the regions. For further details, go to https://goo.gl/Rp5q2B

Devotion or fanaticism?: Black Nazarene continues to draw Catholics


HUNDREDS OF thousands of Filipinos joined an annual procession in the Philippine capital to kiss or touch a centuries-old black wooden statue of Jesus Christ, believed to have miraculous healing powers, in a grand display of Catholic devotion.
The devotees, mostly walking barefoot, surrounded the carriage bearing the life-sized image of the “Black Nazarene” shouldering a heavy cross as it paraded through the city.
Many of them, in yellow and maroon shirts, threw white towels to people on the carriage to wipe on the statue, while others jostled to touch the thick ropes used to pull the carriage, believing the slightest touch would bless and heal their illnesses.
About 80 percent of the more than 100 million people of the Philippines are Roman Catholic. The Philippines is renowned for its colorful religious rituals, and the celebration of the “Black Nazarene” is a tradition in the former Spanish colony that goes back more than two centuries.
SPIRITUALITY
The increasing number of devotees showed the growing strength of the Catholic faith, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo said in response to criticism that the procession borders on idolatry.
“Let’s deepen our understanding of spirituality,” Mr. Pabillo was quoted by DZMM radio station as saying.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle also defended the practice as well as the devotees in his homily for the fiesta Mass Wednesday, adding that a true believer remains loyal whether or not prayers are granted.
“Ang panatiko, kapag hindi na nakuha ang kanyang gusto titigil na ‘yan, pero ang deboto, dahil nagmamahal, mananatiling tapat may nakukuha man siya o wala (A fanatic, if they don’t get what they want, they will stop, but a devotee, because of their love, they will remain loyal whether they benefit or not),” he said.
He also stressed that devotion to Jesus Christ should be observed everyday and not just on Jan. 9.
Wednesday’s procession, which is estimated to last around 20 hours, is expected to draw five million people, police said.
It is not known why the statue, which was carved in Mexico, turned black. There are myths that the original statue donated by Spanish priests was burned as a fire erupted on the ship that carried it to the Philippines in the early 17th century.
Close to 300,000 were in the Manila procession, based on an early morning estimate by police, excluding those waiting elsewhere along its more than six-kilometre route.
Thousands of police and soldiers were deployed in the city to provide security, and coast guard boats were also on standby as the huge crowd was expected to cross a narrow bridge later in the afternoon. — Reuters with a report from Gillian M. Cortez

Ease of doing business initiatives by LGUs

JANUARY is the period for mayor’s permit renewal and payment of corresponding local taxes, a process that entails not just financial but valuable man-hour costs for businesses. With the passage of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, more and more local government units (LGUs), mostly cities, have been rolling out systems to make the annual renewal operation simpler and faster. Among the common initiatives is the setting up of one-stop satellite sites such as in the cities of Valenzuela and Zamboanga, and online processing, including payments, such as in Makati and Cagayan de Oro. Here are some LGUs that recently launched ease-of-doing-business projects:
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION: PARAÑAQUE CITY
THE Parañaque City LGU launched last week its integrated business permit renewal system called Project Express Lane Operation (Project ELO). Business Permits and Licensing Office chief Melanie S. Malaya, in a statement, said one of the salient features of Project ELO is the elimination of securing a separate permit from the barangay office. “With Project ELO business owners need not go to their Barangay Hall to apply for a barangay clearance. It is now applied, paid and issued at the Parañaque City Hall along with the Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC), Sanitary Permit, Certificate of Conformance from the Planning Office and the Mayor’s Permit to operate a business,” Ms. Malaya said. “This integrated and simplified process eliminate days of back and forth from the barangay and to other departments of the city which waste the time and resources of business permit applicants.” The system also consolidates the requirements for workers’ occupational permits.
DAVAO: DAVAO CITY

BUSINESSES applying for a new permit or renewal can soon opt to pay the fees online. “Those applying for new business permits or renewing their business permits will have to secure their business tax code payment from the CTO (City Treasurer’s Office) and then present it when they pay through the partner banks (online or physically),” CTO head Erwin P. Alparaque said. The partners are Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines. “We are now ready for the online payment, we are just waiting for the go signal of Land Bank but anytime, the online payment will be fully operational,” he said in a statement. A confirmation slip issued by the bank after payment will have to be presented to the CTO for the release of the official receipt and the business permit. “This will help decongest the CTO and will increase ease of doing business in the city,” said Councilor Joanne Bonguyan-Quilos, chair of the council committee on information technology. She added this will also help increase the city’s ranking in terms of ease of doing business since the goal is not only to allow taxpayers to pay online, but also to connect all the payment centers of the city later on. Ms. Bonguyan-Quilos said the pilot phase of the online payment system will cover business tax and occupancy permit payments, while phase 2 will include the payment of real property tax. — Carmencita A. Carillo

Iloilo mayor ready to go all the way to the Supreme Court over water franchise case

ILOILO City Mayor Jose S. Espinosa III has defended the granting of a water supply franchise to Villar-led PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. saying he is ready to go all the way to the Supreme Court over charges filed by existing distributor Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD). The mayor and eight city councilors who voted in favor of the PrimeWater license last Dec. 11 are facing criminal and administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman filed by MIWD. “We will fight up to the Supreme Court,” Mr. Espinosa said in an interview on Tuesday. He also criticized MIWD for taking legal action instead of focusing on improving its services. “Instead of filing the case, what they should do is increase their capacity from 21% to 100%. If their services are okay, no one else would apply here,” he said. MIWD, in its complaint, questions the local government’s authority to grant a franchise, citing that such power is under the National Water Resources Board (NWRB). — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Local holidays declared in 3 cities for festivals, anniversary celebration

MALACAÑANG HAS declared special non-working days in three cities for their respective local celebrations. These are:
Jan. 10 — Koronadal City, South Cotabato for its 79th founding anniversary and 19th Hinugyaw Festival;
Jan. 12 — Valencia City, Bukidnon for its founding anniversary; and
Jan. 15 — San Pablo City, Laguna for the 24th Coconut Festival and Street Dancing Competition (Mardi Gras).
The corresponding proclamations were signed by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea on
Jan. 7. — Arjay L. Balinbin

DoH, Comelec regional offices gear up for Bangsamoro vote

WITH AN expected 2.8 million voters for the coming Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite, the Department of Health (DoH) and Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have laid out plans to ensure immediate response to critical situations. All health offices and hospitals in the ARMM have been ordered to be on code white alert status, according to DoH-ARMM Secretary Khadil M. Sinolinding, Jr. “This is an SOP (standard operating procedure) for us, especially in highly-sensitive activities that need the participation of the people. This status puts all our personnel in standby in case the need arises,” Mr. Sinolinding said in an interview with BusinessWorld. “We advise our voters to keep themselves well hydrated during lone lines, bring umbrella and fans to beat the heat, and go to our nearest health stations for health problems during the day,” he added. He also appealed to voters to be alert, saying, “Be very vigilant about any suspicious people and movements — notify our law enforcers.” Comelec-ARMM Chair Rey F. Sumalipao said of the total number of registered voters, about 1.9 million are expected on Jan. 21 covering ARMM and the cities of Isabela and Cotabato. The rest are voters from parts of Lanao del Norte and Cotabato provinces, who will cast their ballots on Feb. 6. Mr. Sumalipao said they are anticipating peace and order challenges during the referendum, and have response systems in place. “Everything is already in place, including the coordination with PNP (police) and AFP (military),” he said, “We are preparing for any eventualities, in case there is, we are ready to respond.” — Tajallih S. Basman

Nation at a Glance — (01/10/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Spirited showing against Korea could be a blueprint for Azkals

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo<brSenior Reporter
GO-GETTING and fearless in its AFC Asian Cup debut, the Philippine men’s national football team is well advised to following such disposition on the field, and building on it, for the rest of the tournament if it is to make things happen. This is according to one local football analyst.
Giving their opponents more than what they perhaps were expecting, the Philippine Azkals made Korea Republic sweat before bowing to a 1-0 defeat in their Group C opener in the prestigious continental football spectacle.
It was a debut performance by the Philippines which had many left impressed considering that the Azkals were deemed to be beaten big time by the Asian powerhouse Taeguk Warriors.
But the Azkals stood their ground against the two-time Asian Cup champion and 2015 runner-up Korea Republic, holding the latter in check until Hwang Ui-Jo broke through for his team in the 67th minute which turned out to be the winning goal.
“It was an impressive debut for the Azkals. The players showed no fear and defended well throughout the game despite South Korea’s goal. We even provided them some scares thanks to Javier Patino’s attempts,” said analyst Lorenzo del Carmen when asked by BusinessWorld for his thoughts on the Azkals’ performance against the Koreans.
Mr. Del Carmen, who covers and writes for local site Tiebreaker Times, went on to say that the Azkals should pick up from where they left on in the Korea game in their next matches against China and Kyrgyzstan.
“I think the coaching staff will adjust to each opposition accordingly but, regardless, the team needs to consistently defend well throughout its campaign just like it did last night [against Korea],” said the analyst, who is currently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to cover and watch the Azkals make history in the Asian Cup.
Adding, “I think we can pull off results against China and Kyrgyzstan but we just have to make sure we play with the same intensity against them just as we did in our first game.”
The Philippines next plays on Friday, Jan. 11, against China, and on Jan. 16 versus Kyrgyztan.
EARLY GOINGS
Meanwhile, as of this writing, all of the teams competing in this year’s edition of the quadrennial AFC Asian Cup have played save for Qatar and Lebanon in Group E and those in Group F which were to make their debut later yesterday.
In Group A, India is on top spot with one win and three points, followed by Bahrain and host UAE, with a point each, and Thailand.
Jordan tops Group B, followed by Syria, Palestine and defending champion Australia.
In Group C, China and Korea are tied for first place followed by Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines.
Iran and Iraq share Group D leadership ahead of Vietnam and Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has three points in Group E with a 4-0 rout of North Korea.
In the Asian Cup, tournament format calls for the top two teams in each of the six groupings at the end of group play advancing to the next round, to be joined by the four best third-place teams.

Romeo willing to adjust with San Miguel Beermen

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo<brSenior Reporter
JOINING an already “made” team, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) star guard Terrence Romeo knows he has to do his share in fitting in with a team like the San Miguel Beermen. It is a process the explosive player said he recognizes and is willing to do.
Acquired by the Beermen from the TNT KaTropa in exchange for auxiliary players David Semerad and Brian Heruela and a 2021 first-round draft pick, the three-time league scoring leader said he is out to get a fresh start with the PBA Philippine Cup defending champions and rise over the bad rap thrown at him of late.
But the former Far Eastern University standout knows to fit in with the Beermen much of the adjustments falls on his shoulders.
“San Miguel is already a champion team. I have nothing to brag about with these players. On my part I’ll just do my best to help the team in any way I can,” said Mr. Romeo in the vernacular as he started practicing with his new team in the lead-up to the new PBA season which rolls off on Jan. 13.
“I’m willing to learn from them as much as I hope to share what I know with my new teammates,” he added.
Used to playing a lot of minutes while with the GlobalPort Batang Pier and TNT, Mr. Romeo shared he has no problems with a reduced log time on the court with San Miguel, especially if it is to be done to give themselves a better chance of winning.
“I have no problems getting limited minutes. All of us have the same goal, which is to win. As long as we are winning I don’t mind my minutes,” he said.
As to the fallout he had with the TNT organization that reportedly led to his exit from the team after a short stay, Mr. Romeo said he is putting everything in the past and is now moving on.
“I’m not mad at Boss MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan); he is a very good person. I have no ill feelings with TNT,” Mr. Romeo reiterated.
Prior to being traded, reports had it that Mr. Romeo had exhausted his welcome with the KaTropa, with some players said to have moved to have him scratched from the team.
Mr. Romeo was acquired by TNT from GlobalPort in a midseason trade last year.
Coming from where he is, Mr. Romeo said there is no other way to go about it but to move forward.
“All the bad memories from 2018 I’ll just leave behind. I’ll just enjoy my time with my new team and move on,” Mr. Romeo said.
With the addition of Mr. Romeo, San Miguel fortified its backcourt some more as he joins forces with old reliables Chris Ross, Alex Cabagnot and Marcio Lassiter and young veteran Von Pessumal as well as fellow add-on Paul Zamar and returning Ronald Tubid.

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