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DoH posts 870 new COVID infections, 144 more deaths

PHILSTAR

THE PHILIPPINES posted 870 coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the total to 3.67 million.

The death toll hit 57,023 after 144 more patients died, while recoveries rose by 1,433 to 3.56 million, the Department of Health (DoH) said in a bulletin.

It said 3.9% of 24,543 samples from March 4 tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is within the World Health Organization’s threshold.

Of 48,793 active cases, 401 did not show symptoms, 44,131 were mild, 2,693 were moderate, 1,279 were severe and 289 were critical.

DoH said 92% of new cases occurred on Feb. 21 to March 6. The top regions with cases in the past two weeks were Metro Manila with 212, Calabarzon with 126 and Western Visayas with 80 infections. It added that 8% of new deaths occurred in March and 44% in February.

Six duplicates were removed from the tally, two of which were reclassified as recoveries, while 130 recoveries were relisted as deaths. Five laboratories failed to submit data on March 4.

The OCTA Research Group from the University of the Philippines said infections might increase again if Filipinos fail to follow health protocols and get booster shots.

The country has been reporting fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases for the past few days but things can still change, OCTA fellow Fredegusto P. David told ABS-CBN Teleradyo on Sunday. “Technically, we can say the worst is over for now but things can still change.”

He said the Philippines might experience a surge by April or May, noting that the country usually experiences a surge after every three months.

Mr. David said the surge could be triggered by new coronavirus variants, failure to comply with health rules, large gatherings during the campaign period and waning immunity.

“All these factors could cause a resurgence,” he said. “Maybe not as big, but it could be a significant resurgence in cases if we’re not careful.” The OCTA fellow said daily cases could fall to 500 by the end of March.

The Philippines has experienced four waves of COVID-19 since 2020. It reported the highest single-day tally on Jan. 15 at 30,004. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Military chief visits Thitu Island in disputed waterway

WIKIPEDIA

THE HEAD of the Philippine military checked state facilities and tried to boost the morale of troops on Thitu Island in the South China Sea on Friday, according to the Armed Forces.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Andres C. Centino “assured the troops of support from the AFP general headquarters,” the military said in a statement on Sunday.

The island, which the Philippines calls Pag-asa, is part of the resource-rich Spratly Islands. It is about 12 nautical miles from China’s air and naval base at Subi Reef.

China took hold of Subi, which the Philippines calls Zamora, in 1988.

Mr. Centino led ceremonies where he awarded Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, the new commander of the AFP Western Command, a three-star rank.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte led a foreign policy pivot to China away from the US when he took office in 2016.

Critics have accused the tough-talking leader of gambling Philippine territories to appease China, from which he got about P1.2 trillion in investment and loan pledges to boost big-ticket infrastructure projects. Few of these have materialized, they said.

The country’s sea dispute with China is a major campaign issue, according to political analysts.

Fitch Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research said in a report last year presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. “appears one of the few candidates to agree with Duterte’s policy of engagement.”

Local civic groups have accused him of parroting China’s mantra in its sea dispute with the Philippines.

Mr. Marcos’ main rival, Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo, has said the next government should be uncompromising when it comes to the South China Sea dispute.

She said the next president should not deal with China unless it recognizes the ruling by a United-Nations backed tribunal in 2016 that voided its claim to more than 80% of the sea.

Ms. Robredo has also called for a coalition of nations against China’s militarization of the disputed waterway. — KATA

VP Robredo supports Philippine condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

VP LENI ROBREDO OFFICIAL FB PAGE

VICE PRESIDENT Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo on Sunday condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying countries have the moral obligation to stand against foreign aggression.

“I condemn the violence that has been inflicted upon the people of Ukraine, the violation of its sovereignty and the threat that now hangs above all the innocent lives in the region,” Ms. Robredo, the opposition candidate for president in the May 9 elections, said in a statement. 

She also praised the Philippine government’s stance supporting the international community in condemning the invasion of Ukraine.

The Philippines has voted in favor of a United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Last week, President Rodrigo R. Duterte held a meeting with Cabinet and security officials to discuss the socio-economic implications of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

The vice president said countries should stand against bullying and unprovoked aggression “especially given the reports of civilians and residential areas deliberately targeted in the course of this invasion.”

The Philippine opposition leader also acknowledged the Ukrainian people’s efforts to defend freedom and a rights-based order. 

OTHER PRESIDENTIAL BETS
Ms. Robredo’s main rival, the late dictator’s son Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr., has flip-flopped on his stance on the issue, initially saying that the Philippines should not take a stand on the conflict.

In a televised debate held on Feb. 27, three other presidential contenders — former Cabinet Secretary Ernesto C. Abella, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” M. Domagoso, and businessman Faisal Mangondato agreed — with Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana’s proposal that the government should remain neutral since the European issue “did not have anything to do” with the Philippines. 

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, on the other hand, said in the debate that the country has an obligation to condemn a foreign aggressor and renounce war as a member of the United Nations. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Ka Leody plans to push for law on students’ rights, academic freedom

LABOR LEADER and presidential candidate Leodegario “Ka Leody” de Guzman said on Sunday that if he is elected in May, he would push for the passage of a law that will institutionalize students’ rights and academic freedom. 

Mr. de Guzman laid out a “Universal Students’ Magna Carta,” which would include 13 unalienable and absolute rights related to on-campus policies and activities.

“The youth is not just simply the hope of our country, as early as now you can see their capacity to change and contribute to a progressive, free, and developed society,” he said in a statement in Filipino. 

Among the 13 rights are the right to unconditional academic freedom, the right to accessible education, and the right to being free from discrimination and harassment.

“The law will not only just provide a free and safe academic space, but schools will be bastions of critical analysis towards the development of our society,” he added. 

The measure will also cover reforms in school curricula to include sexual health education, labor rights, climate change, and a reorientation from global marketability to national development. 

The labor leader reiterated that schools have been focused on serving global capitalism for too long, and should be reoriented to discussions on nation-building, social development, and social justice.

Mr. de Guzman also plans to address the plight of out-of-school-youth by strengthening programs on skills and capacity-building through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

His youth agenda will also include making schools more accessible for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and protecting these students from discrimination and harassment. 

“We should understand in particular the interests of the youth sector, their needs that the government needs to address for the overall development.” Mr. de Guzman stressed. 

Mr. de Guzman earlier said he plans to allocate more funds to build more schools and increase teachers’ pay if elected to office. — John Victor D. Ordonez

Hong Kong gov’t assures penalties vs employers who illegally dismissed COVID-infected workers

THE HONG KONG Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Saturday said it will take actions against employers who illegally terminated their foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) after testing positive for coronavirus. 

“The HKSAR government does not and will not tolerate any employers of FDHs illegally dismissing FDHs who have suffered from the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and in violation of the Employment Ordinance,” it said in a statement.

About 90% of the more than 200,000 Filipinos working in Hong Kong are employed as domestic helpers. 

The Philippine Overseas Labor Office said 221 Filipino workers in Hong Kong have contracted COVID-19, including 43 who have recovered. The others are either in hospitals, with their employers, in government quarantine facilities, non-government organization facilities, or hotels. 

Under the Hong Kong Employment Ordinance, employers who illegally terminate contracts are liable to prosecution and may be fined up to $100,000 or about P665,000.

“The HKSAR government has continuously reminded employers of their statutory obligations and requirements under the EO and the Standard Employment Contract amidst the pandemic,” it said. “Any breach of such requirements will render them ineligible to employ an FDH for a period of time and their visa applications for FDHs will be refused.”

There is also a possible violation of the Disability Discrimination Ordinance if FDHs are treated less favorably after being infected with COVID-19, it added.

The Hong Kong government also assured that all employed FDHs who have contracted the virus will receive support like all other citizens.

“The fifth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic has hit us hard and we could only overcome this major challenge with the full support and co-operation of the community,” it said. 

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ foreign affairs department said on Saturday that about 21 Filipinos from Ukraine, the crew members of bulk carrier M/V S-Breeze, are set to return to the Philippines on Tuesday. 

On Friday, another group of seafarers crossed the Moldova border after being evacuated from Chornomorsk. The 13 crew members are now awaiting repatriation. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Iloilo City reports P400-M surplus in 2021 from taxes, operating savings

ILOILO CITY posted a P400.7-million surplus from its 2021 accounts, which the local government said will be spent for projects that were not included in the original expenditure program for this year.

“Our City Accountant’s Office has identified a total of more than P400-million in surplus for last year. This is in addition to the surplus in the Local Economic Enterprise Office and the surplus in the Special Education Fund,” Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said in a statement over the weekend. 

The surplus came from P149.31 million in taxes above the expected collection, P237.11-million savings from personnel and operating expenses, and P14.27 million in accounts adjustment.

“I would like to thank the department heads and all employees of the City Government, and most especially the tax payers… This will allow us to fund additional projects for this year. This is also record-breaking considering that we are still under a pandemic,” Mr. Treñas said. 

The mayor, who is running for reelection in May, earlier said among the priority programs for this year include health services and facilities, expansion of emergency response centers, and projects aimed at boosting economic recovery.  

City Treasurer Jinny C. Hermano said the savings from operations and manpower costs could be attributed to “belt-tightening measures” undertaken due to the coronavirus pandemic. “We only limit our expenses within the appropriation. We did not spend too much that’s why we have savings.”  

On tax collections, he said, “We exceeded our target primarily on business taxes, P136-million; and real property taxes by at least P65-million.” 

The city government collected P2.91 billion in taxes last year. 

“The gains were the outcome of good financial management. We hope for another surplus this year as the city intends to re-implement its collection strategy while encouraging prudent spending,” Mr. Hermano said. — MSJ

Extremist group Dawlah Islamiya-Maute lose support in another LDS town, says military

PHILIPPINE ARMY

SUPPORTERS of the Dawlah Islamiya-Maute in Piagapo town have cut ties with the Islamic State-affiliated group following last week’s government operations in another town where at least seven members of the extremist organization were killed, according to the military. 

In a statement over the weekend, the 103rd Infantry Brigade based in southern Philippines said 30 supporters, including those acting as couriers for the Dawlah Islamiya, turned themselves in to the military headquarters in Madalum, Lanao del Sur.

“The activity can be attributed to the recent successful encounter at… Maguing Lanao del Sur on March 01, 2022 that brought fear to all other members and supporters of the DI-MG (Dawlah Islamiya-Maute Group),” the 103rd Infantry Brigade Team, also known as the Haribon Team, said. 

Government forces launched a land and air offensive in Maguing on March 1, where seven Dawlah Islamiya members and one soldier were, based on the military’s report as of Friday. 

Five other soldiers were wounded during the encounter. 

The military’s Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) said troops have also recovered a significant weapons cache at the camp, where the group was conducting training operations and planning for sabotage activities.

WestMinCom Spokesperson Andrew M. Linao, in a statement Friday, asserted that the “real target is the Daulah Islamiya Maute group,” and that reports of civilian casualties in surrounding communities were still being verified. 

“From the ground to the spot and progress reports, there was no indication that there were involved civilian casualties,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino, noting that evacuation was conducted in coordination with the local government and police. 

WestMinCom commander Alfredo Rosario, Jr., in a press conference Friday, also clarified that the confusion over the attack with Maguing-based members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has signed a peace deal with the government, has been settled.   

The province of Lanao del Sur includes Marawi City, which was taken siege by the Maute group in 2017. — MSJ

Liverpool closes gap on Man City; Chelsea thrashes Burnley

BURNLEY, England — Liverpool rode their luck in a 1-0 victory over West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday to turn up the heat on leaders Manchester City, who face a derby showdown on Sunday.

Sadio Mane’s 12th league goal of the season, tucked away midway through the first half, proved just about enough to secure the win as Liverpool narrowed City’s lead at the top to three points with both teams having 11 games left to play.

Earlier, Chelsea put aside their ownership issues to solidify their grip on third place with a 4-0 win at Burnley.

Leeds United slipped further into trouble with a 1-0 loss at Leicester City under new manager Jesse Marsch, but Newcastle United’s resurgence continued with a 2-1 home win against Brighton & Hove Albion to move further away from trouble.

Ryan Fraser and Fabian Schar scored in the space of two minutes for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side who then dug deep to extend their unbeaten run to eight games after Lewis Dunk pulled one back for Brighton in the 55th minute.

Brentford dealt a hammer blow to bottom side Norwich City’s hopes of escaping the drop zone and eased their own fears as Ivan Toney scored a hat trick in a 3-1 victory at Carrow Road.

Aston Villa’s Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho scored one goal and made another as they thrashed visiting Southampton 4-0, while Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha created the opener and netted a penalty in a 2-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Liverpool’s seventh successive league victory and 12th in all competitions was hard-earned. Mane poked in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s volleyed cross after 27 minutes and the hosts had plenty of chances to give themselves some breathing space.

But West Ham, who remain fifth, squandered gild-edged chances as Pablo Fornals messed up an attempted lob after being played through, Manuel Lanzini sliced over the bar and Michail Antonio failed to convert a clear chance. Chelsea, whose Russian owner Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale this week amid calls for sanctions against him following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, scored four times after the break at Turf Moor.

Burnley wasted a series of first half chances, but fell to pieces after Reece James opened the scoring in the 47th minute.

German forward Kai Havertz headed home a Christian Pulisic cross and then converted a James cross for his second before American Pulisic completed the scoring.

Chelsea is third on 53 points, 13 behind Manchester City, while third-bottom Burnley remain on 21, a point off Everton in the safety zone, but having played two more games. Basement side Norwich have 17 points after a desperately disappointing defeat by Brentford. Watford, who host sixth-placed Arsenal on Sunday, are on 19 points. — Reuters

Stunning Delort winner sees Nice to victory over PSG in Ligue 1

NICE, France — Substitute Andy Delort scored a brilliant winner two minutes from time as Nice shocked runaway Ligue 1 leaders Paris St.-Germain (PSG) with a 1-0 victory at the Allianz Riviera on Saturday.

Neymar lost possession in the Nice half and the home side broke forward through Calvin Stengs, whose deep cross to the back post was met on the half-volley by Delort as he arrowed his shot into the top corner of the net.

The result meant PSG’s lead at the top of the table was cut to 13 points as they remain on 62 from 27 matches, while Nice climbed into second with 49 points from the same number of matches.

It was a magical moment to win the game for Delort and ensured there would not be a third successive goalless draw between the sides this season.

But overall, the game was a disappointing spectacle given the attacking quality on both sides, though PSG were without leading scorer Kylian Mbappé, missing through suspension.

Nice showed caution in attack, but had a chance early in the second half when defender Dante met Justin Kluivert’s corner, but his powerful header was straight at PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas.

Angel Di Maria had a couple of difficult opportunities for the visitors, but Lionel Messi and Neymar had quiet evenings by their standards.

That could be because they now turn their attention to Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 second leg fixture at Real Madrid. The French side lead 1-0 from the first game.

Earlier on Sunday, Lens’ hopes of playing European football next season were dealt a blow when they lost 1-0 at home to Brest, who weathered a storm to claim the win.

Brest striker Franck Honorat scored his ninth Ligue 1 goal of the season in the 57th minute as he glided between three Lens defenders and beat Jean-Louis Leca in the home goal.

Lens had numerous opportunities before and after that, but failed to find the back of the net. — Reuters

Real Madrid recovers to thrash Real Sociedad 4-1

MADRID — Real Madrid fought back to earn a 4-1 home win against Real Sociedad that extended their lead at the top of LaLiga to eight points ahead of second-placed Sevilla on Saturday.

Real dominated the game, but they fell behind after 10 minutes to a penalty converted by Mikel Oyarzabal after Dani Carvajal tripped David Silva.

Teenager Eduardo Camavinga came to the rescue five minutes before half time, rifling home the equalizer from 25 meters with an unstoppable left-footer that went in off the post.

Roared on at a nearly sold-out Santiago Bernabeu, Luka Modric then put the hosts ahead with another long-range shot that flew into the top corner of Alex Remiro’s goal.

Karim Benzema, who had two goals chalked off by the video assistant referee for offside, finally scored in the 76th minute with a penalty after VAR spotted a foul on Vinicius, Jr.

Substitute Marco Asensio wrapped up the win with a close-range strike three minutes later.

Ahead of Wednesday’s last-16 Champions League second-leg clash at home to Paris St.-Germain (PSG), which Real Madrid trails 1-0, Los Blancos left their recent questionable performances behind them to put on a show against sixth-placed Real Sociedad.

The Basque side, who was top in the first-quarter of the season before being leapfrogged by Real Madrid, has 44 points from 27 games and is still in contention for a top four spot.

The LaLiga leaders took advantage of Sevilla’s disappointing 0-0 draw at lowly Alaves on Friday and have moved to 63 points against the 55 of their closest contender.

“This is the intensity that we need to have on Wednesday,” coach Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference.

“We can replicate today’s game against PSG. It’s a performance that inspires and give us a lot of energy and confidence to fight back from the 1-0 loss that we suffered in the first leg at Paris.”

Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who will miss the PSG game due to suspension, thinks home advantage will be the key to reaching the quarterfinals.

“Today, we showed that we can fight back and win against a great opponent. We will need to do it again on Wednesday and with fans on our side in our stadium, everything is possible,” he told reporters. — Reuters

Golf: Chun holds single-shot lead ahead of final round at Sentosa

SINGAPORE — Chun In-gee will take a one-shot lead over fellow South Koreans Lee Jeong-eun and Ko Jin-young into Sunday’s final round of the HSBC Women’s World Championship following a six-under par third round at Singapore’s Sentosa Golf Club on Saturday.

The unflappable Chun moved to 12-under after 56 holes to lead from her compatriots as a bogey-free round took her to the top of the leaderboard.

The 27-year-old two-time major winner claimed sole possession of top spot with a birdie on the par-three 15th hole on the way to completing the third round in 66 strokes.

World number one Ko, who was tied for the lead going after Friday’s second round, hit a 69 to remain in contention while Lee’s 65 was the best round of the day.

Lee made a blistering start to her day, draining a putt in excess of 20 feet at the fourth as she picked up five shots in the opening seven holes to claim a share of the lead.

She then chipped in for an eagle at the par-five 10th to establish herself among the frontrunners.

Overnight co-leader Amy Yang put the ball in the water at the 16th to register a double-bogey seven, capping a frustrating round that leaves her three shots behind Chun and in a tie for fourth alongside Danielle Kang and Atthaya Thitikul.

Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit, leader at the end of Thursday’s first round, set off at a blistering pace early in the day and moved into a share of first on the 13th with the sixth birdie of her round.

But last year’s LPGA Rookie of the Year saw her challenge falter when a tee shot into the water at the 15th resulted in a double bogey before a triple bogey six at the 17th saw her drop back to four-under alongside two-time winner Park In-bee. — Reuters

France, United States secure Davis Cup Finals spots

FRANCE and the United States breezed into the Davis Cup Finals with dominant wins on Saturday, while Spain survived an attempted comeback from Romania to win their qualifying tie.

France, who was 2-0 up courtesy of Arthur Rinderknech and Adrian Mannarino, faced little resistance from Ecuador as wins for Benjamin Bonzi and the doubles pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicholas Mahut secured victory for the 10-times champions.

“It’s never easy to play a team where you’re the favorite, but we respected our opponents a lot and that’s why we managed to win,” Herbert said.

In their home tie in Reno, Nevada, Jack Sock and Rajeev Ram beat Colombia’s Juan-Sebastian Cabal and Nicolas Barrientos 6-3, 6-4 in their doubles clash to give the US a 3-0 win in their best-of-five qualifier.

Roberto Bautista Agut won his second singles rubber to help Spain, who are without 21-times major winner Rafa Nadal, clinch their tie against Romania and seal a place in the Finals.

Romania, who was trailing 2-0 after two defeats on the opening day, gave themselves a glimmer of hope when doubles pair Marius Copil and Horia Tecau won to make it 2-1.

However, world number 261 Copil was unable to replicate his doubles success in his singles match with Bautista Agut, losing 6-2, 6-3 in an hour 28 minutes to relinquish the tie.

“I think it was a great day. Marius played some really good points, he was mixing up the game, he was playing aggressive, he was serving well,” Bautista Agut said.

“I’m very happy I could win the match in two good sets and give the point to my team. We are qualified and we are all happy.”

The Netherlands and Argentina also booked their places in the Finals with comfortable 4-0 wins over Canada and the Czech Republic respectively in their home ties.

Earlier on Saturday, Thanasi Kokkinakis won a deciding singles rubber as Australia edged past Hungary, while South Korea rode on a couple of impressive performances from Kwon Soon-woo to beat Austria.

The 12 winning teams will join Croatia, who secured automatic qualification for the 2022 Finals as last year’s finalists, and wild cards Serbia and Britain.

Russia’s title defense is uncertain after governing body International Tennis Federation (ITF) suspended the memberships of Russia and Belarus and withdrew their entries from team competitions following the invasion of Ukraine. — Reuters

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