Philippines, Australia hold military exercises at sea
PHILIPPINE Navy troops held sea drills with their Australian counterparts at the weekend supposedly to boost security in the Indo-Pacific region.
In a statement on Monday, the Philippine Navy said its missile-frigate and two royal Australian navy vessels had participated in the drills. It didn’t say where these took place.
The ships sailed together to Manila on Sunday morning after the Sept. 25 exercises, the Australian Embassy in Manila said in a separate statement.
“The exercise focused on high-end training and interoperability that will benefit both nations in increased maritime domain awareness and force generation,” it added.
The Aussie ships and a fleet replenishment vessel docked in Manila on Sunday for a three-day port visit as part of a regional activity that engages Southeast Asian countries.
The drills showed the “increasing mutual trust and cooperation between the Australian Defense Force and the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven J. Robinson said in the statement.
“It is part of our robust and longstanding engagement with the Philippines to promote a secure, open, prosperous, and resilient region,” he added.
Last week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. said the Philippines was backing a defense pact that allows Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines using technology that the US had only previously shared with Britain, saying it could keep the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region.
His view differs from that of neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia, which warned that the alliance could provoke a nuclear arms race in the region. Singapore was more neutral, saying it hoped the deal “would contribute constructively to the peace and stability of the region and complement the regional architecture.”
China, the unspoken target of Washington’s latest effort to boost its influence in the region, criticized the agreement.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has said the pact seriously undermined regional peace and stability, exacerbated the arms race and undermined international nuclear nonproliferation efforts.
He also said any regional alliance “should not target or harm the interests of third parties.”
Mr. Locsin noted that without the actual presence of nuclear weapons, the military alliance does not violate a 1995 treaty to keep nuclear arms out of Southeast Asia.
But presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said the Constitution “provides for a nuclear-free Philippines and we are also party to the ASEAN-Bangkok accord providing for a nuclear-free Southeast Asia.”
“The immediate concern of the Philippines is to ensure that… its treaty providing for a nuclear-free Southeast Asia will not be violated,” he told a televised news briefing on Monday.
The South China Sea is a prominent shipping passage with $5.3 trillion worth of trade cruising through its waters every year. That’s nearly a third of all global sea trade.
It remains a source of tension as the US, one of the Philippines’ oldest allies, and other Western countries hold so-called freedom of navigation operations to keep China, which claims more than 80% of the sea, at bay.
In July, China warned the UK Carrier Strike Group, led by the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, not to commit “improper acts” as it entered the South China Sea. China claims more than 80% of the waterway.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who has sought closer and investment ties with China since he became President in 2016, has said the Philippines could not afford war with China, adding that the sea dispute should be resolved peacefully.
Mr. Locsin said Australia’s ability to project power should restore and keep the balance of power rather than destabilize it.
He also noted that despite advances in military science, time, distance and water remain major constants in determining security capacity to respond to threats.
The trilateral military alliance had incensed France, which felt its Indo-Pacific interests had been torpedoed by the submarine deal. The pact brought its own 2016 deal to build submarines for Australia to an abrupt end.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that in spite of the hard feelings among rivals and allies, the deal with the US and Britain was an opportunity his country could not turn down. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
Duterte threatens vaccine decliners with arrest
President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday night again threatened to get vaccine decliners arrested to protect public health.
“The police must go in and intervene in your private life so that you cannot be a danger to society,” he said in a televised address.
Philippine health authorities reported 18,449 coronavirus infections on Monday, bringing the total to 2.51 million.
The death toll rose to 37,494 after 93 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 21,811 to 2.31 million, the Department of Health (DoH) said in a bulletin.
There were 158,169 active cases,78.7% of which were mild, 15.3% did not show symptoms, 1.7% were severe, 3.42% were moderate and 0.8% were critical.
Of the 18,449 new infections, 17,953 (97%) occurred from Sept.14 to 27, the agency said.
The regions with most cases were the National Capital Region, Calabarzon and Central Luzon. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
Risk from COVID-19 moderate, says Health department
THE PHILIPPINES was now at moderate risk from the coronavirus after a decline in infections, the Health department said on Monday.
Virus cases fell by 4% in the past two weeks versus a 27% increase three to four weeks ago, Alethea de Guzman, director of the Health department’s Epidemiology bureau, told a televised news briefing.
For the past week alone, the average daily coronavirus infections fell by 11% to 17,783 from a week earlier, she said.
Daily infections for 100,000 people dropped to 17.12 from 17.80 recorded three to four weeks ago, she added.
Ms. de Guzman said 67.83% of hospital beds for coronavirus patients had been used, while 75.58% of intensive care unit beds were occupied.
The Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Ilocos, Bicol, Mimaropa, Caraga, Soccsksargen, Zamboanga Peninsula and Western Visayas regions were at high-risk from the coronavirus.
Metro Manila was now under a moderate risk level, she said, noting that cases in the region were “starting to slow down.”
At the same briefing, presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said 43.93 million coronavirus vaccines had been given out as of Sept 26. More than 20.3 million people or 26.33% of adult Filipinos had been fully vaccinated, he added.
Meanwhile, teachers and school personnel participating in the pilot run of face-to-face classes must have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, Roger Masapol, a director at the Education department, told a separate news briefing.
The agency earlier said teachers and other school staff would not be required to be fully vaccinated, raising questions about the safety of the pilot run.
At the same briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said the government had reversed the policy to ensure the safety of children.
The Education department earlier said 100 public schools and 20 private institutions in low-risk areas would participate in the pilot test.
Vaccine czar Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. earlier asked the government to start vaccinating children aged 12 to 17 by mid-October.
Seriously ill minors and children of health workers would be prioritized once President Rodrigo R. Duterte approves the proposal, he said.
The country’s drug regulator has approved the use of vaccines made by Pfizer, Inc. and Moderna, Inc. for children as young as 12 years. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
PTV4 hired contract workers in violation of memo — senator
THE STATE television hired more than 500 contract workers in violation of a Civil Service Commission memo, according to a senator.
Under the memo, contract workers may only be hired for special projects, Senator Franklin M. Drilon told a budget hearing on Monday.
The People’s Television Network (PTV 4) has hired 534 contract workers this year, General Manager Katherine C. de Castro told the hearing, adding that she was not aware of the government circular.
She also said the network needed technical assistants for its operations.
“You are not aware of it, that’s why you just keep on hiring contract of service personnel in total disregard of the circular,” Mr. Drilon said. He added that the circular seeks to limit the bureaucracy, which “can invent one thousand reasons why they need additional personnel.”
The Senate committee also questioned the alleged underpayment by the Presidential Communications Operations Office, which operates PTV, of its 1, 479 contract workers.
Senator Richard J. Gordon said he would not sponsor the agency’s budget on the floor unless officials come up with a satisfactory explanation. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan
CoA authority to audit Pagcor has limits, says court
STATE AUDITORS’ power to review the books of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) is limited to the state company’s franchise tax remittances and the government’s share in its gross earnings, the Supreme Court ruled.
In a decision published on Sept. 24, the High Court reversed a Commission on Audit (CoA) ruling that disallowed Pagcor’s P2-million financial assistance to a homeowners’ association in Los Baños, Laguna in 2013.
The tribunal noted that under the CoA charter, “the funds of the corporation to be covered by the audit shall be limited to the 5% franchise tax and 50% of the gross earnings pertaining to the government as its share.”
“It is a cardinal rule in statutory construction that when the law is clear, there is no room for construction or interpretation,” the court said. “There is only room for application.”
In 2010, the Pleasant Village Homeowners’ Association sought financial assistance worth P2 million from Pagcor so it could build a flood control and drainage system. The company’s board approved the request, the funding for which was taken from its marketing expenses.
In 2017, state auditors said the Pagcor assistance did not cover a public property and did not serve a public purpose.
CoA also said the subject roads and streets build under the project, while for public use, remained private property.
The High Court did not pass upon the issue, saying the lawsuit only covered the fact that state auditors had “acted with grave abuse of discretion” in auditing Pagcor accounts beyond the law. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago
Shares up on hopes over virus, consumer data
PHILIPPINE shares started the week in the green as hopeful investors in the country’s fight to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) added to the positive sentiment driven by the release last week of the latest consumer and business confidence data.
The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose 4.73 points or 0.06% on Monday to close at 6,956.26, while the all shares index went up by 6.31 points or 0.14% to end at 4,329.95.
“With MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) Chairman [Benjamin de Castro] Abalos, [Jr.] talking [about] the easing of restrictions by next month to Level 3 while reproduction number and growth rates of the pandemic virus on the downtrend by OCTA, this further [improved] the sentiment among investors, thus local market continued its uptrend on the third trading session,” Diversified Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Aniceto K. Pangan said in a text message.
Metro Manila’s quarantine classification is expected to be updated this week as the alert level 4 currently imposed under the government’s granular lockdown with alert level systems end on Sept. 30.
Mr. Abalos is hoping that the region’s alert level will be brought down to alert level 3 as the virus growth rate declines.
Philstocks Senior Research Analyst Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a separate Viber message, “Investors remained hopeful that the COVID-19 situation in the country would continue to improve, leading to the easing of social restriction measures.”
On Sunday, the Health department reported 20,755 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total active cases to 161,447. The national tally stands at over 2.49 million.
“The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) latest confidence surveys which show that consumers and businesses are optimistic towards the upcoming quarter also gave a boost to sentiment,” Mr. Tantiangco said.
Last week, the BSP reported that the country’s consumer confidence index saw an improvement in the third quarter to –19.3% from the second quarter’s -30.9%.
However, the business confidence index went down to –5.6% after three consecutive quarters of optimism due to a surge in COVID-19 infections.
Meanwhile, consumer sentiment for the fourth quarter improved to 2.7% from 1.3% as the spending outlook also went up to 31.4% from 26.4%. The business confidence index for the fourth quarter was at 31.9%.
On Monday, sectoral indices were split.
Mining and oil dipped by 192.36 points or 2.03% to finish at 9,244.18; financials shed 15.26 points or 1.07% to 1,411.53; and property lost 25.35 points or 0.83% to 3,029.96.
Meanwhile, services climbed 24.74 points or 1.28% to 1,948.20 on Monday; holding firms improved by 15.44 points or 0.22% to 6,937.39; and industrials rose 12.71 points or 0.12% to end at 10,272.14.
Value turnover declined to P7.61 billion on Monday with 1.64 billion shares switching hands, down from the P8.95 billion with 2.11 billion issues traded on Friday.
Decliners beat advancers, 120 against 78, while 42 names closed unchanged.
Net foreign selling nearly doubled to P623.43 million on Monday from the P352.05 million logged in net outflows on Friday. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte
Bill extending voter registration hurdles Congress
A PROPOSED law that will extend the voter registration period, currently set to end Sept. 30, was approved unanimously Monday on third and final reading in both chambers of Congress.
The Senate adopted the House of Representatives’ version, which provides that the registration period will be extended by 30 days from effectivity into law.
Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, principal author of the Senate version, said they adopted the House counterpart “to do away with the bicameral conference committee meeting.”
A copy of the measure can now be submitted to Malacañang for the President’s review and approval.
“Hopefully the President will sign this request,” said Mr. Zubiri during the plenary session.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has previously rejected an extension, citing other scheduled election preparations as well as limitations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, 25 business and professional organizations together with 135 educational institutions and associations on Monday released a joint statement in support of congressional bills extending the voter registration deadline.
The statement cited survey results and information gathered by schools indicating an “overwhelming intent” to register among first-time eligible voters in student bodies all over the country.
“The month-long extension could make a big difference in accommodating people who want to register for the coming elections,” said Mr. Zubiri. “The extension would prevent the disenfranchisement of about 12 million eligible voters.”
Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez said in a news briefing that the management committee met Monday on a possible extension, and the recommendation will be presented on Wednesday for approval by the Comelec en banc. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, Russell Louis C. Ku, and Bianca Angelica D. Añago
Health worker groups reject DoH’s ‘singular allowance’ proposal
HEALTHCARE WORKER organizations on Monday rejected the Health department’s “singular allowance” proposal as it reduces current benefit packages and sets inaccurate categories in terms of risk exposure.
Filipino Nurses United President Maristela P. Abenojar called the proposal a “divisive and unjust cost-cutting measure that reflects little regard to the selfless work and sacrifice exerted by our health workers in this time of pandemic” during a media conference.
The Department of Health (DoH) earlier suggested providing monthly allocations of P3,000 to low-risk workers, P6,000 to medium-risk, and P9,000 for those at high-risk.
Alliance of Health Workers President Robert Mendoza said there was a discriminatory notion in a categorization based on “risk exposure,” stressing that all health workers must receive equal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) benefits.
“The DoH’s proposal to categorize the risk exposure of the health workers in hospitals and health facilities is completely unacceptable because the virulent virus can infect anyone,” he said. “Our data showed many health workers assigned in non-COVID areas are getting infected due to lack of protection, so everyone in the vicinity of the hospital and health facility are all considered high risk to COVID-19.”
The groups’ counter proposal includes no change in the P3,000 monthly provision for Active Hazard Duty Pay; P5,000 monthly pay Special risk allowance; P8,000 monthly pay for meals, accommodation and transportation allowance; and life insurance, adding that these should no longer be prorated.
They also called for the mass hiring of healthcare workers and enticing them by offering regular job positions, and better pay and benefits.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment has recommended to the Commission on Higher Education to reopen schools that offer health-related courses, citing a gap in the supply of nurses in the country.
Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique R. Tutay acknowledged in a mobile message that “about 77,000 nurses are in unspecified practice or they could be working in some other sectors outside the medical/healthcare industry.” — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan and Bianca Angelica D. Añago
Senate finance committee promises increase in Judiciary’s 2022 budget
THE SENATE finance committee vowed to increase the judicial branch’s 2022 budget at the plenary level after court officials pointed out that next year’s allocation is lower than this year’s, which is unconstitutional.
At the Senate committee hearing on Monday, Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez requested an increase of at least P7.47 billion for next year.
Sandiganbayan Justice Karl B. Miranda also pointed out the need to correct the “injustice” in the judiciary’s annual budget as it was only given 1% of the Philippine government’s P45-trillion budget for 2021. He added that the Budget department annually submits a proposed allocation for the judicial branch that is lower than what was appropriated by Congress the year before.
Committee Chairman Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara promised to increase it at the plenary level after approving the judiciary’s P44.98-billion budget at the committee level, which is lower than the P45.31-billion budget this year.
“The chair has no issues with the judiciary and in fact would like to reiterate his continuing support for all the courts and for the increase in the budget which we will do at the appropriate time,” Mr. Angara said.
Of the P7.47 billion requested increase, P4.38 billion will be allocated to the Supreme Court for 510 new positions in new offices such as the Judicial Integrity Board; P2.01 billion for the Court of Appeals due to higher building rentals in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro; P834.46 million for the Sandiganbayan; P231.15 million for the Court of Tax Appeals; and P16.56 million for the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago
Cash aid, anti-dynasty law among Makabayan bloc’s agenda as it names candidates for 2022 elections
THE MAKABAYAN BLOC, a group of progressive party-lists, have named their candidates for the 2022 national elections.
The coalition said during its national convention on Monday that their platform would push for measures such as P10,000 cash aid per family, proposed anti-dynasty law, ending contractualization, junking the National Task Force to End Local Armed Communist Conflict, and resuming peace talks with communist rebels, among others.
Former representatives Teodoro A. Casiño and Antonio L. Tinio seek a return to the House of Representatives as nominees for Bayan Muna and ACT Teachers, respectively.
Former agrarian reform secretary Rafael V. Mariano would also run for congressman under Anakpawis. He previously served as its House representative from 2004 to 2013.
Incumbent representative Ferdinand R. Gaite and Moro-Christian People’s Alliance Secretary-General Amirah A. Lidasan were named Bayan Muna’s second and third nominees.
Gabriela’s Party-list Rep. Arlene D. Brosas and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France L. Castro would also run for their third and final term in the House.
Kabataan Partylist selected its national president Raoul Danniel A. Manuel as their first nominee with incumbent Rep. Sarah Jane I. Elago no longer qualified to be nominated under the group as she is over 30 years old by the 2022 polls.
The coalition also backed the senatorial runs of Bayan Muna chair Neri J. Colmenares and Kilusang Mayo Uno chair Elmer “Bong” Labog.
Among significant legislative measures authored by the Makabayan bloc were House Bill 8512, which was enacted into Republic Act 11548, a law that allows the President to defer increases in contributions to the Social Security System during state of calamity.
Its members were also instrumental in the enactment of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, Republic Act 11037 or the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act, and Republic Act 11036 or the Mental Health Act. — Russell Louis C. Ku
DoH to investigate alleged expired face shields revealed in Senate hearing
THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) on Monday said it is investigating the alleged expired face shields for healthcare workers supplied by a private company that was awarded more than P8 billion in contracts.
“There is no (expiration date) placed (on the face shields), but I’m still having that investigated because of the revelation of the officer of the Pharmally,” DoH Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said in a House of Representatives hearing.
Krizel Grace U. Mago, regulatory affairs head of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., confirmed in a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing Friday the claim of a warehouse worker that the certificates of some two million face shields that expired last year were changed to 2021.
DoH Undersecretary Ma. Carolina Vidal-Taino said during Monday’s House hearing that the face shields were already distributed to various healthcare facilities nationwide.
Ms. Mago said the tampering of the face shield certificates had the blessing of the company management, particularly Pharmally Treasurer Mohit Dargani.
Mr. Dargani denied the allegation at the House hearing, saying he believed Ms. Mago was “pressured” by the Senate to admit about the alleged expired face shields.
“I think after what she saw what happened to Mr. Linconn Ong, one of her bosses, I think that really frightened her and put her in a position to just keep saying yes. I have not spoken to Ms. Mago so I don’t know exactly,” he said.
He also said that he didn’t ask Ms. Mago to go into hiding.
Senator Richard J. Gordon, Jr., chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said on Sunday that Ms. Mago can no longer be reached by the panel following her admission on the expired face shields.
The House originally planned to end its investigation on government contracts with Pharmally by Monday but decided to hold another hearing on Oct. 4 following Ms. Mago’s revelations. — Russell Louis C. Ku