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Philippines’ monthly birth and death data show that indefinite lockdown and mass vaccination are wrong

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the updated monthly vital statistics last week, on Jan. 6, and many numbers are interesting or shocking.

One, births are declining and this decline is accelerating. From an average of 139,500 births a month in 2019, it went down to 127,400/month in 2020 and 101,400/month in January-September 2021. So, there were nearly 150,000 fewer births in 2020 compared with 2019, and there will be around 300,000 fewer births in 2021 than 2020.

Two, there were fewer marriages in 2020 due to the strict lockdown. On average there were 40,000 marriages/month in 2019, then there was a drastic decline to only 20,065 in 2020, with the biggest decline in April-May 2020 with only 866 and 4,135 marriages, respectively. Economic and health/psychological stress must have also contributed to fewer babies for young married couples.

Three, there was a big rise in the number of deaths in 2021 when mass vaccination started. From an average of 51,694 deaths per month in 2019, this declined slightly to 51,156/month in 2020, then went up to 55,244/month in the first two months of 2021. By March, when mass vaccination started, the number reached 61,484, the first time in Philippine history that deaths have exceeded the 58,000 mark. From there, it has been rising to nearly 94,000 in August and 103,000 deaths in September 2021.

Four, there was excess mortality of 19,500/month from March to July 2021 over same period in 2020. This went up to 37,000 in August and 49,000 in September, when some 33.7 million vax doses were already given in August (+14.35M over July) and 45.6 M doses in September (see Table 1).

This is not COVID-related excess mortality because the total number of COVID deaths were only 5,559 in August 2021 and 4,846 in September.

The incumbent President of Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDC Ph), Dr. Homer Lim, made this good observation: “The Philippine statistics on death and birth rates are quite alarming. Year 2021 was gloomy, excess deaths have topped 49,000 in September alone and we haven’t yet included the last quarter. What factors could have caused this sudden alarming surge in deaths? It is certainly not COVID deaths, so could this be due to people afraid of COVID that they have neglected their other illnesses, or could this be a reflection of vaccine related deaths?”

And the former CDC Ph President Dr. Benigno “Iggy” Agbayani, Jr. offered a good course of action: “These statistics on deaths and births have a huge implication on the longest, most expensive and tyrannical health protocols our country has ever tried. Unbridled lockdowns and experimental vaccinations are the most likely suspects in this sudden high deaths and low birth rates. An investigation by independent and credible experts on this life and death anomaly should be launched as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released last week the General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2022 as signed by the President in December. I list below the big budget items and some new items there.

One, in the Allocation to local government units (ALGUs), the previous Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) has been renamed National Tax Allotment (NTA) in GAA 2022. The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) block grant is also added.

Two, in the Pension and Gratuity Fund (PGF) in 2022, I included the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF).

In Table 2, note the huge increase in approved vs. proposed budget 2022 for the Departments of Public Works and Highways, Social Welfare and Development, Health, and state universities and colleges. And a huge decline in approved vs. proposed budget for the Department of Education, Pension and Gratuity Fund, Government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs), and Department of Transportation.

Philippine government spending on health is actually huge and more than double the Department of Health’s (DoH) budget. See here in GAA 2022:

1.) DoH budget, P183.89 billion (including DoH hospitals, COVID vaccine booster shots P2.79 billion)

2.) DoH attached corporations, P85.86 billion (including PhilHealth P79.99 billion)

3.) Unprogrammed Appropriations (UA), P120.25 billion, of which:

– Procurement of COVID vaccine booster shots, P45.37 billion,

– Compensation and other benefits for COVID workers in health facilities, P42 billion,

– Operations of DoH Metro Manila and regional hospitals, P12.5 billion,

– COVID laboratory network commodities, P9.80 billion

– Health Facilities Enhancement Program, P4.04 billion

4.) Hospitals by other agencies, at least P10 billion:

– The University of the Philippines’ Philippine General Hospital (PGH), P6.30 billion,

– The Department of National Defense’s Veterans Memorial Medical Center, P2.35 billion,

– Other SUCs hospitals (West Visayas State University Medical Center…)

So P183.89 billion + P85.86 billion + P120.25 billion + P10 billion (at least) = P400 billion. Not included here are health spending by: a.) government gambling corporations (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office), b.) by other national agencies as they have their own medical and dental centers, and, c.) by LGUs as many of them have their own provincial hospitals, city hospitals, on top of their LGU health centers.

Now, the number of COVID cases are at an all-time high (28,700 on Jan. 9), the bulk of which are in Metro Manila, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benjamin Abalos has declared that the vaccination rate in the National Capital Region as of Jan. 4 was already 106% of target population — this is additional proof that vaccines have little function to control infections and protect the public. People have to rely on natural immunity and stronger immune systems to protect them from severe symptoms.

The implicit forced vaccination orders issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases under its Resolution 148, by the MMDA issued last week, and by many LGUs should stop. Not only for being unconstitutional but also for their questionable health impact.

 

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Minimal Government Thinkers.

minimalgovernment@gmail.com

A nexus approach to foreign security policy: Imperatives for the next Philippine president

VECTORJUICE-FREEPIK

An infinite set of foreign and security policy challenges will confront the next presidential administration of the Philippines. This is particularly evident in view of the US and China geopolitical transition as well as the emerging challenges from an altered geophysical milieu, where threats (pandemics, climate change, disasters), non-traditional in nature, have had a devastating impact for the Southeast Asian region.

A nexus approach to Philippine foreign and security policy becomes an imperative, entailing the integration of domestic and international security and foreign policy issues. Defined by A. Cook and S. Nanthini (2021), the nexus approach is collaborative, holistic, strategic, and multi-stakeholder. It is essential given that, firstly, domestic security issues such as economic, regime, and environmental changes have increasingly trans-nationalized with spillover effects beyond national borders. As a consequence, this will redefine diplomatic approaches (such as one that incorporates science diplomacy) as much as it will call for a diversification of strategic partnerships towards cooperation in non-traditional security.

Added to this, on the one hand, the rise of non-traditional or non-military security issues does not obliterate the continuing challenge of geopolitical security threats. In many ways non-traditional security is conflated with traditional security. For instance, we’ve seen how governments conflated (or securitized) their pandemic responses, simultaneously as public health with military led border controls. We’ve also witnessed how the EU and the US under Trump conflated migration with terrorism, resulting in heightened application of homeland security more than labor protection rules. Such conflation of non-military with military issues is also evident in the South China Sea (SCS) where the increasing intrusion by military and grey zone actors, mainly of China, in contested Exclusive Economic Zones is entangled with fishery depletion and food insecurity. In terms of foreign-security policy response, these developments will require approaches that either compartmentalize or couple issue-areas.

Critics have essentially noted a general lack of strategic framing of Philippine national security policy and an undeveloped strategic culture vis-a-vis external defense (A. Arugay and HJ Kraft, 2020). W. Bello and J. Heydarian (2010) also noted earlier the inability of the Philippines to leverage its “huge demographic, economic and geo-strategic value” that could have allowed it to perform a “pivotal role in the shaping of the broader international order” albeit as a small state.

With above considerations at stake, the recasting of our national security-foreign policies should be sought in order to achieve outcomes that locate our country in the context of the geostrategic lenses of the Indo Pacific and that rearrange our loyalties and alliances given the multi polarization of power.

Framing based on the Indo Pacific region requires that the Philippines reflect its role as a middle power whose primary asset (in 2021) is its defense network (Lowy Institute 2021). A middle power foreign-security posture will demand the harnessing of maritime security strategies that are more responsive to the extent of China’s power across two oceans and across two continents of the Asia Pacific and Africa, and to the evolving US-led/aligned multipolar and democratic Indo Pacific powers structure of India, Australia, and Japan. The outgoing Duterte administration has experimented with middle power strategies that ranged from appeasement and hedging vis-a-vis China and distancing from the US. It fortified strategic partnerships with South Korea, Japan, and Australia based on maritime domain awareness (MDA) which are key to a repositioning from a US-led hub and spokes system. However, this is devoid of a clear convergence with the articulated National Security Strategy (DND, 2018). At the crossroads of the Pacific and the Indian Oceans, it is also high time to reframe diplomacy in the SCS. Viewed as a geopolitical region and a large marine ecosystem, diplomacy should be anchored on the pursuit of a Code of Conduct and the arbitral ruling. Foreign-security policy making should further ASEAN centrality in regimes, building in information sharing and fusion in MDA and in practical maritime security cooperation.

 

Alma Maria O. Salvador, PhD, is an associate professor of the Department of Political Science of Ateneo de Manila University.

Myanmar court sentences ousted leader Suu Kyi over walkie-talkies

AUNG SAN SUU KYI — REUTERS

A COURT in military-ruled Myanmar sentenced on Monday ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four years in jail on several charges including possession of unlicensed walkie-talkies, a source familiar with the proceedings said.

The court handed down a two-year sentence to Ms. Suu Kyi for breaching the export-import law by possessing the handheld radios and one year for having a set of signal jammers. The two sentences will run concurrently, said the source.

She was also sentenced to two years on another charge of breaching the natural disaster management law related to coronavirus rules, the source said.

Nobel laureate Ms. Suu Kyi, 76, is on trial in nearly a dozen cases that carry combined maximum sentences of more than 100 years in prison. She denies all charges.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since a Feb. 1 coup against Ms. Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government led to widespread protests and raised international concern about the end of tentative political reforms since the end of decades of military rule.

Ms. Suu Kyi was detained the same day as the coup and days after, a police document said six illegally imported walkie-talkies were found during a search of her home.

On Dec. 6, she received a four-year jail sentence for incitement and breaching coronavirus rules.

That sentence, which was later reduced to two years, was met by a chorus of international condemnation over what critics described as a sham trial.

Ms. Suu Kyi’s supporters say the cases against her are baseless and designed to end her political career while the military consolidates power.

The junta says Ms. Suu Kyi is being given due process by an independent court led by a judge appointed by her own administration. A spokesman for the military council could not be reached immediately for comment.

Her trial in the capital, Naypyitaw, has been closed to the media and Ms. Suu Kyi’s lawyers have been barred from communicating with the media and public.

The military has not disclosed where Ms. Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest under a previous military government, is being detained.

In some recent court hearings, Ms. Suu Kyi has been wearing a white top and a brown wraparound longyi typically worn by Myanmar prisoners, sources have said.

Military ruler Min Aung Hlaing last month said Ms. Suu Kyi and ousted President Win Myint would remain in the same location during their trials and would not be sent to prison. — Reuters

World’s largest maker of condoms says usage down during pandemic

UNSPLASH

THE WORLD’S largest maker of condoms hasn’t been spared from the coronavirus pandemic as the use of its products slumped as much as 40% in the last two years.

Sexual activity using the contraceptive didn’t increase even as people stayed home amid lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus, Nikkei Asia reported, citing Karex Bhd.’s Chief Executive Officer Goh Miah Kiat.

The closure of hotels and non-essential clinics such as sexual wellness centers during the pandemic, along with various governments suspending condom handout programs, contributed to the decline in Karex’s condoms sales, Goh said, according to the report.

The Malaysia-based company, which makes one out of every five condoms worldwide, is now moving into the booming medical glove-making business and plans to kickoff production in Thailand by mid-year, Goh said in the report.

Karex had previously forecast condom demand to grow at “double digits” as governments around the world had imposed lockdowns, forcing people to stay at home. Karex produces for brands like Durex, as well as its own line of specialty condoms such as Durian-flavored ones. It churns out more than 5 billion condoms a year and exports them to more than 140 countries.

Karex’s shares have dropped about 18% over the past two years, during which Malaysia’s benchmark stock index has lost 3.1%. — Bloomberg

Juventus produces stunning fightback to defeat Roma in seven-goal thriller

JUVENTUS scored three goals in seven second-half minutes to complete an astonishing comeback and beat AS Roma 4-3 on Sunday after goalkeeper Wojciech  Szczęsny saved a late penalty to keep them in front at the Stadio Olimpico.

Tammy Abraham put Jose Mourinho’s side in front and Paulo Dybala made it 1-1 going into the break, but goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lorenzo Pellegrini put Roma in charge early in the second half.

Juve fought back as Manuel Locatelli and Dejan Kulusevski scored within two minutes of each other, and Mattia De Sciglio fired home a fourth in the 77th minute.

“We are happy for a very important win, especially for how it came about,” De Sciglio told DAZN.

“We started the second half very badly, but our character showed at a difficult moment. But we need to see that from the start.”

Roma was awarded a penalty after Matthijs de Ligt was shown a second yellow for handball with nine minutes remaining, but  Szczęsny guessed the right way to save Pellegrini’s penalty in front of a stunned home crowd.

Juventus moved up to 38 points in fifth place, six points ahead of eighth-placed Roma.

A frantic start set the tempo for the 90 minutes ahead, as Abraham headed home his fourth goal in four games from a corner.

Dybala curled in an unstoppable strike to draw Juve level, but the visitors were dealt a blow when winger Federico Chiesa limped off.

Roma looked to have the game in the bag when Mkhitaryan’s deflected shot looped over  Szczęsny and Pellegrini curled an exquisite free kick into the top corner within eight minutes of the second half starting.

Juventus has struggled for goals this season, mustering just 28 in 20 games ahead of their trip to Rome, but they turned on the style to mount an unlikely comeback in an extraordinary seven-minute period.

Locatelli was left unmarked to head in before Kulusevski fired home a rebound to equalise, although the Swede’s goal was only given following a VAR review after initially being disallowed for offside.

De Sciglio pounced on a careless Chris Smalling header to fire home Juve’s fourth, but their hard work was almost undone when a VAR review showed De Ligt had blocked an Abraham shot with his arm, resulting in a second booking for the Dutchman.

Roma captain Pellegrini was tasked with the spot kick, but his low shot was saved. — Reuters

Mavericks get Luka Dončić triple-double to break Chicago’s long winning streak

DALLAS Mavericks guard Luka Dončić (77) shoots the ball between Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević (9) and guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. — REUTERS

LUKA Dončić recorded a triple-double of 22 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, and the Dallas Mavericks extended their winning streak to six games while snapping the Chicago Bulls’ streak of nine games, 113-99, Sunday in Dallas.

A back-and-forth contest through the first three quarters, the Mavericks went on a 19-9 run to open the fourth quarter. That gave Dallas a double-digit-point lead it held the rest of the way and extended to as many as 18 points down the stretch.

All five Mavericks starters scored in double-figures, led by Dončić. Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith scored all 18 and 12 of their points on 6-of-9 and 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, keying Dallas’ 16-of-36 performance beyond the arc.

Jalen Brunson added 17 points and Dwight Powell scored 10. Josh Green shot 8-of-10 from the floor off the bench for 18 points.

Chicago scored at least 102 points in every game during its winning streak, but Dallas held the Bulls to just 39-of-90 shooting from the floor on Sunday to keep them in double-digits scoring for the first time since Dec. 11.

For the Mavericks, it was the fifth time during their six-game winning streak and sixth time in the last seven games they held an opponent to fewer than 100 points.

Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 20 points apiece, but Dallas held LaVine to 7-of-21 shooting. Nikola Vučević went just 6-of-17 from the floor for 13 points, and Coby White was held to 1-of-4 shooting from 3-point range on a 13-point night.

Lonzo Ball was the only Bull to make more than two 3-pointers, but he finished with just nine points on three-of-six shooting from deep. He added six rebounds and five assists. DeRozan led Chicago with eight assists.

The Bulls built a lead of as many as 11 points in the first half before going cold in the second. They went 18-of-43 from the field after intermission to the Mavericks’ 21-of-40 shooting. — Reuters

Atletico held by Villarreal in breathtaking LaLiga clash

GEOFFREY Kondogbia rescued a point for Atletico Madrid with a second-half strike that secured the champions a 2-2 draw with Villarreal in a breathtaking LaLiga clash on Sunday.

Striker Angel Correa scored a brilliant goal from midfield to hand Atletico the lead but Pau Torres equalized after pouncing on a rebound following a free kick in the 29th minute.

Villarreal went ahead early in the second half after Alberto Moreno fired in a low shot but Kondogbia made sure Atletico earned a share of the points when he netted past goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.

Atletico is fourth in standings with 33 points from 20 matches, 16 points behind leader Real Madrid. Villarreal is just outside the European spots, eighth with 29 points.

Atletico’s Correa intercepted a pass from Dani Parejo in the center circle and lobbed Rulli with a dazzling effort to score.

“I know Rulli pretty well and know that he likes to stay far away from the goal. So when I saw it, I went all in and the kick was right in,” Correa told reporters.

Jan Oblak appeared to have preserved Atletico’s lead when he blocked a Gerard Moreno penalty kick in the 23rd minute but Torres pounced on the rebound to level at 1-1.

The hosts then went ahead when Gerard Moreno slipped the ball through to Alberto Moreno, who rifled into the back of the net.

However, their lead lasted less than 10 minutes as Kondogbia’s strike secured Atletico a point.

Atletico was reduced to 10 men in the dying seconds when Kondogbia was sent off for a second yellow card.

Earlier on Sunday, second-place Sevilla secured a 1-0 win against Getafe thanks to an early Rafa Mir goal. They trail leader Real by five points with a game in hand. — Reuters

49ers come back from 17 down, beat Rams to make playoffs

ROBBIE Gould kicked a 24-yard field goal with 2:48 remaining in overtime on Sunday afternoon, allowing the San Francisco 49ers to earn a wildcard spot in the National Football Conference (NFC) playoffs with a come-from-behind 27-24 victory over the host Los Angeles Rams.

Rookie cornerback Ambry Thomas intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass six plays later, assuring the 49ers (10-7) the No. 6 seed in the West and a meeting with the third-seeded Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs.

After blowing a 17-0 lead and seeing a five-game winning streak come to an end, the Rams (12-5) fell to the No. 4 seed in the NFC and will host the fifth-seeded Arizona Cardinals next week.

Despite the loss, the Rams won the NFC West title over the Cardinals (11-6) after Arizona was beaten by the Seattle Seahawks.

Needing a win or a tie to keep their season alive, the 49ers won the overtime toss and Jimmy Garoppolo, playing 17 days after suffering a torn ligament in his right thumb, directed a 12-play, 69-yard drive that chewed up the first 7:15 of the 10-minute extra session.

Gould’s field goal was his second of the game.

The Rams got one final possession and advanced to their 38 at the 2:00 warning, But Stafford’s next pass deep down the right sideline was picked off by Thomas, ending the game.

Garoppolo threw for 316 yards and one touchdown, completing 23-for-32 passes, but he shared the offensive spotlight with Deebo Samuel, who ran for a 16-yard score, threw 24 yards to Jauan Jennings for another, and caught four passes for 95 yards.

Stafford finished 21-for-32 for 238 yards with three three touchdowns, two to tight end Tyler Higbee.

Both quarterbacks threw two interceptions.

The Rams appeared headed for a regulation win when Jalen Ramsey intercepted a pass in the end zone to preserve a fourth-quarter tie, and Stafford hit Cooper Kupp with a 4-yard, go-ahead score with 2:29 remaining.

But after an exchange of punts, Garoppolo drove the 49ers 88 yards in five plays, including a 43-yard, catch-and-run connection with Samuel.

Two plays later, Garoppolo found Jennings over the middle for the 14-yard score that tied the game at 24-all.

The Rams dominated the game’s first 29 minutes, going up 17-0 on Higbee’s scoring receptions of 2 and 15 yards in the second quarter, after an earlier Matt Gay 43-yard field goal.

Gould’s first field goal, a 42-yarder, sent the 49ers to the half time break down 17-3.

Brandon Aiyuk caught six passes for 107 yards for the 49ers, while Elijah Mitchell was the game’s leading rusher with 85 yards on 21 carries.

Kupp hauled in seven balls for a game-high 118 receiving yards for the Rams, who were held to 64 yards rushing.

In beating Los Angeles for the sixth straight time, the 49ers outgained the Rams 449-265. — Reuters

Cameron Smith scores PGA record 34-under to win TOC

DESPITE notching an incredible Professiona Golfers’ Association (PGA) record low 34-under on a 72-hole par, the Tournament of Champions still wasn’t decided until Cameron Smith’s final hole Sunday.

But a birdie on 18 wrapped up Smith’s one-stroke victory and a final-round 65 (8-under) for the Australian in Kapalua, Hawaii.

“Unreal round,” Smith said. “Something I’ll never forget.”

Smith hit eight birdies on the day, including four over the final six holes, to keep his competition at bay.

The win was Smith’s fourth on the Tour. His most recent victory prior to Sunday was at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans — coincidentally where he also earned his first championship — last spring.

World No. 1 Jon Rahm of Spain and Australia’s Matt Jones, who had to settle for second and third respectively, each bested Ernie Els’ previous high-water mark of a 31-under, set at the 2003 TOC. Rahm finished 33-under, while Jones was 32-under.

Rahm, who finished with a 7-under-66 Sunday, birdied his final hole to keep the pressure on Smith, before Smith matched his round.

Rahm scored 32 birdies over four rounds, tying another PGA Tour record. He tied Mark Calcavecchia (2001 Phoenix Open) and Paul Gow (2001 B.C. Open).

“I have every reason to be smiling,” Rahm said. “It’s a bittersweet moment.”

Jones added a third impressive performance, firing a scorching 12-under 61 on Sunday, a round which featured two eagles and eight birdies. After scoring a nearly as good 62 on Saturday, that gave Jones a PGA record of his own, the lowest 36-hole score at 23-under.

Patrick Cantlay finished in fourth place at 26-under after his final-round 6-under-67.

Three golfers finished tied for fifth at 25-under. Collin Morikawa shot a 62 on Sunday, Justin Thomas recorded a 65 and Daniel Berger had a 69.

Kevin Kisner fired a final-round 65 to forge an eight-place tie with South Korea’s Sungjae Im (final-round 69) at 24-under.

Cam Davis (66) and Marc Leishman (68) rounded out the Top 10, finishing 23-under for the tournament. — Reuters

Australian judge raises concerns about Djokovic’s airport interview

MELBOURNE — The judge hearing Novak Djokovic’s legal challenge to the Australian government’s decision to revoke the star tennis player’s entry visa raised concerns on Monday about the Serbian’s treatment after he was detained on arrival.

Judge Anthony Kelly said it appeared Djokovic had received the required medical exemption from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination before he traveled to Melbourne for the Australian Open tennis tournament and presented evidence of that when he landed on Wednesday evening.

“The point that I am somewhat agitated about is what more could this man have done?” Kelly said as Djokovic’s lawyers outlined their case challenging the government’s decision to revoke his visa.

Djokovic’s plight has been closely followed around the world, creating political tensions between Belgrade and Canberra and sparking heated debate over national vaccination mandates.

At risk is the world number one’s shot at winning a record 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open, the year’s first major, which starts in Melbourne on Jan. 17.

Djokovic, 34, has been held in an immigration detention hotel alongside long-term asylum seeker detainees since Thursday. He was permitted to attend his lawyers’ chambers for the virtual hearings but has not been seen in public since he arrived in Australia.

His lawyers argue that a recent COVID-19 infection qualified Djokovic for the medical exemption from a requirement for non-Australian citizens entering the country to be double vaccinated.

The Australian government, however, says non-citizens had no right of guaranteed entry to Australia, questioned his claimed exemption and stressed that even Djokovic wins the court action, it reserved the right to detain him again and remove him from the country.

Exchanges between Kelly and Djokovic’s lawyer Nicholas Wood revealed officials made the player switch off his phone from midnight to around 7:42 a.m. local time, when the decision to cancel his visa was made.

Officials also reneged on an agreement to give Djokovic until 8:30 a.m. to speak to tournament organizer Tennis Australia and lawyers, the judge said. Djokovic was instead woken up by officials at around 6:00 a.m. after a brief rest and pressured to respond “because it was better for him if they made the decision right away,” according to his lawyer.

Wood said Djokovic had provided evidence to support his claim for exemption both before boarding his flight and on arrival, despite not being required to do so.

Government lawyers are due to present their case later on Monday.

“LIVING LIKE AN ANIMAL”
A group of around 50 supporters gathered outside the Federal Circuit and Family Court on Monday, even though the hearing was held virtually because of the Omicron outbreak in Australia.

Access to the day’s hearings was plagued by technical issues that repeatedly crashed the public live-stream.

Many of the supporters outside court, some waving the Serbian flag, held hands and sang as they danced in a circle.

“He has been living like an animal in a human zoo,” said one supporter, Petar Nikolic. “What is happening here is unAustralian. It is politics and definitely racist.”

In Belgrade, Djokovic’s father addressed a small protest in front of Serbia’s parliament building on Sunday, also accusing officials of treating his son, and all Serbians, like animals.

However, popular opinion in Australia, where more than 90% of the adult population is fully vaccinated, has been largely against the tennis player, particularly in Melbourne, which experienced the world’s longest cumulative lockdown.

The country’s COVID-19 cases surpassed one million, with more than half of them recorded in the past week, driving up hospitalization numbers and putting a strain on supply chains.

TESTED POSITIVE
The saga kicked off when Djokovic posted a photo of himself leaning on his luggage on Instagram last Tuesday, telling the world he was headed to Australia to compete in the Open with a vaccination exemption.

A long-term vocal opponent of mandatory vaccination, Djokovic had never revealed his vaccination status but court documents confirmed he has not been inoculated.

French newspaper L’Equipe published a photograph of Djokovic taken when he was named the daily’s Champion of Champions in the days after he said in a court filing he had tested positive for coronavirus, Dec. 16.

Other photographs published on social media showed him appearing at functions in Serbia on dates soon after that test.

It was not clear if Djokovic knew of his positive test at the time of the events shown in the pictures.

Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said in his first media interview since the furore began that his organization had spoken with federal and state officials for months to ensure the safe passage of players.

Czech player Renata Voracova who was detained in the same detention hotel as Djokovic and had her visa revoked after issues with her vaccine exemption, left the country without challenging her status, the Czech Foreign Ministry said. — Reuters

Peso strengthens vs dollar

THE PESO strengthened against the dollar on Monday after the government said it in unlikely to tighten mobility restrictions further.

The local currency closed at P51.31 per dollar on Monday, four centavos stronger than its P51.35 finish on Friday, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines’ website showed.

The peso opened at P51.38 versus the dollar. Its worst showing was at P51.45, while its intraday best was P51.27 against the greenback.

Dollars exchanged fell to $919.22 million on Monday from $1.017 billion on Friday.

Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said the peso strengthened after the government said the capital region is unlikely to be placed under stricter lockdown measures soon.

Market sentiment was also supported by “relatively smaller amount of estimated economic losses of the Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila and other areas,” he said in a Viber message.

Acting Presidential Spokesman and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles on Monday said Metro Manila has not met the metrics that would prompt the stricter Alert Level 4.

The economy would lose P3 billion a week in productivity contributions due to the shift to Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila and nearby regions, the Development Budget Coordination Committee said on Friday.

Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal are under Alert Level 3 until Saturday due to a surge in coronavirus disease 2019 cases.

Mr. Ricafort also said the peso also strengthened in response to reform measures recently passed by the Duterte administration.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte last week signed Republic Act No. 11595, which lowered the minimum paid-up capital for foreign retailers.

He also signed Republic Act No. 11635, which qualifies private schools and nonprofit hospitals for tax relief. — J.P. Ibañez

Stocks climb after better November jobless data

THE benchmark index climbed on Monday as investors digested data showing an improved unemployment rate in the country and after the government said it will not be imposing strict lockdowns amid the surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) gained 129.56 points or 1.84% to close at 7,140.67 on Monday, while the broader all shares index improved 54.27 points or 1.44% to finish at 3,799.88.

“The local bourse finished higher amid investors feeling optimistic over the country’s unemployment report for the month of November,” Timson Securities, Inc. Trader Darren Blaine T. Pangan said in a separate Viber message.

“However, traders may still be remaining cautiously optimistic while monitoring the coronavirus cases in the country,” he added.

The Philippine Statistics Authority’s labor force survey showed the country’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.5% in November from the 7.4% logged in October. This is after the government placed Metro Manila under Alert Level 2 beginning November, which allowed more businesses to reopen with the eased restrictions.

However, COVID-19 cases are picking up again, with the Health department reporting 33,169 new infections on Monday.

“Philippine stocks rallied sharply at the start of the week taking their cue from the government pronouncement that there is no need yet to place the capital under Alert Level 4 even if the region’s healthcare utilization rate is nearing moderate risk level amid the rising pandemic cases,” Papa Securities Corp. Equities Strategist Manny P. Cruz said in a text message.

“Note that last week’s decline was on account of anticipation for a tighter quarantine status and investors took the recent development as positive for local stocks,” Mr. Cruz said.

All sectoral indices posted gains on Monday, led by property, which added 85.38 points or 2.78% to close at 3,154.13.

Financials went up by 43.59 points or 2.75% to end at 1,625.73; industrials climbed 171 points or 1.69% to 10,281.81; mining and oil picked up 143.92 points or 1.51% to 9,668.82; holding firms improved by 98.32 points or 1.43% to close at 6,944.12; and services gained 16.12 points or 0.83% to finish at 1,957.89.

Value turnover declined to P5.25 billion with 745.53 million shares switching hands on Monday, lower than the P5.85 billion with 647.43 billion issues traded on Friday.

Advancers outnumbered decliners, 116 against 64, with 53 names closed unchanged.

Net foreign selling declined to P118.04 million from the P284.75 million logged the previous trading day.

“[The PSEi’s] support remains at 6,940, while 7,454.50 seems to be where resistance may be drawn,” Timson Securities’ Mr. Pangan said. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

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