Probe of ‘hijacked’ SMS alert on Marcos sought

October 6, 2021 | 8:02 pm

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter
and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

SOME mobile phone users received an emergency text message from the telecommunication regulator endorsing the presidential run of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos’s only son and namesake on Wednesday, just as he filed his certificate of candidacy.

“A solid concern for the country, a life devoted to the people” the alert written in Filipino that featured the initials of Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. or BBM read. “BBM for the nation, BBM for the people, BBM for the masses, BBM for the Philippines.”

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will investigate the matter, Deputy Commissioner Edgardo V. Cabarios said in a Viber message.

Under the law, the local disaster agency and telecommunication companies must issue emergency warnings during calamities such as typhoons and earthquakes.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council did not send the endorsement, the Philippine Star reported, citing spokesman Mark Timbal.

“We support the swift action of the NTC calling for an investigation of the illegal use of the emergency alert notification text containing pro-Bongbong Marcos narratives,” Marcos chief of staff Victor Rodriguez said in an e-mailed statement.

Party-list group Bayan Muna urged the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to “immediately investigate and explain how the Marcos campaign was able to hijack the emergency alert frequency.”

“This casts a serious doubt on the integrity of the system, which people are supposed to rely on for life-saving information,” it said in a statement. “Aside from the NTC and DICT, Congress should also probe this underhanded style of campaigning.”

Mr. Marcos, a former senator, filed his certificate of candidacy for President under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, which was founded by allies of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“I filed my certificate of candidacy for president just now,” he told reporters. “I guess that makes it official.”

Mr. Marcos said his party had planned to adopt Mr. Duterte, who had expressed his admiration for the late dictator, as his running mate.

Last week, Mr. Duterte said he would retire from politics when his six-year term ends next year. He added that he had backed out of his vice-presidential ambition because his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio would run for President in tandem with Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go, his former aide.

“With what happened on Saturday, all our plans changed,” Mr. Marcos said. So now, we are making consultations.”

Mr. Marcos said his talks with Ms. Carpio, “never reached specifics,” adding that he would consider Mr. Go as his running mate.

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, the first mainstream politician to announce a presidential run, also filed his certificate of candidacy under Partido Reporma, with Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III as his running mate. Mr. Sotto is running under the Nacionalista Party.

Mr. Lacson, a former police chief who served in the now defunct Philippine Constabulary, lost to ex-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the 2004 elections.

The 73-year-old senator had faced murder charges after policemen under his command shot and killed 11 members of a crime syndicate during a raid in Quezon City in 1995. The Supreme Court acquitted him in 2012 for lack of probable cause.

Vice-President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo, who has been endorsed by an opposition coalition as its presidential candidate for the 2022 elections, had been in talks with Mr. Lacson as part of her efforts to form a united opposition.

Mr. Lacson had rejected a nomination by 1Sambayan, noting that many of its members were plaintiffs in a Supreme Court lawsuit questioning the Anti-Terrorism Act, which he authored.

Labor leader Leodegario “Leody” de Guzman also filed his candidacy certificate for president. He ran for senator in 2019 and lost.

Meanwhile, former Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar filed his candidacy certificate for senator under the Nacionalista Party.

Senators Juan Miguel F. Zubiri and Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva also filed for reelection.

Former Philippine Medical Association President Leo O. Olarte and actor and ex-Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista likewise filed their certificates of candidacy for senator.

DoH logs 9,868 more COVID-19 cases amid technical problems

October 6, 2021 | 8:01 pm

THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) reported 9,868 coronavirus infections on Wednesday, bringing the total to 2.62 million.

The agency did not report deaths, citing technical issues. Recoveries increased by 113 to 2.47 million, it said in a bulletin.

DoH said there were 112,807 active cases, 76.7% of which were mild, 13.9% did not show symptoms, 2.8% were severe, 5.49% were moderate and 1.2% were critical.

The agency said 21 duplicates had been removed from the tally, 16 of which were reclassified as recoveries. Two laboratories failed to submit data on Oct. 4.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration had sought the Health department’s opinion on whether personal COVID-19 test kits could be used to boost the country’s virus detection efforts, Director-General Rolando Enrique D. Domingo told a televised news briefing.

Official coronavirus tests are all done using swab or antigen tests, Mr. Domingo said. “We are just waiting for the answer of the DoH, if they think it will be useful to our strategies.”

The United States and Singapore have approved the use of home COVID-19 tests.

Australian company Ellume has recalled hundreds of thousands of personal test kits it shipped to the US after they showed “higher-than-anticipated false positive results,” USA Today reported.

Earlier this week, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said there had been fewer swab tests for the coronavirus in 14 regions including Metro Manila.

The biggest decline in RT-PCR tests was in the capital region, whose positivity rate decreased to 16.4% in the past week from 19.3% a week earlier, she said.

Swab tests in the metro fell by 37,383 or 14.1% to 266,042, she said, leading to fewer people who tested positive for the virus.

The Philippines, which scored poorly in Bloomberg’s COVID-19 resilience study, is struggling to treat citizens who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Mr. Domingo said the FDA had set up a special lane to quicken the emergency use approvals of COVID-19 treatment drugs.

Several business groups earlier urged the government to allow the private sector to impose stricter requirements on unvaccinated employees and patrons, and decline unvaccinated job applicants.

In a statement, DoH said this could lead to discrimination since most Filipinos have not been vaccinated either due to vaccine supply issues or medical reasons.

“The DOH urges the eligible population to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their families against COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019),” it said. “Moreover, fully vaccinated individuals should continue to practice minimum public health standards since they can still get infected and infect others with COVID-19.”

The private groups, which include the Bankers Association of the Philippines, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, GoNegosyo and Investment House Association of the Philippines said the state and private sector should be able to restrict the activities of unvaccinated people “for the common good.”

The groups also asked companies to encourage employees to get vaccinated, while accommodating those who can’t get vaccinated for medical reasons in a way that won’t compromise the health and safety of other workers.

Also on Wednesday, the Education department said pilot testing of face-to-face classes would start on Nov. 15.

The run would start in the second quarter of the academic year until Jan. 31, Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno A. Malaluan told senators at a hearing.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte earlier approved the pilot run in areas with few coronavirus infections. A hundred public schools and 20 private institutions will take part.

Mr. Malaluan said 59 public schools had been cleared for assessment by the Health department.

The pilot test will combine face-to-face classes in school and distance learning for two months.

Class size will be limited to 12 students in kindergarten, 16 in Grades 1-3, and 20 at senior high school level, the Education department said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Party-list aspirants now more than 80

October 6, 2021 | 8:00 pm

MORE THAN a dozen party-list groups filed certificates on Wednesday for the May 2022 elections, bringing the total to over 80.

There will be 63 party-list seats in the next Congress.

Among those that filed on Wednesday include Magsasaka Party-list with incumbent Deputy Minority Leader Argel Joseph T. Cabatbat as first nominee.

Mr. Cabatbat, who is seeking a second term, said he hopes to continue his advocacy on voicing out the needs of local farmers and fishermen.

Mr. Cabatbat was instrumental in enacting Republic Act 11524 or the Coconut Farmer and Industry Act and pushed for the review of the Rice Tariffication Law.

Former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority spokesperson Pircelyn “Celine” B. Pialago also filed her certificate of nomination and acceptance for a congressional seat under the Malasakit Movement Party.

She said that she hopes to push for better benefits for barangay workers and be the voice of the national task force against insurgency in Congress.

As of Tuesday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) tallied 74 party-lists that signed up.

Those that filed on Wednesday include Anakpawis, ACTS-OFW, and Akbayan.

Others, as reported by the Comelec, include Ang Kampilan, Ang Kabuhayan Kayang Kaya (AKKK), Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa (RAM), Angat Kabuhayan, KAPUSO PM, Pinagbuklod na Filipino Para sa Bayan, Kusog Bikolandia, Samahang Ilaw at Bisig, Gentlemen United Associate of our Race Dauntless Ingenious Advocator of the Nation and Society (GUARDIANS), and Kalinga.

Meanwhile, Cavite Rep. Elpidio F. Barzaga, Jr. is also seeking reelection. He currently chairs the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Filing of certificates of candidacy is until Oct. 8. The substitution of candidates will be allowed until Nov. 15. — Russell Louis C. Ku

DoJ to review Duterte directive on Senate probe

October 6, 2021 | 8:00 pm

JUSTICE SECRETARY Menardo I. Guevarra agreed to review the presidential directive barring executive officials from participating in the Senate’s probe on alleged misused pandemic funds.

“I do hope that with the aid of the good secretary of Justice, this memorandum can be reviewed in order that the constitutional crisis can be averted,” said Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon during Wednesday’s Finance Committee budget hearing.

Mr. Guevarra said he would discuss it with the executive secretary and asked that the Senate also make adjustments in consideration of the executive department officials’ work schedule.

“I believe that this is a two-way thing,” Mr. Guevarra told the hearing. “There should be adjustments for both sides.”

The Justice chief also said that he was not involved in the drafting of the memo, but he was called for his opinion.

He said the memo was made “not as a defiance of the congressional prerogative to conduct legislative inquiries, but as a protest on the manner the Senate blue ribbon committee has conducted its hearings, which have taken a lot of valuable time from executive officials who are urgently addressing a public health emergency.”

The next blue ribbon committee hearing is scheduled on Oct. 12. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Political prisoners’ support group condemns Marcos’s presidential bid

October 6, 2021 | 7:59 pm

A SUPPORT group for families and friends of political prisoners, established in 1978 during the martial law period, expressed strong opposition to the presidential bid of the late dictator’s son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr., next year.

In an emailed statement on Tuesday, Kapatid Spokesperson Fides Lim said Mr. Marcos’ bid is “part of their power grab since they went back to the Philippines from exile in 1991.”

“The family that was responsible for the killings, illegal detention, and gross human rights violations should not be in Malacañang again,” Ms. Lim said.

Bayan Muna Chairman and human rights lawyer Neri J. Colmenares, in a statement on Wednesday, also opposed Mr. Marcos’s candidacy saying should he win, he will be able to pardon his mother and siblings “of their liabilities to the people, including the recent ruling on the Marcos estate’s tax debt.”

Mr. Colmenares was referring to the Sept. 28 decision of the anti-graft court ordering the former Traders Commercial Bank to turnover to the Philippine government the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family amounting to almost P1 billion.

The late Ferdinand E. Marcos placed the country under martial law from Sept. 23, 1972 to Jan. 1981. About 70,000 people were jailed, some 34,000 were tortured, and more than 3,000 people died during the period, based on an Amnesty International report.

Mr. Marcos filed his certificate of candidacy for president on Wednesday. He unsuccessfully contested the alleged election irregularities that resulted to Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo’s narrow win over him in the 2016 elections. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

POEA bans employers of Filipino seafarers stranded in China

October 6, 2021 | 7:58 pm

THE PHILIPPINE Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has blacklisted the employers of 29 Filipino seafarers stranded in Xiamen, China, who were abandoned after their respective vessels ceased operations in May.

In a news briefing on Wednesday, POEA Administrator Bernard P. Olalia said in Filipino that “these employers know their responsibility to bring home our seafarers but they abandoned them, hence they are blacklisted in POEA and cannot anymore hire seafarers and fishermen.”

The manning agencies who hired the seafarers were also suspended by the POEA, Mr. Olalia said.

On Sept. 17, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that 29 seafarers aboard three Chinese-flagged fishing vessels have been stranded along the coast of Xiamen, China.

The DFA sent them assistance packages containing food, clothing, and hygiene kits while waiting to be repatriated.

Sixteen of the seafarers were brought back to the Philippines on Sept. 29, and Mr. Olalia assured that the POEA is working with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in China and the Chinese government to bring home the remaining 13 as soon as possible.

Mr. Olalia said the employers and manning agencies are mandated to give the seafarers’ wages until they are brought back to the Philippines despite the end of their contracts.

If they fail to comply, the POEA will use the agencies’ deposited escrow fund to pay the seafarers. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

Baguio tourism council appeals for reopening to vaccinated visitors

October 6, 2021 | 7:58 pm

THE BAGUIO Tourism Council, composed of private and public sector members, has appealed to the city government to lift the ban on leisure travel for vaccinated visitors and those with a negative RT-PCR test result.

“Stringent lockdowns have wreaked havoc on the economy resulting to loss of jobs and livelihood,” the council said in a resolution signed on Oct. 5.

It also said that 100% of the city’s tourism and economic sector frontliners have been fully vaccinated.

The city government, among the first to reopen to tourists last year, suspended all non-essential travel in early September following a surge in cases.

Baguio, one of the most popular urban-mountain destinations in the country, is currently under the second most relaxed quarantine level known as the general community quarantine with heightened restrictions. Under this category, leisure travel is allowed with limits on hotel and dining capacities.

“The presentation of the vaccination cards and/or the negative PCR test would be the perfect balance to revive the economy while not unduly burdening the health care system,” the council said.

As of Oct. 5, Baguio had a total of 25,970 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, of which 4,547 were active, 20,902 recovered and 521 died, based on City Health Office data.

Its COVID-19 isolation and quarantine facilities were at 66% occupancy rate. — MSJ

DFA beefing up manpower, sites for passport renewal

October 6, 2021 | 7:57 pm

DFA-temporarypassportsite-DFA.GOV.PH — DFA.GOV.PH

THE DEPARTMENT of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will be opening more temporary sites for passport renewal services in several key cities to address demand.

DFA Assistant Secretary Senen T. Mangalile, in a media conference Tuesday, said the satellite venues that will be dedicated to renewal applications will be located in Fairview in Quezon City, Manila, Lipa, Cebu, and Davao.

DFA Undersecretary Brigido J. Dulay said each site would be able to accommodate about 300 to 500 applications per day.

Existing passport renewal off-sites are located in San Pedro City, Olongapo, SM Mall of Asia, SM North EDSA, SM Aura, Robinsons Place Las Piñas, Robinsons Place Magnolia, and Ayala Glorietta 3. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Senators tell DoJ to immediately pursue plans to address ‘inhumane’ congestion rate in prisons

October 6, 2021 | 7:57 pm

SENATORS on Wednesday told the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to immediately address the congestion rate in national penitentiaries across the country at over 300%, with one solon calling the prison conditions as “inhumane.”

At the budget hearing of the Department of Justice, which includes BuCor, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon said the 344% congestion rate at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) alone, the main national penitentiary, is “inhumane” especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Drilon said the preliminary works to move the NBP to another location from Muntinlupa City must begin before the end of the Duterte administration in June 2022.

Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra told the hearing that “there will be some very clear plans about the intention to transfer the location of the National Bilibid Prison elsewhere” before the current administration steps down.

Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara, chair of the Senate finance committee, said the BuCor and the Justice department must come up with a five to 10-year plan to decongest jails in the country “so that we in Congress can respond accordingly and find ways to fund this every year.”

BuCor Spokesperson Gabriel P. Chaclag said the Bilibid, built with a capacity for 6,435 prisoners, has a total population of 28,545 as of Aug. 2021.

Mr. Chaclag added that the average congestion rate in seven prisons and penal farms in the country is 303%. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

San Miguel claws back to beat TnT, levels semis series at 1-1

October 6, 2021 | 7:22 pm

Marcio — MARCIO Lassiter scored the game-winning basket for the San Miguel Beermen to complete their comeback in Game Two of their best-of-seven PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series over the TnT Tropang Giga, 98-96, on Wednesday to level the affair at a game apiece. — PBA IMAGES

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE San Miguel Beermen came from behind to take Game Two of their best-of-seven Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinal series over the TnT Tropang Giga, 98-96, on Wednesday to level the affair at a game apiece.

Marcio Lassiter drained the game-winning putback from under the basket as time expired to complete the San Miguel comeback and stun the Tropang Giga at the Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

The win thrusted the Beermen to leveling their semifinal series with TnT and reducing their semifinal joust in the ongoing Philippine Basketball Association tournament to a race-to-three wins.

TnT was in control of the contest for much of the time, even holding the lead as high as 19 points, 80-61, with 1:43 to go in the third quarter.

But like what they did in the first game, the Beermen fashioned out a ferocious charge-back in the fourth quarter and succeeded this time around.

Led by Terrence Romeo, San Miguel steadily made its way back, cutting its deficit to just five points, 84-79, at the 7:05 mark.

The Beermen continued to crowd the Tropang Giga after and eventually went on top, 96-93, with 10 seconds left to play.

TnT managed to pull even after Troy Rosario drained a three-pointer with six seconds remaining over the outstretched arm of Mo Tautuaa.

San Miguel sued for time after.

Off the time out, the Beermen went to June Mar Fajardo but his attempt to the basket was defended well by the TnT defense.

Arwind Santos got to tip the ball to the direction of the basket but also missed to connect before Mr. Lassiter grabbed the rebound and drained the putback as the seconds ticked away.

“It’s all heart by the players,” a relieved San Miguel coach Leo Austria said in the postgame press conference, in describing the efforts of his players in Game Two.

Mr. Romeo had 26 points for San Miguel in the big win, followed by Mr. Fajardo who had 22 to go along with 10 rebounds.

Game hero Mr. Lassiter only had seven points but made up for it with the game-winner.

For TnT, it was Roger Pogoy who top-scored with 21 points, with JP Erram tallying a double-double of 20 points and 10 boards.

Game Three of the San Miguel-TnT series is on Friday at 6 p.m.

PWNFT can go places given ample time to train and play together, says coach Maro

October 6, 2021 | 7:22 pm

Phil-wmns-vs-HK-1 — THE Philippine women’s national football team is girding for its bid in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup happening next year where it hopes to go deeper and vie for a spot in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. — AFC

THE Philippine women’s national football team (PWNFT) is girding for its bid in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup happening next year where it hopes to go deeper and vie for a spot in the 2023 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Women’s World Cup.

It is something that the team’s coach, Marlon Maro, underscored needed to be given focus just as he said they have a realistic shot at claiming a World Cup spot provided the team has ample time to train and play together.

“We have the support of the PFF (Philippine Football Federation) and FIFA as well as our team manager Jefferson Cheng, who has been taking care of our needs. But the thing we have to work on is how we can assemble the team as a whole. How the team can train as one,” said Mr. Maro in their session on the online Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday.

The coach said they are angling to resume their training in California as soon as possible in preparation for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in India taking place from Jan. 20-Feb. 6, 2022, but with the Manila-based players in tow.

The team earned a spot in the Asian Cup after topping Group F of the qualifiers in Uzbekistan last month.

It, however, had to do with the players training in two camps, one trained in California while another group who have no United States visas trained in the country overseen by the coaching staff online.

The whole team then converged in Tashkent for the qualifiers proper.

Mr. Maro said it is a setup they are looking to avoid so as to have the best-prepared team possible.

“The face-to-face training is still not clear in the Philippines given the stand of the government that things will only open up when the general population is already vaccinated [for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)]. And we can’t wait for that moment because the Asian Cup is in January,” said Mr. Maro.

“So the plan is for the players to go to the US because they are already open there. The problem is getting the visas for them. But we’re hoping we can get schedules in the embassy here,” he added.

The national team hopes to land among the top five teams in the Asian Cup to advance to Australia for the World Cup, where no Filipino team has yet to make it.

Mr. Maro said it is not going to be easy, but they are not going to use it as an excuse not to compete hard and that given the right circumstances, he believes they can go places.

“Save for China, I think we can compete with the rest of the field. If we’re given more time to train and play together, I think we can,” said the coach, who was joined in the PSA Forum by assistant coach Rose Ton Barinan and midfielder Rocelle Mendano.

Teams which have already qualified for the AFC Asian Cup apart from the Philippines are India (host), Japan (defending champion), Australia, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea, Iran and Thailand. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Choco Mucho bests Rebisco in Asian volleyball matchup

October 6, 2021 | 7:22 pm

Choco-Mucho-Rebisco — CHOCO Mucho clinched its maiden victory in the Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship in Thailand at the expense of another Filipino team, Rebisco. — ASIAN VOLLEYBALL CONFEDERATION

TEAM Choco Mucho-Philippines scored its maiden victory at the expense of fellow Filipino selection Rebisco in four sets in Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship action on Wednesday at the Terminal 21 KORAT in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

Powered by Kalei Mau, Ria Meneses and MJ Phillips, Choco Mucho repulsed Rebisco after giving away the opening set for a 22-25, 25-17, 25-19, and 25-17 win in the all-Filipino consolation-round match.

Behind the net defense of Ms. Meneses, the reigning Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Best Blocker, and the firepower of Mses. Mau and Phillips, Choco Mucho raced to a double-digit lead in the second set, before again leading by eight in the third frame to take control.

Rebisco had erased a 10-14 deficit in the first set, leaning on the attacks of veterans Aby Marano and Dindin Santiago-Manabat, to take a 24-21 lead and eventually take the opening set prior.

But Choco Mucho, coached by former University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses mentor Odjie Mamon, would not be denied in the fourth set, taking an 18-12 advantage to clinch the win over Brazilian head coach Jorde Souza de Brito’s troops.

Rebisco earlier lost to Nakhon Ratchasima QminC in the quarterfinals, 0-3, while Choco Mucho suffered the same fate to another host club in Supreme Chonburi, 0-3. Prior to their clash, both squads were winless in the elimination round of the tournament.

With the win, Choco Mucho gained a chance to improve its overall finish as it now heads to the battle for fifth place against Kazakhstan club Zhetysu, which had lost its quarterfinals duel to Iranian side Saipa Tehran last Monday. Rebisco, on the other hand, shall settle for the last place in the seven-team competition.

Meanwhile, the Rebisco men’s Philippine contingent left for Nakhon Ratchasima on Tuesday night to compete in the AVC Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship slated to open on Friday, Oct. 8.

It will be the first international competition for the national team handled by coach Dante Alinsunurin since the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Manila.

John Vic De Guzman will captain the team, which includes Rex Intal, Mark Alfafara, Ricky Marcos, Ish Polvorosa, Jessie Lopez, Kim Malabunga, Francis Saura, Josh Retamar and Jao Umandal.

Ysay Marasigan, who played in the 2015 SEA Games, is also returning, while Nico Almendras, Manuel Sumanguid and JP Bugaoan are all making their senior debut.