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Covid Alert Level 1 seen in NCR, parts of PH
THE National Capital Region (NCR) and other parts of the country could be placed under Alert Level 1 in the coming weeks as cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) continue to decline, a a Department of Health (DoH) official said on Saturday. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire released the statement a day after she said the country had overcome the worst Covid-19 surge in two years caused by the highly infectious variant of Omicron. In his regular segment during the Laging Handa briefing on Saturday, Vergeire said that in terms of the current case situation, almost all parts of the country can be placed under Alert Level 1 due to improving growth. , hospital utilization and attack rates per 100,000 population. . She added that aside from case metrics, the vaccination rate will also be one of the main factors in determining whether an area can now move to Alert Level 1.
Doctor’s arrest sparks concern
CAUSE-ORIENTED and civil society groups on Saturday expressed concern over the arrest of a doctor, who is also a human rights and indigenous rights activist, after police raided his home in San Juan on Friday. Dr. Maria Natividad Silva Castro, 53, was immediately taken to Butuan town en route to Bayugan town in Agusan del Sur to face a trial court which issued a warrant for her arrest for kidnapping and serious illegal detention. Police said Castro was involved in the kidnapping of a militiaman or a member of the Active Auxiliary Unit of the Citizen Armed Forces (Cafgu) Geographical Unit in Agusan del Sur in 2018. The allegation has was denied via social media by his brother identified only as Jun.
Comelec ready to review the rules of “Operation Baklas”
THE Elections Commission (Comelec) is willing to revise its rules and guidelines for implementing ‘Operation Baklas’ amid public outcry over the way it was applied. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the polling body was “not deaf to the public clamor”. Jimenez said that among those being reviewed by the electoral body are the rules and regulations implementing Republic Act (RA) 9006 or the “Fair Elections Act,” specifically sections 22 through 29, which are used as bases by the electoral body to dismantle campaign posters, including oversized documents displayed in private properties. Under Comelec Resolution 10488, the Integrity of Elections Act Implementation Guidelines, “the posting of election propaganda outside of common posting areas, public or private places without the consent of the owner is illegal during the campaign period”. Violation of campaign rules is considered an election offense punishable by one to six years in prison, disenfranchisement and disqualification from holding public office. To get the ball rolling, Jimenez encouraged candidates and groups who questioned how Comelec handled its private property operations to submit their position papers.
Domagoso cool to appoint Lacson anti-corruption czar
AKSYON Demokratiko flag bearer and Manila mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has said he is ready to give a cabinet post to fellow presidential candidate Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, whom he described as “an asset of the country”. Lacson, whose term as senator ends June 30, is running for president under the Reporma party. He has repeatedly said that he would retire from politics if he lost the presidential race.
Violations of IPRs struck during election campaigns
PANGASINAN representative Christopher de Venecia joined the Filscap (Philippine Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), IPO PHL (Philippine Intellectual Property Office) and BBC (British Broadcasting Corp.) to speak out against the misuse of copyrighted material and other IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) Content and work results during the ongoing election campaign. De Venecia, chairman of the House Committee on Creative Industry and the Performing Arts, said “changing the lyrics but keeping the music is still a violation of IPR laws and regulations. IPR violation is theft plain and simple”. When political campaigns, groups and individuals fail to obtain permission and license for any element or part of the music, videos, images, graphics or other copyrighted material , freelancers, composers, photographers and other creative artists who own intellectual assets suffer.
Gubernatorial rivals back BBM-Sara
OPPOSITION candidates for the governorship of Pangasinan province have temporarily set aside local politics and partisan affiliations to back the candidacy of presidential hopeful Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Sara Duterte- Carpio, Mayor of Davao, for the May 2022 elections. Re-elected Governor Amado Espino 3rd and his rival Ramon Guico both endorsed the tandem during Duterte-Carpio’s visit to the province on Saturday, further bolstering support for UniTeam candidates in the Solid North.
BoP deficit starts in 2022
On the business side, the country’s balance of payments (BoP) started the year in deficit as the government continued to service its external debt, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported over the weekend. Despite the fact that January’s $102 million deficit was lower than the previous year’s $752 million deficit, central bank records show it was an about-face by the surplus of $991 million in December 2021. It is also the highest deficit since last November. year, while the balance of payments position showed a deficit of $123 million.
Beermen in trouble, Gin Kings clash
Top of the sports, it’s going to be another explosive Sunday in the PBA Governors’ Cup as powerhouse teams Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel Beer try to get back into the win column when they clash at 6:45 p.m. at Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Both the Gin Kings and the Beermen fell victim to the TNT Tropang Giga recently, which gave both teams a good beating. The Gin Kings received a 27-point, 119-92 loss on Friday night while the Beermen lost by 15 points, 81-96, Wednesday to the defending Philippine Cup champions. Ginebra and San Miguel both try to find their bearings on Sunday, but only one of them can emerge victorious. Both teams need a win to bolster their chances of a playoff berth where the top four at the end of the playoff round will receive an incentive to bat twice in the first round. The Beermen will have to get more production from new imports, sending back reinforcement Orlando Johnson, who has been chained down by the TNT defence.
Opinion and Editorial
Marlen Ronquillo is now the front-page columnist. He discusses provincial commuter issues and explains why this is an election issue.
Today’s editorial believes that diplomacy is always a better option for dealing with countries like China. Read a full version in the newspaper’s opinion section or listen to the voice of the times.
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For The Manila TimesThis is Paulo Dimaapi.
