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• IATF cuts facility-based quarantine to 7 days for fully vaccinated travelers
• Active Covid-19 cases increase again to over 60,000
• No geographic limits in vaccination, but DOH Davao asked to explain Gibo’s inoculation
• Police begin using body cameras
• Comelec suspends voter registration in MECQ areas
• Politicians morally obliged to avoid premature campaigning, Comelec says
• 2 suspected kidnappers killed in shootout with police
• Pope names Filipino archbishop as envoy to Israel, Cyprus
• DOH stands firm in enforcing IATF arrival protocols nationwide
• Duterte has yet to choose presidential bet
• DOH exec acknowledges good practices in Cebu

IATF cuts facility-based quarantine to 7 days for fully vaccinated travelers Posted: 04 Jun 2021 03:04 AM PDT THE Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has reduced the facility-based quarantine requirement to seven days for fully vaccinated inbound travelers. After seven days, the traveler is discharged and required to do self-monitoring. If the traveler develops symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) within the seven-day period, he or she will be swabbed and tested for Sars-CoV-2, and will be required to remain in facility-based quarantine for 10 days, or will be referred to a hospital. This new policy is contained in Resolution No. 119, which was issued by the IATF on June 3. It defines a fully vaccinated person as having received the second dose of a two-dose regimen or a single-dose vaccine against Covid-19 at least two weeks prior to arrival. The vaccines used must be covered by an emergency use authorization (EUA) or a compassionate special permit issued by the Philippines' Food and Drug Administration. The fully vaccinated traveler must present his or her vaccination card, which must have been verified prior to departure, to the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) representative for re-verification at the Department of Transportation One-Stop-Shop upon arrival. The same resolution also directed the Department of Health, Department of Finance, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Foreign Affairs, and the National Economic and Development Authority to provide recommendations for further relaxing testing and quarantine protocols for certain classes of travelers. The IATF resolution further exempted from entry restrictions those Filipino passengers who are involved in non-government repatriation efforts in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. They must, however, present to the BOQ a negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result, with the test taken within 48 hours prior to boarding the aircraft or vessel. There must also be prior BOQ approval for the entry of the flight or vessel carrying the Filipino repatriates. The concerned local manning agency in the case of seafarers, the Philippine recruitment agency for land-based workers, or the sponsoring Philippine government agency must submit the request for exemption. All repatriates from countries that are subject to entry restrictions are required to undergo strict facility-based quarantine for 14 days. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Active Covid-19 cases increase again to over 60,000 Posted: 04 Jun 2021 02:28 AM PDT ACTIVE cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) exceeded 60,000 on Friday, June 4, 2021, as the Department of Health (DOH) reported more than 7,000 new infections for the second consecutive day. In its case bulletin Friday, DOH reported 7,450 new cases, bringing the total to 1,255,337. There were 181 additional mortalities, including 119 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries. These raised the death toll to 21,537. The case fatality rate went up to 1.72 percent. There were only 2,382 recoveries, bringing the total of 1,173,006, or 93.4 percent of the cumulative case count. With fewer recoveries and higher new cases, the number of active cases increased to 60,794, or 4.8 percent of the total case count. The daily positivity rate remained high at 13.6 percent out of 48,862 samples tested on June 2. Five laboratories failed to submit their data to the Covid-19 Document Repository System. (HDT / SunStar Philippines) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

No geographic limits in vaccination, but DOH Davao asked to explain Gibo’s inoculation Posted: 04 Jun 2021 02:03 AM PDT DEPARTMENT of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Friday, June 4, 2021, said there are no strict geographic limitations in the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination program, but DOH Davao has been asked to explain the inoculation of former Defense secretary Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro. Teodoro, a resident of Tarlac, was in Davao City to visit Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Thursday, June 3. In a virtual press briefing Friday, Vergeire said they have already asked the DOH regional office in Davao to submit a report on the incident. The vaccination of Teodoro drew criticisms, with some claiming that Teodoro "jumped the line." "We have coordinated with our regional office and they will come out with an explanation on this matter," said Vergeire. "We will have to wait for their information so that we can address the doubts of our countrymen," she added. She said they wanted to know if Teodoro is a senior citizen or a person with comorbidities. "To us, the prioritization framework must be implemented," said Vergeire. That Teodoro is not a resident of Davao City is not a concern, she added. "We are not very strict on the geographic limitations," said Vergeire. Teodoro's trip to Davao City fueled speculations that he and Duterte-Carpio might be runningmates in the 2022 elections. (HDT / SunStar Philippines) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Police begin using body cameras Posted: 04 Jun 2021 01:50 AM PDT POLICE officers began using body cameras during operations on Friday, June 4, 2021, to deter crimes and abuse both by the public and the uniformed personnel. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Guillermo Eleazar said only 623 police personnel have been trained to use body cameras, so far. More will undergo training, he added. The PNP has procured a total of 2,696 units of body cameras. These were distributed to 171 city police stations across the country. The body cameras will be used for anti-illegal drugs operations, service of search and arrest warrants, hostage rescue operations, high-risk checkpoint/chokepoint operations, security operations during the implementation of decision/orders of the court, quasi-judicial or administrative bodies and security coverage during major events like the State of the Nation Address, elections and festivals. He said body cameras are capable of recording for eight straight hours, or during the entire shift of a police personnel. "Only four of the 16 units deployed in each police station have the capability for real-time monitoring to the command center na nasa police stations din while 'yung iba recording lang, then pagbalik sa police station saka kukuhanin ang mga na-collect na videos," said Eleazar. A policeman may switch off the body camera, but the command center is capable of remotely turning this back on. Those who switch off the gadget will be asked to explain. Eleazar said they were coordinating with the Supreme Court on the use of videos from body cameras as evidence. The PNP was given a budget for the procurement of body cameras in 2017 following the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos and 19-year-old Karl Angelo Arnaiz in August 2017 in Caloocan City. The policemen involved in the two incidents claimed that the teenagers were subject to illegal drugs operations and had resisted arrest. A Senate investigation, however, established that the two teenagers did not resist arrest. The policemen involved in the two incidents were charged with murder and dismissed from the service. (SunStar Philippines) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Comelec suspends voter registration in MECQ areas Posted: 04 Jun 2021 01:36 AM PDT THERE will be no voter registration activities until June 15 in areas placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced. The Offices of Election Officers (OEOs) are closed in seven provinces and four cities that are under MECQ until June 15. The seven provinces are Cagayan, Benguet, Apayao, Agusan del Sur, Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga Del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay. The four cities are Santiago City in Isabela, Iloilo City in Iloilo, Butuan City in Agusan del Norte, and Zamboanga City in Zamboanga del Sur. Davao City, which was just placed under MECQ from June 5 to 20, is expected to be added to the list. (HDT / SunStar Philippines) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Politicians morally obliged to avoid premature campaigning, Comelec says Posted: 04 Jun 2021 01:32 AM PDT AN OFFICIAL of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said prospective candidates for the 2022 elections have the "moral obligation" to avoid campaigning before the official campaign period. "People, who themselves have declared either through their words or actions their intention to stand for election next year, have a stricter moral obligation to refrain from premature campaigning and early campaign spending," Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a social media post. He said "candidates" should police their ranks. "(They must) not tolerate those who do that for them," said Jimenez. Jimenez wrote the post as several politicians have started to come out with television commercials, while others have been doing provincial rounds in the guise of consultations and visits. There are also individuals already rumored to be planning to run but are still supposedly being egged on by supporters to do so. Jimenez said the voters must also realize that they have the power to stop premature campaigning by not voting for politicians engaged in such activities. "They have simply learned that the easiest path to victory is by breaking the rules. We should, therefore, try our hardest to correct that notion, and stop rewarding them for bad behavior," said Jimenez. Republic Act 9369, or the Poll Automation Law, provides that "any person who files his certificate of candidacy (COC) shall only be considered as a candidate at the start of the campaign period" and that "unlawful acts applicable to a candidate shall be in effect only upon the start of the campaign period." This provision was affirmed by the Supreme Court in the 2009 case of Penera vs. Comelec, which paved the way for the removal of premature campaigning as an election offense. (HDT / SunStar Philippines) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

2 suspected kidnappers killed in shootout with police Posted: 03 Jun 2021 09:37 PM PDT TWO alleged members of a robbery-kidnapping group were killed in a shootout along the South Luzon Expressway (Slex) in Calamba, Laguna on Thursday afternoon, June 3, 2021. A report from the Calabarzon Police Regional Office identified the slain suspects as George Laparan and Raquel Cayetano. They allegedly engaged the police in a car chase and gunfight at the Silangan Exit of Slex at around 2:10 p.m. Thursday. Police said joint elements of the Anti-Carnapping Unit of the National Capital Region Police Office Regional Intelligence Division and the Calabarzon police tailed a white van after receiving a report that those on board were involved in kidnapping Chinese nationals in the NCR. "In the course of patrolling, the operatives spotted the subject's MV (motor vehicle) heading (toward) Slex. While the operatives were pursuing the target MV, the suspects noticed and opened fire against the chasing operatives that prompted the firefight in the area of Slex Silangan Exit," the police report said. Police seized two Taurus caliber 40 pistol, and magazines and ammunition as well as cash amounting to P1,360,452.25 placed in a plastic pack marked with OKADA. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Guillermo Eleazar said a background investigation on the slain suspects was underway. He said the Internal Affairs Office will automatically conduct motu proprio investigation on the incident. (SunStar Philippines) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Pope names Filipino archbishop as envoy to Israel, Cyprus Posted: 03 Jun 2021 09:29 PM PDT FILIPINO Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana has been appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine. Aside from Yllana, there are two other Filipino apostolic nuncios, namely Archbishop Bernardito Auza, nuncio to Spain, and Archbishop Francisco Padilla, nuncio to Guatemala. Yllana has represented the Holy See in four continents, namely Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. "Now, Pope Francis is calling him to carry out an important mission in the Holy Land," a Vatican News report read. Prior to his appointment, the 73-year-old prelate had been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Australia. Yllana is set to succeed Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, who was appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to India last March. Born on February 6, 1948 in Naga City, Philippines, Yllana was ordained a priest on March 19, 1972. He graduated as doctor juris utriusque (Doctor of Both Laws) at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. After completing his studies at the Ecclesiastical Academy in 1984, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He has served successively as pontifical representations in Ghana, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Lebanon, Hungary, and Taiwan. In December 2001, Pope St. John Paul II appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea, and consecrated him bishop on January 6, 2002 in St. Peter's Basilica (titular archbishop of Montecorvino). He was also entrusted with the leadership of the nunciature in the Solomon Islands. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan in 2006. In 2010, he was named Apostolic Nuncio to the Democratic Republic of Congo. In February 2015, Pope Francis appointed him as Apostolic Nuncio to Australia. (HDT / SunStar Philippines) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

DOH stands firm in enforcing IATF arrival protocols nationwide Posted: 03 Jun 2021 08:33 PM PDT THE Department of Health (DOH) will continue to push for the enforcement nationwide of the international arrival protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in light of the coronavirus pandemic. DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media forum Friday, June 4, 2021, that they were finalizing their memorandum for President Rodrigo Duterte, which will contain their recommendations supported by evidence following a critique of Cebu Province's quarantine and testing protocols for returning overseas Filipinos (ROF) and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). "Atin pa rin pong ibinibigay na posisyon ng Department of Health is 'yon pong napagkasunduan sa IATF, which are all based on evidence and based on science, at ito po ang ating isinusulong na maipatupad sa lahat ng rehiyon sa ating bansa para po ma-break natin ang chain of transmission nitong Covid-19," Vergeire said. The IATF, however, approved during its meeting Thursday, June 3, the establishment of green lanes for fully vaccinated returning Filipinos. This new policy reduces the facility-based quarantine period for fully vaccinated travelers to seven days. "No need to test anymore. They will just be monitored for seven days. 'Pag hindi sila nag-develop ng sintomas, maari na silang umuwi at doon na lang po sila sa bahay magtutuloy ng pagmo-monitor ng self (If they don't develop symptoms of Covid-19, they will be allowed to go home and do self-monitoring)," Vergeire said. This will amend Resolution No. 114 of IATF, which requires all inbound international passengers to undergo facility-based quarantine for 10 days and an additional four days under home quarantine, if negative for the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Each traveler will be swabbed on the seventh day. If the result is negative, the traveler is still required to complete 10 days in a quarantine facility. Those who test positive will be referred to temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, or to hospitals. The DOH was asked to critique Cebu's arrival protocols, which deviate from the IATF policy. Executive Order No. 17 of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia requires the conduct of a swab test on ROFs and OFWs upon arrival at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. They will be in quarantine only while waiting for the test result. If negative for Sars-CoV-2, the ROF or OFW will be allowed to go home. The LGUs have been ordered to not impose any additional requirements. Garcia verbally amended this directive to require the ROF or OFW with a negative test result to go into home quarantine. They may be swabbed on the seventh day from arrival per the IATF policy. EO 17 was not amended. A memorandum issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on May 27 ordered the enforcement of the IATF protocols in all ports of entry nationwide. It also ordered the rerouting of international flights bound for Mactan to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from May 29 to June 5, 2021. With the rerouting, Cebu-bound passengers will have to abide by the IATF protocols. They will be allowed to proceed to Cebu only if they test negative for the virus and complete the 10-day quarantine. Upon reaching home, they must complete four more days of home quarantine. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / SunStar Philippines) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Duterte has yet to choose presidential bet Posted: 03 Jun 2021 05:14 AM PDT PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has yet to choose his presidential candidates for the May 2022 elections, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday, June 3, 2021. Roque said the President was considering his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Senator Christopher Lawrence Go. Also on Duterte's list are Senator Manny Pacquiao, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso. Roque said Duterte was still not in favor of Sara running for the highest position of the land next year "Wala pa po siyang desisyon as to who might run: Mayor Sara, Senator Manny Pacquiao, former Senator Bongbong Marcos, Jr., and even Manila Mayor Isko Moreno," he said in a televised press conference. "Yan ang mga naririnig ko, including Senator Bong Go," he added. Roque brushed off allegations that Duterte is desperate to remain in power. He said there is nothing wrong if Duterte decides to run for vice president, as his political party PDP-Laban proposed. "When it is not prohibited, it must be allowed," Roque said. Duterte earlier said he leaves his political fate to God. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

DOH exec acknowledges good practices in Cebu Posted: 03 Jun 2021 03:40 AM PDT DEPARTMENT of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau Director Alethea de Guzman on Thursday, June 3, 2021, acknowledged that there are some good practices in Cebu Province that are worth replicating in the national level. Among these good practices are the "strong LGU (local government unit) coordination and strong monitoring by the LGU" of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) situation in Cebu, De Guzman told reporters in a virtual forum Thursday. "These are most important. We know that the LGUs are in the front line (of the battle against Covid-19) and we need them to have the necessary resources, (and) the leadership to carry out our protocols," she said. She declined to comment further, saying it would be DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III who will issue a statement on the assessment of Cebu's quarantine and testing protocols. She said DOH experts have reviewed the protocols in Cebu for returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), but they have yet to transmit their recommendation to President Rodrigo Duterte. "Let me just relay that we're seeing good practices in Cebu Province and we want to emulate that here. I think one of the good practices that we want to carry over is the reportedly strong LGU coordination, strong monitoring by the LGU," she said. Duterte had given the DOH until Thursday, June 3, to "critique" Cebu's arrival protocols. As this developed, Senate President Vicente Sotto III called on the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to consider a shorter quarantine period for fully vaccinated travelers entering the Philippines as long as health standards are followed. "Why do fully vaccinated people have to still do the two-week quarantine when traveling to the Philippines? It doesn't make sense! Defeats the purpose of vaccinating so we can open the economy," Sotto said in a Viber message to reporters. Sotto said vaccinated investors, foreigners and ROFs are discouraged from traveling to the Philippines because of this quarantine protocol. The President directed DOH to critique Cebu's arrival protocols even as he stressed during a meeting with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and other officials from Cebu on May 31 that LGUs must abide by the national policy. Resolution No. 114 of IATF requires all inbound international passengers, regardless of vaccination status, to undergo facility-based quarantine for 10 days and an additional four days under home quarantine, if negative for the virus that causes Covid-19. Each traveler will be swabbed on the seventh day. Regardless of the result, the traveler must complete 10 days in a quarantine facility. De Guzman said DOH experts have determined that 10 days would be enough to observe and test whether a traveler is infected. She said they are confident that when a traveler is discharged from facility-based quarantine after 10 days, there is very minimal risk for him to develop Covid-19. In Cebu, however, Garcia has issued Executive Order 17 requiring arriving ROFs and OFWs to be tested upon arrival and to check into a quarantine hotel while waiting for the test result, which is normally released in a matter of hours or within three days at most. If negative for Sars-CoV-2, the ROF or OFW will be allowed to go home and their respective LGUs have been ordered to not impose any additional requirements. Garcia later verbally amended this directive to require the ROF or OFW with a negative test result to go into home quarantine and opt to be swabbed on the seventh day from arrival per the IATF policy. EO 17 was not amended. In what was seen as a rebuke of Cebu's arrival protocols, Malacañang rerouted to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport all international flights bound for Mactan-Cebu International Airport from May 29 to June 5, 2021. Twelve flights were affected and their passengers subjected to IATF's quarantine and testing protocols. The Department of Tourism earlier proposed the establishment of green lanes to expedite the arrival process for fully vaccinated individuals and reduce the quarantine period to seven days. The Bureau of Immigration supported this proposal, saying this will resuscitate the tourism industry. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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