Sunday, May 1, 2022

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Duterte hails Filipino workers

Posted: 30 Apr 2022 11:36 PM PDT

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday, May 1, 2022, that his administration remains committed to providing people with job opportunities that will make them realize and bring out their full potential as the country celebrates Labor Day.Duterte said Filipinos are hailed worldwide for the great passion, integrity and professionalism they demonstrate in everything that they do, which also contributed to the country's economic growth over the past years."For these reasons, I welcome this yearly occasion with much fervor. On this day, we are given the chance to celebrate all the triumphs and progress that the labor movement has accomplished over the years," he said."We are likewise reminded to overcome the challenges by recognizing the rights of our workers and reassessing the systems that may hinder their growth and development," he added. (SunStar Philippines)

Key PNP officers face murder raps due to Abra shootout

Posted: 30 Apr 2022 11:34 PM PDT

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed murder charges against police officers, including top officials, in relation to the shootout in Pilar, Abra against the camp of reelectionist Vice Mayor Jaja Disono in March 2022.Charges of murder and perjury were filed against Cordillera Region Police Director Brigadier General Ronald Lee; Abra Provincial Director Colonel Maly Cula; Abra Provincial Intelligence Unit Chief Lieutenant Colonel Melencio Mina; Pilar Municipal Police Station acting chief Captain Ronaldo Eslabra; Patrolmen Boyd Leeson Dom-Oguen Kis-Ing, Frenzel Paus Alperez and Pietro Delmar Aveño; Corporals Allan Dale Sabiniano, Joedel Jove, Ariel Felipe and Chrisler Lucas and Master Sergeant Sandy Claveria.Said charges were also filed against election officer Rodrigo Basa II and unidentified police officers assigned at the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 15, Pilar Municipal Police Station (MPS) and Provincial Intelligence Unit of Abra Provincial Police OfficeThe NBI also filed charges of incriminating an innocent person against Kis-ing, Sabiniano, Aveño, Jove and Alperez.On March 29, Disono along with his security aides were figured in a shootout that resulted in the death of one of her escorts, Sandee Boy Bermudo.Police claimed the vice mayor's convoy refused to stop at a checkpoint along Berona Street, which resulted in a chase and a gunfight.Disono, however, said it was an ambush, prompting them to seek the investigation of the NBI together with Bermudo's sister.The NBI said that based on their investigation and security footage, there was no visible checkpoint in the area at the time the said convoy passed through.It said the police deliberately fired upon the vehicles of the politician.The NBI said the police mobile, which the cops reported to have been hit by a bullet during the "shootout," was seen pursuing the target van without a bullet hole."Minutes later, the said Police Mobile suddenly showed up with an evident bullet hole in the front passenger," the NBI said.Lee refused to comment yet on the filing of charges against them pending the receipt of the copy of the complaint. (SunStar Philippines)

Abra town now 'red' area due to political tension

Posted: 29 Apr 2022 09:43 AM PDT

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday, April 29, 2022, upgraded the classification of Pilar, Abra from "orange" to "red" amid the continued political tension in the area ahead of the May 9 polls.In a statement on late Friday, Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino said the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns (CBFSC) has agreed to shift the categorization of Pilar on the heels of the shootout at a police checkpoint in March."Pending verification of the reports received, the CBFSC has upgraded the categorization of Pilar from Orange to Red," said Ferolino.As to calls to place the town under Comelec control, she said it cannot be done whimsically.The poll official said such decisions must be made based on formal reports from those in charge of the security, peace and order."We will decide the issue on Comelec control in the next CBFSC meeting upon receipt of validation reports," said Ferolino.In March, a shootout happened after the vehicle of Pilar Vice Mayor Jaja Josefina Disono drove past a checkpoint and, in the process, injured two policemen.Disono said they were "ambushed" that resulted in the death of one of her security aide.Disono has since asked the Comelec to put the town under its direct supervision.Under Comelec Resolution No. 10757, any political division, subdivision, unit or area may be placed under Comelec control when the peace and order situation in the area may affect the conduct of elections. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)

DOH: Philippines Covid reproduction rate above 1 on April 22

Posted: 29 Apr 2022 03:32 AM PDT

THE Department of Health (DOH) said Friday, April 29, that the country's reproduction rate for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has climbed above 1, the benchmark set by the World Health Organization (WHO), back in April 22.In a statement, the DOH said the country's R naught stood at 1.03 last April 22 but it did not last long."There was an incremental increase in reproduction number (Rt) from 0.82 at the start of March 2022 to 1.03 last April 22," said the DOH."The increase was small and not sustained," it added.According to the WHO, the ideal reproduction rate is less than one, as having greater than one, means that the infection will spread exponentially.The health department also pointed how the increase in reproduction rate did not result in any sustained spike in hospital admissions."We have been able to maintain low total and ICU bed utilization rates," said the DOH.It reminded the public that case numbers and trends may rise if there is low adherence to minimum public health standards.The DOH also urged the public anew to get fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)

Smartmatic belies Mancao claims on 'hacked' voter info

Posted: 29 Apr 2022 03:24 AM PDT

SMARTMATIC International, systems provider of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), belied Friday, April 29, the claims of Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Executive Director Cezar Mancao that the system hackers arrested over the weekend have gained access to voter's information.In a statement, Smartmatic said there is no truth to the claims made by Mancao, saying such information is not in the hands of the multinational company, which was the victim of the hacking incident."Comelec never shares this electoral data with Smartmatic. So claims that sensitive data, such as the voter list, was stolen from Smartmatic, is also unfounded," said Smartmatic."Smartmatic has never had access to any voter data or voter list. All data for the 2022 elections is generated by the Comelec. It is never shared with any other institution, vendor or third party," it added.The statement was issued after Mancao disclosed that the three hackers they arrested last April 24 after making claims that they can manipulate the results of the 2022 national and local elections had gained access to sensitive voter data.This, they claimed, as they were connected to the former Smartmatic employee, who previously surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) over his supposed involvement to a security breach.According to Smartmatic, making such claims are unfortunate as it only helps spread disinformation that could taint the poll exercise."We urge caution when addressing the public. Making false or unverified claims -- even accidentally -- not only helps to propagate the same criminal scams, but also harms the credibility of the elections," said Smartmatic.It said the arrested hackers are nothing but scammers, as dubbed by the Comelec."The recently arrested criminals were attempting to scam the public and candidates using non-classified data from Comelec's website, old QA test data, and forged information," said Smartmatic. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)

6 prexy, 4 VP bets join Comelec interview

Posted: 29 Apr 2022 02:23 AM PDT

SIX presidential and four vice presidential candidates in the May 9 polls have agreed to join the interview series to be conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP).In a list provided by the Comelec, set to participate in the "PiliPinas Forum 2022" are presidential aspirants Ernesto Abella, Leody de Guzman, Norberto Gonzales, Faisal Mangondato, Jose Montemayor, and Senator Manny Pacquiao.Also confirming their participation are vice presidential bets Rizalito David, Manny Lopez, Senate President Tito Sotto, and Carlos Serapio."It's the final list," said Comelec Commissioner George Garcia in a text message.Opting to skip the activity are presidential bets Mayor Isko Moreno, Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., and Vice President Leni Robredo.Also not participating in the activity are vice presidential candidates Lito Atienza, Walden Bello, Sara Duterte-Carpio, Willie Ong, and Senator Kiko Pangilinan.Garcia said the candidates, who will not be participating, cited conflict of schedules or having previous commitments as their reasons for skipping the event.Last Thursday, April 28, the Comelec and the KBP formalized their partnership for the panel interview sessions set to air from May 2 to 6, 2022.In the agreed guidelines, the PiliPinas Forum 2022 shall be a series of one-hour panel interview sessions between a single candidate or team of candidates (president and vice-president), to be conducted by a panel of broadcast anchors drawn from KBP-member networks.The main body of the interview will be divided into three segments, with each segment being devoted to an interactive discussion between the candidate and the panel.The first segment (10 minutes) will tackle inflation, poverty, jobs, wages, livelihood, and business.The second segment (10 minutes) will revolve around education, healthcare, and Covid-19 response.The third segment (12 minutes) will then touch on a variety of current issues, such as red-tagging, press freedom, attacks on civil society, attacks on mainstream media, fake news, e-sugal, electoral reforms, gender issues, political dynasties, dealing with disasters and calamities, use of nuclear energy, resurrecting the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, foreign policy, judicial reforms, and appointees.The interview may be conducted either live and in-person; live and via teleconference call; or taped as live with no editing depending on the candidates' preference and availability.It said the order of sessions, whether live or recorded, will be determined by draw lots to be conducted by the Comelec and KBP.The interview sessions will be aired from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., from May 2 to 6, 2022, by Bombo Radyo Philippines, Radio Mindanao Network, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. (Teleradyo and ANC), TV5 Network Inc. (One PH and OneNews), CNN Philippines, and Radyo Pilipino, among others.To recall, the PiliPinas Forum 2022 is the replacement of the foiled five-debate series, known as PiliPinas Debates 2022.This was after the Comelec's private partner, Impact Hub Manila, encountered financial issues with the venue of the PiliPinas Debates 2022, Sofitel Philippine Plaza. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)

No onward transmission of BA.2.12 in PH yet

Posted: 29 Apr 2022 01:36 AM PDT

HEALTH authorities have not detected any "onward transmission" of the Omicron BA.2.12 sub-variant in the country, Philippine Genome Center executive director Dr. Cynthia Saloma said on Friday, April 29, 2022."Ang nakita pa lang natin ay 'yung BA.2.12, 'yung Finnish lady na ni-release ng DOH 'yung kanyang background. The individual has already returned to her home country, contact tracing of her fellow passengers in the airplane, as well as in the two universities here. Hindi naman po sila nakapagdetect ng onward transmission," Saloma said in an interview at the Laging Handa public briefing.The BA.2.12 sub-variant was first detected from a 52-year-old foreigner who arrived in the country on April 2.She traveled to Quezon and Baguio City for the conduct of seminars during her stay in the Philippines.The patient manifested symptoms of Covid-19 on the ninth day from the day of her arrival.She underwent a seven-day isolation and went back to her country after being tagged as fully recovered.Saloma said the patient most likely got the variant on her way to the Philippines.The Department of Health said it is continuously monitoring Covid-19 variants, especially of the Omicron, which may trigger the resurgence of infection. (SunStar Philippines)

Camarines Norte lawmaker dies

Posted: 29 Apr 2022 01:09 AM PDT

CAMARINES Norte Representative Marisol Panotes passed away on Friday, April 29, 2022, her daughter announced.But Rosemarie Conejos Panotes did not give details as to the cause of her mother's death.House Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez expressed condolences to the bereaved family.Panotes was the chairman of the House committees on Disaster Resilience and on Population and Family Relations.She was also a member of the committee for Foreign Relations, Basic Education and Culture, Higher and Technical Education, Banks and Financial Intermediaries, and Bicol Recovery and Development. (SunStar Philippines)

Robredo to skip Comelec panel interview

Posted: 29 Apr 2022 01:04 AM PDT

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Vice President Leni Robredo has turned down the invitation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for a panel interview in lieu of the supposed presidential town hall debates."Nagpasya akong hindi muna paunlakan ang imbitasyon ng Comelec at KBP para makapiling ang mga volunteers natin na nag-aabono, nag-aambagan, at nagbubuhos ng oras at pagod para makasama tayo," Robredo said in a statement.(I decided to refuse for now the invitation of the Comelec and KBP so I can spend time with our volunteers who are exerting efforts to be with us.)But Robredo, who attended the two previous debates organized by the Comelec, dared her rival, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., to a debate.Marcos did not show up in any of the debates, especially those organized by the Comelec."Inaanyayahan ko si Ginoong Bongbong Marcos na makipagdebate, para mabigyan ang taumbayan ng pagkakataong makaharap siya at matanong tungkol sa mga kontrobersiyang pumapalibot sa kanya," said Robredo.(I invite Bongbong Marcos to a debate so the people will have a chance to ask him questions about the controversies he is facing.)"Kung papayag po kayo, anytime, anywhere, darating ako," she added.(If you will accept the challenge, I will be there anytime, anywhere.)In response, Marcos' spokesperson, lawyer Vic Rodriguez, said Robredo's call will not happen."Sa debate na hamon kay presidential frontrunner Bongbong Marcos ay hindi ito kailanman mangyayari sa ilang kadahilanan. At batid ni Ginang Robredo ang mga kadahilanang 'yan," he said.(The debate will not happen due to some reasons, and Mrs. Robredo knows what these reasons are.)Marcos earlier refused the panel interview organized by the Comelec along with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and which will be held from May 2 to 6.The Comelec shifted to a panel interview instead of the town hall debates set last week following the failure of Impact Hub Manila to pay in full the supposed debates venue Sofitel Garden Plaza.Impact Hub Manila was the Comelec's official partner in the conduct of presidential and vice presidential town hall debates. (SunStar Philippines)

Over 100,000 jobs up for grabs on Labor Day

Posted: 29 Apr 2022 12:44 AM PDT

MORE than 100,000 job vacancies will be offered to the public during the Labor Day job fairs to be conducted nationwide by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Sunday, May 1, 2022.In a statement, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said 102,426 local and overseas employment opportunities will be up for grabs in the 26 job fair sites."This job fair is one of the employment recovery strategies to restart economic activities, restore consumer and business confidence, upgrade and retool the workforce, and facilitate labor market access," Bello said.He said a total of 73,671 local jobs will be offered by 817 employers.Local jobs mostly include production operators/machine operators, customer service representatives, collection specialists, retail/sales agents/promodisers, and sewers.A total of 28,755 overseas jobs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore will also be offered by 73 recruitment agencies.The top overseas vacancies to be offered are nurse/nurse aide; carpenter, foreman, and welder; food server; household service worker; and auditor.Bello said the main job fair site on May 1 is at the Kingsborough International Convention Center in San Fernando City, Pampanga.He said over 10,000 jobs that will be offered by 90 employers in the Pampanga venue.Other job fair sites on May 1 are in the following regions:* National Capital Region – Arroceros Forest Park, Manila* Cordillera Administrative Region – Baguio Convention Center* Ilocos Region – 3F MMX Center, Magic Mall, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan; Tagudin Farmers Center, Tagudin, Ilocos Sur; Robinsons Place Ilocos, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte* Cagayan Valley – Robinsons Place Santiago City, Isabela* Calabarzon – St. Thomas Academy Gymnasium, Poblacion 3, Sto. Tomas, Batangas; Vista Mall, San Agustin, Dasmariñas, Cavite; Camp Vicente Lim, Brgy. Canlubang, Calamba, Laguna; Pacific Mall, ML Tagarao St., Brgy 3, Lucena City, Quezon; and Ynares Event Center Capitol Grounds, Antipolo City, Rizal* Mimaropa – Robinsons Place, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan* Bicol Region – Robinsons Place, Naga City, Albay* Western Visayas - SM City Iloilo* Central Visayas - Trade Hall, SM City Cebu, Juan Luna Ave. Ext., Cebu City; and Lamberto Macias Sports Complex, Capitol Area, Dumaguete City* Eastern Visayas - Robinsons North Tacloban City* Zamboanga Peninsula – East Wing, Ground Floor, KCC Mall de Zamboanga, Zamboanga City* Davao Region – 3F Activity Area NCCC Mall Buhangin, Davao City; and 4F Activity Area, NCCC Mall, Tagum City* Soccsksargen – KCC Events Center, KCC Mall of Marbel, Koronadal City* Caraga – Robinsons Place Butuan. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)

Probe team wants Jimenez, deputy barred from facing media

Posted: 29 Apr 2022 12:37 AM PDT

COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) spokesman Director James Jimenez and his deputy at the Education and Information Department (EID), Director Frances Arabe, may soon be temporarily barred from facing the media, as the poll body continued its probe into the mess stemming from the foiled PiliPinas Debates 2022.In a statement, Task Force Pilipinas Debates 2022 Fiasco head Commissioner Rey Bulay said that Jimenez and Arabe have been recommended to be temporarily relieved from their roles in dealing with the media while the investigation on the problems faced by the five-debate series is ongoing."In the interest of the service, Commissioner Bulay recommended that Directors James Jimenez and Frances Arabe be temporarily relieved from any functions involving media relations and exposure," said Bulay.This, he said, means that there is a need to designate replacements for Jimenez and Arabe in their respective posts."To continue the duties of Directors Jimenez and Arabe in the Education and Information Department, it was recommended that temporary replacements be designated," said the poll official.Nevertheless, Bulay said Jimenez and Arabe may still be retained in their other internal posts."To prevent disruption in the essential election operations, the elections being a few days away, Directors Jimenez and Arabe were recommended to continue other functions under the supervision of their committee heads," said Bulay.To note, Jimenez and Arabe were among the Comelec officials directly involved in the partnership with Impact Hub Manila in producing the PiliPinas Debates 2022.The two officials are also being pointed as the ones that allegedly pushed for the Comelec to release P15 million in public funds to cover for the financial problems of Impact Hub with debates host, Sofitel Philippines Plaza.The said financial issues between Impact Hub and Sofitel Philippines has resulted in the cancellation of the last two presidential and vice presidential debate series.According to Bulay, the Task Force has also found reasonable cause to commence a formal fact-finding and administrative disciplinary investigation on the controversy.He said the task force will be comprised of Bulay, the executive director, director of the Finance Services Department, director of the Law Department, and director of the Personnel Department."This is to ensure the observance of due process, and a thorough, proper, fair, and impartial probe," said Bulay.He said there will also be a ban on the release of information while the investigation is ongoing."(We) cannot release information on the issue to avoid a trial by publicity; to preserve the dignity of the procedures; and considering that government officials enjoy the presumption of regularity in the performance of official duties," said Bulay. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)

Laity pushes for 'Catholic vote' on May 9

Posted: 29 Apr 2022 12:21 AM PDT

WHILE the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) continuously refuse to endorse specific candidates, the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Laiko) on Friday, April 29, expressed belief that the faithful can still influence the results of the May 9 polls by adopting a unified vote.In a radio interview, Laiko president Bro. Raymond Daniel Cruz said they are hoping that the Filipino faithful can muster a "Catholic vote" despite their religious leaders not endorsing specific candidates."We are calling for an orchestrated lay-initiated campaign for us to have a Catholic vote," said Cruz."We hope and pray that we can be able to deliver a Catholic vote," he added.The lay leader said having a "Catholic vote" is possible if only the faithful will be one in looking after common good in casting their votes."There can be a Catholic vote if all will look at common good and the advancement of the people," said Cruz.To note, there are religions in the country that are known to practice bloc voting, such as the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC).The INC leadership is also known to express support to particular candidates every elections.On the other hand, the CBCP has continuously refused to endorse particular candidates in electoral exercises, and instead deferred to lay leaders to do so.The Laiko has already endorsed the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo as they believe that she is the "most capable candidate" for the presidency. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)

Kerwin Espinosa on his statement vs De Lima: All were lies

Posted: 28 Apr 2022 08:41 PM PDT

SELF-CONFESSED drug lord Rolan "Kerwin" Espinosa admitted that the allegations he made against opposition Senator Leila de Lima, which implicated her in the illegal drugs trade resulting in her detention, were made-up stories he was forced to "invent" due to the pressure from policemen.In a four-page counter-affidavit subscribed before the Department of Justice (DOJ), Espinosa recanted the statements he made against De Lima during the series of Senate hearings in 2016, particularly on her links to the illegal drugs trade inside the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) and in accepting millions worth of drug money from him to fund her senatorial race during her stint as the secretary of justice.Espinosa said he was "coerced, pressured, intimidated and seriously threatened by the police," giving him no option but to invent stories and cooperate "or else he and some members of his family will suffer the same fate as his father."Espinosa's father, former Albuera Leyte mayor Rolando, was killed after allegedly fighting it out against cops during a search operation inside his detention cell at the Baybay sub provincial jail in November 2016.The older Espinosa was named by President Rodrigo Duterte as among the country's narco politicians in the earlier part of his drug war.Rolando surrendered and implicated his son in the drug operations.Espinosa was one of the government's witnesses against De Lima, who has been detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial center in Camp Crame over drug charges since 2017."Finally, any and all of his statements given during the Senate hearings, or in the form of sworn written affidavits, against Senator Leila De Lima are not true. He has no dealings with Senator De Lima and has not given her any money at any given time," the document read."Any statement he made against the senator are false and was the result only of pressure, coercion, intimidation, and serious threats to his life and family members from the police who instructed him to implicate the senator into the illegal drug trade. For this, undersigned apologizes to Senator De Lima," it added.De Lima was among the lawmakers who launched an inquiry against the administration's bloody crackdown against illegal drugs.One of the three charges against her was already dismissed by the Muntinlupa court.Espinosa was initially placed under witness protection program but it was cancelled following his alleged escape try from the custodial facility of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).The affidavit was in response to the drug charges filed by the NBI-Task Force Against Illegal Drugs on the basis of his extra-judicial confession related to his involvement in the illegal drug trade during the Senate hearings on November 23 and December 5 and 14, 2016, saying it was not voluntarily executed and that it was not explained properly by the counsel of choice."He was also misled by the police into signing the same due to verbal promise of dismissal of cases filed against him which promise turned out to false," the affidavit stated."Undersigned is no longer a witness for the prosecution. He was already removed from the Witness Protection Program and they cannot use his alleged confession before the Senate, or any written documents, to prove his guilt and those of other persons he may have implicated," it added.Espinosa is facing about six to seven drug-related and money laundering charges.In a television interview, Espinosa's legal counsel Raymund Palad said Espinosa's reversal was triggered by his removal from the Witness Protection Program (WPP), his transfer from the NBI facility to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Bicutan, and the continuous filing of charges against him despite their earlier promise."Kahit naman considered siya as a state witness under WPP, kahit minsan hindi siya ginamit as a state witness kapalit nung pagdischarge ng kaso sa kanya. Kasi sa setting natin when you're under WPP, you will be utilized as a state witness and later on when court is satisfied na matibay ang statement mo, then the cases against you will be dropped. Hindi nangyari yon kahit isang beses," he said.Palad said following his client's move, the government has resorted to using 27 other drug and crime personalities who were charged on the basis of Espinosa's Senate confession to further pin down De Lima.Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento said Espinosa's retraction will have no direct effect on De Lima's drug charges since he was not considered a witness in the case.De Lima's legal counsel and spokesperson Rolly Peoro said that while they welcome Espinosa's retraction, they will not let the people who dragged her down to go off the hook.He said they are considering the filing of counter-charges against these people."We will surely take to justice all the persons involved in the great injustice done to Senator De Lima," said Peoro.De Lima's allies, vice presidential candidate Senator Francis Pangilinan and Human Rights lawyer and senatorial candidate Chel Diokno welcomed Espinosa's "revelation of truth" and called for De Lima's immediate release.De Lima is again running for senator along with Diokno under the slate of Pangilinan and his running mate presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo. (SunStar Philippines)

Alert Level 1 maintained in most parts of PH

Posted: 28 Apr 2022 08:31 PM PDT

AMID discussions on the possible resurgence of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) after the May 9, 2022 elections, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has maintained the Alert Level 1, the lowest quarantine classification so far in the country, in most of the regions, including Metro Manila.From May 1 to 15, 2022, the following areas will be under Alert Level 1:Luzon* Cordillera Administrative Region: Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Baguio City* Region 1 (Ilocos): Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Dagupan City* Region 2 (Cagayan Valley): Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, and City of Santiago* Region 3 (Central Luzon): Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, and Olongapo City* Region 4-A (Calabarzon): Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Lucena City* Region 4-B (Mimaropa): Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa City* Region 5 (Bicol): Albay, Catanduanes, and Naga CityVisayas* Region 6 (Western Visayas): Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Province, Bacolod City, and Iloilo City* Region 7 (Central Visayas): Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City* Region 8 (Eastern Visayas): Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City, and Tacloban CityMindanao* Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula): Zamboanga City* Region 10 (Northern Mindanao): Camiguin, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, and Iligan City* Region 11 (Davao Region): Davao City* Caraga: Surigao del Sur and Butuan CityAlso under the same alert level are these component cities and municipalities: Tublay, Benguet; Candelaria, Dolores and San Antonio in Quezon; Cagayancillo, Palawan; Caramoan, Pili, and Tigaon in Camarines Sur; and Capalonga, Camarines Norte; Candoni, Negros Occidental and Tobias Fornier (Dao), Antique; Amlan (Ayuquitan), Negros Oriental; Duero, Bohol; Matalom, Leyte; Jose Dalman (Ponot) and Labason, Zamboanga del Norte; Molave and Ramon Magsaysay (Liargo) Zamboanga del Sur; Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay; Tudela, Misamis Occidental; Baroy, Lanao del Norte; Lala, Lanao del Norte; Tubod, Lanao del Norte; Caraga, Davao Oriental; City of Koronadal, South Cotabato; Arakan, North Cotabato; Lebak, Sultan Kudarat; Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte; Santa Josefa, Agusan del Sur; Libjo (Albor), Dinagat Islands; General Luna, Surigao del Norte; South Upi, Maguindanao and Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao.Areas under Alert Level 2 are the following:Luzon* Cordillera Administrative Region: Benguet, Ifugao* Region 2 (Cagayan Valley): Nueva Vizcaya* Region 4-A (Calabarzon): Quezon Province* Region 4-B (Mimaropa): Occidental Mindoro and Palawan* Region 5 (Bicol): Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and SorsogonVisayas* Region 6 (Western Visayas): Antique and Negros Occidental* Region 7 (Central Visayas): Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Oriental* Region 8 (Eastern Visayas): Leyte, Northern Samar and Western SamarMindanao* Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula): City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay* Region 10 (Northern Mindanao): Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental* Region 11 (Davao Region): Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro and Davao Occidental* Region 12 (Soccsksargen): General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato* Caraga: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte* Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Basilan, Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi."Alert Level classifications of component cities and municipalities under IATF Resolution 166-A (s.2022) not otherwise affected by this Resolution shall remain in effect until May 15, 2022," acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said.The Department of Health (DOH) warned over the possible resurgence of Covid-19 cases, which can be triggered by the non-compliance to minimum health protocols and the entry of new Covid-19 sub-variants, especially of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant.Health authorities had earlier detected the first case of Omicron BA.2.12 sub-variant in the country, with 44 close contacts in the cities of Quezon and Baguio. (SunStar Philippines)
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