7 October 28-November 3, 2021
NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS
Cooler days ahead as ‘amihan’ season sets in QUEZON CITY — Cooler days are ahead in the country as effects of the northeast monsoon or amihan are now being felt in the country. This was disclosed by the government weather bureau PAGASA noting that for the past several days strong to gale-force northeasterly winds, identifiable to Christmas season, have prevailed over Northern Luzon because of the strengthening of the high-pressure system over Siberia enhanced further by passing low-pressure areas. Gradual cooling of the surface air temperature over northeastern Luzon has also been observed, according to
the state weather bureau. “With the onset of the amihan season, the northeast windflow is expected to gradually become more dominant over Northern Luzon, bringing cold and dry air,” PAGASA said. In its latest public weather forecast, PAGASA said the northeast monsoon could bring about cloudy skies with rains in Cagayan Valley, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Provinces, and Catanduanes. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains may also persist in the Ilocos Region, it added.
Eleazar to retire Nov. 13; next PNP chief to continue drug war probe MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to go after law enforcers who violated procedures during anti-illegal drug operations will extend to whoever will be at helm of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he expects the successor of PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, will strictly comply with the President’s directive. “The President has a standing order
Take the money... (From page 1)
the words at the start of this week, but clarified on Wednesday, Oct. 27, that she was by no means endorsing the age-old Philippine practice of vote-buying during elections. Speaking in the vernacular during an online meeting with household workers, she said, “What they use to buy your votes could be the money of the people.” Robredo added that while she was aware that vote-buying was illegal, it is next to impossible to catch candidates engaged in the activity. Some have even gone online in enticing voters to campaign for certain candidates through direct deposits to their e-wallet apps like GCash. She added that in the end, vote buying is a useless exercise because “money cannot equate to electoral victory.” The Commission on Elections (Comelec), however, warned that votebuying is still a serious offense, one that could result in the disqualification of candidates. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said it was an election offense “regardless of financial situation or noble intentions.” Candidates whose camps have been caught distributing money in the past have reasoned that they were merely helping the poor. Jimenez said he disagreed with the premise of Robredo that it was alright to accept money from candidates, but still follow one’s conscience when casting their vote.
to the DOJ and the PNP to review the conduct of the drug war and to impose sanctions upon those who went beyond the bounds of the law,” Guevarra said. Eleazar will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 on November 13 after serving six months as PNP chief. Guevarra expects the Memorandum of Agreement between the National Bureau of Investigation and the PNP on joint probes of drug war deaths will be signed before Eleazar steps down. While the campaign season is still months away, some presidential and vice presidential candidates have been spending heavily on print, broadcast, and electronic media to push their candidacies. Based on his TV ads alone, the biggest spender is former senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., according to media observers. Candidates Manny Pacquiao and Ping Lacson have also been spending on various media, as well as vice presidential bets Tito Sotto and Bong Go. In related news, the president’s party – the Alfonso Cusi wing of PDP-Laban – appeared to have become desperate after their presidential bet Senator Ronald dela Rosa continued to perform weakly in most surveys and showed little interest in actively campaigning. This led Cusi – who serves as Energy secretary in the Duterte Cabinet – to say that they could still go back to their original plan of fielding a Bong Go-Rodrigo Duterte tandem next year. All they were waiting for was for the president “to change his mind” about retiring from politics, and agree to be PDPLaban’s vice presidential bet. The party had been trying to recruit the president’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, to run for president, but she reiterated this week that she had no plans of running for the high post, preferring to seek re-election as mayor instead. The mayor, however, said she would support the presidential bid of Marcos after she met with him in Cebu over the weekend. Substitution of candidates can only take place on or before November 15.
The DOJ last week released information on the initial batch of 52 cases it is reviewing as part of the government’s policy of transparency on the anti-illegal drugs campaign and to assure the victims’ kin and loved ones that the deaths are being investigated. The matrix included docket numbers, names of the deceased, places and dates of the incidents, and the review panel’s summary of observa-
tions. The most number of deaths in a single incident was during an operation in Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte on July 29, 2016 when three died. The DOJ review panel noted that according to the medico-legal report, the victims appeared to have been shot at close range. The PNP Internal Affairs Service has ordered the dismissal from the service of those involved.
PHL administers 56.2M Covid-19 vaccine doses
MANILA – The Philippines has al- many of them are helping us),” Galvez ready administered more than 56,2 million told President Rodrigo Duterte during the doses out of 97,678,340 Covid-19 vac- Talk to the People aired Monday night. cines delivered, according to the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19. As of October 25, there are 25,955,669 fully vaccinated individuals, who comprise 33.65 percent of the country’s 70 percent target for population protection by the end of the year or an estimated 77,139,058 Filipinos. The average daily vaccination rate in the last seven days rose to 488,506 doses, higher than the 405,999 the previous week, due to stable supplies, according to NTF chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. He said the COVAX Facility and countries such as the United States, Australia, Japan, Germany, and Brunei will be donating more Covid-19 vaccines. “Maganda po ‘yung naging relations, sir, natin na talagang ‘yung maraming countries na tumutulong na rin po sa atin (We have established good relationships with other countries and
