Force to End Local Communist Armed Confl ict (NTF-ELCAC)’s budget to P17

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THE PREMIER FILIPINO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S. SINCE 1961 Vol. 61 No. 19 December 16-22, 2021 NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

POSTPONE 2022 POLLS TO 2025? PETITION FILED

Duterte drops Senate bid

By Be� ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

MANILA – Unless he has another change of heart, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte may have fi nalized his retirement from Philippine politics when his term ends next year.

Mr. Duterte unexpectedly announced this week that he was dropping his bid for a Senate seat, saying that he was retiring for good.

The announcement came as a shock because he had just been endorsed by his daughter Sara to lead her party’s Senate slate. She is running for vice president alongside former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who is seeking the presidency. Page 8 Florida wife seeks driver in hit-run of husband

A FLORIDA woman is asking the public for help to fi nd the driver who struck and left her husband fatally injured Dec. 5 on the roadside near Pensacola. Lourdes Fernandez Archer said her husband, retired USN Lt. Commander Paul Archer, 70,

by Cherie M. Querol Moreno

had left for his routine walk mid-afternoon Sunday along Mobile Highway near their Escambia County home. When he seemed to take longer, she began to worry and called his cellphone but got no answer. She was getting frantic when Lt. Commander (Ret.) Paul Lawrence and Lourdes Fernandez Archer were lovingly married for 40 years. a police offi cer informed her of her husband’s fate. Florida Highway Patrol reported that an unidentifi ed motorist “failed to maintain their lane and ran off the road to the right, colliding with the pedestrian.” The driver may have pulled over then drove off , according to the statement. FHP ear-Page 11

COVID-19 threat cited as reason; Unconstitutional, say poll experts

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief

MARCOS-DUTERTE TANDEM. Presiden� al aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Mayor Sara Duterte drew thousands of supporters in a rally in San Pedro City, Laguna. They were joined by Rep. Sol Aragones and Vice Mayor Art Mercado who is the team’s bet for mayor in the city. (Photo by Bong Madelo) MANILA – As presidential and vice presidential aspirants and local candidates stepped up their “dialogue” with the voters in various parts of the country and held motorcades to “inform” the voters of their candidacy, a group fi led a petition with the Commission on Elections seeking to postpone the 2022 general election to 2025 or at least a year due

to the threat to lives of the COVID-19 pandemic. Page 9 Comelec junks 3 motions on Marcos disqualification case

MANILA – Even as former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. continue to top the surveys with his runningmate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, petitions to disqualify him as presidential candidate and cancel his certifi cate of candidacy remain pending with the Commission on Elections.

This as the Comelec denied three motions to intervene on a petition to cancel the certifi cate of candidacy (COC) of Marcos Jr.

In a 13-page order, the poll body’s Second Divi- Page 8

PHL detects 2 Omicron variant cases; COVID deaths hit 50,449

By Claire Morales True and Jeanne Michael Penaranda

MANILA/GENEVA — The Philippines has detected its fi rst two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant as the Department of Health (DOH) accelerated its nationwide vaccination against COVID-19.

More Delta variant of the Covid-19 have also been detected, including those from returning Filipinos from overseas, including the United States.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the new coronavirus variant omicron was spreading at an unprecedented rate and was likely already present in most countries around the world.

Since the new, heavily mutated variant was fi rst detected in southern Africa last month, it has been reported in 77 countries, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

This as all regions in the Philippines are now classifi ed to be under minimal risk for COVID-19 cases, the Department of Health said.

All regions except Bicol region and Soccsksargen Page 8

US warns China: Stop aggressive acts in SCS Sulu in secret plot to invade Sabah?

P6

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PESO-DOLLAR RATE

Page 8

BSP’s Diokno under fi re for new P1,000 bill design

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

MANILA - Governor Benjamin Diokno of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is under fi re from historians, educators and other sectors for insisting on a new design for the P1,000 bill in which fi gures of three Philippine heroes have been removed and replaced with that of the Philippine eagle.

Among those who criticized the move early were Presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno, and Rep. Carlos Zarate who called Diokno’s bid as anti-Filipino.

Diokno is also under fi re from abaca farmers and several groups, including two government agencies, for shifting the use of to polymer from abaca of the peso bills.

“While it is not wrong to feature Philippine fl ora and fauna in our banknotes, but, it should not be at the expense of removing totally our heroes who stood and fought for our rights and liberty,” Zarate said.

Zarate also called out the BSP for the “glaring errors” in the new design of the bill after the scientifi c name of the Philippine eagle was spelled Pithecophaga “jefforyi” instead of Pithecophaga “jeff eryi.”

“It is bad enough that the BSP misspelled the scientifi c name of the Philippine eagle, but, it is even worse that it erased very important historical fi gures from the new banknotes, in eff ect also denigrating their historical contribution in the defense of our freedoms and the fi ght against foreign aggression,” he said.

Various groups have opposed the plans to shift to polymer from abaca fi ber, noting that this move threatened the livelihood of abaca farmers.

The new P1,000 bill will feature the endangered Philippine eagle, replacing Filipino heroes Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, Brig. Gen. Vicente Lim and Girl Scouts of the Philippines founder Josefa Llanes Escoda, who were killed during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines. Amid the growing criticism over the removal of the portraits of three Filipino World War II heroes from the design of the new P1,000 banknote, Malacañang assured the old bills would remain in circulation.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, said the new P1,000 banknotes that feature the Philippine eagle would only be released as part of a test for its possible adoption.

“Hindi po ma-demonetize ang ating (We will not demonetize the) P1,000 bills featuring our three national heroes and martyrs. Ito lamang ay iyong featuring iyong Philippine eagle ay for test circulation lamang po to test the polymer material (The banknotes featuring the Philippine eagle is for test circulation only to test the polymer material),” Nograles said in a Palace press briefi ng.

The BSP earlier said the issuance of the polymer P1,000 bills is part of their eff orts to ensure that banknotes are more hygienic, sustainable, durable, and cost-eff ective.

“Itong bagong P1,000 bill featuring iyong Philippine eagle po, iyan po ay iyong polymer series po natin na ginagawa naman po ng BSP as a test circulation din para malaman natin at ma-validate po natin kung totoo nga iyong polymer is more hygienic, more environmentally friendly, and more secure kaysa sa mga dati nating ginagamit na materials for our peso bills (This new P1,000 bill featuring the Philippine eagle is part of the polymer series as test circulation to fi nd out and validate if it’s true that polymer is more hygienic, more environmentally friendly, and more secure compared to the old materials we use for our peso bills),” he added.

Currently, Philippine banknotes are made of 80 percent cotton and 20 percent abaca.

Nograles said the new P1,000 banknote would have more sophisticated security features.

“According to BSP, they say it’s cyclical ang pagpi-feature ng diff erent banknotes (featuring these banknotes is cyclical), number one. Number two, again apart from validating the advantages, the so-called advantages ng polymer, it also will help them in terms of ensuring na mas secure ang ganitong klaseng banknote (that this type of banknotes is more secure),” he said.

Nograles also said using polymer would help prevent the circulation of counterfeit money.

“Although, maraming security features naman presently ang ating P1,000 bills kaya hindi agad at madaling pekein ang P1,000 (Although our present P1,000 bills already have many security features), the BSP is constantly developing ways and means to ensure that hindi mapipeke ang bill na ito (this bill cannot be faked), especially since it is our highest denomination,” he added.

The fi rst batch of polymer P1,000 banknotes would be delivered in April 2022.

The BSP has tapped the Reserve Bank of Australia and its wholly-owned subsidiary Note Printing Australia for the production of the polymer banknotes.

Annual health care workers’ deployment cap raised to 7K

MANILA – The ceiling on the annual overseas deployment of health care workers (HCWs) has been raised to 7,000 from the current 6,500.

This developed after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved Resolution 153, acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, said in a Palace briefi ng.

Nograles said nurses with visas expir-

ing on Dec. 31, 2021, will be prioritized for deployment. “Upon the authority vested to the IATF through Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated Nov. 20, 2020, the 2021 annual deployment ceiling of new hire health care workers for occupations identifi ed by the Department of Labor and Employment as Mission Critical Skills shall be further increased to 7,000,” Nograles said. PNP tags close to 550 towns, cities as initial election hotspots

CAMP CRAME, Quezon City - The Philippine National Police (PNP) has identifi ed 488 towns and 58 cities as potential hotspots for May 9, 2022 national and local elections.

The PNP was earlier tasked by the Department of the Interior and Local Government to identify election hotspots to ensure an orderly and peaceful polls.

In a press briefi ng, PNP Acting Director for Intelligence Police Brigadier General Michael John Dubria said that of the number, the PNP only focuses on areas under the red category.

The election hotspot list has four categories -- Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.

He said only 3 percent out of the country’s 1,438 towns and about 5 percent of 146 cities are under the red category.

“So those are the fi gures translated into just 39 towns and seven cities. Those are the critical areas that we are focusing on,” he added.

Among those under the red category include areas from the Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Central Luzon (Region 3), Bicol Region (Region 5), Western Visayas (Region 6), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“The good thing about this is under the red category, we have only 3% out of the total 1,438 number of towns in the country and we also have 5% of 146 cities in the country. So, ‘yun lang ‘yung fi gure natin translated into just 39 towns and seven cities na pinaka-typical natin na binabantayan,” he said.

3December 16-22, 2021

 NATIONAL NEWS Kamalayan gets top slot, retired cops’ PRAI

MANILA – Kalipunan ng Maralita at Malayang Mamamayan, Inc. (Kamalayan) secured the top spot on the ballot for 166 party-list groups in the 2022 elections.

This developed after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on December 14 conducted an electric raffl e at its main offi ce in Intramuros, Manila to determine party-list organizations that will participate in the May 9 elections.

A new party-list group, Philippine National Police Retirees Association Inc. (PRAI) co-founded by bemedalled retired generals Reynaldo V. Velasco, Leo Napenas and Van Luspo, among others, was listed among the top 20 in the list, prompting police, military and uniformed retirees to laud the Comelec for its work.

General Velasco, who is also a farmer and experienced corporate manager having been the Chairman of the Board and Administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), among others, said the PRAI advocates the welfare of thousands of retirees, including their families, to ensure that they get their rightful pension and other benefi ts, after devoting the best years of their lives maintaining peace and order and protecting the people from criminals, rebels, insurgents, separatists, kidnappers, among others.

Aside from Kamalayan, other partylist groups comprising the top 10 are Kilos Mamamayan Ngayon Na, (KM NGAYON NA), Philippine Society for Industrial Security (PSIS), Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP), Kabalikat ng Mamamayan (KABAYAN), Home Owners and Marginalized Empowerment Through Opportunities with Neighborhood Economic Reliability (HOME OWNER), Kabalikat Patungo sa Umuunlad na Sistematiko at Organisadong Pangkabuhayan Movement (KAPUSO-PM), PDP Cares Foundation Inc. (PDP CARES), Noble Advancement of Marvelous People of the Philippines Inc. (MARVELOUS TAYO), and Advocates and Keepers Organization of OFWs, Inc. (AKO OFW).

The rest of the list are as follows: 11 United Senior Citizens Koalition ng Pilipinas, Inc. (UNITED SENIOR CITIZEN) 12 Wow Pilipinas Movement (WOW PILIPINAS) 13 Alternatiba ng Masa (ALTERNATIBA) 14 Ang Buklod ng mga Motorist ng Pilipinas (1-RIDER PARTYLIST) 15 1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy Inc.(1-CARE) 16 Ang Bumbero ng Pilipinas (ABP) 17 Ako Musiker Association, Inc. (AKO MUSIKERO) 18 Ako Bicol Political Party (AKO BICOL) 19 Philippine National Police Retirees Association, Inc. (PRAI) 20 Pagtibayin at Palaguin ang Pangkabuhayang Pilipino (4PS) 21 Movement of Active Apostolic Guardians Association of the Philippines (MAAGAP) 22 Avid Builders of Active Nation’s Citizenry Towards Empowered Philippines (ABANTE PILIPINAS) 23 Aktibong Kaagapay ng mga Manggagawa (AKTIBONG KAAGAPAY) 24 Alsa Bisaya (ALSA BISAYA) 25 Probinsyano Ako (PROBINSYANO AKO) 26 You Against Corruption and Poverty (YACAP) 27 Magdalo para sa Pilipino PartyList (MAGDALO) 28 Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support, Inc. (ACT-CIS) 29 Hugoong Federal Movement of the Philippines, Inc. 30 Talino at Galing ng Pinoy (TGP).

Go offi cially drops out of presidential race

MANILA – Exactly two weeks after announcing that he is pulling out of the presidential race, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go offi cially withdrew on December 14 his candidacy at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) offi ce in Intramuros, Manila.

Without fanfare, Go took a taxi to the Comelec by himself and personally submitted his statement of withdrawal before the poll body’s Law Department. The document was received at 10:46 a.m., Comelec records showed. Go’s withdrawal from the presidential race means that the administration party headed by President Rodrigo Duterte was no longer fi elding a candidate. “I am no longer in this race to run for the presidency in 2022, I spoke last November 30, I just waited a little while to let my supporters know that my heart and my mind really re-resisted to run as President,” Go said in an interview aired on radio and television. Go said he felt that it was the right time to fi le his withdrawal. Not even his two parties, the PDP-Laban and the PDSP, knew that he was fi ling the withdrawal on December 14. “No one knows. Because if I let them know, many will know,” the senator said. “I’m just looking for the right time. Honestly, I was the only one who came here, I just took a taxi. My security and driver, I didn’t inform them that I was going here,” he said.