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(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila — F2 Logistics, a firm linked to Davao businessman Dennis Uy, will soon bag a multi-million peso deal to transport election paraphernalia nationwide for the 2022 elections.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc on Wednesday approved the award of contract to F2 for the warehousing and transport of forms, machines, and other equipment that will be used in next year’s polls.

This was confirmed by Comelec spokesman James Jimenez in a message to reporters.

F2 bested LBC Express, 2Go Express, and Airspeed International in bagging the logistics deal — with the lowest offer of ₱535.99 million, against a maximum contract price of ₱1.61 billion.

An official notice of award will be issued to the company to formalize the agreement.

Earlier this week, Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas ordered the Special Bids and Awards Committee to look into allegations of conflict of interest, as Uy is one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s biggest campaign funders in the 2016 presidential race.

Uy is chairman of F2 Logistics while his wife, Cherylyn, serves as corporate treasurer. F2 is also among the subsidiaries of Uy’s Udenna Corporation, based on corporate disclosures.

Detained Senator Leila de Lima, who sought a probe into the logistics contract, had urged the government to avoid awarding deals to suppliers that have “participated in partisan political activities.”

F2 is a cargo forwarder founded in 2006, with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as one of its original incorporators, according to documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company also served as Comelec’s nationwide courier for the 2018 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, and secured two of four delivery contracts for the May 2019 polls… Read More

(BusinessWorld) THE PESO strengthened versus the greenback on Tuesday due to positive market sentiment as the local stock market rallied and with preference for the local unit due to weaker-than-expected US manufacturing data report.

The local unit closed at P50.116 per dollar, gaining 15.40 centavos from its P50.27 finish on Monday, based on data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines.

The peso opened Tuesday’s session at P50.16 a dollar. Its weakest showing was at P50.24 while its intraday best was at P50.06 versus the greenback.

Dollars exchanged rose to $967 million on Tuesday from $717.65 million on Monday.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the peso’s strength was due to positive market sentiment due to gains in the local stock market.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index rose b 87.15 points or 1.32% to close trading at 6,678.82 on Tuesday. The broader all shares index also increased by 33.92 points or 0.82% to 4,144.88.

Meanwhile, a trader said the peso appreciated after the release of a weaker-than-expected US manufacturing sector report.

The IHS Markit’s US Composite Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) Output Index, which gauges the manufacturing and services sector, dropped to a reading of 55.4 in August from 59.9 in July. The index was the lowest since December, Reuters reported on Monday. It was still however above the 50-reading mark that indicates expansion in the sector.

For the flash services sector PMI, the reading stood at 55.2 from 59.9 in July. This was also weaker than the 59.5 estimate in a Reuters poll.

On the other hand, the flash manufacturing PMI was at 61.2, falling from the 63.4 in July. A Reuters poll estimated a stronger reading of 62.5 for August.

For Wednesday, both Mr. Ricafort and the trader gave a forecast range of P50 to P50.20 per dollar… Read More

(GMA News) PDP-Laban has yet to choose a vice presidential candidate for Eleksyon 2022, Senator Koko Pimentel said on Tuesday.

According to Sandra Aguinaldo’s report on “24 Oras”, Pimentel made the statement after a faction of the party declared that Duterte accepted the party’s endorsement for him to run for vice president.

“PDP-Laban has not reached that level yet of having chosen a VP candidate [because] we will most likely delegate to our presidential candidate the choice of his or her running mate VP,” Pimentel said

“Choosing the VP candidate first before naming your presidential candidate is an unusual circuitous convoluted process. Which I have never encountered before,” he added.

The faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi announced earlier in the day that Duterte has accepted its call for him to run for vice president.

Pimentel, the son of party founder Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., is on the faction which supports Senator Manny Pacquiao’s leadership.

The Cusi faction has ousted Pacquiao as party president… Read More

(BusinessWorld) THE PRESIDENTIAL palace on Monday urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to fast-track the payment of claims from private hospitals, which have threatened to cut ties with the state insurer.

PhilHealth’s failure to pay the claims would deprive Filipinos’ access to healthcare services, presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said at a televised briefing on Monday. “Pay what is due,” he added.

Private hospitals said they would cut ties with the state insurer after it refused to pay hospital claims under investigation worth P13.8 billion.

Mr. Roque also asked PhilHealth chief Dante A. Gierran why only one official was removed over fraudulent hospital claims. “That is unbelievable.”

Mr. Gierran, who used to head the National Bureau of Investigation, was appointed PhilHealth chief last year after the state corporation was accused of paying billions of pesos in anomalous hospital claims.

Meanwhile, Senators Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares and Christopher Lawrence T. Go asked PhilHealth and hospital groups to reach a middle ground.

“PhilHealth must not resort to a sweeping mechanism that could further delay the settlement of legitimate obligations,” Ms. Llamanzares said in a statement.

Mr. Go said that the government insurer should work with hospital groups to resolve the issues… Read More

(GMA News) There was a lapse on the part of the parents of the three teenage boys who died after getting hit by a train in Manila, a police investigator said on Monday.

According to Mariz Umali’s report on “24 Oras”, he said the Philippine National Railways also lacked safety precautions which could have prevented the fatal accident.

On Aug. 22, three boys aged 17 years old died after they were hit by a train in Barangay 630 in Sta. Mesa, Manila.

Police Lieutenant William Toledo, Manila Department Traffic Enforcement Unit chief investigator, said parents that failed to stop their children from going out amid the strict lockdown.

“Sa parte ng magulang ng mga biktima, may pagkukulang kasi despite na under MECQ pa rin kami, hinahayaan nila yung mga anak nila sa labas ng ganu’ng oras at sa gitna ng pandemya,” Toledo said.

[On the part of the parents, they have lapses because despite the MECQ implementation, they allowed children to go out amid the pandemic.]

Under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), those aged below 18 and above 65 years old are not allowed outside unless they need to work or acquire essential goods and services.

Toledo also took issue with PNR’s lapses as the area was not well lighted amid the inclement weather.

“Pangalawa, wala silang (PNR) ano eh, kaukulang safety precaution dun sa area, ni walang fence,” Toledo said.

[They lack safety precautions. There was no fence there.]

“Stop, Look and Listen” signages were placed only at the intersection of PNR stations. There are also no fences to keep people from crossing the train tracks.

In a statement, PNR management sent its sympathies to the relatives of children, adding that it is coordinating with authorities and victims’ families in the incident.

It also said it has put up enough warning signs, adding that its trains would honk its horns to warn those crossing the tracks.

Village watchman Nestor Lara said he also warned the victims regarding the incoming train, but due to the heavy rain, the children did not hear him.

‘Kids just want to play basketball’

The three victims were about to play basketball before they lost their lives in the train accident.

Sigfredo Visagar, a relative of the victim, said their mom wanted his brother to feel happy again by playing basketball.

“Hindi namin expect na ganoon ang nangyayari. (We did not expect that it would happen.),” said Visagar, whose eyes were still swollen after crying.

Patricia De Villa, sister of one of the victims, was still in tears after the loss of a family member.

“Disgrasya din kasi parang wala namang may gusto (It is an accident. Nobody wanted this to happen.),” said De Villa.

GMA News is still reaching out to the family of the third victim but they have yet to respond… Read More

(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 23) — An additional 466 Delta variant cases have been detected in the country, with community transmission confirmed in Metro Manila and Calabarzon, the Department of Health said on Monday. The tally of Delta cases now stands at 1,273.

The DOH said one case is still active, eight patients have died, while 457 others have been tagged as recovered.

Of the newly detected cases of the more contagious variant, 442 are local, 14 are returning overseas Filipinos, and 10 cases are being verified.

The DOH listed the location of the 442 additional local Delta cases:
– 201 in Metro Manila
– 69 in Central Luzon
– 52 in Western Visayas
– 49 in Calabarzon
– 19 in Central Visayas
– 14 in Mimaropa
– 11 in Davao Region
– 7 in Cagayan Valley
– 7 in Soccskargen
– 6 in Northern Mindanao
– 4 in Bicol Region
– 3 in Ilocos Region

DOH declared community transmission of the Delta variant in Metro Manila and Calabarzon but said more evidence is needed to say the situation is the same nationwide.

“Community transmission was identified in Region IV-A and in NCR based on the following observations: 1. Large numbers of Delta cases and 2. Case investigations and phylogenetic analysis showed that these cases cannot be epidemiologically linked to each other nor source/s of infection determined,” it said in a statement.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the World Health Organization has advised looking at the situation per region.

The Delta variant is believed to be as transmissible as chickenpox — with each infected person able to spread the virus to eight or nine others on average.

Meanwhile, the DOH also reported the detection of 90 Alpha variant cases, 105 Beta cases, and 41 Theta cases in the latest batch of whole genome sequencing of 746 samples.

The country on Monday broke its record anew for the highest number of COVID-19 infections reported in a day, with 18,332 more cases… Read More

(GMA News) The Office of Ombudsman has been investigating the procurement of COVID-19 equipment and the non-payment of benefits due “fallen health workers” since the middle of 2020, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said on Friday.

Martires added that five officials of the Department of Health have been placed on preventive suspension in October 2020 because of the probe.

The motu propio investigation, the Ombudsman said, was “relative to the procurement of test kits, PPE’s and other emergency purchases; including the non-payment to ‘fallen health workers’ and those infected by the virus; as well as the lapses and inefficiencies that led to the rising number of deaths and infected medical frontliners.”

“Our next step now is to review the COA Report and compare the same with our findings to determine the existence of any administrative or criminal liability in relation to the financial transactions of the DOH,” Martires said.

He said the investigation focused on determining the causes of inefficiency or mismanagement and identifying areas prone to corruption, the results of which will be communicated to the agency concerned and to Congress for appropriate legislation, if necessary.

Martires said the Commission on Audit’s annual audit report would “greatly help in their investigation.”

The Ombudsman also addressed the 2017 COA-Ombudsman memorandum agreement which created a task force composed of COA auditors and Ombudsman investigators to automatically investigate audit observations tagged by the COA.

“I would like to apologize to former Ombudsman, Justice Conchita Carpio Morales for not informing her that I deactivated the task force because I noted some legal infirmities in the MOA like usurpation of authority,” Martires said.

“I also want to avoid another wastage of government resources and embarrassment on the part of the Ombudsman prosecutors, the likes of which happened in the numerous cases which Justice Carpio Morales filed against a former Congressman and several department heads of Caloocan City,” he added…. Read More

(PhilStar Global) MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is expected to swiftly approve the bill allowing absolute divorce in the country despite strong objections by several lawmakers, a proponent has said.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, one of the principal authors of the latest divorce bill, believes the chamber will be able to pass the controversial and highly contested measure on third and final reading before the current 18th Congress adjourns next year.

He cited the support from the House leadership, particularly Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, for the immediate passage of the bill.

“In Congress, once leaderships of both houses endorse a measure it can be expeditiously passed. In terms of the House, there is now a go signal from the Speaker to fast-track this bill because no less than the Speaker introduced perfecting amendments,” he told “The Chiefs” on One News last Thursday night.

The specific amendments introduced by Velasco were provisions on court-assisted petitioners, community-based pre-nuptial and post-matrimonial programs, community-based women’s desks to provide assistance and support to victims of violence and abuse and an appropriation language for the bill.

The veteran congressman explained that the House will have enough time to pass the bill in the plenary before it focuses on the 2022 national budget and other pandemic response measures.

Lagman, who headed the technical working group that drafted the substitute bill, expressed hope that the Senate would also prioritize the measure once it is passed by the House – just like what happened in the equally controversial Reproductive Health Law.

He defended the swift passage of the measure in the committee level, which was questioned by Deputy Speakers Lito Atienza and Eddie Villanueva. He cited House rules that allow committee approval in one hearing of bills already passed by the chamber on third and final reading during the previous Congress – just like the divorce bill.

“The committee did not commit any railroading, which is the approval with deplorable alacrity of a measure against the rules and/or without any thorough deliberation. It took the committee more than two years before approving the substitute bill,” he pointed out.

He assured critics that the measure will not provide for a “drive thru divorce” and “only reinstates absolute divorce that was already practiced during the pre-Spanish times, the American colonial period and during the Japanese occupation.”

Lagman explained that the proposed law would allow couples in failed marriages to “regain their humanity, self-respect and freedom from irredeemably failed marriages and utterly dysfunctional unions.”

He lamented that the Philippines is the only country in the world today which outlaws absolute divorce, aside from the almost celibate Vatican City state.

“It is hard to believe that all the other countries collectively erred in instituting absolute divorce in varying degrees of liberality and limitations. An en masse blunder is beyond comprehension. An erroneous unanimity on such a crucial familial institution defies reason and experience. Obviously, the rest of the world cannot be mistaken on the universality of absolute divorce,” Lagman pointed out.

Under the measure, the existing grounds for legal separation, annulment of marriage and nullification of marriage based on psychological incapacity under the Family Code of the Philippines are included as grounds for absolute divorce.

These grounds are amended to cover causes arising after the solemnization of the marriage.

The bill includes other grounds for divorce: separation in fact for at least five years at the time the petition for absolute divorce is filed; when one of the spouses undergoes a gender reassignment surgery or transitions from one sex to another; irreconcilable marital differences as defined in the bill; other forms of domestic or marital abuse which are also defined in the bill; valid foreign divorce secured by either the alien or Filipino spouse and a marriage nullified by a recognized religious tribunal… Read More