Philippines morning news for June 16, 2020

Wilfredo Keng says Ressa refused to get his ‘side of story’
Businessman Wilfredo Keng on Monday said he had asked Rappler executive editor and chief executive officer Maria Ressa to correct false public accusations against him or to publish his side, but to no avail.
— Philippine News Agency

Duterte extends GCQ over Metro Manila, other areas until June 30
President Rodrigo Duterte has opted to extend the general community quarantine (GCQ) over Metro Manila and several other areas because of the continued increase in confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
— Inquirer.net

Infrastructure growth to take a hit from budget cuts, lower spending — Fitch unit
Infrastructure growth is expected to take a hit from deep budget cuts and fund reallocations meant to beef up the government’s war chest against the coronavirus outbreak, a Fitch unit said Monday, adding that such a development would not bode well for the state’s economic recovery plan.
— Philippine Star

6 LGUs appeal for stricter quarantine protocols ahead of Duterte decision
While President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to announce what quarantine restrictions will be in place across the country after June 15, some local government units (LGUs) have gone ahead and appealed for the government’s coronavirus task force to consider the type of community quarantine they …
— Rappler

PH lists record-high 298 recoveries; Covid-19 cases reach 26,420
The country posted the highest single-day increase of 298 recoveries from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) although cases reached 26,420 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 490 more infections.
— Philippine News Agency

1.63 million Filipinos tested for COVID by July – DOH
The Department of Health (DOH) is aiming to test some 1.63 million Filipinos for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the end of July using the real time-polymerase chain reaction test, an official said yesterday.
— Philippine Star

DOH aims to test 1.5% of population by end of July
The Department of Health (DOH) is aiming to test 1.5 percent of the Philippine population for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) by the end of July.
— Philippine News Agency

Dengue cases lower by 46% in 2020, says DOH
The number of dengue cases in the Philippines this year is 46 percent lower compared to the same period in 2019, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.
— GMA Network

DOH incompetence affects gov’t COVID-19 response –Lacson
Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday said the government’s COVID-19 response in the past three months has been affected primarily by the incompetence of the Department of Health (DOH) on testing and reporting cases.
— GMA Network

CAAP airports ready for commercial flights
All 41 Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)-operated airports are ready to accommodate commercial flights, CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said Monday.
— Philippine News Agency

Duterte-critic journalist Maria Ressa convicted in Philippine libel case
High-profile Philippine journalist Maria Ressa was convicted Monday in a cyber libel case that press freedom advocates have branded a ploy to silence critics of President Rodrigo Duterte.
— CNA

M3 growth faster in April
MONEY SUPPLY growth logged a quicker pace in April for the second consecutive month, reflecting the impact of the central bank’s easing to lessen the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.
— BusinessWorld Online

Fast-track infra dev’t, provide stimulus measures to revive PH tourism — Speaker Cayetano
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano wants government to fast-track the completion of tourism-related infrastructure to help ensure the country’s readiness to re-open the tourism industry.
— Manila Bulletin

Myanmar, Thai firms bag contracts for PH rice imports
State-owned Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) last week started awarding contract bids for the importation of 300,000 metric tons (MT) of rice as part of the government’s contingency plan to ensure food security.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

UN experts condemn guilty verdict on Ressa, Santos: ‘Tragedy for PH democracy’
United Nations special rapporteurs slammed the conviction of Rappler chief CEO and Executive Editor Maria Ressa and former Rappler researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos over cyber liber charges in a trial widely seen as a test case for press freedom in the Philippines.
— Rappler

In a first, De Lima moves for bail
Senator Leila De Lima has asked a Muntinlupa court to order her provisional release from police custody by granting her bail.
— GMA Network

COVID-19 patients avail of full financial risk protection says Philhealth
In order to cover the comprehensive management for COVID-19 and ensure equitable access to quality, affordable and accessible health care services, all COVID-19 patients will enjoy full financial risk protection.
— Philippine Information Agency

DFA: 25 new COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad; total now at 5,566
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday said 25 Filipinos abroad recently caught the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total number of overseas cases among Filipino nationals to 5,566.
— ABS-CBN News

Subic firms retrench workers due to coronavirus pandemic losses
At least 20 companies at the Subic Bay Freeport have implemented retrenchment measures affecting close to 3,500 workers because of financial difficulties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Rappler

More elderly Pinoys risk abuse during pandemic, warns Commission on Human Rights
More senior citizens are facing the risk of being abused because they’re trapped indoors with their potential assaulters, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) of the Philippines warned the public today.
— Coconuts Philippines

Court affirms republication a separate libel offense, prescription period is 12 years
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – In convicting Rappler journalists, a Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) affirmed on Monday, June 15, that republication makes for a separate libel offense and that cyber libel’s prescription period is 12 years.
— Rappler

Davao LGU offers 42K jobs to retrenched employees
Amid the adverse impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the economy, the city government here is offering emergency employment opportunities to help residents cope up with the pandemic.
— Philippine News Agency

654 returning Filipinos negative of Covid-19 sent home
More than 600 returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who got negative results in their reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) were sent off from here to their respective destinations in the country on Sunday.
— Philippine News Agency

Over 4,200 crimes vs. women, children reported during community quarantine –Duterte
More than 4,200 cases of violence against women and children have been recorded by the Philippine National Police (PNP) since the implementation of community quarantine last March to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
— GMA Network

BSP investigating DOSRI violation of a big bank: Diokno
Monetary authorities are now investigating allegations of illegally approved multi-billion loans by officials of a universal bank, said Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno on Monday.
— Philippine News Agency

139 cases filed vs local gov t officials over allegedly mishandling COVID-19 cash aid
A total of 139 cases have been filed against local government officials whose handling of funds for the cash subsidy program amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was anomalous, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Monday.
— GMA Network

UP, Ateneo communications professors blast Maria Ressa conviction
Professors from the communications departments of the University of the Philippines (UP) and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) on Monday slammed the conviction of news website Rappler’s chief and its former researcher-writer over cyber libel charges.
— GMA Network

DepEd to use ‘drop box enrolment’ to minimize COVID-19 risk
Parents may enrol their children through drop boxes set up in schools or barangay halls starting June 16, the Department of Education said Monday.
— Philippine Star

Lopez family didn’t lose ownership of ABS-CBN even during Marcos martial law –counsel
The Lopez family did not lose ownership of ABS-CBN and its broadcast facilities even as the network was shut down when the Marcos martial law was declared in 1972, its counsel said Monday.
— GMA Network

‘Another blow to press freedom’: Student groups condemn cyber libel conviction
Several groups and campus publications decried the guilty verdict on Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria Ressa and former Rappler researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos over cyber libel charges in a decision handed down Monday, June 15.
— Rappler

International media groups denounce Ressa, Santos’ conviction
International news groups cried foul on Monday, June 15, following the conviction of Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr over cyber libel charges.
— Rappler

Tonik raises $21 million to launch digital bank in the Philippines
A wave of digital banks, or neo-banks, has flourished in recent years in Western nations as people begin to flee megabanks.
— TechCrunch

Win: Taxing online sellers now a losing proposition, ‘insensitive’
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) was asked at the weekend to defer the imposition of taxes on “small-time online traders,” as Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian lamented over the weekend its timing in the midst of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
— Business Mirror

DoH proposes P21.5-B Northern Luzon budget for 2021
THE Department of Health (DoH) in Regions I, II and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) proposed to Congress a P21.5-billion budget for 2021.
— BusinessWorld Online

Jan-April ng subsidies to state firms up 4-fold
SUBSIDIES extended by the national government to state-owned firms for the first four months of the year quadrupled to P70.570 billion from P14.419 billion in the same period in 2019, with state-run pension fund Social Security System accounting for more than a third of the total.
— Business Mirror

Villar vows probe on DA’s P1.8-B alleged overpriced fertilizer contracts
The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) P1.8-billion allegedly overpriced fertilizer supply contracts under a stimulus program to address COVID-19 will be investigated by the Senate, according to Senator Cynthia Villar on Monday.
— GMA Network

Duterte’s history of clashes with Philippine media
Journalist Maria Ressa’s libel conviction on Monday has raised fresh concerns about press freedom under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has a history of clashing with the media.
— CNA

Why democracies should push back vs Maria Ressa verdict
From a rickety courtroom in Manila, the guilty verdict on Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr is expected to make ripples in the United States, Hungary, and other countries where democracy is under threat by populist regimes.
— Rappler

1.5K C. Luzon farmers, fishers avail of DA’s Covid-19 loan aid
A total of 1,567 marginalized farmers and fishers in Central Luzon whose livelihood was affected by the community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), have availed of loan assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC).
— Philippine News Agency

Philippine Navy welcomes first missile-capable frigate
The Philippine Navy officially welcomed the country s first missile-capable frigate, BRP Jose Rizal (FF150), at the Alava Wharf in Subic, Zambales on Monday.
— GMA Network

Dumaguete mayor, tricycle drivers agree on 2-passenger rule
Some drivers and operators of motorcabs-for-hire (MCHs), commonly known as tricycle or pedicab here, lifted their transport strike on Monday following an agreement with authorities regarding the number of allowable passengers per unit.
— Philippine News Agency

Lenders urged to help borrowers get through pandemic
Sen. Bong Go has again appealed to banks and other financial institutions to provide restructuring programs for corporate and individual borrowers amid uncertainties due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
— Philippine Star

Local, int’l advocates urge public to speak out after Maria Ressa conviction
Advocates in the Philippines and abroad on Monday urged the public to continue speaking out after the conviction of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and a former researcher for cyber libel.
— GMA Network

Former Rep. Casilao charged for ‘introducing self as a congressman’
Former Rep. Ariel Casilao (Anakpawis party-list) may have been cleared of a charge for supposedly violating quarantine protocols, but he will still need to stand trial for Usurpation of Authority.
— Philippine Star

Maria Ressa Guilty Verdict: ABS-CBN Releases Official Statement
The biggest media company in the Philippines, ABS-CBN, released statement over cyber libel guilty verdict for Maria Ressa.
— Philippine News

Mandaluyong’s Hall of Justice, Manila’s Old Ombudsman building on two-week lockdown
Mandaluyong City’s New Hall of Justice and the Old Ombudsman building in Manila are on temporarily lockdown due to COVID-19 threat, the Supreme Court announced Monday.
— Philstar

Bato: Dragging Duterte administration into Ressa conviction ‘foul’
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday dismissed claims that the Duterte administration orchestrated the conviction of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa for cyber libel.
— GMA Network

Malacañang claims Duterte supports free press but leaves out threats vs media
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque was quick to defend President Rodrigo Duterte following the conviction of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher-writer Ray Santos Jr over cyber libel, using Duterte’s past support for a Davao-based journalist jailed for libel as “proof” he supported press freedom.
— Rappler

Business groups: Ressa verdict threatens Filipinos’ rights, freedoms
Four business groups denounced the conviction of Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa and former researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr for cyber libel , saying it has a chilling effect on journalism and threatens Filipinos’ rights.
— Rappler

Local governments ask IATF to adjust quarantine levels — Palace
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday said some local governments have appealed for their quarantine status to be lowered.
— Philippine Star

Journalists show solidarity with Ressa and Santos, slam guilty verdict
For journalists all over the country, the guilty verdict on Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos Jr carried a clear message: “To be critical is to be snuffed out.”
— Rappler

PNP COVID-19 cases reach 414, death toll at 7
The number of coronavirus disease 2019 cases in the Philippine National Police has reached 414.
— Eagle News

Duterte to buy radios for alternative learning amid COVID-19 crisis
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said he would look for funds to buy radios to far-flung areas as the country transitions to alternative modes of learning in light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
— GMA Network

Poultry imports down in May
The government has recorded a decline in the importation of poultry meat and products which could help local raisers recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
— Philippine Star

165 PDLs granted parole amid COVID-19 pandemic
At least 165 convicted prisoners have been granted parole in connection with the government s aim to decongest detention facilities amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, President Rodrigo Duterte told Congress on Monday.
— GMA Network

What Rappler conviction means for reporting confidential sources
A Manila court ruling that convicted Rappler journalists of cyber libel may have an effect on reporting confidential sources.
— Rappler

‘Never say never’ on heavier POGO taxes: Palace
Malacañang is not discounting the possibility that heavier taxes could be imposed on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) instead of small-time online sellers.
— Philippine News Agency

Rappler statement on cyber libel conviction: Failure of justice, failure of democracy
Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 convicted Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria Ressa and former Rappler researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos over cyber libel charges in a high-profile verdict handed down Monday, June 15.
— Rappler

Democracy is alive in PH, says National Security Adviser
Democracy is alive in the country, National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. assured, in light of the current public debate on the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 or House Bill 6875.
— Philippine Information Agency

Trillanes offers 5-point alternative to anti-terror bill
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday laid out some alternative measures that the government can implement to prevent terrorist activities in the Philippines without passing the controversial anti-terror bill into law.
— GMA Network

PNP Women and Children Protection Center defends performance from complaints online
Responding to criticisms of inaction, the Women and Children Protection Center of the national police said Monday that it had not received any formal reports and that its investigators had faced challenges of their own amid the enhanced community quarantine.
— Philippine Star

DOJ creates inter-agency task force to investigate cloned Facebook accounts
The justice department on Sunday said it is forming an inter-agency task force to investigate reports of netizens’ duplicate accounts cropping up on Facebook.
— Philippine Star

Solon wants probe into PDRs issued by other broadcast companies
A lawmaker on Monday proposed that the House of Representatives also look into the Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) issued by other Philippine broadcast companies aside from ABS-CBN.
— GMA Network

Agrarian org receives farm equipment to fight recession
Some 105 farmer-members of Avancena Beneficiaries Farmers Multi Purpose Cooperative (ABFMPC) received a farm tractor worth P1.2-million from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) of Agusan del Norte through the agency’s Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project (CRFPSP).
— Philippine Information Agency

QC innovates building permit application procedure to adapt to the ‘new normal’
The Quezon City’s Department of Building Official (DBO) has modified its conventional procedures to adapt to the “new normal” and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
— Philippine Information Agency

Actress Lilia Dizon dies
Veteran actress Lilia Dizon, the mother of actors Christopher and Lara Melissa de Leon, died Monday morning, June 15.
— Rappler

Fresh cybercrime ruling highlights old problem of criminal libel
When the Supreme Court reviewed the constitutionality of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, striking down some provisions but leaving the cyber libel untouched, journalists and media advocates warned that this casts a wider net to penalize opinions posted online.
— Philippine Star

Maria Ressa Guilty Verdict, What About Mocha Uson’s Fake News? – Netizens
On Twitter, netizens express protest over guilty verdict for Maria Ressa but just letting Mocha Uson who spread fake news previously.
— Philippine News

DSWD suspends government internship program for 2020
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday, June 15, suspended its Government Internship Program (GIP) 2020 to protect the youth from the threat of the coronavirus .
— Rappler

Incentives pushed for Pinoy commuters biking to work
In a bid to promote biking culture in the country, a lawmaker yesterday urged the government to reward Filipino cyclists by giving them tax relief, among other benefits.
— Coconuts Philippines

PLDT launches new package of business-grade internet and digital solutions
Leading telecoms and digital services provider PLDT, Inc. has launched its newest package of connectivity and digital solutions to help businesses gear up for operating in the New Normal.
— Rappler

Lawmakers to Filipinos: Resist repression as Ressa’s conviction ‘not the last’
Opposition legislators condemned the cyber libel conviction of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr, warning that their conviction will not be the last if Filipinos remain silent about the creeping tyranny in the country.
— Rappler

86 agrarian reform beneficiaries installed in northern Negros
A total of 86 farmers were installed by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in two areas in northern Negros during the first week of June.
— Philippine News Agency

104K 4Ps beneficiaries in W. Visayas get 2nd tranche of SAP
A total of 104,027 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in this city, Iloilo province, and Bacolod City have already received their second tranche cash aid of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).Iloilo province, Iloilo City, and Bacolod City have been approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of …
— Philippine News Agency

Virus patient confined belatedly due to poor coordination between local IATFs
The case of a transient woman from Cebu City who tested positive for COVID-19 here on Saturday, June 13, bared a lack of foresight and coordination among Zamboanga del Norte’s (ZN) local government officials regarding the return of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
— Rappler

Gatchalian opposes resumption of Meralco’s online payment fee
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday said the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) should continue to waive the P47 convenience fee for online payments of electricity bills amid the COVID-19 situation.
— GMA Network

DOTr-Caraga reminds public to renew their driver’s license
The Department of Transportation (DOTr)-Caraga has reminded the Caraganons to renew their expired license as they are strictly monitoring drivers and motorists. According to acting regional director Engr.
— Philippine Information Agency

SSS contribution payments deadline further extended until June 30
The Social Security System (SSS) has extended contribution payment deadline for another 15 days for members and covered employers.
— Philippine Information Agency

Feature photo PNB Global Remit
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on International Day of Family Remittances, June 16.

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

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Philippines morning news for June 16 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on June 16, 2020
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Stella-maris Ewudolu

Journalist at AEC News Today

Stella-maris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Education from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria in 2005.

Between November 2010 and February 2012 she was a staff writer at Daylight Online, Nigeria writing on health, fashion, and relationships. From 2010 – 2017 she worked as a freelance screen writer for ‘Nollywood’, Nigeria.

She joined AEC News Today in December 2016.