Accompanied in Vondra’s tweet was a screen caption of social media comments supposedly about Duterte’s appearance which were written in Russian. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo or any Malacañang official has yet to issue a statement to the comments on Duterte’s appearance. “Rodrigo #Duterteshowed up a bit unkempt for the meeting with the Russian PM Medvedev in Moscowand the Russian internet is having a blast: Did he drink all night? Did he justleave the pub? Do Filipinos know what a protocol is?” Vondra said. Duterte is on a five-day official visit to Moscow and Sochi for discussions with Russian political and business leaders, speaking engagements and meeting with the Filipino community./PN Russian radio editor and podcasterPavel Vondra Thursday posted on Twitter a photo of Medvedev and Duterte, whohad a loose necktie and an open collar. President Duterte, who was criticized for folding the sleeves of his barong in an event here before, have earlier said that he dresses to be comfortable and not to impress other people. In one of the photos of that meeting,Duterte was seen wearing a dark grey suit that appeared to have been taken offa mall rack, a white shirt with unbuttoned collar that needed some ironing, anda loose tie that some observers suggested seemed to have been pre-knotted. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev shakes hands with President Rodrigo Duterte (right) prior to their meeting in Moscow, Russia on Wednesday. AFP He was shaking the hand of Medvedevwho, in contrast, was wearing a tailored suit, a neatly pressed shirt and a tiewith the knot pulled up to close the collar. MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterteshowed up a bit “unkempt” in a formal meeting with Russian Prime Minister (PM) DmitryMedvedev in Moscow, a foreign journalist noticed. read more

BACOLOD City – A man was stabbed inBarangay Mansilingan. Police identified the suspect asresident Marino Agana. Hizon and Agana were having a drinkingsession when the latter allegedly stabbed Hizon without apparent reason on Oct.13, the report added. Hizon was brought to the CorazonLocsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in this city for treatment. The motive in the incident was notimmediately established. Resident Rodrigo Hizon sustained stabwounds on the body, a police report showed. Officers of Police Station 7 conducteda manhunt operation against Agana, who fled after the incident./PN read more

The suspect was detained in the lockupcell of the Cadiz City police station, facing charges for violation of RepublicAct 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002./PN The 24-year-old resident MarjunLucente yielded the suspected illegal drugs, a police report showed. Lucente was apprehended after he soldsuspected shabu to an undercover cop around 7:05 p.m. on Sunday, the reportadded.    BACOLOD City – Five sachets ofsuspected shabu valued around P10,000 were seized in a sting operation inBarangay Tinampaan, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental. read more

Legado was caught in the act engaging inillegal sale of petroleum products around 7 a.m. on Jan. 14, a police reportshowed. The 32 -year-old resident CharlynAdvincula was detained in the lockup cell of the Janiuay police station. The suspect was facing charges forviolation of Presidential Decree 1865, which prohibits illegal trading ofpetroleum products./PN ILOILO City – Police nabbed a woman forunauthorized sale of petroleum products in Barangay Matag-on, Janiuay, Iloilo.

Registration resumed on yesterday, Jan. 20. Election offices alsoentertain requests for transfer of registration records, change/correction ofentries in the registration record, reactivation of registration record, andreinstatement of name in the list of voters. * very small sizes of letters in the ballots The following concerns cropped up during the simulation: Comelec’s Commissioner Al Parreño was here to oversee the simulation. She called, too, PWDs to register with Comelec so they could vote. * lack of interpreters for deaf-mute voters Election offices are open Monday to Saturdays, including holidays,from 8 p.m. to 5 p.m./PN * lack of ramps An election officer helps a person with disability feed her ballot into the vote-counting machine during a simulation voting at Central Philippine University in Iloilo City on Jan. 21, 2019. The simulation is a project of the Commission on Elections to further fine-tune the voting processes for persons with disability. IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN * lack of wheelchairs / lack of assistants to help movewheelchairs “The voting simulation for PWDs was a brainchild of CommissionerParreño. Gusto niya ma-enhance ang voting experience sang PWDs although we already have therules,” said Doronila. Doronila also urged local election officers to review and updatetheir list of PWD voters. The objective is to make the voting processes for PWDs moreefficient, she stressed. Doronila said these concerns would be brought to the attention ofComelec for proper action. Over 200 PWDs from this city and Iloilo province participated,said Atty. Elizabeth Doronila, Iloilo provincial election supervisor. The goal was to further fine-tune the voting processes for PWDs,said Doronila, in preparation for the May 2022 national and local elections. ILOILO City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Region 6conducted a simulation of voting for persons with disability (PWDs) at CentralPhilippine University yesterday. read more

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., with his wife Jane O’Meara Sanders, arrives to speak to supporters at a primary night election rally in Manchester, N.H., Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. AP MANCHESTER, N.H. – United States Sen. BernieSanders won New Hampshire’s presidential primary Tuesday night, edging moderaterival Pete Buttigieg and scoring the first clear victory in the DemocraticParty’s chaotic 2020 nomination fight. In his win, the 78-year-old Sanders, aself-described democratic socialist, beat back a strong challenge from the38-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. The dueling Democratsrepresent different generations, see divergent paths to the nomination andembrace conflicting visions of America’s future. (AP) read more

Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan,regional police director, lamented that there were still persons going out oftheir homes beyond the curfew hours. “From a total of 234, we are down to106 cases, comparing the period from Feb. 16 to March 16, and from March 17 toApril 16. While there were several violators,Pamuspusan said, the total crime incidents dropped to 45 percent. ILOILO City – Violators of the curfewhours being imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)in Western Visayas have reached 5,181, data from the Police Regional Office 6(PRO-6) showed. Aside from curfew violators, 346persons were also arrested for disobedience to authorities. “Meanwhile, if we compare it to thelast year’s data, we have a remarkable decrease of 63 percent (229) from 362cases, down to 133 cases for the period March 17 to April 16, 2019 versus thesame period for 2020,” he said. Pamuspusan, meanwhile, laudedpolicemen for keeping the region peaceful and orderly one month into theimplementation of the enhanced community quarantine. From March 18 to April 20, the topthree areas with the most number of violators were Bacolod City (1,888), NegrosOccidental (1,480) and Iloilo City (1,258). “We do not know what is in store fortomorrow, so let us always be ready,” he said. (PNA) Pamuspusan also told police personnelto take care of themselves as they continue to fight an unseen enemy. “As of April 20, a total of 5,068 werewarned, 57 were fined and 56 were arrested, totaling to 5,181 violators in theregion,” Pamuspusan said. “Indeed, staying at home will not onlykeep you safe from COVID-19 but it is also the best way to prevent crimes,” hestressed. The decrease in crime volume could beattributed to the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, EnhancedManaging Police Operations (E-MPO) and the establishment of checkpoints, saidPamuspusan. The PRO-6 set the 300 for regularfiling of charges while 46 others were subject for inquest. read more

“All Chiefs of Police and PCP Commanders should make rounds of all malls prior to opening and during operating hours. If the malls are not able to comply with the minimum health standards, the PNP can close the malls and charge the mall owners with violation of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act,” he said in a press release. Eleazar, for his part, vowed to facilitate the closure of establishments that will disregard the physical distancing measures. The World Health Organization has earlier warned that a hasty lifting of restrictions imposed to control the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a fatal resurgence of the new COVID-19 cases./PN Malacañang also expressed alarm over the swarm of people in malls and other places as he reminded the public that movement for leisure purposes remained prohibited in MECQ even if some malls and establishments have already opened. This was the stern warning of no less than Interior Secretary Eduardo Año yesterday. Over the weekend, heavy traffic was observed in parts of Metro Manila and Luzon after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease decided to relax the quarantine rules. NTF Against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spokesperson retired General Restituto Padilla, for his part, said that the excitement of the public could lead to possible transmission of the virus.  “Kami po ay humihiling sa sambayanan na huminahon po tayo. Huwag tayong ma-excite,” he added. “Nababahala po ang NTF (National Task Force) sa nangyari kahapon. Naging excited po ang ating mga kababayan. Ito po ay siguro ay kakulangan sa ganap na pagkaintindi sa sakit na nangyayari ngayon,” Padilla said in an interview with DZBB. He directed all local government units and the Joint Task Force Covid Shield under Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar to inspect all malls and talk to mall management about their observance of the Department of Health minimum health standards and quarantine protocols. MANILA – Malls that have partially reopened after the easing of quarantine rules would be shut down if they do not strictly enforce physical distancing. Cebu City and Mandaue City were placed under ECQ while the rest of the country was put under general community quarantine, which implements more relaxed restrictions. Eleazar’s statement came following reports and social media posts showing the supposed failure of mall security managers to implement physical distancing during the resumption of operations of some malls in Metro Manila over the weekend. A poster reminding shoppers to maintain social distance to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease is placed beside an escalator in a shopping mall in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on Sunday. REUTERS “Iyong mga leisure po, kung pupuwede po ay maiwasan po muna iyan kasi talagang wala pa pong ganiyang pahintulot ang IATF; nililimita pa rin po natin sa essential travel,” Roque said in an interview on DZBB. Metro Manila, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga including Angeles City, Zambales and Laguna—areas previously under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) shifted to modified enhanced community quarantine on Saturday. read more

“We cannot remain in this state forever,” he stressed, referring to lockdowns. “Otherwise more people will be losing their jobs, more businesses will be closing.” MANILA – Despite the increasing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, Iloilo City must continue reviving its economy, stressed Mayor Jerry Treñas during the national government’s Laging Handa public affairs television program. On the other hand, LSIs must undergo rapid antibody testing in Metro Manila and quarantine and polymerase chain reaction testing in their respective hometowns. Those assessed to be of moderate-risk for local transmission of the virus will be placed either as under general community quarantine (GCQ) or modified GCQ. Iloilo City and the rest of Western Visayas remain under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ). “Wala munang new normal. Lahat ng lugar po sa Pilipinas meron pa ring community quarantine,” Roque said in a virtual press conference. Treñas also said Iloilo City will continue to welcome locally stranded individuals (LSIs) although he admitted, “We have issues with some LSIs and repatriated overseas workers.” He was referring to those breaching the required 14-day quarantine. The national government’s Laging Handa public affairs television program featuring Treñas was aired on July 4. Meanwhile, areas assessed as low-risk for COVID-19 local transmission will remain under MGCQ instead of transitioning to the “new normal.” Local businesses not resume operations would have “very disastrous effects”, he said, pointing out that 58 percent of Iloilo City’s revenues come from local businesses. The national government’s pandemic task force temporarily shelved the “new normal” classification in its community quarantine system. It recalibrated its quarantine system in Resolution No. 48, according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. Under MGCQ, restrictions are further relaxed and become less necessary such as limiting people’s movement and public transportation, the operation of industries, and the presence of uniformed personnel to enforce community quarantine./PN Trenas, however, assured the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases that businesses and establishments in his city will follow health protocols. The MGCQ was previously touted as the transition phase to the “new normal” or the full easing of virus restrictions. Western Visayas was placed under MGCQ on June 1. On June 16, this was extended until June 30 by the IATF, and extended again beginning July 1. For MECQ and MGCQ areas, the IATF will consider the following indicators: social, economic and security factors, clustering of cases, health system capacity, and continuous increasing or decreasing new cases, case doubling time and critical care utilization rate. “As far as I am concerned the virus will stay with us for quite some time. There will always be times when people will test positive for it. We have to live with this,” Treñas said. Roque, however, assured the public that changes in the community quarantine system “are only temporary…kasi habang nagmi-meeting ang IATF nababago po ang kanilang guidelines.” Under government protocols, all repatriated overseas workers must undergo mandatory quarantine and polymerase chain reaction testing. Areas assessed to be at high-risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) local transmission will be placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or modified ECQ. read more

Sixth District Congressman Luke Messer made good on his promise to Hoosiers and filed a bill delaying the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate fines until the enrollment websites work.“In an era when Google is making cars that drive themselves, it is inexcusable that the Federal Government spent three years and more than $500 million on a website that doesn’t work,” said Congressman Luke Messer in a press release. “That’s why I introduced H.R. 3358 to make sure the American people aren’t punished for the Administration’s mistakes.”House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi herself called the problems with the website “unacceptable.” And, while President Obama said from the Rose Garden, “Nobody’s madder than me about the fact that the website isn’t working as well as it should,” Congressman Messer disagrees.“The American people are the ones who should be mad,” he said. “They are the ones whose hard-earned tax dollars have been wasted and who still can’t go online and sign-up for the health care needed to comply with the individual mandate and avoid its steep fines.”H.R. 3358:Delays the individual mandate for people living in areas where their exchange website is not working.Calls on the Government Accountability Office to establish standards for website functionality.Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services to certify functionality of exchange websites based on GAO established standards.Delays Affordable Care Act fines until exchange websites are deemed functional.Press Release read more