Philippines reimposes non-essential foreign travel restriction for citizens

By VIRGIL LOPEZ, GMA News

The Philippines reimposed the restriction on non-essential outbound travel for Filipinos, Malacañang announced Thursday.

In a televised briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government’s COVID-19 task force made the decision since only one insurance company agreed to provide travel and health insurance in relation to the pandemic.

However, those with confirmed bookings as of July 20, 2020 will be allowed to leave the country subject to the conditions imposed by the government. The task force earlier lifted the ban on non-essential overseas travel on July 6.

Under the guidelines, a traveler must have adequate travel and health insurance to cover rebooking and accommodation expenses if stranded, and hospitalization in case of infection.

A traveler must also submit confirmed round trip tickets for those traveling on tourist visas.

Roque also announced that the government allowed the resumption of essential outbound travel for Filipinos.

Essential trips include those for business and work, medical, emergency and other humanitarian reasons which cannot be postponed, the task force said.

The conditions include a declaration signifying knowledge and understanding of the risks involved and compliance with the guidelines for returning Filipinos. —KBK, GMA News

Palace lists 18 holidays in 2018

By Genalyn Kabiling

The public can prepare for their vacations this early following the release of the official list of regular and special non-working days in the country for 2018.

President Duterte has signed Proclamation No. 269 declaring 10 regular holidays and eight special non-working days for next year, paving the way for several long weekends.

President Rodrigo Duterte
(PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

The 2018 regular holidays are New Year’s Day, January 1 (Monday); Maundy Thursday, March 29; Good Friday, March 30; Araw ng Kagitingan,April 9 (Monday); Labor Day, May 1 (Tuesday); Independence Day, June 12 (Tuesday); National Heroes Day, August 27 (last Monday of August); Bonifacio Day, November 30 (Friday); Christmas Day, December 25 (Tuesday); and, Rizal Day, December 30 (Sunday).

The special non-working days are Chinese New Year, February 16 (Friday); EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary, February 25 (Sunday); Black Saturday, March 31; Ninoy Aquino Day, August 21 (Tuesday); All Saints’ Day, November 1 (Thursday); and last day of the year, December 31 (Monday).

Two additional special holidays are All Souls’ Day, November 2 (Friday) and Christmas Eve, December 24 (Monday).

The extra holidays were declared to “strengthen family ties” in commemorating such activities as well as promote domestic tourism.

The proclamations declaring national holidays for Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha will be issued soon after the dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos have been designated to inform the Office of the President of the actual dates when the holidays will fall.

The Department of Labor and Employment has been ordered to issue the implementing guidelines for the proclamation of the holidays in the country for 2018.

The proclamation, signed by the President last July 17, takes effect immediately.

President Duterte is well

Palace: President Duterte is well, still in Malacañang

By Rosette Adel (philstar.com) | Updated June 15, 2017 - 12:57pm

 5  54 googleplus0  0 

President Rodrigo Duterte had skipped the Independence Day rites last Monday purportedly due to exhaustion from his previous engagement late Sunday at the Villamor Air Base and Fort Bonifacio where he witnessed the arrival of the remains of soldiers slain in Marawi and condoled with their families. He stayed at the Marine base at Fort Bonifacio until after midnight. File

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday dismissed speculations on President Rodrigo Duterte’s health amid his absence in the public eye.

“The president is well,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said when asked if Duterte is sick.

Abella reiterated that Duterte is just resting but refused to provide a definite time when the president would be seen in public again. He also denied social media reports that Duterte is currently in Davao.

The presidential spokesperson said Duterte is just taking his time in Malacañang.

“The president needs [rest]. You have to consider that he has been on the road for at least 23 days regarding fulfilling his martial law supervisions. It has been really brutal so we have to allow him this kind of rest,” Abella said.

“He's taking some time off to to rejuvenate,” he added.

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Asked if the president has seen a doctor lately, Abella said he was not privy to the matter but he said he is sure that he has already consulted an expert.

Alejano slams Duterte's absence from public

Meanwhile, Duterte’s critic,  Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, urged Malacañang to issue a regular update on Duterte’s health as he cast doubts on the president’s absence from the public.

“The absence of the president from the public is very unusual especially there is still an ongoing crisis in Marawi. Much more to be absent for a week without explanation except to rest,” the solon said.

“People can not help but speculate about the status of president's health. Malacañang should be forthright in informing the public about this. President's health is a national security issue,” he concluded.

Article VII Section 12 of the 1987 Constitution also states that in case the president has a serious illness, the public shall be informed of the state of his health.

 

"The members of the Cabinet in charge of national security and foreign relations and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall not be denied access to the Philippines during such illness,"

Abella previously said the president is in “excellent health” after he skipped the Philippine Independence Day rites last Monday.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano last Monday said that the president did not attend the June 12 ceremonies since he is not feeling well.

Asked if this is the longest time the president has been away from the public, Abella said he is not sure but clarifies that the president usually has his own schedule. He also said the president may travel to Davao one of these days.

Last December, Duterte admitted that he has health issues including a migraine that he endures every day. 

Cayetano: EJK hearings could be LP's 'Plan B' to reclaim Malacanang

Cayetano: EJK hearings could be LP’s ‘Plan B’ to reclaim Malacañang

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has questioned the real motive of the Senate Justice Committee in producing witness Edgar Matobato, who has claimed that President Rodrigo Duterte was behind numerous killings in Davao City when he was still mayor.

During Thursday’s hearing headed by Senator Leila De Lima, Cayetano warned that the probe could be a ploy initiated by the Liberal Party to damage the reputation of President Rodrigo Duterte, remove him from power, and install their own president.

“Gusto ko ipakita… na merong posibleng motibo ng paninira sa ating Pangulo dito… I’m asking about you [Sen. De Lima], your motive, and the motive of your party in this hearing… I am testing whether [the witnesses are credible] or is this part of the plan B of the Liberal Party para makuha ang Malacañang at manira lang,” Cayetano said.

“Ako po ay naniniwala sa kasabihan sa Bibliya, kung anong itinanim, ‘yun ang aanihin mo. So kailangan, sa committee na ‘to, katotohanan ang itatanim natin, kasi kung kasinungalingan, grabe po ang consequences nito... Ano ba ang importante, ang lumabas ang totoo, or is this just a demolition job being done against President Duterte?”

The senator questioned the Justice committee’s intention for presenting a witness with no proper corroboration. He strongly expressed doubt over the accusations made by Matobato, a self-proclaimed member of the suspected Davao Death Squad (DDS) who testified against Duterte before the hearing.

To disprove claims of Duterte’s alleged involvement in the killings in Davao during his term as mayor, Cayetano cited how the local office of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) already denied the existence of the said death squad.

The commission earlier conducted public hearings in Davao and even requested the Ombudsman to investigate on murder cases attributed to the DDS. The final disposition approved by the Office of the Ombudsman showed that "no evidence was gathered to support the killings attributed or attributable to the DDS” and that the allegations remain as "chismis and other gossips,” Cayetano noted.

He then stressed that Matobato’s credibility as a witness needs to be tested further, especially considering his proximity to De Lima, a Liberal Party member.

“Kaya ko nga tine-testing kung totoo sinasabi niyo o hindi… kung drawing ba ito, imbento lang ba ito, at dinala ka dito para pabagsakin ang administrasyon,” he told Matobato, who had been under the Justice Department’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) since 2014, back when De Lima was still DOJ Secretary.

Cayetano further expressed his frustration over the manner by which the proceedings were being conducted, particularly the committee’s failure to provide senators with a list of the witnesses prior to last Thursday’s hearing.

“Until 4 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday), humihingi ako ng listahan ng imbitado sa hearing na ‘to. Hindi ako binibigyan ng committee po ninyo. Kahit ang initial list kung sino ang imbitado,” Cayetano narrated. “I just take exception to the way this [hearing] is being conducted. Because dapat handa at prepared kaming lahat, and factual ang mga lumalabas,” he stressed.

Cayetano also called out the committee for mentioning misleading data with regards to the number of deaths being linked to the current administration.

“When the chair gives facts and figures, it should be factual, hindi conclusions. At the start of this hearing, the chair mentioned that there are 3,526 total killed persons on the drug war... But this is wrong, because there are only 1,506 killed resulting from actual police operations. Ang ibang dinagdag dito, ‘yung murder and homicide [cases], pareho ang numero nung time ni Pangulong Aquino, na ngayon ay china-charge kay Pangulong Duterte,” he said during his manifestation.

“Let me say why I want to manifest this. We are being monitored not only by the local media but also the international media, and they are quoting from this hearing, from the CHR, and from this chair. Pero ‘yung mga numero ay mali at misleading,” he added. 

Philippine Income Tax Cuts

Malacañang still cool on 

income tax cuts

By Prinz P. Magtulis (The Philippine Star)

President Aquino’s allies in Congress have been pushing for the reduction of income taxes that go as high as 32 percent, one of the highest in Southeast Asia.

MANILA, Philippines - Barely a week after Congress resumed session, the Aquino administration has renewed its opposition to lower income taxes, suggesting Malacañang’s persistent cool reception to the measure.

“The Department of Finance is, and always has been, in favor of reforming the tax system,” Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said in a statement Friday.

“The question is whether we should go for real, comprehensive tax reform, or address the issue in a piecemeal and politically-charged manner that can only stunt the momentum of development,” he added.

President Aquino’s allies in Congress have been pushing for the reduction of income taxes that go as high as 32 percent, one of the highest in Southeast Asia.

At the forefront are Liberal Party stalwarts Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo and Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara who filed House Bill 4029 and Senate Bill 2149, respectively, both pending at the committee level.

Leaders from the House of Representatives and the Senate could not be immediately reached for comment.

Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Saying legislators have been painting an “incomplete picture” of the country’s tax system, Purisima said structural problems that hinder tax administration – and not policies themselves-- have in fact hindered the government from collecting revenues.

“Reforming the country’s outdated tax laws would give the Philippines a competitive edge in the Asian Century,” the finance chief said.

“Simplistic solutions that do not address the complex structural issues that underpin our tax system run contrary to this vision,” he pointed out.

Citing data from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Purisima said lowering income taxes could narrow the state’s tax base more, noting that a large pie of BIR collections-- around 64 percent-- are being sourced from only 2,128 companies.

On top of that, the bureau has estimated that at least P200 billion in revenues are being lost annually from non-paying self-employed individuals and professionals such as doctors, lawyers and businessmen.

If tax evasion cases being filed every two weeks are of any indication as well, the BIR has also already lost roughly P73 billion to more than 400 cases filed under its Run After Tax Evaders program since July 2010.

“We cannot take a reductionist or simplistic approach to tax reform. It is easy, and I must say, very popular during election season, to cut taxes, and if we only look at this as a simple yes or no question, who wouldn’t want to?” BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares said in the same statement.

“But we must be more fiscally responsible and ask the right, even if they are tough, questions in making our effort at tax reform a balanced one, for the sake of those whom we pass this country on to,” she explained.

To start with, Purisima said legislators could push for the revisions of the country’s bank secrecy law that stops the BIR from examining bank accounts for tax purposes, meaning to match tax payments with an individual’s income.

“A hurried tax reform plan, absent the necessary transformation of our restrictive bank secrecy laws, and done with undue haste during the frenzy of elections, would be a grave disservice to our people,” the finance czar said.

“We call on them and the Filipino public to support bank secrecy reform as a prerequisite and pillar of any proposed tax reform plan,” he added.