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Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara Jr. starts his defense of Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2057, An Act Expediting the Procurement and Administration of Vaccines for the Protection Against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) during Wednesday’s hybrid plenary session, February 17, 2021. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB) MANILA, Philippines — Some senators are wary about the proposed institutionalization of Covid-19 “vaccine passports,” saying this could discriminate and restrict the mobility of those who opt not to be inoculated. Establishing a “vaccine passport” program that would give “certain benefits” to those in possession of it could pressure others to get vaccinated, according to Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. He raised such a point during Wednesday’s plenary deliberations on Senate Bill No. 2057. Aside from expediting the purchase and administration of Covid-19 vaccines in the country, the measure also seeks the issuance of vaccine passports to inoculated individuals. The ... » Learn More about Some senators wary of ‘vaccine passports’; say it can be ‘discriminatory’

People visit the Maginhawa community pantry initiated by Ana Patricia Non on Thursday, April 15, 2021, at Teacher’s Village, Quezon City. Non says she set up the community pantry to help people who are badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. (INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE) MANILA, Philippines — The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Wednesday denied linking community pantry organizers to leftist groups. In an interview on ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo, NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., said the task force has nothing to do with red-tagging community pantries and its organizers. “No, haka haka yan ng ibang grupo na malilikot ang mga utak (No, other groups made that up),” Parlade stressed. Parlade said the counter-insurgency task force is just “checking” the situation of community pantries to make sure that organizers do not have any other agenda. “I don’t want to use the word profiling kasi masyadong ... » Learn More about NTF-ELCAC denies linking community pantries to leftist groups

CHECKPOINT In this photo taken on March 22, policemen guard the boundary of Cavite and Metro Manila as the national capital and its nearby provinces are placed under lockdown due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ The Philippine National Police has tapped its investigators in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region to look into claims that a curfew violator in Cavite province died after he was asked to do a strenuous exercise routine by local policemen. Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, the PNP deputy chief for operations and Joint Task Force Coronavirus Disease (COVID) Shield commander, directed a team in the Calabarzon police office to investigate the incident despite denials by the General Trias City police of having inflicted physical punishment on violators of the strict lockdown. Binag was referring to the incident involving 28-year-old Darren Peñaredondo (identified in social media posts as Darren Manaog), who died two days after he and ... » Learn More about PNP probes death of curfew violator in Cavite

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II arrives for the funeral of Britain’s Prince Philip, who died at the age of 99, at St George’s Chapel, in Windsor, Britain, April 17, 2021. Jonathan Brady/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo LONDON  – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, the world’s oldest monarch, turns 95 on Wednesday, but there will be no public celebrations of an occasion that comes just days after she bade a sad farewell to her husband of seven decades at his funeral. Prince Philip, whom Elizabeth married in 1947, died on April 9 at the age of 99. The royals paid their final respects to the family’s patriarch at his funeral on Saturday at Windsor Castle. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the queen sat alone during the sombre service for Philip, who she had described as her “strength and stay”. Elizabeth, who is also the world’s longest-reigning monarch, will be at the castle for her birthday, which traditionally passes off with little or no ceremony. However this year, with the royals marking ... » Learn More about Queen Elizabeth marks 95th birthday, days after husband’s funeral

SINGAPORE - Two teenagers aged 17 and 18 have been arrested as suspects involved in loanshark harassment. They were caught after the police were alerted on April 17 about an incident in Hougang Street 61, where the gate of a residential unit was found bolted shut with a metal lock and a debtor's note left. Officers identified the two teenagers with the help of images from police cameras and arrested them later that day. They were will be charged on Thursday (April 22). Loanshark harassment carries a fine of between $5,000 and $50,000 for first-time offenders, as well as jail for up to five years and up to six strokes of the cane. The police said on Wednesday: "Those who deliberately vandalise property, cause annoyance to the public or disrupt public safety, peace and security, will be dealt with severely." The public can call the police at 999 or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664 if they suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in loansharking. ... » Learn More about Two teenagers suspected of loanshark harassment arrested

PORT DICKSON: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim feels "comfortable" in Port Dickson and is prepared to defend the parliamentary seat in the next general election. However, the PKR president said that the party leadership will have the final say on this. Anwar said he no longer felt like an outsider here and knew many of his constituents. "If you ask me, yes, I am comfortable here in PD because it is convenient and I now know many people here. "I also feel that I am much better received now than when I contested the by-election previously. "People here are really friendly and I see this during my visits including to schools, surau and mosques," he said when met after handing over aid to surau and mosque committees here. Anwar was asked to comment if he would be defending the Port Dickson seat which he won in a seven-cornered by-election on Oct 13,2018 with a 23,560 majority. The by-election was triggered following the exit of its incumbent MP Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah to make ... » Learn More about Anwar says ‘comfortable’ in Port Dickson, prepared to defend seat in GE15

A child sits at a table in front of closed shops at Pratunam market in Bangkok on April 16, 2021, as Thailand imposes further restrictions to deal with a spike in the number of Covid-19 coronavirus cases. (AFP photo) Thailand's joint business group on Wednesday trimmed its 2021 economic growth forecast for the second time this year to 1.5-3.0% from 1.5-3.5% after a third wave of coronavirus infections, despite improved exports. The tourism-reliant country is struggling with a new outbreak that includes a highly contagious variant, with over 17,700 infections recorded in three weeks, dealing a blow to its already slow economic recovery. The new economic projection is based on an assumption that Thailand will meet its vaccination targets and introduce fiscal measures of more than 200 billion baht ($6.39 billion) to support the economy, Supant Mongkolsuthree, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, told a briefing. "Without such money, GDP will grow zero percent," he said. ... » Learn More about Business group trims 2021 GDP outlook after new virus outbreak