WEEKLY ISSUE @FilAmNewspaper www.filamstar.com Vol. IX Issue 576 1028 Mission Street, 2/F, San Francisco, CA 94103 Email: [email protected] Tel. (415) 593-5955 or (650) 278-0692 April 23-29, 2020 Alarms raised over new districts in disputed seas, ore loading in By Daniel Llanto FilAm Star Correspondent Virus map from Samar by Chinese ship Facebook CLAIMING that China has been BUSINESS & TECH NEWS | A10 Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash relentless in exploiting the coronavirus pandemic, former Foreign Affairs Sec. Albert del Rosario urged the Philippine government to protest China’s estab- lishment of two new districts to govern the Paracels and Spratlys in the South China Sea. Del Rosario said the announce- ment by the Chinese ministry of civil affairs on April 18 about the establish- ment of new districts in the disputed waters came at a time when the world was busy addressing the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. ‘Devious’ coronavirus ■ TO PAGE A7 HEALTH & LIFESTYLE | A13 Senate urges Health chief resignation despite Duterte backing PH: most number of COVID-19 cases in SE Asia, among least safe countries for COVID-19 Pacquiao-Crawford By Corina Oliquino Sign of the times FilAm Star Correspondent fight could happen SPORTS NEWS | A14 MANILA – Hong Kong-based capital venture firm Deep Knowledge Group’s recent analysis of global pandemic data released last April 12, ranks the $4.5B in OFW Philippines ninth among the riskiest countries to be in during the corona- cash remittance virus pandemic. Globally, Europe is the worst losses projected hit by the COVID-19 pandemic with Italy, Spain and France reporting over Sec. Francisco Duque (Facebook) By Macon Araneta 100,000 infections as of April 15. FilAm Star Correspondent Iran and Ecuador were the risk- By Beting Laygo Dolor iest countries in the Middle East and Contributing Editor THE PHILIPPINES, in a best-case South America, ranking seventh and scenario, will likely lose some $4.5 eighth worldwide. PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte may billion (PHP228 billion) in cash remit- Myanmar, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, still have his back but a majority tance inflows from migrant Filipino Nepal, Laos, Bangladesh and Indone- of senators insisted last week that workers this year due to the COVID-19 sia joined the Philippines at the “low Health Sec. Francisco Duque should pandemic, the ACTS-OFW Coalition of level,” ranked 20th. resign. Organizations said. Sen. Migz Zubiri was first official to disclose he was positive with COVID-19. Deep Knowledge Group used Inefficient, indecisive and “Without the pandemic, we Fully recovered, he donated his plasma in the hopes that his anti-bodies data from the World Health Organi- negligent were how critics de- expected the aggregate incoming cash may provide clues in finding a cure. (Photo: Macon Araneta) zation, Johns Hopkins University, the scribed Duque but 14 senators said transfers from Filipinos overseas to US Centers for Disease Control and he should resign for his “failure in grow by $1.5 billion (or by five percent) Prevention, Worldometers and other leadership, lack of foresight and this year,” said ACTS-OFW Chairman publicly available sources. transparency.” Aniceto Bertiz III. PH ‘currency appear to be immune While its safety ranking was The senators called for Duque’s “However, on account of the severe based on quarantine efficiency, gov- resignation last April 17 in Senate global economic devastation caused ernment management, monitoring Resolution No. 362 because of his by the pandemic, we now project total to COVID-19 fallout’ – global bank and detection and emergency treat- poor planning, delayed response, By Corina Oliquino Despite its positive assessment, remittances to reach only $27 billion ment readiness. misguided and flip-flopping policies this year, or down by $3 billion from FilAm Star Correspondent Nomura warned the country could be The Group also determined the the next coronavirus hotspot among and measures by the department he $30 billion in 2019, assuming the best risk ranking based on factors such heads in addressing the Covid-19 MANILA – Japan-based investment emerging market (EM) economies and possible outcome,” Bertiz, a former as: infection spread risk, government pandemic. member of Congress, said. bank Nomura said the Philippines is could put the peso at risk. management, healthcare efficiency Nomura said monetary authorities While the Senate resolution was Bertiz said migrant Filipino “unlikely to slip into an exchange rate and regional specific risks. signed by senators belonging to the crisis anytime soon” as the coronavirus of at-risk countries may need to reverse workers in the following sectors around TO PAGE A7 pandemic triggers global recession fears, ■ TO PAGE A7 battering financial markets worldwide. ■ TO PAGE A7 ■ TO PAGE A7 ■ Trump to sign virus immigration order Wednesday PRESIDENT Donald Trump confirmed he would sign an order on Wednesday partially blocking immigration to the United States, in a move he argues would protect workers from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Immigration is a key issue for Trump’s conservative base, which he is keen to energize ahead of the November election. “I will be signing my Executive Order prohibiting immigration into our Country today,” he said in a tweet. The president said on Tuesday that he would stop the issuing of ■ TO PAGE A7 A2 FilAm Star April 23-29, 2020 April 23-29, 2020 FilAm Star A3 US News Trump wants to use oil crash to fill national stockpile US anti-confinement PRESIDENT Donald Trump said Monday the United States would take advantage of the historic drop in oil prices to replenish its national strategic protesters demand stockpile, pending approval by Congress. “We are filling up our national petroleum reserves... You know, the strategic reserves,” Trump told reporters at his daily coronavirus press confer- economic freedom ence. THE INCESSANT clang of car horns rang out in Creating risk “And we are looking to put as much as 75 mil- the US state of Pennsylvania Monday as hundreds Anita Livelsberger, one of the few demonstra- lion barrels into the reserves themselves,” he added. of vehicles circled the Capitol building in a protest tors wearing a mask, traveled from a town about a Later in the briefing, he specified that he would against confinement measures aimed at combatting half-hour outside the city “to support the president” only buy that amount if Congress authorized the the coronavirus. and “because they have to re-open or small busi- funding -- or if the federal government could rent During the rally that lasted about three hours, nesses will die.” storage space to third parties for a fee. many drove pick-up trucks decorated with Amer- The 55-year-old said that Trump -- who has When prices eventually rebound, these vendors ican flags or slogans like “shelter in place isn’t sparred with state governors over their precaution- could sell their excess oil. freedom!” ary orders -- “has been doing a good job.” US oil prices crashed to unprecedented lows The Harrisburg demonstrators, arguing that Livelsberger’s husband owns a contractor sup- Monday as futures in New York ended in negative public health regulations unduly threaten economic ply business, which she said has stayed open. territory for the first time amid a devastating supply freedom, gathered after similar protests elsewhere But without clients, they’re hurting, she said. glut that has forced traders to pay others to take the Pres. Donald Trump (Facebook) in the country and President Donald Trump tweet- A number of Democrats and public health crude off their hands. Stored in a complex of four underground sites ed apparent support for them last week. experts have said the US government was slow to take The president had announced his intention along the Gulf coasts of Texas and Louisiana, in Among Monday’s protest organizers were a trio necessary steps to fight the virus -- but Livelsberger on March 13 to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve the south of the United States, the SPR has a total of conservative pro-gun activist brothers who have “suspects” the shutdown may be a Democratic scheme (SPR) to the brim. storage capacity of 727 million barrels. instigated anti-quarantine demonstrations through- to hurt Trump’s chances in November’s election. As of April 17, it contained 635 million bar- This is intended for use in case of emergencies out the United States. Tom Ryan, a certified public accountant, also rels of its current authorized limit of 713.5 million such as the 1991 Iraq War, or in 2005 after Hurri- But the demonstrators remain on the margins traveled to Pennsylvania’s capital to protest, pro- barrels. cane Katrina. (AFP) in a country where polls show a majority support Trump red caps in hand. stay-at-home measures to fight the pandemic. “You can’t shut everything down just because Along with the vehicles protesting, hundreds of we have a health issue,” he said. Poisonings linked to cleaning people -- most of them mask-free despite the threat “We have to figure out how to balance things.” of the virus -- gathered at the steps of the state- In Harrisburg, AFP witnessed about a dozen supplies spike in US during pandemic house. They carried signs decrying damage caused armed protestors. to the economy due to confinement measures, or But though the demonstrations at US state- CALLS TO US poison centers have risen 20 discharged a few hours later. accusing the governor, Tom Wolf, of using the virus houses have drummed up media attention and percent this year because of exposure to bleach and The second case was about a preschool-aged as an excuse to grab powers. online activity, they remain on the periphery: more other disinfectants, health authorities said Monday, girl who was found unresponsive at home and who Among those rallying were Republican con- than 80 percent of Americans would approve of a linking the surge to COVID-19 cleaning recommen- had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.