Senator Panfilo Lacson expressed concern on the recent plans of President Rodrigo Duterte to cancel the Visiting Forces Agreement if ever that the United States of America is not going to “correct” the visa of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa.

According to Lacson, he sees no connection why Duterte was ready to cancel the VFA for the sake of Dela Rosa’s visa.

“A US visa is a conditional authorization granted to a foreigner. It may be canceled without explanation or justification. The VFA is a bilateral agreement between the Ph and the US that went through some careful and diplomatic discussion. Pray tell, where is the connection?” said Lacson on his Twitter post.

In another interview, Lacson said that the move of the President is “unfortunate and unnecessary”.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr, a friend of Lacson described the President’s action as a “good move”.

“Good move. Visas fall under US Justice Department in the Executive Branch. Either they’re serious about US-PH military alliance or not. They can have de Lima after her trial. In fact, they can pass a law making her a US citizen and part of the US military so she is covered by VFA,” Locsin said.

Lacson then responded to Locsin’s tweet “You’re obviously joking, as I am now obviously stating the obvious,”

You’re obviously joking, as I am now obviously stating the obvious.

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) January 24, 2020

Yesterday, President Rodrigo Duterte gave one month to the US to correct the visa issue of Senator Dela Rosa who’s a close ally of the chief executive.

“I warning you this is the first time, pag hindi ninyo ginawa ang correction diyan, one, I will terminate the bases visiting forces agreement. Tapusin ko yang p*tang i*na. I am giving notice and they begin to count. I am giving government and the American government one month from now,” said Duterte.

VFA is an agreement signed between the Philippines and the U.S in 1998.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Secretary-General Renato Reyes criticized President Rodrigo Duterte for his plan to junk the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) because of the cancellation of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa’s US visa.

On his Twitter post, Reyes said that the government should junk VFA a long time ago, explaining that the said agreement is against the sovereignty of the Philippines and because of many other reasons.

However, Reyes who’s also a critic of VFA expressed disappointment after knowing that the reason why Duterte wanted to terminate the agreement is that his political ally, Dela Rosa’s visa got canceled by US government.

According to Reyes, the termination of VFA is not a “bargaining chip” to fix the US Visa of Senator Dela Rosa.

“MATAGAL nang dapat ibinasura ang VFA dahil labag ito sa soberanya natin. MATAGAL na rin itong nilalabanan ng Bayan, mula pa 1999. Pero bakit ngayon lang ito ibabasura ni Digong, dahil sa kanseladong US Visa ni Bato? Magtataka ka kung seryoso ba talaga siya o postura lang,” said Reyes.

MATAGAL nang dapat ibinasura ang VFA dahil labag ito sa soberanya natin. MATAGAL na rin itong nilalabanan ng Bayan, mula pa 1999. Pero bakit ngayon lang ito ibabasura ni Digong, dahil sa kanseladong US Visa ni Bato? Magtataka ka kung seryoso ba talaga siya o postura lang.

— Renato Reyes, Jr. (@natoreyes) January 23, 2020

“The VFA is an affront to our sovereignty. It allows an unlimited number of US troops to stay in the PH for an unlimited time, doing unspecified activities. It was ratified as a treaty in the PH but not under US laws. Matagal na dapat itong ibinasura, may visa man o wala si Bato,” he added.

The VFA is an affront to our sovereignty. It allows an unlimited number of US troops to stay in the PH for an unlimited time, doing unspecified activities. It was ratified as a treaty in the PH but not under US laws. Matagal na dapat itong ibinasura, may visa man o wala si Bato.

— Renato Reyes, Jr. (@natoreyes) January 23, 2020

“Kung ibinalik ng US ang visa ni Bato, at pumayag si Digong, valid at makatarungan pa rin ba ang VFA? Kung hindi ibinasura ni Digong ang VFA dahil ibinalik na ang visa ni Bato, valid na uli ang VFA?,” he also said.

Tanong sa mga DDS: Kung ibinalik ng US ang visa ni Bato, at pumayag si Digong, valid at makatarungan pa rin ba ang VFA?
Kung hindi ibinasura ni Digong ang VFA dahil ibinalik na ang visa ni Bato, valid na uli ang VFA?

— Renato Reyes, Jr. (@natoreyes) January 23, 2020

Reyes is a long-time critic of VFA and even mentioned the case of Jennifer Laude as an example of why the agreement should be canceled.

President Rodrigo Duterte has a serious warning to the United States of America after it was reportedly canceled the visa of one of his closest allies, Senator Ronald Dela Rosa.

During a speech in Leyte, Duterte expressed his disappointment with the action of the US against Dela Rosa.

Duterte gave one month to the US to fix the visa issue of Dela Rosa or else he’s going to cancel the visiting forces agreement between the Philippines and America.

“I warning you this is the first time, pag hindi ninyo ginawa ang correction diyan, one, I will terminate the bases visiting forces agreement. Tapusin ko yang p*tang i*na. I am giving notice and they begin to count. I am giving government and the American government one month from now,” said Duterte.

“Kahiyaan ‘yan sa militar. Biro mo, isang sundalo nagtatrabaho lang tapos ganunin nila. I am putting them to humiliation itong mga pulis, mga sundalo.” he added.

VFA is an agreement signed between the Philippines and the U.S in 1998.

Under the agreement, the American troops are not required to have a passport and visa when entering and leaving the Philippines.

The US also has the right to handle its military personnel if they break the law while in the Philippines except if the charges are only punishable in the Philippines but not in the US.

Senator Dela Rosa responded to the President’s statement saying that he doesn’t “want his people treated unfairly”.

“I don’t deserve this bargain but it is not all about me. It is about one-sided foreign relations. Okay lang mga sundalo nila labas pasok sa ating teritoryo while a senator of this republic is barred from entering their territory due to their intentions of tinkering with our domestic affairs,” said Dela Rosa.

Aside from his warning against the U.S, President Duterte also said that he rejected the invitation of American President Donald Trump to attend a summit in Las Vegas in March.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s partner, Honeylet Avanceña visited Batangas to visit the affected families of Taal Volcano and she couldn’t stop her tears after seeing the condition of the people there.

Avanceña who led the distribution of relief goods to the evacuees with the help of Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) at Batangas Provincial Sports Complex.

The President’s partner expressed concern after seeing the still active Taal Volcano.

According to her, no one could stop the activity of the volcano, that’s why she urged everyone to pray.

Nung nasa chopper po kami, nakita po namin yung pag-usok ng [Taal Volcano]. Ang sabi ko ‘Panginoon, sana ihinto niyo na po ang pagputok, wag niyo na po ituloy,” said Avanceña.

“Marami akong pwedeng isumbong sa Pangulo na kaya niyang ihinto, pero ito talaga hindi niya kayang ihinto. Kahit anong gawin niya, Panginoon lang talaga ang makakasagot sa atin,” she added.

She started to become emotional as she started to talk about the condition of the children in evacuation centers.

Avanceña also mentioned that Filipinos should not celebrate the unfortunate events happening in the country, instead they should pray for their countrymen.

“Pagpasok ko sa loob [ng complex], maraming mga bata. Magi-isip ka yung problema, yung pagkain saan kayo magluluto? Di ba ilang pamilya yung [nasa] tent na ganyan, ilan yung liguan dito? Alam ko hindi niyo ‘yan problema dati, pero ngayon magiging problema,” she narrated.

“Gusto ko lang maparating sa inyo, na maski tiga-Mindanao, mapa-Bisaya man dialect mo o Tagalog, Ilonggo, Ilocano, hindi natin kailangan i-wish yung ‘Ah, buti nga dun sa Mindanao kasi umuga lupa niyo, ganyan ganyan. Pare-pareho tayong Pilipino, dasal lang po ang pwede nating [sandigan],” she added.

Avanceña said that she really wants to talk with all the families there, but she couldn’t handle the emotional stress after hearing the stories of some affected people there.

“Katuwang ninyo po kami sa dasal, yung mga relief goods at mga pagkain madali lang po, pero yung dasal, alam ko po yung bigat, dasal lang po talaga sa Panginoon,” she said.

“Lalo na po yung mga nanay, mabigat po yan, napakabigat niyan, alam ko yung mga nanay diyan sa harapan ay nagdurugo ang puso,” she added.

The President’s partner then asked the government officials to ensure that all relief goods are going to be distributed to all evacuees.

As of writing the video already reached 350,000 views on social media.

Amid the franchise renewal issue being faced by ABS-CBN, another member of Congress criticized the said television network for portraying a city located in Mindanao in one of their show as a dangerous place.

In a statement, Agusan del Norte 1st District Rep. Lawrence Fortun criticized the video of ABS-CBN’s show ‘Soldier’s Heart’ that allegedly depicted Butuan City as a ‘hub of extremism’.

According to him, the said portrayal of the show in Butuan City could waste the effort of its residents to promote their hometown to the tourists.

“I am dismayed by the portrayal of Butuan as a hotbed of chaos. The depiction is not only unrealistic,” Fortun said.

“It is destroying the collective efforts of the people of Butuan to promote the Home of the Blangays as a tourist destination for history and culture and a hub of opportunities,” he added.

Fortun then urged ABS-CBN to reverse their actions and clarify to their audience that they wrongly depicted Butuan City.

“I urge ABS-CBN to immediately air an appropriate disclaimer, review and reconsider the content and story elements of the teleserye in order not to further besmirch the reputation of our historic country,” he said.

“Better still, as partial recompense for the damage this imprudence may have caused Butuan and its people, we implore upon them to do depict the real Butuan and feature stories about it in their news and public affairs programs,” he added.

Soldier’s heart was premiered on Monday and it showed the leading actor Gerald Anderson helped the military to track a rebel group in Butuan City.

It also showed Butuan in chaos because of the battle between the military and rebels.

It can also be noticed a disclaimer saying that all names, places, and incidents showed in the program are all based on imagination.

“Anumang pagkakahalintulad sa totong buhay ay hindi sinasadya at nagkataon lamang,” the disclaimer of the show reads.

Some Twitter users used the said social media platform to blame President Rodrigo Duterte after alleged new coronavirus cases were reported to the Philippines.

President Duterte is known for being friendly to China and the netizens believed that the close relationship between the two countries is the reason why the Philippines is being flocked by Chinese people who are possibly a carrier of the said virus.

“Duterte Legacy: Coronavirus from his friends in CHINA,” netizen @marcusneil said.

Netizen @RaphaelPamaypay believes that the coronavirus and the heightened activity of the Taal volcano is a punishment to the people who voted for President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Coronavirus and an active volcano???? This is definitely punishment for voting for Duterte,” @raphaelpamaypay said.

@carlsondevera who claimed living with some Chinese working in the Philippines told his followers who to blame if he got infected by a coronavirus.

“Ngayon lang nag-sink in na puro nga pala Chinese yung kasama namin sa condo. Mga 90% ng tenants intsik. If I end up catching the coronavirus and die, pakisisi si Duterte,” he twitted.

Some even wished that the President to catch coronavirus.

“Good morning you Excellency, Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Sana ma CORONA VIRUS KA!,” netizen @WalWalKIDS said.

Yesterday, Hong Kong authorities announced that four relatives of a man found positive in the new strain of coronavirus traveled to the Philippines.

It was confirmed that the four tourists already left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) that’s why the Bureau of Immigration (BI) already launched an operation to trace them.

Today, the Department of Justice announced that they already traced the said tourist and now being monitored.

OPM artist Jim Paredes urged the authorities to ban all mainland Chinese from visiting the Philippines amid the fears in the possible ‘coronavirus’ outbreak in the country.

On his Twitter, Paredes said that mainland Chinese should not be allowed to step foot in the Philippines until the virus is not being cleared in China.

Paredes clarified that he’s not committing discrimination against the Chinese and only wanted to be careful.

“Let’s ban mainland Chinese from entering this country until this virus epidemic is contained. Not being racist. Just taking caution during these very dangerous times. This is very serious,” Paredes said.

Let's ban mainland Chinese from entering this country until this virus epidemic is contained. Not being racist. Just taking caution during these very dangerous times. This is very serious.

— Jim (@Jimparedes) January 22, 2020

“If we don’t watch out, this virus can be an epidemic. Every other Wuhan De La Cruz may be a carrier,” he added.

If we don't watch out, this virus can be an epidemic. Every other Wuhan De La Cruz may be a carrier.

— Jim (@Jimparedes) January 23, 2020

This is not the first time that Paredes made a tweet against China.

Paredes is a known critic of Mainland China and tweeted several things against its politicians and products like the alleged fake rice.

Meanwhile, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon also have the same thoughts as Paredes and told the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to ban any flights from Wuhan city, China.

“In this regard and in the interest of the safety of our citizens, may I respectfully request that the suspension of these flights of Royal Air Charter Service and all other flights of other airlines coming from Wuhan, China to any part of our country, be considered by the CAAP in consultation with the Department of Health and other concerned agencies,” Biazon wrote.

It was believed that the new coronavirus came from Wuhan, China, and as of writing, the Chinese government already put the said city in transport lockdown.

According to the Department of Tourism, there are 1.4-M people from mainland China visited the Philippines, placing second on the visitor statistics.

It seems that President Rodrigo Duterte threw shade to his predecessor Noynoy Aquino after he talked about the qualification of some people who ran for the highest position in the country.

In his speech at the thanksgiving gathering with fraternal order of Eagles in Davao City, Duterte complained about how the elites or rich people are trying to take control of the politics and other things happening in the Philippines.

“Hindi lahat mayaman na g***. Pero itong mga elitista talaga who choose the country’s leaders. Sila ‘yan. I will not try names. But just because your mother is gone then you are qualified to run for president,” said Duterte.

Just because the big business, pati ‘yung mga tycoon, mga Chinese, sila ang magpili. “Ito ‘yung kandidato natin.” “O sige, suportahan ninyo, bigyan ninyo ng pera.” he added.

Noynoy became the top candidate for the presidency in 2010, months after her mother, former President Cory Aquino passed away.

He won the presidential election with a huge margin against his opponents.

Duterte also criticized big-time businessmen Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Manny Pangilinan for their onerous water contract with the government.

“Ito ‘yung kontrata ng Ayala pati ni Pangilinan. They are just distributors of the water. Ang tubig atin ‘yan, hindi sa kanila. It is owned by the state,” the President said.

“Alam mo, if you get a copy of the Anti-Graft law and the Constitution and put it side by side with the contract entered into Aya — by Ayala and Pangilinan, lahat ng mali, lahat ng nakalista doon sa Anti-Graft law, doon, nandoon sa kontrata na ‘yun,” he added.