News Roundup 11 May 2020
May 11, 2020 • 2 min Read
Off-duty laborers confined to quarters when construction work resumes | PHILSTAR.COM – The government has approved safety guidelines for the resumption of work on infrastructure projects, including requiring workers to stay in their quarters for the entire duration of the project covered by the quarantine and limiting persons who may enter construction sites. The guidelines were released days after the government’s task force on the coronavirus pandemic allowed public and essential private construction work and infrastructure projects in areas that are under enhanced or general community quarantine. Construction firms are required to conduct an inventory of works for the construction sequencing to be followed to maintain social distancing. Break times should also be staggered to prevent crowding. Employees should be in their respective quarters for the entire duration of the project covered by the enhanced community quarantine and the general community quarantine. If there are no available quarters, “prior to deployment” procedures have to be conducted at every instance of reentry of people.
Tuguegarao lifts COVID-19 ban on alcoholic drinks, motorcycle passengers | INQUIRER.NET – The ban on sale of alcoholic drinks was lifted here last week as part of the city’s transition to general community quarantine (GCQ). The executive order issued on May 8 by Mayor Jefferson Soriano also allowed motorcycle riders to carry a passenger, which was prohibited on March 17 due to social distancing protocols when the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was imposed.
Senate urges NTC to reconsider CDO vs. ABS-CBN | Manila Bulletin – The Senate on Monday formally adopted a resolution urging the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) to reconsider its cease and desist order against ABS-CBN Corporation and to allow it to resume broadcast operations. Twelve (12) senators authored Senate Resolution No. 395. They were: Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and Senators Risa Hontiveros, Francis Pangilinan, Juan Edgardo Angara, Joel Villanueva, Ma. Lourdes Nancy Binay, Manuel Lapid, Sherwin Gatchalian, Richard Gordon and Emmanuel Pacquiao. Senators who abstained from voting are Senators Ramon Revilla, Jr. Imelda Marcos, Christopher Go, Ronald dela Rosa, Francis Tolentino, Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
Former DICT chief slams NTC order vs ABS-CBN | The Manila Times – Former Department of Information and Communications Technology secretary Rodolfo Salalima has hit the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) over the issuance of a cease and desist order (CDO) against network giant ABS-CBN. In a Facebook post on Sunday, Salalima stated the NTC’s order from May 5 was void ab initio from the beginning. “This NTC order, because void, is of no legal effect or consequence,” Salalima wrote, adding that the CDO simply does not have the force of law. Salalima, who was a former chief legal counsel and senior advisor for Ayala-led Globe Telecom before working for the government, said that the order violated the broadcast network’s due process.
