Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 13 March 2020
Philippine president imposes travel limits, quarantines

By JIM GOMEZ At least nine Cabinet mem-
Associated Press bers, including Executive
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Secretary Salvador Medi-
The Philippine president an- aldea and Finance Sec-
nounced Thursday that do- retary Carlos Dominguez,
mestic travel to and from have said they were ex-
metropolitan Manila will posed separately to COV-
be suspended for a month ID-19 patients and decided
and authorized sweeping to self-quarantine. Several
quarantines in the crowd- mayors and senators have
ed capital to fight the new also gone into home quar-
coronavirus. antine after coming into
President Rodrigo Duterte contact with patients.
also banned large gather- Buildings in the presiden-
ings in the metropolis, sus- tial palace compound,
pended most government including chandelier-lit
work in the executive de- halls where the president
partment and extended hosts large domestic and
the suspension of classes by foreign gatherings, and a
a month in new restrictions In this image taken from video provided by the Malacanang RTVM, Philippine President Rodrigo news conference hall and
announced in a nation- Duterte, center, gestures as he delivers his speech at the Malacanang presidential palace in press working area were
wide TV address. Domestic Manila, Philippines, on Thursday March 12, 2020. disinfected Thursday after
travel by land, air and sea Associated Press recent visits by officials who
to and from the capital order." The actions will be Health officials have con- said. While the number of may have been exposed
region will be suspended reviewed daily by an inter- firmed 52 cases of the virus, infections has been com- to the virus, officials said.
starting Sunday. agency force dealing with including five people who parably low, the outbreak Duterte's elite presidential
An entire city or province the viral outbreak, Duterte have died. grabbed wider attention guards announced early
could be placed under said. There have been concerns after Duterte himself was this week that they will en-
quarantine if there are at The new restrictions that drastic steps, includ- tested for the coronavirus force a "no touch policy"
least two confirmed infec- amounted to "a lockdown" ing a total lockdown of the on Thursday after earlier for Duterte to protect him
tions in two different villag- but Duterte said officials did capital of more than 12 mil- meeting with Cabinet of- from the virus and screen
es or towns, the president not want to use the publicly lion people, would have a ficials who had been ex- politicians and dignitar-
said. intimidating term. staggering economic im- posed to infected people. ies who get near him. But
With police and military "This is not a total lock- pact. The 74-year-old Duterte has Duterte played down the
generals sitting behind him, down," Interior Secretary Senate President Vicente no symptoms of the dis- restrictions and suggested
Duterte warned that viola- Eduardo Ano said, sug- Sotto III said preventing ease but wanted to make that he was not intimidated
tors and officials who refuse gesting that law enforcers travel to and from Metro sure he is healthy and can by the disease.
to enforce the temporary would be considerate. Manila with only 52 cases continue to engage with "That protocol is foolish. I will
restrictions will face arrest The sweeping restrictions at this point "is a textbook the public, said Sen. shake hands," Duterte said.
and possible imprisonment. immediately sparked ques- case of overreaction." Christopher Lawrence "If God calls me now, I'll go.
"This is not martial law. It's tions about whether food Foreign travelers from "Bong" Go, a former presi- I'm done. I'm the president
not even something ex- shipments or large num- countries with known local dential aide who still ac- now, the highest post any-
traordinary," Duterte said, bers of commuters from transmissions of the virus companies Duterte to offi- body could reach."
stressing that the restrictions the provinces would be will face entry restrictions, cial functions. The illness causes mild to
are only aimed at fighting allowed to enter or leave but the regulation exempts Go, who was elected to moderate symptoms in
the virus. the capital. Officials said Filipinos, including their for- the Senate last year, told most people but can be
But he warned that "if things more specific enforcement eign spouses and children, reporters the result of the severe in the elderly and
deteriorate, the military guidelines will be issued to and diplomats with Philip- test on Duterte was expect- people with other health
and police will maintain avoid confusion. pine-issued visas, Duterte ed in 48 hours. problems.q

Pakistan anti-graft body arrests newspaper, TV mogul Rehman

By MUNIR AHMED the world for journalists to work, has witnessed even raising a critical voice — in Pakistan has
Associated Press an intensified crackdown on journalists, human grown more dangerous, regardless of whether
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's anti-graft body rights workers, activists and members of civil so- the target is a political party, the judiciary or the
Thursday ordered the arrest of the owner and ciety in recent years. powerful military and security agencies.
editor-in-chief of Pakistan's largest indepen- Rehman, whose media house has been critical Human rights groups say the government of
dent group of newspapers and TV stations in a of the government, had been facing questions Prime Minister Imran Khan, elected in 2018, has
decades-old case related to allegations of tax from the anti-graft body for the past several failed to protect freedom of speech in Pakistan.
evasion in a real estate purchase. months. Before becoming prime minister, Khan often
Mir Shakilur Rehman's Jang Group of Newspa- Jawad accused the National Accountability publicly said that he would have Rehman ar-
pers, which includes Geo TV, has been critical Bureau of abusing its authority, saying no valid rested if he came into power.
of the government. He was arrested in the east- reason was given to Rehman for being taken Khan considers Rehman's media house to be
ern city of Lahore, the National Accountability into custody. one of his main critics.
Bureau said, without giving additional details. The Geo TV station said Rehman was arrested in The latest arrest came weeks after Pakistani jour-
Rehman's arrest drew condemnation from a 34-year-old case pertaining to the purchase nalist Aziz Memon disappeared on the way to
the country's journalistic community, with Geo of land for construction of a house in Lahore, his work at a small newspaper in southern Sindh
News calling the arrest a "political victimization." the capital of eastern Punjab province. province. He was found dead just hours later.
"This is an attack on the freedom of expression," Rehman's arrest comes amid increasing pres- A few months earlier, Memon tweeted that he
said Rana Jawad, Geo News' news director. sure on journalists in Pakistan by state institutions had been threatened by local police and a
Pakistan, one of the most dangerous places in and security agencies. Being a dissident — or prominent political party over his reporting.q