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world news Diasabra 2 OctOber 2021

Pacquiao files bid for presidency as Philippine race heats

(AP) — Newly retired ister. The area was declared a and their camps fought over
boxing star Manny Pac- no-fly and no-fishing zone. control of the ruling party
quiao filed his certificate and Duterte threatened to
of candidacy for the Phil- Aspirants can bring only up campaign against Pacquiao if
ippine presidency Friday to three companions, who the boxing legend could not
as registration opened for were required to undergo prove his remarks that cor-
candidates seeking to lead COVID-19 swab tests, when ruption has worsened under
a Southeast Asian nation registering their candida- the current administration.
that has been hit hard by cies to prevent past chaotic
the pandemic and deep scenes of candidates showing “Those who take advantage
political conflicts. up with movie stars, musi- of the nation, stealing, rob-
cal bands and rowdy mobs of bing the Filipino nation, your
Elections officials placed followers. happy days of taking advan-
heavy restrictions to prevent tage in the government are
the Oct. 1-8 registration pe- “We really went to great ex- already numbered because
riod from drawing huge tent to make sure that the if the Lord places me there,
crowds of political support- filing would be sober,” Com- I promise not only to the
ers and becoming hotbeds for mission on Elections spokes- Filipino people, but also my
coronavirus infections. Aside man James Jimenez said. promise to God, that they all
from the presidency and vice will be put in prison,” Pac-
presidency, more than 18,000 Still, hundreds of fans and quiao told reporters after reg-
national, local and congres- supporters in face masks and istering his candidacy.
sional posts will be contested holding Pacquiao’s portrait
in the elections on May 9, and small Philippine flags The 42-year-old senator an- preme Court since a suc- with his handling of the coro-
2022. lined the street leading to nounced his retirement from cessful vice-presidential run navirus pandemic, which led
the heavily secured elections boxing Wednesday after win- would put him within one to one of the worst economic
Considered an Asian bastion registration center by Manila ning fans with his rags-to- step of the office again. recessions and widespread
of democracy, the Philippines Bay to cheer his convoy. riches life story and legend- unemployment and hunger,
has also seen electoral may- ary career. Western governments led by are expected to be key issues
hem and violence. In 2009, Many expect the race to suc- the United States and hu- in the elections.
gunmen deployed by the ceed controversial Presi- Duterte, 76, has accepted the man rights activists have
family of Maguindanao prov- dent Rodrigo Duterte to be ruling party’s nomination for long raised the alarm over Activists have long compared
ince’s then-governor mas- crowded and politically hos- him to run as vice president Duterte’s police-enforced Duterte to the late dicta-
sacred 58 people, including tile. Pacquiao, former nation- in a move that whipped up crackdown against illegal tor Ferdinand Marcos, who
journalists, in an attack on an al police chief Panfilo Lac- a constitutional debate and drugs that has left more than was ousted in a 1986 army-
election convoy that shocked son and Manila Mayor Isko shocked opponents who have 6,000 mostly petty drug sus- backed “people power” re-
the world. Moreno have declared they long condemned him as a pects dead since he took of- volt that became a harbinger
will seek the presidency and human rights calamity. fice in mid-2016. The kill- of change in authoritarian re-
About 3,000 police officers, others are expected. ings are being investigated by gimes worldwide. A son and
including some patrolling in Philippine presidents are the International Criminal namesake of Marcos, former
armored police vans, were Pacquiao and Duterte were constitutionally limited to a Court. senator Ferdinand “Bong-
deployed around the seaside staunch allies until they had single, six-year term, and a bong” Marcos Jr., is expected
convention complex in Ma- a well-publicized falling out constitutional expert has said Although Duterte remains to contest the presidency and
nila where presidential can- this year as the elections he would question Duterte’s popular based on opinion has received good support in
didates were expected to reg- season loomed. The two candidacy before the Su- polls, the drug killings, along independent opinion polls.

Australia to lift 18-month COVID-19 travel ban next month

(AP) — Australia has outlined “We’ll be working towards complete citizens and permanent residents al-
plans to lift a pandemic ban on Hundreds of thousands have failed to quarantine-free travel for certain lowed to return each week has left
its vaccinated citizens traveling reach relatives’ death beads, missed countries, such as New Zealand, 45,000 people stranded overseas. It’s
overseas from November. But no funerals or weddings and have yet to when it is safe to do so,” he said. aimed at reducing pressure on hotel
date has yet been set for welcom- be introduced to grandchildren be- quarantine, which the more conta-
ing international tourists back. cause of restrictions aimed at keeping Australia has its closest relationship gious delta variant had made more
COVID-19 out of Australia. with New Zealand, whose citizens difficult to manage.
Travel restrictions that have trapped are considered Australian permanent
most Australians and permanent New South Wales would likely be- residents. The neighbors allowed The cap would only apply to the un-
residents at home over the past 18 come the first state to reach the 80% quarantine-free travel across the Tas- vaccinated under the new regime.
months would be removed when vaccination benchmark and Sydney’s man Sea before the delta variant out- Fully vaccinated Australians would
80% of the population aged 16 and airport the first to open to interna- break began in Sydney in June. be able to quarantine at home and
older were fully vaccinated, Prime tional travel, Morrison said. for only a week instead of the current
Minister Scott Morrison said on Fri- The Australian Tourism Export two weeks in a hotel.
day. “We’ve saved lives. We’ve saved live- Council, which represents a sector
lihoods, but we must work together that made 45 billion Australian dol- Australia on Friday added China’s
Australia introduced some of the to ensure that Australians can reclaim lars ($33 billion) a year from interna- Sinovac and Indian-made AstraZene-
toughest travel restrictions of any de- the lives that they once had in this tional tourists before the pandemic, ca shots known as Covishield to a list
mocracy in the world on people en- country,” Morrison said. said the end of the travel ban paved of vaccines that Australians can take
tering and leaving the island nation the way for visitors from around the and be recognized as fully vaccinated.
on March 20 last year. Sydney-based Qantas Airways an- world returning by March.
nounced international flights would Travel restrictions would not be lifted
Most Australians have had to argue resume from Nov. 14 to London and “It marks a shift in thinking within for Australians who chose not to be
for rare exemptions from the travel Los Angeles. both the government and commu- vaccinated. People who could not
ban to leave the country. There are a nity sentiment to reengaging with the be vaccinated for medical reasons
few exceptions from the ban includ- Morrison offered no clue to when world,” the council’s managing direc- or children too young to get the jab
ing government employees and es- other nationalities would be welcome tor Peter Shelley said in a statement. would have the same privileges as
sential workers. Tourism is never ac- to visit Australia. those inoculated.
cepted as a reason to cross the border. A cap on the number of Australian