News Roundup 02 August 2022
Aug 02, 2022 • 4 min Read
‘Drug war’ victims’ kin still hopeful despite Marcos rejecting Philippines’ return to ICC | PHILSTAR.COM – Families of victims of the “War on Drugs” waged by the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte still remain hopeful even as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that the country “has no intention” of rejoining the International Criminal Court, which is pushing for an investigation into the bloody anti-illegal drugs campaign. “Drug war” victims’ kin were “quite prepared” for Marcos to adopt his predecessor’s stance toward the international court that tries crimes against humanity, but still see “some glimmer of hope” in the president’s previous statements, said lawyer Kristina Conti, who represents “drug war” victims’ families through the group Rise Up for Life and for Rights. “Marcos claims to want justice for all,” Conti said Tuesday on CNN Philippines’ “The Source.” “And in seeing this and in moving forward in this campaign on the war on drugs, we were thinking that he would not, or no longer continue the bloody campaign as embodied by tokhang.” Conti is cautious, however, that Marcos’ position on not letting the Philippines’ rejoin the ICC may also mean that his administration would not cooperate with the tribunal’s potential investigation. As far as Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra is concerned, Marcos considered “the best interests of our country, with utmost regard for our national sovereignty” in deciding not to return to the fold of the ICC. Oplan “Tokhang” — a portmanteau of Visayan words “toktok,” which means to knock, and “hangyo,” which means to plead — was the name given to the flagship anti-drug campaign of the Duterte administration chiefly orchestrated by former top cop turned Sen. Ronald dela Rosa. The government’s tally as of February 2022 puts the number of people who died in anti-drug operations at 6,235, but human rights groups say this is an undercount as they peg the number of people who have died throughout the campaign closer to 30,000. Duterte and Dela Rosa are among the officials of the previous administration implicated before the ICC for crimes against humanity by kin of “drug war” victims, who see no other recourse but to seek redress from the international tribunal. “There is no investigation, genuine and credible enough to mirror what the ICC is doing,” Conti said.
Period of national mourning declared for Fidel V. Ramos | PHILSTAR.COM – President Marcos has declared 10 days of national mourning for former president Fidel Ramos, who died on Sunday reportedly due to complications from COVID-19. Marcos declared July 31 to Aug. 9 as a period of national mourning for Ramos, the 12th president of the Philippines who led the country from 1992 to 1998. “As provided for by law, the national flag shall be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on all government buildings and installations throughout the Philippines and abroad for a period of 10 days,” Marcos’ proclamation, signed on July 31, read. Section 23(a) Chapter 1 of Republic Act 8491 or the “Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines,” provides that the flag shall be flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning at all buildings and places where it is displayed on the day of official announcements of the death of a former president for 10 days. Marcos said the death of Ramos is a “great loss” to the country and the Filipino people. “It is fitting to devote a period of national mourning to pay tribute to an esteemed leader who has dedicated his life to public service and has left a lasting remark on our country,” the President said. Ramos served as secretary of national defense from 1988 to 1991, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from 1986 to 1988, and chief of the Philippine Constabulary from 1972 to 1986.
Metro Manila healthcare utilization rate rises to 36.5%, 2 regions above 50% | INQUIRER.NET – The healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) for COVID-19 rose in Metro Manila to 36.5 percent as of July 31, said Octa Research fellow Dr. Guido David on Tuesday. According to David, Metro Manila’s HCUR increased compared to July 24’s 31.7 percent. Intensive care unit (ICU) utilization, however, decreased from 27.3 percent to 26.9 percent in the same time period. Meanwhile, the data also showed that two other areas have HCUR above 50 percent, namely, Bohol at 59.5 percent (from July 24’s 57.7) and the province of Iloilo at 56.1 percent (from July 24’s 52.4). Other regions — Batangas, Capiz, Cavite, Cebu, Cebu City, Iloilo, Laguna, Olongapo and Rizal — also recorded an increase in HCUR but remained below 50 percent. In terms of ICU utilzation rate in other areas, only Capiz recorded a rate above 50 percent, jumping to 71.4 percent on July 31 from July 24’s 42.9 percent. It can be recalled that the Department of Health (DOH) previously warned that HCUR for COVID-19 may increase by end of August or early September. As of August 1, the country’s total caseload to 3,780,178 nationwide, with 34,268 active cases, 3,685,173 recoveries and 60,737 deaths, based on the DOH’s COVID-19 tracker on its website.
