News Roundup 08 June 2020
Jun 08, 2020 • 2 min Read
Four of ‘Piston 6’ walk free, but 72-year-old driver still detained | PHILSTAR. COM – Four of the six jeepney drivers arrested for protesting their loss of livelihood walked free on Monday, but 72-year-old Elmer Cordero was not among them. Caloocan Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 52 Acting Executive Judge Dorothy Grace Daguna-Inciong allowed the six arrested jeepney drivers to post bail of P3,000 each. Severino Ramos (59), Ramon Paloma (48), Arsenio Ymas (56) and Ruben Baylon (59), also national deputy security general of transport group PISTON (Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide), were released on Monday afternoon. “We still need to fix something. Apparently, there are cases pending from way back,” Topacio said in a message. The lawyer said that Cordero, the oldest among the ‘Piston 6’, or a person with the same name, supposedly has a pending estafa case. Topacio said they would again verify and post bail for the other two drivers still in detention.
Lagman: No doubt Gabby Lopez qualified to own, manage ABS-CBN | INQUIRER.NET – A legislator on Monday (June 8) said he believed ABS-CBN chair emeritus Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III was “indubitably qualified” to be an owner of the media giant even if he was a dual citizen. Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, at a hearing in the House on the ABS-CBN franchise, said the Constitution “does not distinguish between a Filipino of single citizenship and a Filipino of dual citizenship.” “It is axiomatic that if the law or the Constitution does not distinguish, no distinction is allowed,” Lagman said at the hearing of the House committee on legislative franchises and the committee on good government and public accountability.
Total COVID-19 cases in PH increase to 22,472 | Manila Bulletin – The number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country continues to grow with 579 new cases Monday (June 8), bringing the total number of cases to 22,474, the Department of Health (DOH) said. A total of 107 new recoveries were also reported, while eight patients died of the disease. These numbers brought the total number of recoveries to 4,637 and the death toll to 1,011.
Lawmakers want brakes on anti-terror measure | The Manila Times – Several House leaders want the brakes applied on the speedy passage of the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate asked Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to defer the transmittal of House Bill (HB) 6875 to the Senate after several congressmen either withdrew their votes on the bill or wanted to make clarifications. Albay First District Rep. Edcel Lagman made the same request to Cayetano on Friday, citing escalating protests, the sizeable negative votes, abstentions and affirmative votes with strong reservations; the failure of the House to craft its own version after adopting in toto the Senate bill; and the withdrawal of its principal author, Muntinlupa City Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon. Zarate urged Cayetano to give lawmakers more time to reconsider their votes.
