News Roundup 25 June 2020
Jun 25, 2020 • 3 min Read
Coronavirus cases in Philippines reach 33,069; death toll at 1,212 | PHILSTAR.COM – The country now has 33,069 cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and 1,212 deaths related to the severe respiratory illness, the Department of Health reported Thursday. The DOH logged 778 additional infections, with 415 labeled as “fresh” or were detected in the last three days. The other 363 were part of the agency’s validation backlog. Total recoveries in the country also reached 8,910 after 255 more patients survived the severe respiratory disease. But eight more people succumbed to the disease, raising the death toll to 1,212.
Robredo hits gov’t’s ‘lack of sense of urgency’ in responding to pandemic | INQUIRER.NET – The gaps in the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic stemmed from its lack of sense of urgency, Vice President Leni Robredo said Thursday. Robredo recalled the government’s dilly-dallying in cancelling flights from China after the country recorded its first cases at the end of January this year. “My sense is that we did not act urgently kaya nararamdaman natin ngayon yung mga gaps. Kasi naging complacent tayo at the very start,” Robredo said in an interview over ANC. (My sense is that we did not act urgently, that’s why we feel the gaps now. We were complacent at the very start.) “If you remember, our first cases started end of January. And we were still not determined at the time on what steps to take. Kung naaalala natin, we had been pushing for cancellation of flights already from China. Medyo nag dilly dally pa tayo doon e,” she went on. (If you remember, our first cases started end of January. And we were still not determined at the time on what steps to take. If you remember, we had been pushing for cancellation of flights already from China. But we dilly dallied at the time.)
Olongapo court junks charges vs teacher who offered P50 M to kill Duterte | Manila Bulletin – The Olongapo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) dismissed the charges filed against a teacher who offered a P50-million reward for the killing of President Duterte. Judge Richard Paradeza of the Olongapo City RTC, Branch 72, granted on Wednesday Ronnel Mas’s motion to quash charges against him for violating Article 142 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Republic Act 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) chairman Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno hailed the court decision. “Ito ang sabi natin noon: Ilegal ang pag-arestong yan (This is what we said before: His arrest was illegal),” he said in his latest social media posts.
US remains ‘commìtted’ to ‘free navigation, flight’ over disputed seas | The Manila Times – The United States remains “committed” to ” maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific that protects the sovereignty of every nation, ensures the peaceful resolution of disputes without coercion, and promotes free, fair, and reciprocal trade, and preserves freedom of navigation and overflight”. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., commander of the US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), issued the statement amid reports that China planned to declare an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over the disputed South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). “If the PRC (People’s Republic of China) were to claim an ADIZ in the South China Sea, it impacts all of the nations…and it actually goes against — as I said earlier, a free and open Indo-Pacific is to fly sail, and operate wherever international law allows,” Brown said during a telephonic briefing with reporters on Wednesday.
