News Roundup 17 July 2020
Jul 17, 2020 • 3 min Read
Philippines logs 1,841 new COVID-19 cases; total now at 63,001 | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines reported 1,841 additional cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Friday, bringing to 63,001 the national tally—one of the highest in Southeast Asia. The country prematurely reached Thursday the projection of experts from the OCTA Research Group of 60,000 coronavirus cases by the end-July. The total number of COVID-19 survivors also rose to 21,748 after 311 more patients recovered from the disease. But 17 additional fatalities were logged, raising the country’s death toll to 1,660.
Hontiveros to government: You dismantled the lives of ordinary workers, not oligarchs | PHILSTAR.COM – Following ABS-CBN’s announcement that it would be retrenching its workers starting August 31, Sen. Risa Hontiveros slammed the government for endangering the jobs of at least 11,000 workers instead of working to end the novel coronavirus crisis. Hontiveros pointed out that it is not just the workers of ABS-CBN who stand to lose their livelihood as a result of the House vote, saying in Filipino that “this [11,000] does not even include the tricycle drivers, eatery workers, vendors and other businesses along Mother Ignacia [Avenue],” where the network is headquartered. Hontiveros also condemned Duterte and House Speaker Alan Cayetano’s claims that they unseated the oligarchy by denying the Lopez-owned network’s franchise bid. “It’s not true that the oligarchy has been dismantled. What has been dismantled are the lives of ordinary workers. We should be solving the crisis right now instead of adding to it,” she said in Filipino.
Bukidnon town police logic: If you fight for press freedom, you’re communist or terrorist | INQUIRER.NET – The police are at it again. The police station of Malaybalay City in Bukidnon province has put out an infographic on Thursday (July 16) that depicts people who campaign for press freedom and the continued operation of media giant ABS-CBN as rebels and terrorists. Aside from posting on its Facebook page, the Malaybalay police also circulated the material in the Viber group of reporters covering the Northern Mindanao police command based in Camp Alagar here. By Friday morning, the infographic gained the attention and drew flak from journalists, especially among those assigned to cover the regional police. The post was taken down from Facebook and Viber around 11 a.m. on Friday, and the Malaybalay police chief has apologized for the controversy.
BI will not allow non-compliant Filipinos to leave country | Manila Bulletin – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) advised Filipinos intending to go abroad to fully comply with the requirements that the government has prescribed to be allowed to leave the country. These requirements include the presentation of a confirmed return ticket for those traveling on tourist visas; adequate travel and health insurance to cover rebooking; and accommodation expenses if stranded and hospitalization if infected. Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente stressed that no one is exempted from complying with the conditions imposed on all outbound Filipinos unless they are permanent residents, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and holders of study visa in their country of destination.
Payback: Sister Fox asks Australian govt to denounce PH terror law, cut military aid | The Manila Times – Sister Patricia Fox, the Australian missionary who was deported from the Philippines for alleged violation of immigration laws, is getting even with President Rodrigo Duterte, whom she blames for her sudden departure from the country which was her home for almost three decades. Fox, who is now based in Melbourne, called on the Australian government to denounce the Duterte administration’s Anti-Terrorism Law for being repressive, and to cut-off military aid to the Philippines amid alleged human rights abuses by the police and military. The nun claimed that the Anti-Terrorism Law was no different from China’s National Security Law, adding that both laws target critics of the government even in other countries.
