News Roundup 10 August 2020
Aug 10, 2020 • 3 min Read
Teachers’ group slams DepEd’s insistence on class resumption amid alleged unpreparedness | PHILSTAR.COM – The Department of Education was put on blast by a teacher’s group on Monday after it doubled down on its decision to resume classes by August 24. The Alliance of Concerned Teachers last Wednesday urged DepEd to either revise its plans for the resumption of classes or to postpone it altogether, citing what it called the failed state of preparations thus far amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these calls went unheeded as Education Secretary Leonor Briones, in a press conference on Monday, reaffirmed in no uncertain terms that classes would reopen in less than two weeks. “August 24 is the hard limit on what is legally allowed as opening of classes, so we will continue this no matter what happens with covid because we will not be conducting face-to-face sessions,” Briones said in Filipino. “Those debating are policy-makers, teachers, decision-makers. But we should ask the children if they don’t want to go to school. They’re the ones who are saying that they want to study again by August 24,” Briones said mostly in Filipino. In response, ACT Secretary Secretary General Raymond Basilio said: “Without addressing the scarce and late release of funds, gadgets and other tech needs, modules, and policies, DepEd unabashedly banked its readiness claim on ordinary teachers who have long borne the brunt of state neglect.” “No doubt our teachers will always stretch their capacities to fulfill their duty to our students, but we refuse to be used for DepEd’s propaganda, not when the health and rights of our colleagues, students, and families are on the line,” Basilio added.
NDFP peace consultant killed in QC | INQUIRER.NET – National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randall “Randy” Echanis was killed inside his rented house in Novaliches, Quezon City early Monday morning, according to Anakpawis party-list. Former Anakpawis congressman Ariel Casilao said that Echanis, who was the national chairperson of the party-list, “was undergoing medical treatment, and unarmed when police forces raided his house.” Echanis’ unidentified neighbor was also killed. Anakpawis said Echanis “was stabbed by suspected state forces inside his rented place in the wee hours of the morning.” Echanis’ death was denounced by Casilao and other activist leaders. “Our anger is beyond words. This is a culture of extrajudicial killings with impunity under the Duterte regime. This is a declaratory act that national leaders of legal-democratic movement are now targeted to be killed by the Duterte regime. The entire civil society, human rights advocates, and freedom fighters must totally denounce this criminal act,” Casilao said in a statement.
De Lima presses Senate probe on deaths of high-profile inmates at Bilibid | Manila Bulletin – Opposition Sen. Leila de Lima said the Senate should start its own investigation into the reported deaths of high-profile inmates and other persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) inside the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) last month. De Lima lamented there is utter lack of transparency surrounding the deaths of the PDLs and the actual extent of the COVID-19 contagion in jails and prisons nationwide. The former Justice Secretary said there is a need to shed light on the reported deaths of nine high-profile inmates, including Jaybee Sebastian, who were all housed at NBP’s maximum security compound, due to the coronavirus disease. “These deaths of high-profile NBP PDLs not only raise numerous doubts on how health protocols and procedures are being out rightly neglected by the BuCor (Bureau of Corrections) but also how this pandemic can be a convenient excuse to cover up torture and killings of PDLs or worse, to even simulate deaths of PDLs,” De Lima said in filing Senate Resolution No. 491.
Gasoline prices up this week | The Manila Times – Oil companies will raise the price of gasoline by 25 centavos per liter but will roll back the cost of diesel and kerosene by 20 centavos per liter and 35 centavos per liter, respectively. Cleanfuel, Flying V, Petro Gazz, Pilipinas Shell, and Seaoil announced that they will adjust their pump prices on Tuesday. Last week, the price of diesel dropped by 30 centavos per liter, gasoline by 25 centavos per liter, and kerosene by 15 centavos per liter.
