News Roundup 04 January 2021
Jan 04, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines confirms 959 new COVID-19 cases; total hits 478,761 | PHILSTAR.COM – Individuals infected with the new coronavirus in the country reached 478,761 four days into 2021, with 959 more cases reported Monday. The DOH said the lower number of reported cases was due to the “decrease in the number of patients seen in COVID-19 laboratories during the New Year.” Monday’s figures also did not include data from three testing hubs that failed to submit results on time. The agency reported also logged 26 new recoveries, pushing the total number of people who survived the disease in the country to 448,279. The death toll, meanwhile, rose to 9,263 after six more more people succumbed to COVID-19. This meant that the country has a total of 21,219 active cases or people continuing to receive treatment or undergo quarantine.
Sotto files bill pushing for renewed ABS-CBN franchise | PHILSTAR.COM – Months after a House panel voted to kill the franchise application of broadcast giant ABS-CBN Corp., the higher chamber of Congress has taken it upon itself to secure one for the embattled media network, with Senate President Vicente Sotto III filing a Senate bill to grant ABS-CBN a fresh legislative franchise to operate. In filing Senate Bill No. 1967, Sotto wrote: “News, current events and programs can be shown and aired in real time that makes the viewers feel more updated and in the know – regardless of their location – and actions can be made quickly when important news is broadcasted.” To recall, 70 lawmakers voted to approve the recommendation by the House committee on legislative franchises to deny the company a fresh franchise for the next 25 years, despite no cases being proven against the company. Numerous government agencies also threw their support behind ABS-CBN, saying it complied with labor, tax, and immigration rules. Since the onset of his administration, President Rodrigo Duterte has made it clear that he has an ax to grind with critical media. Both Duterte and then-House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano have said they have personal grievances with it, with the former once saying that if it were up to him, the company’s franchise would not be renewed.
Gordon: Who’s behind vaccine smuggling? INQUIRER.NET – Who are they protecting? The commander and troops of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) could just be the fall guys in the smuggling into the country and use of an unauthorized COVID-19 vaccine from China on selected Cabinet officials and presidential guards, Sen. Richard Gordon suggested on Sunday. The chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee said he did not believe the claim of the PSG commander, Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III, that the vaccine was procured on his own initiative, adding that Durante’s loyalty to President Duterte, while admirable, should be within the bounds of law. “No, no, I don’t believe that. General Durante, I don’t believe you. I’m sure you did that out of loyalty, but certainly there are other people who had themselves inoculated [with the unauthorized vaccine],” he said. “[They were made to take the fall]. That’s my speculation. We should find out who really brought in [the vaccine], because that guy should be prosecuted,” Gordon said in a radio interview. “Who brought them in? Who were given the vaccines? Who did they talk to? If they’re really Chinese, then the government should determine who brought those Chinese medicines here and treated our people like guinea pigs,” Gordon said. “I think some friends of ours tried to do a good deed, like ‘I obtained some vaccines, so use them already …’ But it’s not right … That is considered smuggling. That is considered illegal use of a medicine that has not been approved. That is considered reckless, and they could have endangered themselves,” he said. Gordon said Durante’s loyalty was a “good trait to have” in a PSG chief, but not to the extent of violating the law.
Prove corruption allegations, solon tells Belgica | Manila Bulletin – A former chairman of the House Good Government and Public Accountability Committee said the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) must file formal charges against the handful of solons it has linked to corruption, otherwise the agency is just spewing allegations. “Those are just allegations. They must present concrete evidence,” said Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel Monday in an apparent dare to PACC chief Greco Belgica. This panel usually investigates malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance in government, in aid of legislation, and its counterpart in the Senate is the Blue Ribbon Committee. “If there is prima facie evidence then they should file a case in court, otherwise it will remain as allegations only,” the Mindanaoan, former deputy speaker, and head of the panel in the 17th Congress, advised Belgica. Late last month, President Duterte, citing information from PACC, implicated Reps. Henry Oaminal (Misamis Occidental), Alfred Vargas (Quezon City), Paul Daza (Northern Samar), Eric Go Yap (ACT-CIS party-list/Benguet), Geraldine Roman (Bataan), Alyssa Sheena Tan (Isabela), Angelina Tan (Quezon), and Josephine Ramirez-Sato (Occidental Mindoro) to corruption in the public works sector. Also implicated by the Chief Executive was Teddy Baguilat Jr., a former Ifugao representative. However, Duterte was quick to note that there weren’t any hard evidence against the House members, at least not yet.
