News Roundup 18 January 2021
Jan 18, 2021 • 3 min Read
Philippines records over 2,000 new COVID-19 cases; total hits 502,736 | PHILSTAR.COM – Coronavirus infections in the Philippines surged past 502,000 after the Department of Health reported another big jump in the number of additional cases Monday. The DOH reported 2,163 new cases, bringing confirmed COVID-19 infections in the country to 502,736, the second highest in Southeast Asia. This was the biggest single-day rise in coronavirus cases since November 8, when the country had 2,442 additional infections. The department also announced that only two more patients recovered from the disease, pushing total recoveries to 465,988. Meanwhile, 14 new COVID-19-related deaths were logged, raising the fatality count to 9,909. Excluding recoveries and deaths, active cases stood at 26,839 or 5.3% of the cumulative cases.
DND ends accord with UP prohibiting state forces in campuses — report | PHILSTAR.COM – The defense department is ending its decades-long accord with the University of the Philippines that disallows state forces to enter the campus without prior notifying its officials, citing anew unsubstantiated claims that the university is a breeding ground for the armed communist movement. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had written to UP President Danilo Concepcion that the deal had been terminated beginning January 15, per a report by UP’s student paper, The Philippine Collegian. The accord was signed in 1989 between then UP President Jose Abueva and Defense chief Fidel Ramos, that also holds that military and police cannot enter any UP campus “except in cases of hot pursuit and similar occassions of emergency” or when assistance is requested by university officials. An earlier agreement, the 1982 Soto-Enrile accord between student leader Sonia Soto and then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, was signed to protect the autonomy of the university from military intervention, especially in protest rallies. In the letter, Lorenzana, who did not offer evidence to support claims, said the DND “is aware that there is indeed an ongoing clandestine recruitment” inside UP campuses and the accord is being used to prevent government from holding operations.
Retired Army Colonel tagged in killing of Cebu lawyer, wounding of another lawyer | INQUIRER.NET – The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) accused Retired Colonel Edwin Layese of taking part in the fatal shooting of Lawyer Joey Luis Wee. Lawyer Renan Augustus Oliva, director of NBI-7, told reporters in a press conference on Monday, January 18, that they found out that Layese also happened to be part of a separate shooting incident involving another lawyer – Joseph James Gupana. “While we were conducting the investigation, we found similarities in the execution and profiles involved in the two attacks,” said Oliva in a mix of Cebuano and English. Layese was arrested within the vicinity of Fuente Osmeña last January 13, 2021, NBI-7 said. He will be facing charges of murder and illegal possession of firearms. He worked as the chief of security in one of Cebu City’s business districts, and formerly served as regional directors for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in some areas in Mindanao, and in Western Visayas. Layese was also a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, Class Bantay Laya of 1994.
‘Filipino Lives Matter’: Senators seek end to unabated killings involving cops | Manila Bulletin – The Senate leadership on Monday asked its justice and human rights committee to conduct a public hearing on the unabated killings of Filipinos regardless of sex or social positions throughout the archipelago. The probe was triggered by a privilege speech of Senator Richard J. Gordon who cited a long list of these killings the past months and the involvement of policemen in these activities. He said that lawyers are also victims. Based on the recommendation of Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III referred the Gordon speech to Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, justice committee chairman. Dela Rosa was a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief. Zubiri agreed that a legislative action would hopefully stop these killings.
