News Roundup 21 January 2021
Jan 21, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines logs 1,783 new COVID-19 cases as total hits 507,717 | PHILSTAR.COM – Coronavirus cases in the Philippines increased to 507,717 Thursday after the Department of Health recorded 1,783 additional infections. Of the total confirmed cases, 30,126 or 5.9% are active cases. Recoveries reached 467,475 after 500 more people were cleared of the virus. Meanwhile, the death toll increased by 74 to 10,116.
SC tells Calida: ‘People’s Tribune’ status not to be ‘hoisted wantonly’ in private suits | PHILSTAR.COM – The Supreme Court sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal warned Solicitor General Jose Calida of invoking its status as “People’s Tribunal” wantonly as with seeking inhibition of a justice in a case not involving the Republic of the Philippines. Last November, Calida sought Associate Justice Marvic Leonen’s inhibition from former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s poll protest against Vice President Leni Robredo. Calida’s motion although bearing the same arguments and filed within hours of each other is supposedly not related to the earlier submitted a motion for inhibition by Marcos. The PET denied unanimously denied Marcos’ motion and issued a show cause order against the solicitor general and journalist Jomar Canlas, whose reports were cited in the pleadings. In a resolution made public on Thursday, the tribunal opted to prioritize the resolution of the poll protest and the member-in-charge moved to deal with the OSG’s actions at a much later time. While the show cause order was later withdrawn, the tribunal however said that Calida’s assertion that it filed the motion for inhibition as People’s Tribune should be reviewed as this is a status “not to be hoisted wantonly in big ticket cases involving private parties.” It stressed that the OSG’s status as People’s Tribune is properly invoked only when the People of the Philippines are a party litigant to a case, but this was not the case in the poll protest. The PET also said that if Calida had really been concerned on the supposed delay on the poll protest’s resolution, then he should have just limited his arguments on this issue as this was the only one relevant to the public.
House bill to apply ‘UP-DND Accord’ to all SUCs filed | INQUIRER.NET – A bill that would essentially make the recently terminated University of the Philippines-Department of National Defense (UP-DND) Accord applicable to all state colleges and universities (SUCs) in the country has been filed in the House of Representatives. Quezon City 6th District Rep. Kit Belmonte filed Thursday House Bill No. 8443 or the Academic Freedom Act of 2021, which seeks to “strengthen and uphold the freedom of teachers and students to teach, study, and pursue knowledge and research without unreasonable interference or restriction in all state universities and colleges.” Under the bill, no member of the government’s uniformed personnel may enter premises of any SUCs except only in cases of hot pursuit and similar occasions of emergency, or in cases of ordinary transit through the premises. The proposed law adds that the conduct of any operation by members of the government’s security personnel may be allowed only upon prior coordination with the administration of the SUC. It likewise states that serving of search warrants or warrants of arrest on any SUC student, faculty, employee, or invited participant in any official SUC activity shall, as far as applicable, be done after prior notification is given to the proper SUC official.
Pandemic displaces more than 5 M workers –DOLE | Manila Bulletin – More than 5 million workers have been adversely affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic last year, data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) showed. Based on the 2020 Job Displacement Report of the DoLE, 5.1 million workers have been adversely affected by the health crisis. These workers were affected either due to retrenchment, permanent closures, temporary closures, and implementation of flexible work arrangements. DoLE said a total of 428,701 workers were displaced nationwide from 26,060 establishments from January to December 2020. Establishments that reduced workforce or 23,324 affected 386,135 workers while the establishments that permanently closed totaling 2, 736 affected 42,566 workers.
Dacera case: Makati police chief, 2 probers relieved | Malaya Business Insight – PNP chief Debold Sinas has ordered the relief of the Makati City police chief and two investigators for lapses in the investigation on the death of flight attendant Christine Dacera. Sinas said the relief of Col. Harold Depositar and the two investigators was recommended by the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management. He had earlier ordered the DIDM to look into the possible administrative liability of Makati City police personnel into the bungled probe. Sinas said the DIDM had three recommendations, two of them the relief of the Makati City police chief “for command responsibility,” and the relief and investigation of the two investigators, who were not identified. He said the third recommendation is for the conduct of further investigation to determine possible lapses and the negligence of medico-legal personnel from the Scene of the Crime Office. Sinas said it is up to the National Capital Region Police Office to name a replacement for Depositar.
