News Roundup 06 February 2021
Feb 06, 2021 • 4 min Read
With 1,941 new infections, COVID-19 tally in the Philippines rises to 535,521 | PHILSTAR.COM – Coronavirus cases in the Philippines climbed to 535,521 on Saturday after the Department of Health logged 1,941 new infections. Of the total number of cases, 35,946 or 6.7% are marked as active by the DOH. Another 234 people reportedly beat the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 488,465. But the death toll rose to 11,110 after 52 more succumbed to the disease.
SC asked to compel gov’t to explain another threat made by red-tagging Parlade | PHILSTAR.COM – A group of petitioners against the Anti-Terrorism Act, led by former Supreme Court justices Antonio Carpio and Conchita Carpio-Morales, again brought before the high court another threat made by Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., this time against a journalist who he baselessly accused of being a propagandist for communist rebels. Parlade, spokesman for National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, on social media threatened to sue Inquirer.net reporter Tetch Torres-Tupas over her report on two Aeta farmers who said that they were tortured into admitting that they were members of the New People’s Army. The farmers implored the Supreme Court to allow them to join the legal battle against the Anti-Terrorism Act, the same law under which Parlade threatened to file a suit against Torres-Tupas for what he said was aiding terrorists. Parlade’s social media posts “threaten criminal prosecution for a crime punishable of up to life imprisonment against Ms. Tupas or any journalist who publishes any news article that may be perceived as ‘FAKE’ or ‘false’ by the military,” the group said in a four-page manifestation. “Such direct threats engender fear that chills journalists or even citizens from exercising their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press.” “Moreover, the threats’ obvious invasion of protected expressive rights is possible only because the language of the ATA is vague and overboard, casting a wide net of possibilities,” they also said, referencing two of the most common arguments among the 37 petitions filed against the controversial law. Similarly, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers President Edre Olalia on Thursday said that Parlade’s threat to Torres-Tupas only proves what petitioners have raised against the anti-terrorism law. “In a grotesque way, he is actually reinforcing and validating the myriad of objections and criticisms against the ATA.” Carpio and his group’s four-page manifestation, dated Feb. 5, 2021, is a replead of the manifestation they filed on Jan. 22, 2021, seeking the Office of the Solicitor General’s written comment on another post made by Parlade which they said was a “clear threat” against petitioners of the anti-terror law.
Alleged Duterte man nabbed for smuggling marijuana in Tabuk City | INQUIRER.NET – An alleged auditor of the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRD-NECC) was arrested on Friday for transporting almost half a million pesos worth of dried marijuana leaves to Tabuk City in Kalinga province. The police intercepted Ronnel Tacata at the quarantine control checkpoint in Barangay (village) Bantay after receiving a tip that a red sedan was transporting illegal drugs from Buscalan village in Tinglayan town, also in Kalinga. More than 3,900 grams of dried marijuana leaves with an estimated street value P468,000 were seized from Tacata’s vehicle, said Police Col. Radino Belly, Tabuk police chief. Tacata presented an identification card naming him as MRRD-NECC auditor in Bulacan as well as a certification from the group’s national chairman. Based on the itinerary of his travel documents, Tacata left Marilao town in Bulacan and proceeded to Buscalan before driving to Pinili town in Ilocos Norte to secure documents and records for a training and orientation program that was scheduled for MRRD-NECC’s Ilocos Norte members.
‘Enter into missionary mode,’ Manila bishop tells the faithful | Manila Bulletin – Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo has urged the Filipino faithful to be on “missionary mode” in spreading the word of God as the country celebrates the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. “We open today the Year of the Mission. Let each of our community enter into the missionary mode,” said Pabillo during his homily at the Manila Cathedral on Saturday, Feb. 6. Pabillo said that the faithful should not be discouraged in spreading the word of the Lord even amid the threat of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Photo Source: By Patrickroque01 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61234185
