News Roundup 08 February 2021
Feb 08, 2021 • 4 min Read
Coronavirus infections in Philippines climb to 538,995 | PHILSTAR.COM – The Department of Health reported 1,690 additional coronavirus cases Monday, bringing to 538,995 the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections nationwide. Of the total, 27,992, or 5.2%, are active cases. Nearly 94% of these are mild cases. The department reported only 23 additional recoveries. To date, 499,772 people have recovered from COVID-19 in the country. But the respiratory illness claimed the lives of 52 more patients, taking the death toll to 11,231.
Locsin vows ‘more than just a protest’ in case of another China coast guard incident | PHILSTARCOM – The Philippines’ top diplomat assured the public that he will take steps in case of another incident with China’s coast guard. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., however, noted that there has been no incident yet since Chinese legislators adopted a law allowing its coast guard to fire on foreign ships that fish or conduct activities in waters claimed by China. “If there is an incident, I can assure you it will be more than just a protest,” Locsin told Karen Davila on ANC’s “Headstart” on Monday morning. Locsin earlier filed a diplomatic protest against the China Coast Guard Law, which also allows them to demolish other countries’ structures on Chinese-claimed reefs. The DFA chief stressed that the new law can be applied to areas that China claims as theirs, which is a threat of war for him as it would also cover the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea within Philippine exclusive economic zone. “There is no exact delineation of jurisdiction in the law according to them, but what if there is? There could be, and so my protest stands,” Locsin said.
What to do with Parlade? Lorenzana says it’s up to AFP chief | INQUIRER.NET – What to do with controversial Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade is up to newly-installed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana but Parlade might have gone too far in tagging an INQUIRER.net reporter as a Red propagandist, according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Lorenzana told CNN Philippines on Monday (Feb. 8) that Parlade might have “overstepped” his boundaries. “Maybe he overstepped what he was doing. I’m going to let the chief of staff deal with him,” Lorenzana said in that interview. “They should talk first how to address this concern from a journalist and the media about these accusations by General Parlade,” Lorenzana added. He said the AFP would be in close contact with Parlade “to prevent this from happening in the future.” Parlade came under fire from journalists, human rights groups and legislators for branding INQUIRER.net reporter Tetch Torres-Tupas as a propagandist of enemies of the government for reporting about the claim of two Aetas of alleged torture and detention by government soldiers following the death of a soldier in clash in Zambales. The Aetas’ claim, which Parlade said was “fake” and part of “propaganda”, is being used in support of one of dozens of petitions filed at the Supreme Court against the controversial anti-terror law. Torres-Tupas and other journalists had been reporting about a legal document on file at the Supreme Court that was based on the 38th petition filed against the new terror law and which presented the Aetas’ claim as an example of how the new law was prone to abuse.
China’s new law allowing its Coast Guard to fire at ‘intruders’ in SCS might cause open conflict- Lorenzana | Manila Bulletin – Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is worried that China’s new law allowing its coast guard to fire at foreign ships it deems as intruders may cause an open conflict in the South China Sea. “I’m very concerned about this law because it might cause some miscalculations and accidents there especially that they are now allowed to fire at foreign vessels,” Lorenzana said in a television interview over CNN Philippines. “It might cause open conflict,” he noted. This, as Lorenzana disclosed that there are some countries that have shown interest to conduct joint patrols in the South China Sea to promote freedom of navigation in the area, among them are the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and India. “We are going to continue dialoguing with these countries and find ways on how to move forward. As I said, mahirap na magkaroon ng aksidente dyan (it will be difficult if an accident occurs there),” Lorenzana said.
Photo Source: By Ramcandelaria – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70406357
