News Roundup 22 March 2021
Mar 22, 2021 • 5 min Read
In new record high, Philippines reports 8,019 new COVID-19 cases | PHILSTAR.COM – Health officials in the country reported 8,019 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the highest so far since the pandemic reached the Philippines in 2020 and amid days of surges in cases. This pushed the Philippines’ overall count of infections to 671,792.
- Active cases: 80,970 or 12.1% of the total
- Recoveries: 103, bringing the number to 577, 850.
- Deaths: 4, or now 12,972 in total
139 lawyers make fresh plea to SC: Review, revise rules on search warrants | PHILSTAR.COM – More than 100 lawyers on Monday wrote to the Supreme Court to propose amendments to rules on the issuance and service of search warrants in response to the killing of nine activists in bloody raids this month. Led by National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers Neri Colmenares and Edre Olalia, 139 counsels asked the high court to “take immediate, concrete and responsive action” amid the killings and arrests of activists during implementation of search warrants issued by Metro Manila judges. The lawyers said this has not only resulted in killings and arrests of people, but “also impacted on the public’s confidence in the integrity, prudence, and independence of judges.” This is the latest push by lawyers to look into what they say is the “weaponization” of the rules of court, specifically in the search warrants that have led to the arrest of dozens of activists and the killings of others. Simultaneous raids in the Calabarzon region on March 7 left nine activists, whom police have said were communist rebels, dead. The lawyers said they propose a review of the procedure in the issuance of search warrants “towards ensuring that these are not issued perfunctorily but only after rigorous scrutiny by the courts, in accordance with constitutional standards and procedural safeguards, and bearing in mind the deteriorating human rights situation in the country.”
Abolish IATF, let health experts lead pandemic response – senator | INQUIRER.NET – Senator Imee Marcos on Monday called for the abolition of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the appointment of public health experts to lead the country’s fight against COVID-19 through a “true science-based” approach. Senate President Vicente Sotto III “concurred” with Marcos’ proposal, citing what he said is the “gross incompetence” of the Department of Health (DOH) in handling the pandemic. “Ibuwag na ‘yung IATF. Start from scratch na lang po tayo, tutal klarong-klaro na walang plano,” Marcos said in an online interview with reporters on Monday. (Let’s abolish the IATF. Start from scratch since it’s clear that there is no plan.) “Panahon na na buwagin na ‘yung IATF. Magumpisa na tayo sa totoo na medical na science-based [approach] na talagang makakatulong sa tao,” she added. (It’s time to abolish the IATF. Let’s begin with the true medical, science-based approach that would really help the public.) “The handling has been inept and unduly difficult for the Filipino people,” she lamented. She stressed that doctors and public health experts should be tapped to “straighten out” the government’s policies. “Dapat mga doctor mga public health experts, ‘yung talagang nakakaintindi nito at sila ang magdi-diretso ng policy,” the senator said. (Doctors and public health experts should lead, they are the ones who really understand and they can straighten out policies.) In a separate online interview, Sotto said he backs the suggested IATF abolition. “I concur with that…. kung ganito lang na hindi lang naha-handle ng matino,” the Senate president said. He underscored the need to let doctors handle the pandemic response. “They should have done that on Day 1, especially when we were already complaining that there is gross incompetence in the handling as far as the Department of Health is concerned on that particular issue,” Sotto said. “Don’t get me wrong, maraming mga DOH na nagtatrabaho at employees na magagaling,” he added. (Don’t get me wrong, many in the DOH are really working and there are employees who are really competent.)
Women leaders get things done during a crisis — Robredo | Manila Bulletin – Being a woman in a leadership position “paved the way for a lot of vicious and malicious attacks” hurled against her, but Vice President Leni Robredo makes sure these will not deter her from proving that “women leaders get things moving in times of crisis.” In a message for the Pangasinan State University, Lingayen Campus’ “Webinar on Claiming Women’s Space Leadership” to commemorate Women’s Month, Robredo used her example as a government official, human rights lawyer, and “my husband’s widow” to prove her mettle and break barriers for other women. “Some said I was better off at home because I was a woman. I admit for someone who has become quietly doing her work for so long, mostly behind scenes as human rights lawyer has not been an easy battle,” she said. “But we can’t let these whispers hold us back. I always tell my staff that if we are truly passionate about serving our people we can’t allow detractors to discourage us from doing our share in the enormous task of nation-building. We can’t allow the lies to pull us away from the path of authentic service,” Robredo added. Robredo, who is the highest ranking woman in government, told her audience that “women are made for times like these.” “We are meant to survive even during the most difficult times,” she said, adding that women leaders all over the world are “redefining what’s strong and competent leadership means” by taking the lead in the COVID-19 crisis.
