News Roundup 26 March 2021
Mar 26, 2021 • 3 min Read
Active COVID-19 cases hit 109,018 after Philippines logs 9,838 new infections | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines on Friday recorded 9,838 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 702,856.
- Active cases: 109,018 or 15.5% of the total
- Recoveries: 663, pushing total to 580,689
- Deaths: 54, bringing total to 13,149
Another SC justice considers early retirement | PHILSTAR.COM – Another Supreme Court justice is considering early retirement, which will give President Rodrigo Duterte another opportunity to appoint a new magistrate to the top court. SC spokesperson Brian Hosaka announced Friday that Justice Edgardo Delos Santos is mulling over retiring early due to “health reasons,” but did not disclose what these were. Hosaka said Delos Santos has advised his staff as early as March 19 to start looking for other jobs. But until Delos Santos actually retires, he still sits in the high court, said the SC spokesperson. “Justice Delos Santos further added that he remains an incumbent member of the Supreme Court until after a specific date of retirement, as may be indicated in a formal letter from him to the En Banc, is accepted and acted upon by the Court,” Hosaka said. Delos Santos, 68, was appointed by Duterte in 2019 to replace retired Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza. He is not set to retire until June 12, 2022.
‘In the meantime’: Baguio court stops cops from Red-tagging youth groups | INQUIRER.NET – The Baguio City Regional Trial Court has – “in the meantime” – stopped the Cordillera police from Red-tagging members of youth activist organizations. In an order dated March 25, 2021, Baguio City Regional Trial Court Branch 3 Judge Emmanuel Cacho Rasing said the Police Regional Office Cordillera (PRO-COR), including all Philippine National Police units, groups, stations, officers under it, shall “make no social media or tarpaulin postings, or public postings by any other means branding/tagging herein petitioners and the organizations they belong to as stated communists-terrorist, New People’s Army/Communist Party of the Philippines front organization, and other similar content.” “In the meantime, and also as agreed at the hearing on March 24, 2021, without necessarily admitting responsibility for those already posted or publicized, respondent Police Regional Office Cordillera, including all PNP units, groups, stations, officers, and offices under it shall henceforth make no social media or tarpaulin postings, or public postings by any other means, branding/tagging herein petitioners and the organizations they belong to as stated in the petition, as communists-terrorists,” the court order also stated. The court likewise issued a writ of amparo ordering the PRO-COR through its director, Police Brig. Gen. R’win S. Pagkalinawan, to file “a verified written return” or an explanation about the police’s Red-tagging of youth activist groups together with supporting affidavits.
Robredo: COVID-19 not an excuse to postpone 2022 polls | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo said the coronavirus pandemic should not be an excuse to cancel the 2022 polls, saying many countries were able to successfully hold elections despite the health crisis. In an interview with Radyo Katipunan’s “All Kaps! Ateneo Level Up!” program Friday, March 26, Robredo was asked about the possibility of postponing the upcoming May 2022 polls because of the threat of the pandemic. According to Robredo, the 2022 elections can actually change the course in the fight against COVID-19. “Dapat hindi gawing dahilan yung pandemic para hindi magkaroon ng eleksyon kasi yung eleksyon ang baka maging game-changer pa (We should not make the pandemic as an excuse to not hold an election because that may actually be the game-changer),” she said. The Vice President said there were many countries that successfully held elections despite the pandemic including the United States, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Belarus, and Myanmar.
