News Roundup 12 April 2021
Apr 12, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines logs 11,378 new COVID-19 cases, active cases at 157,378 | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines on Monday reported 11,378 new coronavirus cases, pushing its total to 876,225. This marks the fourth straight day that the country tallied five-digit increases in infections, which began on April 9. Active cases also saw an additional 10,932 from yesterday’s 146,519.
- Active cases: 157,451 or 18.0% of the total
- Recoveries: 267, bringing the overall figure to 703,625
- Deaths: 204, or now 15,149 in total
No evidence Ivermectin helps with COVID-19, manufacturer stresses | PHILSTAR.COM – Ivermectin’s manufacturer in the country in no uncertain terms said on Monday that the drug has “very little to no effect” against COVID-19, as some people, including lawmakers, tout its use despite warnings. The anti-parasitic drug has recently gained traction in the Philippines as a supposed treatment for the disease. But health agencies have repeatedly said it remains mostly for veterinary use, and human consumption could be highly toxic. Over ONE News’ “Agenda,” Dr. Beaver Tamesis said there may have been a “placebo effect” in patients who took the drug and have since recovered from COVID-19. Rep. Mike Defensor (Anakalusugan party-list), one of the advoates of using Ivermectin against COVID-19, has admitted he does not know if the drug made him better when he had the coronavirus disease. “We have reviewed all of the data..that people keep saying is evidence that it works,” said the managing director of Merck Sharp & Dohme Philippines. “The levels of evidence do not come up to standards.” The Department of Health has said that individuals involved in distribution and promotion of its use could be violating the law. Even the World Health Organization has said that Ivermectin still has to undergo clinical trials to prove that it works against the COVID-19. Tamesis cited systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials, where the drug was put against an inactive sugar pill. It, however, showed no difference. “In terms of parasites, fantastic, you would no longer have them,” he said partly in Filipino. “But in terms of actually reducing symptoms of COVID-19 or stopping the virus, I’m sorry.” In February, Merck’s main office in the United States sought to make clear that Ivermectin has no scientific basis for “potential therapeutic effect” as well as no meaningful evidence on clinical efficacy for COVID-19.
Senators score DA over ‘out of range’ projection of pork supply deficit | INQUIRER.NET – Some senators on Monday scored the Department of Agriculture (DA) for its “out of range” projection of the country’s pork supply deficit for 2021, which led to its recommendation to lower tariffs on imported pork and to increase the allowed volume of imports to the country. During the Senate investigation into the food security crisis brought about by the African swine fever (ASF), Senator Cynthia Villar lamented the recommendation of the DA to President Rodrigo Duterte to increase the minimum access volume (MAV) by 350,000 metric tons on top of the current 54,210 MT. “Hindi ko talaga maintindihan yung computation niyong yun. Sobrang out of range. Out of range na hindi kayo naawa sa ating mga backyard farmers? Sixty-five percent are hog raisers, they are the poor farmers of the Philippines. Kawawa naman sila,” Villar lamented. (I can’t understand your computation. It’s so out of range. Totally out of range. Don’t you pity our backyard farmers? Sixty-five percent are hog raisers, they are the poor farmers of the Philippines. They are at the losing end here.) “How can you project that way? Sino bang nag-project sayo? Pagalitan mo yung nag-project sayo. Mali yun [Who made that projection? You should score the one who made the projection. It’s wrong],” she added. The senator, chairman of the Senate agriculture committee, pointed out that data from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) showed that in the last 10 years, the highest volume of imported pork meat was at 120,000 metric tons (MT) in 2018.
CHR condemns death of another curfew violator | Manila Bulletin – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Monday, April 12, denounced human brutality as it condemned the beating to death of a curfew violator in Calamba, Laguna last April 7. In a statement, the CHR said those responsible for the beating of Ernanie Lumban who died thereafter must be held accountable. “It is strongly condemnable that the curfew policy, which is supposed to protect our right to health, became the reason for the deprivation of the utmost right to life,” the CHR said through Spokesperson Jacqueline Anne de Guia, added. De Guia even said that beating a person over a minor offense may be tantamount to torture, as doing so is “an attack on human dignity.” “Such excessive punishment can be considered as grave abuse of authority and those who shall be proven to have committed an overreach must be held accountable,” she said.
