News Roundup 16 April 2021
Apr 16, 2021 • 3 min Read
Active COVID-19 cases in the Philippines hit record high at 193,476 | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines on Friday recorded 10,726 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 914,971.
- Active cases: 193,476 or 21.1% of the total
- Recoveries: 650, pushing total to 707,757
- Deaths: 145, bringing total to 15,738
DOJ indicts Sandra Cam, son and 5 others over 2019 killing of Masbate vice mayor | PHILSTAR.COM – State prosecutors found probable cause to charge Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board member Sandra Cam and her son over the killing of Batuan, Masbate Vice Mayor Charlie Yuson III in 2019.The Department of Justice indicted Cam and her son Marcon Martin for murder of Yuson and frustrated murder for the wounding of Alberto Alforte IV, the Office of the Prosecutor General said Friday. Others who are facing charges are:
- Nelson Cambaya
- June Gomez
- Bradford Solis
- Juanito De Luna
- Rigor Dela Cruz
“When considered in its entirety, the statements and evidence presented by the complainants are sufficient to establish probable cause for the conspiracy among all respondents in the killing of Vice Mayor Charlie and the wounding of Alberto Alforte IV,” part of the resolution read. The OPG said Assistant State Prosecutor Josie Christina Dugay and Prosecution Attorney Eugine Yusi issued the resolution dated Feb. 22, 2021.
‘Giving and taking in time of crisis:’ Community pantries sprout in NCR | INQUIRER.NET – Community pantries — areas where food packs and other agricultural produce donated by ordinary people are made available for families affected by strict lockdowns — have sprouted in different areas across Metro Manila which has been the epicenter of the country’s latest COVID-19 surge. Photos circulating on social media showed community pantries popping out in different areas, just days after the first pantry along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City went viral on social media. As of now, there are at least three community pantries in Metro Manila: the first version on Maginhawa, one in Padre Noval Street in Manila, and another in Matiyaga Street in Quezon City. All three have a central theme: the food packs are given from the masses, for the masses, and that people should only get what they need. The Maginhawa community pantry saw a boost after famers from Paniqui, Tarlac donated sacks of sweet potatoes on Friday, which were received by business owner Ana Patricia Non, who started the initiative. “Mula sa masa tungo sa masa! Grabe ito [From the masses, for the masses! This is awesome],” Non said in her Facebook post. Netizen Toots Vergara, meanwhile, said that many people were inspired by the Maginhawa pantry that they decided to set up one on Padre Noval. Vergara admitted though that they were skeptical whether people would follow the scheme wherein they would get what they only need. However, it turned out that the people only got what they need, leaving goods for other families who need it as well.
Filipinos have legal right to be in West Philippines Sea — solon | Manila Bulletin – “It is our right to be there in our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).’’ Muntinlupa Representative Rufino Biazon stressed this on Friday, April 16, as the Philippines awaits China’s response to pull out all its naval and militia ships at the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The vice chairman of the House national defense committee also said it is time for the country to once again participate in navy drills conducted by the United States as a way to make up for the imbalance of military power between China and the Philippines. Biazon said he is confident that there are other allies who would be willing to help the Philippines on issues in the West Philippine Sea and even the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. “We can see that for a while there seemed to be a cooling off of the relationship between the Philippines and the US, but I think it’s time for us to engage our longtime allies and even possibly forge new ones. We have the international community sympathetic to our cause, and I think it’s the next step that we should be taking to make up for the imbalance of military power between China and the Philippines,” Biazon said in a television interview.
