News Roundup 11 June 2021
Jun 11, 2021 • 4 min Read
COVID-19 cases in the Philippines rise to 1.3M with 6,686 new infections | PHILSTAR.COM – Local health authorities on Friday reported 6,686 more COVID-19 infections, bringing the national caseload to 1,300,349.
- Active cases: 61,345 or 4.7%% of the total
- Recoveries: 3,190, pushing total to 1,216,497
- Deaths: 196, bringing total to 22,507
Retired military, police urge united stance on West Philippine Sea ahead of Independence Day | PHILSTAR.COM – Advocates for National Interest (ANI), a group composed of retired police and military officers, on Friday called on Filipinos to “unite and rally to our flag in assertion of our rights in the West Philippine Sea.” Retired Gen. Eliseo Rio, also a former information communications and technology undersecretary, relayed this message at a virtual talk alongside Sen. Risa Hontiveros on the West Philippine Sea in anticipation of Independence Day on June 12. “Today, we face a real threat to our national security. China’s transgression of Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea in violation of international law jeopardizes our future,” Rio warned. “The vast resources of the West Philippine Sea present a promise of deliverance to our people but China is taking that away from us.” “As our nation prepares to celebrate the Independence Day, let us remember how we, Filipinos, more than a century ago, stood up to challenge a much stronger power in order to be freed from subjugation and bullying,” he also said, referring to Spain’s colonization of the Philippines for over 300 years. The Philippines was also a colony of the US, a close ally that still exerts significant influence on the country’s culture and politics. In a separate message for Independence Day, Hontiveros said that Beijing has been ignoring diplomatic protests over the presence of Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea. She added that their presence deprives Filipinos of natural resources that they are entitled to. She also acknowledged efforts to guard against incursions into Philippine waters. “Nais kong bigyang pugay ang ating mga matatapang na opisyal ng Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, at mga volunteers na walang tigil na nagpapatrol at nagbabantay sa ating mga teritoryo sa laot,” she also said. (I want to pay tribute to the officers of the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, as well as to volunteers, who continue to patril and guard our waters) She said that Philippine vessels sent out to patrol the West Philippine Sea underscore the need to continue to assert sovereignty in the area. “Patunay lamang, na kailanman, hindi nagkataon lang na malaya ang Pilipinas. Hindi ito swerte. Dito sa ‘duyan ng magiting’, hindi ‘one-time, big-time’ ang laban para sa kalayaan. Paulit-ulit itong iginigiit at ipinapahayag, sa laot man o sa kalupaan,” she said. (This proves that, as ever, it is not by coincidence that the Philippines is free. This is not a matter of chance. In this ‘cradle of heroes’, the struggle for independence is not a ‘one-time, big-time’ thing. It is something that must be repeatedly asserted and proclaimed on the seas or on land.)
SC chief hoping justice in charge of drug case to write report before retiring | INQUIRER.NET – Whether the petitions on the legality of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs will be resolved this month remains a question as the justice-in-charge of the case is set to retire on June 30. “Hopefully, Justice EDSA will be able to write his ponencia before he retires,” Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo told reporters. Associate Justice EDSA is Edgardo Delos Santos who is set for early retirement on June 30. He became the justice-in-charge of the case following the retirement of then Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. In 2017, the high court has held an oral argument on the case. Carpio has ordered the Office of the Solicitor-General (OSG) to submit documents related to the government’s war on drugs. Initially, however, while Solicitor-General Jose Calida refused to submit the documents invoking national security. Eventually, the government has complied and submitted documents. But one of the petitioners, Center for International Law (CenterLaw), said the government has given the Supreme Court “rubbish” documents.
De Lima to Duterte: Don’t tout PH-China ‘friendship’ amid WPS incursions | Manila Bulletin – Senator Leila de Lima on Friday, June 11, said President Duterte should stop boasting about the “deep friendship” of Philippines and China amid the latter’s continued incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). In a statement, the opposition lawmakers said “China is clearly taking advantage and bullying the Philippines” as it still refuses to recognize the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the WPS. “Duterte should stop dragging the entire country with this so-called ‘deep and abiding friendship’ with China,” De Lima said. “Paano maituturing na kaibigan ang bansang patuloy na sumasakop sa ating teritoryo, ninanakawan ng kabuhayan at ginigipit ang ating mangingisda, at paulit-ulit na binabantaan ang mga kapwa natin Pilipino (How can we treat a country that continues to invade our territory, rob our fishermen of livelihood and threaten our fellow Filipinos as a friend)?” she asked.
