News Roundup 17 July 2021
Jul 17, 2021 • 4 min Read
COVID-19 cases in Philippines hit 1.5-M | PHILSTAR.COM – The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has surpassed 1.5 million after local health authorities reported 6,040 new infections on Saturday.
- Active cases: 47,257 or 3.1% of the total
- Recoveries: 7,213, bringing total to 1,428,504
- Fatalities: 122, pushing death toll to 26,598
Duterte says to run for vice president to gain immunity from suit | PHILSTAR.COM – President Rodrigo Duterte said Saturday he will run for vice president in the 2022 elections to gain immunity from suit, in response to threats that he will be prosecuted once he steps down from office. “Sabi ng batas, na kung presidente ka, bise presidente ka, may immunity ka. Eh di tatakbo na lang akong bise presidente,” Duterte said during the national assembly of his party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan. (The law says that if you are a president, a vice president, you have immunity. Then I’ll just run for vice president.) Duterte continued, “And after that, tatakbo ulit ako nang bise presidente at bise presidente at bise presidente.” (And after that, I will run for vice president, and then again, and again.) Philippine jurisprudence only confers immunity from suit to a sitting president. The 1987 Constitution also provides that vice presidents cannot serve for two consecutive terms. Duterte has been publicly toying with the idea of running for vice president in next year’s elections, but it is the first time that he suggested that his potential run for the second-highest office could be to evade possible prosecution. The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has sought clearance from the pre-trial chamber to allow a full investigation into the Duterte administration’s “war on drugs,” where crimes against humanity allegedly occurred.
Duterte says Pimentel made a mistake, Pacquiao ‘only a follower’ | INQUIRER.NET – Following the leadership change in the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), President Rodrigo Duterte said it was Senator Koko Pimentel who “made a mistake” and not Senator Manny Pacquiao as the latter was only a follower. In his speech during the national assembly the PDP-Laban, Duterte hit Pimentel, the party’s executive vice-chairperson, over the latter’s decision to elect Pacquiao as acting president of the party back in December 2020. By making that decision, Duterte said Pimentel made a mistake, citing the party Constitution. The President likewise took a jab at Pacquiao who he said “doesn’t know anything” and only follows orders. “By that singular act of designating an acting president, there is no law in the bylaws at tsaka itong Constitution which would provide for an acting president solely upon the push of the [party] president,” Duterte said. “Ang nagkamali dyan si Koko, hindi Pacquiao. Pacquiao doesn’t know anything. Totoo, kung anumang sabihin, hindi naman nagbabasa yan e. Basta kung anong sabihin ng mga ano nya, sunod,” he added. During the assembly, Pacquiao was replaced by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as party president. The national assembly was held as what appears to be two factions—one with Pacquiao and Pimentel, and the other with Cusi—continue to clash.
CHR starts own probe on killing of lawyer, husband in Davao City | Manila Bulletin – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has started its own probe on the killing of lawyer Gilda Mahinay Sapie and her husband Muhaimen Mohammed Sapie last July 14 in Davao City. The couple, who were hosts of the radio program “Justice Redeemer,” were shot reportedly by a sniper while they were outside of their house inside a gated subdivision. “Justice Provider” provides free legal advice, tackles general legal issues, and airs opinions on political matters. In a statement, the CHR said it has long pushed for the protection of members of the media and lawyers who deserve to exercise their profession without any fear of violence, intimidation, and harassment. Sadly, the Philippines has dropped its rank in the World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) for four consecutive years, the CHR said. “This drop in ranking coincides with the recent results released by the Social Weather Stations survey which finds six in ten Filipinos agree that it is ‘dangerous to print or broadcast anything critical’ of the current administration ‘even if it is the truth,’” the CHR said through Spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia, a lawyer.
