News Roundup 12 August 2021
Aug 12, 2021 • 4 min Read
12,439 new COVID-19 cases push Philippines’ total to 1.7 million | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines on Thursday logged 12,439 more coronavirus cases, bringing the case total to 1,700,363. Today’s count is the highest since April 10, when the country saw 12,674 new infections. Active cases were up by 6,264 from 81,399 on August 11. The Department of Health said two laboratories did not submit testing results.
- Active cases: 87,663 or 5.2.% of the total
- Recoveries: 6,090, bringing the number to 1,583,161
- Deaths: 165, or now 29,539 in total
Davao journalist ‘mistakenly’ arrested in 2019 vows to take legal fight to Supreme Court | PHILSTAR.COM – Davao-based journalist Margarita Valle, who was arrested and locked away for hours based on mistaken identity, vowed to continue to seek accountability from the police and military, in a fight that goes beyond just her case and extends to other journalists. Members of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group arrested Valle in June 2019 at Laguindingan Airport after they mistook her for Elsa Renton, an alleged communist rebel who has standing warrants for a string of cases. Valle filed administrative and criminal complaints against authorities before the Office of the Ombudsman, but, in the end, only two cops were in slapped with a three-month suspension. All respondents were cleared of kidnapping, serious illegal detention as well as violation of the anti-torture act complaints. Now Valle and her counsel Kathy Panguban, from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, vow to take their fight to higher courts, to the Supreme Court of the Philippines. In a virtual press conference, Valle claimed government officials can now get away with crime through legal jargon. “Simple neglect of duty as they call it now easily excuses command responsibility and accountability,” she said.
‘Sayang’: Robredo questions DOH’s unused funds amid small ‘ayuda’, unpaid health workers | INQUIRER.NET – It is a pity that the Department of Health (DOH) still has unused funds when the country has only provided meager cash aid while some health workers are yet to receive their hazard pay, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Thursday. Robredo was asked during an ambush interview about her views on the Commission on Audit (COA) report on DOH’s expenditures, where it was revealed that the department’s P67.32 billion COVID-19 funds had deficiencies that were caused by non-compliance with existing regulations. She said it is ironic that the government has repeatedly insisted on lacking the budget to fund programs when funds are actually available at their disposal. “Hindi ko pa napapag-aralan iyong detalye at humihingi na ako ng pag-aaral ng detalye sa aming policy team. Pero kung ano man iyon, iyon iyong nakakasayang,” Robredo said on the sidelines of her office and the Quezon City government’s Vaccine Express initiative. (I have not yet studied the fill details, and I am asking for more details from our policy team. But whatever that is, it is such a waste that the funds weren’t spent properly.) “Iyon iyong nakakasayang kasi parati nating sinasabi na wala tayong pera, kulang iyong—hindi natin mabibigyan ng ayuda iyong lahat dahil kulang iyong pera, hindi natin nabibigay kaagad iyong hazard pay para sa mga health workers dahil kulang iyong budget. Kulang pa rin iyong PhilHealth hindi pa rin nababayaran iyong ibang mga ospital dahil kulang iyong budget,” she added. (It’s a waste because we always say that we do not have money, we lack funds, that we cannot provide proper cash aid to everyone because we do not have the budget, we cannot provide the hazard pay for health workers immediately. We still cannot pay hospitals because PhilHealth also does not have a high budget.) In effect, COA said the deficiencies led to missed opportunities for the department primarily tasked with managing the pandemic. It also cast doubt on the regularity of transactions while keeping much-needed funds unspent.
Robredo says it’s ‘too early’ to seek ECQ extension in NCR | Manila Bulletin – It is still “too early” to recommend whether the two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed in Metro Manila will be extended after August 20, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Thursday, August 12. Robredo, an opposition leader, cited some of the health experts’ assessment of the situation in the capital region to determine whether to extend the ECQ. “Kailangan ba talaga? Kasi iyong isa namang tinitingnan, ito iyong pino-propose ng ibang mga experts na hindi naman kailangan na buong Metro Manila o buong Metro Manila bubble iyong i-extend ang ECQ (Is it really needed? Because one of those being considered is what other experts propose the ECQ extension is not necessary in the entire Metro Manila or Metro Manila bubble),” she said. “Puwede iyong mga small bubbles, doon lang talaga sa mga areas na kailangan (It can be extended in the small bubbles, in areas where it is really needed),” Robredo added.
