News Roundup 01 October 2021
Oct 01, 2021 • 4 min Read
DOH logs 15,566 new COVID-19 cases | PHILSTAR.COM – The Department of Health on Friday reported 15,566 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 2,565,487.
- Active cases: 130,268 or 5.1% of the total
- Recoveries: 23,483, pushing total to 2,396,726
- Deaths: 199, bringing toll to 38,493
According to the DOH, positivity rate was 21.3%, based on the results of 63,850 people tested on Wednesday.
House takes protective custody of Pharmally exec who admitted face shield tampering | PHILSTAR.COM – The House of Representatives has taken protective custody over Pharmally officer Krizle Mago following her disappearance from public view after she testified before the Senate that they tampered the expiry dates of face shields. House good government and public accountability panel chair Rep. MIke Aglipay (DIWA party-list) announced Friday that Mago has been placed under the protective custody of the chamber’s sergeant-at-arms. Mago had requested from House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco that she be placed under the chamber’s protective custody as she supposedly cannot speak freely. “I cannot speak freely about the ongoing investigation on the alleged overprice of medical equipments without feeling threatened due to the undue influence and pressure being exerted from various sources,” she said in a letter dated September 30. She added that she feels that her life and liberty are in “grave danger” and bemoaned that she is “being treated like a fugitive from justice.” Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson Richard Gordon said that Mago has been unreachable since September 24, prompting concerns from senators over her safety. It was Mago who corroborated a Senate witness’ testimony that the firm tampered with the expiration dates of medical-grade face shields. The same witness, a Pharmally warehouseman, said he and other workers were told to repackage face shields even when they were dented, yellowed, and dirtied. Asked by Sen. Richard Gordon, committee chair, if the firm was swindling the government by doing this, Mago replied: “Yes, I believe so.” She and Dargani soon after disagreed on who the order to repackage face shields came from. Dargani claimed he never gave such an order but Mago, who said he did, countered that she would not have relayed the instruction to warehouse workers if there was no directive to do so from a higher-up.
Carpio believes Robredo will ‘accept challenge’ to run for president | INQUIRER.NET – Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio believes Vice President Leni Robredo would “accept the challenge” and run for president in the 2022 national elections. Carpio made the remark Friday after the opposition coalition 1Sambayan officially endorsed Robredo as its presidential candidate in next year’s elections. Carpio serves as the lead convenor of the coalition. “I think the message is there, lalaban siya (she will fight). Of course, I cannot say for certain, but I think I am confident that she will decide correctly, that she will accept the challenge, although that’s from my personal point of view,” Carpio said in a news forum. Carpio said Robredo is expected to decide whether to accept the 1Sambayan nomination in the next few days. The filing of the certificate of candidacy (COC) for those who will run in next year’s polls started Friday and will be open until October 8. “Theoretically, she can say no [to the nomination]. But judging from what she has been saying, sabi nya, ‘Lalaban ako just to stop another Duterte administration, lalaban ako just to stop the Marcoses from getting back to Malacanan’,” Carpio said. (Theoretically, she can say no to the nomination. But judging from what she has been saying that, ‘I will fight just to stop another Duterte administration, I will fight just to stop the Marcoses from getting back to Malacanan’.) While she remains open and ready to run for president in the 2022 national elections, Robredo said she is leaving her decision up to God. She recently assured her supporters that she is taking calls for her to run for the president “very, very seriously,” but still stressed her push for a “united opposition.”
Carpio shudders at no-el scenario in May 2022: ‘Delikado yun’ | Manila Bulletin – Despite the obvious challenges presented by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the May 2022 national and local elections must take place, or else the country might find itself in a dangerous scenario. Retired Supreme Court (SC) Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio gave this warning to Filipinos during the Oct. 1 edition of the Friday News Forum, where he discussed the possibility of “no-el” or no elections come May 9, 2022. “It’s very dangerous. We should avoid it (no-el) at all cost,” said Carpio, a senior convenor of opposition force 1Sambayan.
