News Roundup 04 October 2021
Oct 04, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines’ COVID count reaches 2.6 million with 10,748 more cases | PHILSTAR.COM – Health authorities on Monday posted 10,748 new coronavirus cases to bring the country’s caseload at 2,604,040. Today’s numbers saw active cases down by 5,840 from the 112,008 on October 3. The Department of Health said three laboratories did not submit screening results.
- Active cases: 106,160 or 4.1% of the total
- Recoveries: 16,523 bringing the number to 2,459,052
- Deaths: 61, or now 38,828 overall
Sotto: Pharmally exec’s about-face doesn’t erase testimony on face shields | PHILSTAR.COM – A Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. officer’s testimony before the Senate has more weight than her subsequent disavowal of it at the House of Representatives, Senate leadership said Monday. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said this after Pharmally officer Krizle Grace Mago resurfaced at a House panel hearing to retract her earlier confirmation to senators that the firm tampered with the expiry dates of medical-grade face shields it sold to the government. Responding to Mago’s testimony at the House, Sotto told Philstar.com: “A statement made under oath incriminating oneself has more weight than a recantation.” “Anyway, we will leave it for the Ombudsman to assess later on,” he said. “I do admit it was a pressured response,” Mago told lawmakers, referring to her prior admission to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. “Given the amount of pressure that I was under at that time, and even the rush of emotions associated with the allegations made and my subsequent admission, I was not in the proper frame of mind to think clearly at that time.” Mago became unreachable to the Blue Ribbon panel after her testimony, causing senators to worry for her safety. She resurfaced under the House’s protective custody on Friday night, telling lawmakers at a hearing three days later that she was no longer working for Pharmally.
Business groups to gov’t officials: Cooperate in Pharmally probe | INQUIRER.NET – The Filipino people, including the frontliners who risk their lives every day, “deserve a full and fair accounting” of how the government spent taxpayer money for medical supplies needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Various business groups and universities issued this statement on Sunday as they called on public officials to cooperate in the ongoing probe of questionable multibillion-peso procurement deals made by the government. The Senate and the House of Representatives are separately holding investigations specifically on the transfer by the Department of Health (DOH) of some P42 billion in funds to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), zeroing in on why an undercapitalized trading company, Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., bagged more than P11 billion in supply contracts from the government. The private groups’ appeal followed President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncements that he would bar his Cabinet from attending without his permission, a move which critics said could trigger a constitutional crisis. “The allegations, testimonies and documents provided regarding the use of public funds meant to acquire items to minimize the threat to the lives of our citizens … are very sobering,” said the joint statement, which included prominent business groups such as Makati Business Club and Management Association of the Philippines. “If true, the context would make the wrongdoing particularly onerous and deserving of the full force of sanctions on its perpetrators that our justice system provides. If untrue, the public may view it as yet another exercise in politically motivated drama but, sadly in this case, would be another blow to the unity and faith we need to fight and recover from the pandemic,” they said. The joint statement, issued on Sunday afternoon, was also signed by Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference, Investment Houses Association of the Philippines, Judicial Reform Initiative and Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines, and two of the country’s top universities — the Ateneo de Manila University and the De La Salle University.
Robredo thanks US for COVID-19 help during meeting with envoy | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, October 4, met with Heather Variava, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the United States Embassy in Manila, to talk about the two countries’ COVID-19 response and the US government’s commitment to the Philippines. Variava, who recently arrived in the country for her designation, personally visited the vice president at the Quezon City Reception House, where she holds office. “During their discussion, VP Leni expressed her appreciation for all the help the United States has extended to the Philippines in the fight against COVID-19, including supply of vaccines and test kits, along with other forms of assistance,” a statement from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said. The US official reiterated her government’s commitment to supporting the Philippines “as one of its strongest allies.” The two officials also discussed the partnership projects of the OVP with the US Embassy and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under Robredo’s flagship poverty alleviation program, Angat Buhay.
