News Roundup 21 March 2022
Mar 21, 2022 • 4 min Read
Leni-Kiko Pasig rally draws biggest crowd so far | INQUIRER.NET – A Pasig River wave of pink washed over Emerald Avenue in Pasig City as early as noon on Sunday that saw skyscrapers with splashes of presidential candidate Leni Robredo’s color. A predominantly young crowd of at least 137,000, according to the Pasig City police, spilled over to Edsa and adjoining streets from the entire stretch of Emerald in the Ortigas business district. The crowd estimate was later placed by organizers at 180,000. The grand people’s rally, held 50 days before Election Day, was the largest crowd the ticket has gathered so far. Crafting a so-called Pasig River wave, starting from the main stage, the tail end of the wave could barely be seen from its starting point. The crowding prompted program hosts to remind the audience to strictly observe health protocols and to make sure to call the attention of medics should they feel nauseous due to the warm weather. The PasigLaban grand rally also saw the birth of a “Leni-slide” dance move, to supposedly usher in a win for the presidential candidate. Senators in the tandem of Robredo and Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan delivered their campaign speeches, with Robredo finally addressing the crowd late in the evening. The grand rally ended at 8:45 p.m. Meanwhile, the last surviving members of the 1971-1972 Constitutional Convention assembled under the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos regime on Sunday came out in support of Robredo. The 13 signatories—which include Sen. Richard Gordon, Chief Justice Hilario Davide and Lilia de Lima—said “only Leni Robredo … meets and fits the highest credentials for the presidency.” “To address and face up to these formidable challenges [facing the country], we need a tried and tested leader who is capable, caring, sincere, focused, and most of all godly, who does not steal and does not lie,” they added. In supporting Robredo, 13 delegates cited her concrete action programs, unblemished track record and her long public service in marginalized sectors of the country as proof that she was more than qualified for the presidency.
Ex-DOH chiefs, ConCon members back Robredo | PHILSTAR.COM – Six former health secretaries and members of the 1971-1972 Constitutional Convention endorsed yesterday presidential aspirant and Vice President Leni Robredo. “As our country struggles to recover from the wide-ranging effects of the pandemic, we need a leader who has demonstrated the values of integrity and caring, has governed wisely and fairly, prioritizes programs for the greater good, understands the processes of government, puts the interests of the country first and executes effectively amid the complexities of day-to-day governance,” the former health chiefs said in a statement. The statement of support was signed by Alfredo Bengzon, Carmencita Reodica, Jaime Galvez Tan, Manuel Dayrit, Esperanza Cabral and Paulyn Ubial. “In the area of health, Vice President Robredo has demonstrated her capability to address the people’s primary health concerns during the pandemic,” they said. They said Robredo is “the foremost candidate to provide a comprehensive pandemic response platform.” At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of the Vice President embarked on several initiatives, including the distribution of free personal protective equipment, shuttle buses and dormitories for frontline workers as well as COVID-19 antigen test kits and teleconsultation services, lessening the suffering of Filipinos particularly the frontliners. The former health chiefs called on their colleagues in the health sector and all Filipinos to support the candidacy of Robredo “so that our right to health is upheld and the recovery from the pandemic is assured.”
DOH reports 3,572 new Covid-19 cases in the past week; 655 deaths | Manila Bulletin – The Department of Health (DOH) reported on Monday, March 21 that it recorded 3,572 new Covid-19 cases in the past week. Among the new cases, only one was tagged under severe and critical cases or 0.03 percent of the new cases. This is the third week of implementation of the health agency’’s weekly case bulletin. Data shared was from March 14 to March 20. According to the data, the seven-day average daily cases dipped to 510, lower by 13 percent from March 7 to March 13. Monday’s data released by the DOH also showed that 805 patients with severe and critical Covid-19 infections were admitted. This is 12.3 percent of total Covid-19 admissions. DOH also reported 655 new deaths from Covid-19. Of the 655 deaths, 97 occurred in March 2022 (14.8 percent), 122 in February 2022 (18.6 percent), 81 in January 2022 (12.4 percent).
