News Roundup 01 February 2022
Feb 01, 2022 • 4 min Read
Nearly 100 ex-gov’t officials of Aquino admin back Robredo’s presidential bid | PHILSTAR.COM – Nearly a hundred former government officials, mostly who served during the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III. Have endorsed the run of Vice President Leni Robredo. Ninety-five cabinet officials and military chiefs expressed support for Robredo’s presidential bid in the 2022 national elections. More than 20 retired ambassadors also signed the joint statement. “We share our people’s aspirations for a government led by a President who is competent, experienced and committed to the principles of integrity, democracy and genuine public service,” they said in a statement released Tuesday. Among the signatories are former Interior and Local Government chief Mar Roxas, who was Robredo’s running-mate in the 2016 polls. Roxas was the standard-bearer of the Liberty Party in the last national elections. Robredo, although sits as chairman of the political party, opted to run as an independent candidate in the 2022 polls. Robredo’s running-mate for the 2022 polls is Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, currently Liberal Party president. The former government officials said they share the aspiration of the Filipino people for a leadership with a vision for the country, one that is inclusive and consultative and ensures the well-being of all its citizens. “A leadership that is committed to serving the people with empathy and compassion—one that listens, one that is able to be with the poor, the voiceless, and the weary; A leadership that is committed to what is right and true, and one that runs an honest and responsive government that inspires confidence and pride,” they continued. They said they believe Robredo is the best candidate who embodies these aspirations, describing her as a “true leader who brings with her a solid track of serving the public; one who possesses all the qualities of an ideal Chief Executive and Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces.” “We commit ourselves fully to Vice President Leni Robredo’s bid for the presidency to lead the Philippines on an upward path of recovery and greatness. We thus enjoin the Filipino people to give our country the leader that we all deserve,” they added. Robredo’s presidential run was also endorsed by 23 former Cabinet members and senior officials during the administration of former President Fidel Ramos.
Senate panel recommends deportation of Michael Yang | INQUIRER.NET – The Senate blue ribbon committee has recommended the deportation of former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang over his alleged role in the deals between Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. and the government. In response to the panel’s bid, Yang’s legal counsel said the Chinese businessman “looks forward to his day in court.” The office of Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the blue ribbon panel, released on Tuesday the committe’s draft partial report. The panel has been investigating the government’s pandemic-related deals with Pharmally since August last year. Among the recommendations is the filing of cases against Yang “to support deportation of an undesirable alien.” The draft report alleged that Yang violated the National Internal Revenue Tax Code, which it said justifies the filing of criminal charges against him, his declaration as an undesirable alien, and immediate deportation. “Despite decades of lucrative and peaceful sojourn in our country, his care is not for others who had not only been hospitable to him, but also even allowed him to amass great wealth,” the draft report read. He has no healthy respect for law for he had always been sheltered by the mayor, and now the chief executive of the land. He displays arrogance during hearings, evincing a lack of respect for authority,” it added. The draft report noted that during the hearings, it was found that Yang currently owns several multi-million properties across the country, including Davao mall chain DCLA, and other buildings in Manila and Clark, Pampanga.
PH logs 14,546 new COVID-19 cases | Manila Bulletin – The Department of Health reported 14,546 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases on Monday, Jan. 31. This was the lowest since Jan. 5 when the country only recorded 10,775 new COVID-19 cases. The following day after that, cases soared to as high as 17,000. Monday’s tally brings the total number of COVID-19 cases to 3,560,202. Of this, 190,818 are active cases or 5.4 percent of the total number. DOH said that among the active cases, 177,584 are mild; 8,239 are asymptomatic; 3,126 are moderate; 1,540 are severa and 329 are in critical condition. The agency also reported 26,500 new recoveries, bringing the total number to 3,315,381 or 93.1 percent of the total number. On the other hand, 112 more have died from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 54,003 or 1.52 percent of the total number of cases. DOH posted a positivity rate of 28.4 percent. Both Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and isolation bed utilization rate in the country is at 46 percent while ward bed utilization is at 48 percent. Ventilators are at 25 percent utilization.
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