News Roundup 01 January 2021
Jan 01, 2021 • 5 min Read
Philippines welcomes 2021 with 1,765 new COVID-19 cases | PHILSTAR.COM – Health authorities reported 1,765 additional coronavirus infections Friday, pushing the total to 475,820 as Filipinos welcomed the new year under the shadow of a health crisis that has disrupted lives and the economy. The number of recoveries rose to 439,895 after 106 more coronavirus patients got well. Total recoveries accounted for 92.4% of the country’s confirmed cases. But four more people succumbed to the respiratory disease, bringing the country’s death toll to 9,248. Of the total confirmed cases, 26,677 or 5.6% are considered active or those still undergoing treatment and quarantine.
NPA forming urban hit squads, CPP confirms | PHILSTAR.COM – The New People’s Army is forming urban hit squads, Communist Party of the Philippines Central Committee information officer Marco Valbuena confirmed just before the New Year. This, after the communist rebels hinted of reviving teams that targeted police officers, soldiers, government agents and even politicians over “blood debts”. Valbuena said that “there is a standing order for the NPA to form partisan teams to mete out punishment against enemy units and officers who have committed bloody crimes against the people.” He cited as an example the recent “punishment by partisan teams of the NPA some notorious fascist criminals, including Jumar Bucales, who heads a local paramilitary vigilante group responsible for the 2015 Lianga (Surigao del Sur) massacre.” He said that “in due time, the NPA will be able to form more partisan teams who can carry out punitive actions in the cities or close to the cities,” adding regional NPA commands have been instructed to form Special Operations Groups for those operations.
OVP spox on Pulse Asia survey: ‘Masyado pang maaga para sa pamumulitika’ | INQUIRER.NET – It’s too early for politicking and jostling for the 2022 elections, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said Friday. The OVP issued the statement after results of a recent Pulse Asia survey showed Vice President Leni Robredo ranking only sixth in the list of possible 2022 presidential bets. OVP spokesman Barry Gutierrez said Robredo’s office is not “paying much mind” to the said early survey results since the elections are still “a long way away.” “Right, now the VP is still focused on working to help our Filipinos get past the crisis of COVID-19 and recover from the calamities of the past few months,” he said in a statement. “Masyado pang maaga para sa pamumulitika at pakikipag-gitgitan para sa eleksyon,” (It’s too early for politicking and jostling for the 2022 elections) Gutierrez added.
DOH, FDA believe WHO decision on Pfizer vaccine key to local emergency use application | Manila Bulletin – Health officials in the country believe that the World Health Organization (WHO) approval of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine application for emergency use will help Pfizer to secure a local emergency use authorization. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Eric Domingo said the WHO decision will hasten Pfizer’s application for emergency use authorization (EUA) in the country. “This one from the WHO is a welcome addition to the regulatory approval and, therefore, should be a lot easier for the local FDA to already review the document and assess the risk benefits of the said candidate vaccine. The process can be abbreviated,” Duque said. Domingo, on the other hand, said the development is “very significant.” “The WHO Emergency Use Listing is very significant. Our experts are currently evaluating the documents submitted by Pfizer as outlined in our guidelines. I will issue a decision on the application as soon as all the regulatory requirements and procedures are completed,” Domingo stressed.
Robredo: There’s always a new start | The Manila Times – The first day of the new year is a reminder that there is always a new start, Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo said as she greeted Filipinos on New Year’s Eve. “Napakatindi ng mga pagsubok na dala ng nagdaang taon. Tumama ang pandemya at humabol pa ang sunod-sunod na sakuna. Marami sa atin ang unang beses na sasalubong sa bagong taon na hindi kapiling ang mga pumanaw na mahal sa buhay. Maraming naapektuhan o nawalan ng kabuhayan, at mas kaunti ang handa sa Media Noche. Maraming aspekto ng buhay natin ang nagbago — sa bahay, sa paaralan, sa opisina, sa mga ugnayan sa pamilya at kaibigan — at dala nito ang halo-halong emosyon: takot, pangamba, lungkot (The challenges brought by the past year were severe. The pandemic hit and successive calamities followed. Many of us will face the new year without loved ones for the first time. Many were affected or lost their livelihood, and have less food prepared for the Media Noche. Many aspects of our life changed — at home, at school, at the office, in our relations with family and friends — which brought mixed emotions: fear, worry, sadness),” she said“Pero paalala sa atin ng petsang ito — ang unang araw ng unang buwan ng isang bagong taon — na laging may bagong simula; laging may pagkakataong bumangon; lagi tayong tinatawag ng bukas sa pag-asang kaya natin itong gawing mas maginhawa, mas masagana, mas makatao kaysa kahapon (But this date reminds us — the first day of the first month of a new year — that there is always a new start; there is always a chance to stand up; we are always called by tomorrow in the hope that we can make it more comfortable, more bountiful, more humane than yesterday,” the vice president said. Robredo wished all homes filled with hope and enjoined Filipinos to share hope with others. She urged Filipinos to continue following health protocols.
