News Roundup 01 July 2021
Jul 01, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines starts July with 5,795 new COVID-19 infections | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines recorded 5,795 new COVID-19 infections at the start of the second half of the year, bringing the total number of virus cases to 1,418,337.
- Active cases: 51,567 or 3.6% of the total
- Recoveries: 2,859, pushing total to 1,341,973
- Fatalities: 135, bringing death toll to 24,797
Over 200 cops penalized for not going to court hearings | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippine National Police penalized more than 200 police officers for failing to appear in court hearings for cases filed against suspects arrested in various police operations across the country, its chief said. In a report cited by Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management said that the 211 police officers face penalties ranging from verbal reprimand to dismissal from service. Of the 211 erring officers:
- 83 were dismissed from the service
- 31 were demoted to lower police ranks
- 92 were suspended temporarily
- 5 were reprimanded.
The report comes after Eleazar’s order to account for personnel who skipped court hearings or those who neglected their duty to testify in court from January 2020 to June 3, 2021. “Our mandate as police [officers] does not end with arresting those who break the law. It is the duty of our police to attend the hearings of the case especially if they are summoned by the court or they are the arresting officer themselves,” said Eleazar. “Effective law enforcement demands that criminal elements are not only arrested but are also punished through conviction. So policemen who can’t justify why they failed to appear in court to testify will definitely face administrative cases,” he added.
Senators welcome Parlade’s resignation from gov’t anti-insurgency task force | INQUIRER.NET – At least two senators on Thursday welcomed the resignation of controversial Army Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. as spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), with one saying it would spare the military from “further embarrassment.” Parlade, who has been embroiled in controversies involving so-called red-tagging, said he submitted his resignation letter to President Rodrigo Duterte “almost a month ago.” Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate national defense committee, said Parlade already informed him about his resignation when the Army official paid the senator a courtesy visit a month ago. “I thanked and commended him,” Lacson said in a statement. “The Senate’s legal position on the issue is clear – that his appointment as an active military officer in a civilian position is clearly proscribed by the Constitution, and whatever legal discussion or debate on his official designation in a civilian office while still in the active military service has now become moot and academic. I am glad it has ended that way,” the senator also said. Senator Francis Pangilinan also welcomed Parlade’s move to quit the task force. “His resignation is a welcome development,” Pangilinan said in a message to reporters as he cited the Senate’s position that Paralde’s designation in the NTF-Elcac was “irregular, anomalous and contrary to the Constitution.” “It will also spare the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) as an institution further embarrassment and will send the signal that the AFP is a professional organization that upholds and respects the Constitution and the Rule of Law,” he added.
LP stalwart to opposition: ‘Calm down’ as alliances are being formed’ | Manila Bulletin – One of the Liberal Party (LP) leaders suggested on Thursday, July 1, that his colleagues and supporters of the political opposition should wisen up and calm down as alliances start to form in preparation for the 2022 national elections. Former Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr., the party’s vice president for internal affairs, said in a Twitter post that opposition leaders should not wash their dirty linen in public. “Yo mga ka-opposition. Wise tayo dapat ha. Kung meron kiskisan, wag na natin itweet or magpa presscon. United front dapat ang messaging (Hey, co-oppositionists. We should be wise. If there are misunderstandings, don’t tweet or hold a presscon about it. The messaging should be that of a united front). Alliances are not perfect pero (but) dialogue is always the key,” he wrote. This was a day after former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV slammed the LP for saying that it is open to work with Senator Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno to put up a united ticket for 2022. He said that both Pacquiao and Moreno stood by President Duterte, something which they have worked against for the past five years. The former Navy officer also questioned whether this move has the blessing of Vice President Leni Robredo, the party’s chairperson. But Baguilat and Quezon City 6th District Rep. Jose Christopher “Kit” Belmonte, the party’s secretary-general. were quick to point out that there’s nothing wrong with reaching out to others.
