News Roundup 02 October 2021
Oct 02, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines logs over 14,000 new COVID-19 cases, 164 more deaths | PHILSTAR.COM – The country logged 14,786 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, pushing the nationwide tally to 2,580,173, the Department of Health said.
- Active cases: 144,061 or 5.6% of the total
- Recoveries: 894, pushing total to 2,397,456
- Deaths: 164, bringing toll to 38,656
The positivity rate was 22.1% based on the results of 68,233 people tested on Thursday.
Duterte, infamous for deadly drug crackdown | PHILSTAR.COM – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who said Saturday he will retire from politics, has earned international infamy for his deadly drug war and foul-mouthed tirades, but remains hugely popular among Filipinos fed up with the country’s dysfunction and elite politicians. A tough-talking populist and self-confessed killer, Duterte’s anti-crime campaign has resulted in the deaths of thousands of alleged dealers and addicts while drawing global condemnation. Yet millions of Filipinos have backed his swift brand of justice, even as he joked about rape in his rambling speeches, locked up his critics and failed to root out the nation’s entrenched corruption. Polls show Duterte — who also announced Saturday he had backed out of the vice presidential race after saying in August he would run — remains almost as popular as when he was swept to power in 2016 on a promise to rid the country of drugs. That trust was dented by the coronavirus pandemic, which plunged the country into its worst economic crisis in decades, leaving thousands dead and millions jobless amid a slow-paced vaccine rollout. Duterte’s woes have deepened during his final year in office as International Criminal Court (ICC) judges authorised a full-blown investigation into a possible crime against humanity during his drugs crackdown. Critics of his signature campaign have ended up behind bars or facing lengthy jail terms, including opposition Senator Leila de Lima and journalist Maria Ressa, who was named a Time Magazine person of the year in 2018 for her work.
Gordon, Drilon slam Duterte’s order barring Cabinet members from Senate inquiry | INQUIRER.NET – Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Richard Gordon and Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon slammed on Saturday the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to bar Cabinet members from attending the Senate’s inquiry on the allegedly overpriced medical supplies for the country’s pandemic response. In a statement, Gordon said that the only one reason why the President wants to ban appearances of Cabinet officials in the inquiry being led by the blue ribbon committee is “to prevent the truth from coming out.” Gordon also noted that one of Duterte’s promises was to eradicate corruption. “To the contrary, his current actuations reveal that he will move heaven and earth to prevent the revelation of the truth, he acts as the lead attorney of those who are being investigated and those who are responsible for the pillaging of our coffers, and even those who have blood in their hands for exacerbating the illnesses and increasing death toll due to the pandemic,” he added. Gordon likewise wondered why Duterte does not bother to stop a “supposed” parallel investigation being done by the House of Representatives. “But the Blue Ribbon Committee of the Senate of the Philippines will be resolute in its efforts to uncover the facts of this horrendous misconduct, hoping to bring justice to those who involved themselves in this shameless plunder,” the senator said. Gordon also cited the Neri vs Blue Ribbon case where the Supreme Court said the Constitution expressly grants to the Senate and the House of Representatives the power to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation. “The Legislature can conduct inquiries not specifically to enact laws, but specifically to oversee the implementation of laws,” he stressed.
Robredo focuses on Vax Express project on 2nd day of COC filing | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo spent the second day of the certificates of candidacy (COC) filing not to make an announcement of her poll plans, but to personally supervise her Vaccine Express initiative at Barangay Santa Juliana in Capas, Tarlac for the benefit of the Aeta communities there. The Aeta communities fall under the government’s A5 category, or the indigent sector of its vaccination program. A statement from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said they partnered with the municipal government of Capas, Tarlac to inoculate some 500 Aetas with a first dose of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine. The statement did not say what brand of COVID-19 vaccine was administered. The Vaccine Express program was conducted “as part of a medical caravan for Aetas, who would also receive a free medical check-up, a post-vaccination care kit, and groceries”.
