News Roundup 03 February 2022
Feb 03, 2022 • 4 min Read
Philippines tallies 8,702 more COVID-19 infections | PHILSTAR.COM – The Department of Health on Thursday reported 8,702 new COVID-19 cases, the third straight day the daily tally fell below 10,000. Thursday’s tally brought the total number of COVID-19 infections to 3,585,416. Of the figure, 153,333 were active cases. According to the DOH, 97% of the newly-reported cases occurred from January 21 to February 3. The regions with the highest number of additional infections during that period were Western Visayas (1,039), Central Visayas (799), and Davao region (785). The country’s death toll rose by 71 to 54,168, while recoveries increased by 15,290 to 3,377,958. The DOH said that 25.5% of 42,446 samples on February 1 tested positive for COVID-19, way above the five-percent threshold set by the World Health Organization. Five testing laboratories did not submit data to the agency.
Senators seek filing of cases against Cusi, DOE aides over Malampaya deal | INQUIRER.NET – Senators on Wednesday called on the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to file criminal and administrative charges against Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and his subordinates in the Department of Energy (DOE) for the allegedly anomalous approval of the sale of the controlling stake in the Malampaya gas project to an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte. Saying the DOE decision endangered the country’s energy security, the lawmakers issued a resolution wherein the Senate expressed its sense of urgency that charges be filed against Cusi and 11 other DOE officials involved in the approval of the sale by Shell Philippines Exploration (SPEx) and Chevron Corp. of their 45-percent stake each in the Malampaya gas-to-power project to Udenna Corp. of Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy, the biggest campaign contributor of Mr. Duterte when he ran for president in 2016. The Inquirer tried to get the comment of the DOE and Cusi, but they have yet to respond. Ruy Rondain, Cusi’s legal representative who drafted the energy chief’s legal complaint against several media people for allegedly reporting “libelous and false statements” against DOE officials regarding the Malampaya deal, said he has not heard or seen Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian’s speech.
Absence of bets from debates a ‘red flag’ for voters — Comelec spox | INQUIRER.NET – The absence of aspirants in the upcoming elections from debates could be a “red flag” for voters, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez said on Thursday. “It could be a red flag for the voters,” Jimenez said in an online briefing. While noting that the poll body “does not care either way if they come or not” in the debates, Jimenez said the presence of the aspirant is crucial for voters to know them better. “What Comelec cares about is whether or not the public will have an opportunity to interrogate the candidate, so to speak. To interrogate their positions, to interrogate their beliefs and so on,” he pointed out. The spokesperson, however, said that the poll body will not “gloss over” the absence of certain political aspirants in the debate. “I think it’s very important in recognition of how important it is with the people, that we acknowledge that they fail to show up. It’s not going to be glossed over, it’s not going to be ignored, there’s gonna have a podium right there, with their name on it and no face above it,” Jimenez pointed out.
Robredo to allow electric coop reps in DOE; rejects privatization | Manila Bulletin – Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday, Feb. 3, promised to make electric cooperatives (ECs) a part of the “energy family” if she’s elected president in the May 2022 polls, rejecting proposals to privatize the cooperatives. Speaking before the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc. (Philreca) in Pampanga, the Vice President said “it is time” to have representatives from the ECs in the Department of Energy (DOE) to give them a “voice” in the crafting of policies for the energy sector. “Kaya ako po pag ako binigyan ng pagkakataong makapagsilbi, ang isa sa mga commitment ko sa inyo ay siguradong may mga representatives galing sa sektor ninyo na magiging bahagi ng energy family na lagi ang konsultahin (If I am given a chance to serve, one of my commitments is to make sure that there are representatives from your sector in the energy family that we can always consult),” she told the audience. “Dahil para po sa akin ang sukat lang kung tayo ay bumubuti bilang isang bansa, kung ‘yung mga naiiwan sa baba ay natutulungan natin na tumaas. Sa energy sector kayo ‘yung magpo-provide na ‘yun (Because for me, the measure if we are progressing as a country is when we are able to help those in the bottom. In the energy sector, you will provide that),” Robredo said. Her promise is part of the people-centered governance she hopes to institutionalize by creating a Robredo People’s Council for every sector. She thumbed down suggestions to privatize ECs despite some “controversies,” saying that one of the strengths of the cooperatives is their being non-profit.
