News Roundup 03 September 2021
Sep 03, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines sees 20,310 more COVID-19 cases | PHILSTAR.COM – Health authorities on Friday listed 20,310 new coronavirus cases, pushing the country’s total to 2,040,568. Today’s figures also saw active cases up by 12,484 from the 146,510 on September 2. The Department of Health said six laboratories did not submit test results.
- Active cases: 158,994 or 7.8% of the total
- Recoveries: 7,710, bringing the number to 1,847,701
- Deaths: 193, or now 33,873 in total
Prioritize release of frontliners’ benefits before building memorial wall — groups | PHILSTAR.COM – The government should prioritize the release of the benefits promised to healthcare workers instead of building a memorial wall that will symbolize their heroism in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, groups said on Friday. The government is planning to build a memorial wall for COVID-19 frontliners at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City. It will feature a mural of frontliners leading the country’s battle against the pandemic and the names of fallen health workers. The plan was announced at a time when employees of private and public medical facilities are protesting to express their anger over the non-payment of their benefits and the deplorable conditions of health workers. Filipino Nurses United said the budget allocated to building a memorial wall—pegged between P2 to 5 million—is better spent on the needs of health workers. “While we agree that the ‘fallen’ heroes should be given due recognition in time, FNU deems it more proper that the government rather use the proposed amount to pay the thousands of health workers still awaiting their benefits up to this time,” it said in a statement. Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, shared the same sentiment. “The best gesture is giving appropriate benefits to healthcare workers because that will show that we are truly valued,” Limpin said in Filipino during an interview with ABS-CBN’s “Teleradyo.” For the Alliance of Health Workers, the government should express its appreciation to medical workers while they are still alive. “They should pay attention to the health, safety, protection and welfare of health workers while they are still alive,” AHW President Robert Mendoza also told Teleradyo.
COA: We have no power to audit Red Cross | INQUIRER.NET – The Commission on Audit (COA) said Friday it has no jurisdiction to audit the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) as the latter is a non-government humanitarian organization. COA chairperson Michael Aguinaldo made the remark after President Rodrigo Duterte called on COA to conduct an audit of the PRC as he accused its chairman, Senator Richard Gordon, of using the humanitarian organization’s funds for his previous election campaigns. “We do not have jurisdiction to audit the organization, yung Philippine National Red Cross,” Aguinaldo said during the deliberations on the proposed 2022 budget of the COA at the House of Representatives. “The only thing we can audit are payments made by PhilHealth to the Red Cross but in that case what we’re auditing actually is PhilHealth in making those payments,” he added. Under its mandate, the COA can only examine and audit government agencies and bodies. In fresh tirades on Thursday night, Duterte accused Gordon of using Red Cross’s funds in his previous election campaigns.
Duterte’s admission of favor, friendship-based appointments ‘shock’ Robredo | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo said she was “shocked” to hear straight from President Duterte that his bases for appointing people in high posts in government were favors and friendship. “Na-shock nga ako na (I was shocked that) the President himself admitted na favor-dispensed (that he dispensed favors),” opposition leader Robredo said during an online interview on Friday afternoon, Sept. 3. “Hindi naman malayo na mag-aappoint ka dahil kilala mo ang taong ito. Pero ina-appoint mo siya hindi dahil kaibigan mo, kundi ina-appoint mo siya dahil tingin mo, siya yung best person for the job (It’s not farfetched for you to appoint someone you know. But you shouldn’t appoint someone because he is a friend, you appoint him because you think he is the best person for the job),” she said. Had she been been the president, Robredo said she would make appointments “on the basis of merit”. In his “Talk to the People” public briefing last Aug. 31, Duterte admitted and defended his choice of appointing individuals who helped him during his presidential campaign and/ or those he knew from his native city of Davao. These include his “fraternity brothers”.
