News Roundup 04 March 2021
Mar 04, 2021 • 5 min Read
With 2,452 new infections, Philippines coronavirus caseload hits 584,667 | PHILSTAR.COM – The Department of Health on Thursday recorded 2,452 new cases of coronavirus, pushing the national caseload past 584,000. Of the total 584,667 infections recorded by the DOH, 37,226 or 6.4% are marked as active. Another 266 people survived the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries to 535,037. But the death toll hit 12,404 following reports of another 15 fatalities.
Tumandok land defenders’ lawyer stabbed in Ilolilo | PHILSTAR.COM – A rights lawyer handling a case in the arrest of indigenous Tumandok land defenders and assisting in anti-terrorism law petitions was stabbed in Iloilo on Wednesday night. National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers condemned the attack against their Assistant Vice President for Visayas, Angelo Karlo Guillen. “Reports stated that two unidentified men stabbed Guillen in the head and the shoulder,” NUPL Vice President for Visayas Rene Estopacio said in a statement. Guillen serves as legal counsel for various public interest and human rights cases, such as in the petition lodged by 44 progressive groups against the much feared Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 before the Supreme Court. The young lawyer also represents activists and human rights defenders facing trumped up charges in court, including the activists arrested during the police raids in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental in October 2019, the NUPL said. It added that Guillen is handling the case of 18 land defenders who were arrested on Panay island in December 2020. Nine Tumadok community leaders were also killed in police and military operations in Capiz and Iloilo. Guillen was also arrested after responding to those who were detained of 42 activists protesting the killing of Bayan Muna Iloilo coordinator Jory Porquia, the NUPL also said. NUPL President Edre Olalia, in a separate statement, said: “This is way too much, too many, too brazen and too evil… He is one of the best and the brightest, among the boldest and youngest.” The group of rights lawyers have called on authorities to “promptly and properly investigate the attempt on the life of Atty. Guillen.”
Initial bidding for license plates allegedly included P500M worth of screws — Gordon | INQUIRER.NET – The initial bidding for vehicle license plates allegedly included P500 million for the procurement of screws, Senator Richard Gordon said Thursday. “Nabalitaan ko pa noong unang bidding, ang sinasabi meron daw sinama doon sa bidding na P500 million na worth ng turnilyo para sa plate number. Akalain mo ‘yun, pati turnilyo pinagkakwartahan,” Gordon, chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo. MANILA, Philippines — The initial bidding for vehicle license plates allegedly included P500 million for the procurement of screws, Senator Richard Gordon said Thursday. “Nabalitaan ko pa noong unang bidding, ang sinasabi meron daw sinama doon sa bidding na P500 million na worth ng turnilyo para sa plate number. Akalain mo ‘yun, pati turnilyo pinagkakwartahan,” Gordon, chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo. (I heard that from the first bidding, there is P500 million worth of screws that should be procured for the plate numbers. Can you believe that? They even want to make money with the screws.) “Pwede ka naman kumuha ng kahit anong turnilyo pero inobliga sila, ‘bumili kayo, isama niyo sa presyo ‘yung turnilyo’. Limang daang milyon ang inilabas doon, noong 2013 hanggang 2016,” he added. (They can get any kind of screw but the bidders were obligated to buy and include the screws in the price. It amounted to P500 million in 2013 to 2016.) Gordon said officials responsible for the alleged anomalies in the provision of the license plates should be guilty of graft and corruption. “Talagang graft ang corruption ang pupuntahan nito, ‘yan ang magiging recommendation ngayon pa lang ang sinasabi ko, because they caused undue injury to lahat ng partido: motorcycle riders, ‘yung ating mga consumer. Therefore, ‘yung mga dapat ay makasakay sa kanilang sariling sasakyan ay tinamaan ‘yan. Kaya anti-graft and corrupt practices ‘yan apart from yung pagnanakaw sa gobyerno,” he said. (They should be declared guilty of graft and corruption. That will be the recommendation. It’s because they caused undue injury to all parties involved: the motorcycle riders and consumers. Those who have their own vehicles were affected. That’s why officials responsible for it should be guilty of the graft and corrupt practices.)
PH citizenry divided by trolls, says Robredo | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo has lamented that hired trolls on social media are pitting Filipinos against each other, and that this has led to a divided nation. Speaking on “The Mangahas Interviews” on Wednesday, March 3, Robredo said the trolls have caused division among the people, thereby hampering efforts to attain national unity. “Alam natin na ang dami-daming social media na trolls na obviously binabayaran. Hindi natin alam kung sinong nagbabayad—maraming mga speculations (We know many social media trolls are obviously being paid. We don’t know who is paying them—there are many speculations),” she said in an interview during the GMA News program aired on Facebook. “Pero dapat sana hindi ito hinayaan, kasi ito iyong nag-divide sa ating lahat (But it should not be allowed, because this is what divides us)… Iyon iyong (That is the) missed opportunity to unite the people,” Robredo added. She also pointed out how the country has been drawn into conflict between “dilawans,” a term used to call those deemed to oppose the government, and the Duterte Diehard Supporters or DDS. “Hindi mawawala iyong alitan, pero hindi sa level na masyadong polarized (The infighting won’t go away, but not to level we are so polarized),” Robredo said. “Dapat sana hindi ganoon. Dapat iyong pinag-aawayan iyong issues (It should not be the case. They should fight over issues).” Asked if she has a troll army herself, Robredo replied with a hearty laugh, noting she cannot afford to hire one.
