News Roundup 05 September 2021
Sep 05, 2021 • 5 min Read
DOH logs 20,019 new COVID-19 cases, 5 labs without data | PHILSTAR.COM – Health authorities on Sunday reported 20,019 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s overall count to 2,080,984. This marks the third straight day with at least 20,000 new coronavirus infections. The Department of Health said 5 laboratories did not submit test results, while 58 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths “after final validation.” “Based on data in the last 14 days, the five non-reporting labs contribute, on average, 0.9% of samples tested and 1.2% of positive individuals,” the DOH wrote in its bulletin.
- Active cases: 157,438 now or 7.6% of the total
- Recoveries: 20,089, bringing the number to 1,889,312
- Deaths: 173, or now 34,234 in total
The DOH added that 119 duplicates were removed from the total case count. Of these, 95 were recoveries while one passed away.
Senate body vows to complete probe on COVID-19 deals | PHILSTAR.COM – Regardless of criticisms from President Duterte, the Senate Blue Ribbon committee is committed to finish its investigation into alleged anomalous procurements of billions of pesos worth of COVID-19 supplies and filing charges against those responsible. “We will finish it (inquiry). That’s the commitment of our committee chairman (Sen. Richard Gordon),” Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said on “The Chiefs” aired on Cignal TV’s One News Friday night. Drilon gave this assurance as the President’s tirades against the probe on the corruption scandal rocking his administration reached the point at which he warned that he would not allow his Cabinet members to attend the Senate hearings because they would “lead to nothing.” “It is made more difficult because of the demands on our time, as a result of the (proposed 2022 national) budget and the forthcoming elections,” Drilon said, but remained steadfast, adding: “With our best efforts, I’m confident we can finish it.” The committee, which is investigating the questionable transfer and the subsequent disbursement of some P42 billion from the Department of Health (DOH) to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) last year, is scheduled to hold its next hearing on Tuesday.
Robredo hits ‘lame attempt’ to divert PPE ‘overprice’ issue | INQUIRER.NET – The tack of the government to dig up the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Aquino administration smacks of a “lame attempt” to divert the issue on the alleged overprice of medical supplies during the pandemic, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Sunday. In her radio program BISErbisyong LENI program on dzXL, Robredo came to the defense of the previous administration, saying its supplier already had established history of procurement deals with the Department of Health. “Napaka-lame attempt naman nito para i-divert ‘yung usapan, ayun ‘yung una. Ang number two, ang kaibahan noon sa ngayon, aside from the fact na high-end ‘yun, dumaan ‘yun sa public bidding,” she said apparently in reference to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s move to steer the issue of the PPE deal overprice towards the DOH’s own procurement during the late former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino ‘s term. (First, it is a lame attempt to divert the issue. Second, the difference between now and then, aside from the fact that the past administration procured high-end PPEs, it underwent through public bidding.) “Pangatlo, ‘yung supplier… parang established na siya, 1980s pa, established na siya na ito na ‘yung negosyo niya. In fact, even before, talagang nag-di-deal na siya with DOH,” the vice president added. (Third, the supplier has an established business since the 1980s. In fact, even before, the company has already been dealing with the DOH.) In contrast, Robredo is skeptical of the PPE procurement under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, as she questioned the numerous issues hounding the multi-billion supply contract. “Mga P10 billion, pero bagong organized ‘yung kumpanya. Napakababa ng capitalization. Parang ‘yung only economic activity niya itong deal with the government. Tapos walang opisina. Tapos, ‘yung mga tao pa na kabahagi nung kumpanya ay meron criminal record sa Taiwan. In fact, mayroong mga warrant of arrest na pending,” she expounded. (The contract price was around P10 billion, but the company is newly organized with low capitalization. It seems that the only economic activity the company has had was with the government. It does not even have an office. Then, the members of the company have a criminal record in Taiwan. In fact, there are warrants of arrest pending.) Robredo said government should have first looked into the supplier’s reputation. She noted that the contract could have been used for personal profit. She cited an update that another company, a construction firm based in China, had been awarded with P1.9 billion for medical supplies.
Robredo: Why lift the travel ban on 10 countries when COVID-19 cases surge in PH? | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo can’t wrap her head around the decision of the Philippine government to lift the travel restrictions earlier imposed on 10 countries despite the rising number of daily coronavirus cases locally. Speaking on her weekly radio show, “BISErbisyong Leni,” Robredo said she hoped the lifting of the travel ban was based on data. Malacañang has announced the travel restrictions on travelers coming from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia will be lifted on Monday, September 6. These countries were placed on the travel ban list for months due to the prevalence of the highly transmissible and contagious Delta variant of COVID-19.
