News Roundup 08 May 2020
May 08, 2020 • 3 min Read
Lawmaker seeks probe into NTC, Calida’s liabilities over ABS-CBN shutdown | PHILSTAR.COM – Rep. Mike Defensor (Anak Kalusugan partylist) sought a congressional probe into possible criminal and administrative liabilities of the National Telecommunications Commission and Solicitor General Jose Calida after the regulatory body ordered ABS-CBN to shut down on May 5. Defensor, chair of the House committee on public accounts, filed Resolution No. 846 calling for investigation and filing of criminal complaints against the officers of NTC and Calida. “Verily, the orchestrated conduct of the NTC Commissioners and its officers and the solicitor general directly subverts the plenary authority of the House of Representatives and, by maliciously breaking the NTC’s commitment made under oath,” the resolution read. The actions of the officials allegedly constitute perjury and violations of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for the Public Officials and Employees and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, said Defensor.
US ‘concerned’ over Philippine shutdown of top broadcaster | INQUIRER.NET – WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – The United States on Thursday voiced concern over the Philippine government-ordered shutdown of the country’s top broadcaster ABS-CBN, which has been targeted by President Rodrigo Duterte. “We are concerned by the situation regarding ABS-CBN,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said. “An independent media plays a critical role in facilitating the open exchange of information and ideas which is vital to free, prosperous and secure democratic societies,” she said. Ortagus said that free media was especially vital in promoting public health amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. “This is true for the United States, the Philippines, as well as countries around the world,” she said.
Densely populated quarter in Marikina put on ‘neighborhood quarantine,’ after city link map helped identify COVID-19 positive patient | Manila Bulletin – A link map of those who came in close contact with persons infected with the new coronavirus has helped the Marikina City government discover a resident positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), forcing authorities to impose a “neighborhood quarantine” in a street where the resident lives. Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro ordered the neighborhood quarantine of F. Manalo Street in Barangay Nangka starting Friday after a resident of the densely populated area got infected with the dreaded disease. He said the quarantine is a precautionary measure to stop the transmission of COVID-19 in the community to ensure the safety of the public. “F. Manalo Street will remain under neighborhood quarantine until contact tracing and testing is completed,” Teodoro said in a statement.
ECQ could be lifted in some cities – Año | The Manila Times – Some cities in Metro Manila could be placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) next week, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Thursday. He added that the government could ease restrictions in areas where cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) had gone down. “There are cities in Manila that may be ready for a GCQ,” Año said in a television interview. Año pointed out that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) has a week to decide whether the ECQ in Metro Manila should be lifted. Earlier, Año said localized ECQ was possible in particular cities, municipalities and villages beyond May 15.
