News Roundup 10 October 2021
Oct 10, 2021 • 5 min Read
DOH tallies 12,159 new COVID-19 cases, two labs without data | PHILSTAR.COM – Health authorities reported 12,159 more coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the national caseload to 2,666,562. In its latest bulletin released Sunday, the DOH reported a positivity rate of 15.9% out of 53,880 tests.
- Active cases: 90,927 or 3.4% of the total
- Recoveries: 27,727, bringing the number to 2,536,011
- Deaths: 119, now 39,624 in total
According to the Department of Health, two labs were not able to submit their tallies for Sunday’s final count.
No statement from Palace yet on journalist Ressa, first Filipino to receive Nobel Peace Prize | PHILSTAR.COM – Two days after Filipino journalist Maria Ressa made history as the first Filipino to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, the Malacañang Palace has not issued a statement of any kind. President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration had barred reporters of Rappler, which Ressa co-founded in 2012, from covering the chief executive’s events. Duterte himself has also publicly attacked the news outlet in his press conferences and nightly addresses, accusing them of peddling fake news for their critical coverage of his so-called war on drugs. Earlier in July, Malacañang praised gymnast Hidilyn Diaz for bagging the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medal. Duterte later on urged Diaz to “let bygones be bygones” after claiming in 2019 that Diaz was among those involved in a plot to destabilize the government. Diaz even received the Presidential Medal of Merit, a unique recognition the government awards to Filipinos who gain “prestige for the country in an international event, in the fields of literature, the sciences, the arts, entertainment, and other civilian fields of endeavor that foster national pride.” Ressa, whose outlet has long been critical of the Duterte administration, is the first Filipino to win the Nobel Peace Prize — an award previously bestowed on names like Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela.
VP Leni welcomes public support for presidential bid amid inadequate resources | INQUIRER.NET – Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday lamented the lack of machinery and resources but welcomed the “overwhelming” public support after she decided to run for president in the 2022 elections. “Alam natin kung gaano kahirap kasi wala tayong makinarya ngayon, hindi tulad nung 2016. Wala tayong resources na kailangan na kailangan sa kampanya. Hindi tayo naghanda,” Robredo said during her BISErbisyong LENI radio program aired on DZXL. (We know how difficult it is because we do not have machinery unlike in 2016. We do not have the resources needed for campaigning. We did not prepare.) Robredo, however, cited the public’s overwhelming support after she announced her presidential bid. “Hindi natin inaasahan ‘yung overwhelming na reaction ng tao. Akala namin ‘yung matutuwa lang ‘yung dati nang supporters,” Robredo shared. (We did not expect the public’s overwhelming reaction. We thought only our supporters would be happy.) “Pero nakikita namin ngayon, ibang-iba. After the announcement, ang dami talagang nag-vo-volunteer. Ang daming gumagastos ng sariling pera. Ang iba nga nakikita ko na lang sa Facebook. Ang daming nag-iisip ng mga paraan kung paano makatulong,” she went on, expressing appreciation to those who supported her. (Now, it is different. After the announcement, many people volunteered and shelled out their own money. I saw some of it on Facebook. Many people are thinking of ways to help.) “Alam natin na marami sa mga kumakandidato, ilang taon na naghahanda. Tayo ay wala talaga,” she added. (We know that many of the candidates have been preparing for years.) “Pero lagi ko naman ‘to sinasabi na tayo kahit mahirap ‘pag naramdaman natin na ito ‘yung tamang dapat gawin, handa tayo dapat isuong ‘yung kahirapan,” said Robredo. (But, like I always say, although it is difficult, if we feel that this is the right thing to do, we are ready to take on the challenges.) Robredo also mentioned that the public’s support for her may be an affirmation that her decision to run is right. “Sabi ko nga kanina wala akong resources. Wala tayong makinarya pero ‘yung suporta ng taumbayan nagpapakita na ‘pag taumbayan na talaga ‘yung nag-desisyong gumalaw, wala nang laban ‘yung laki ng makinarya ng iba. Kasi tao na ‘to,” the vice president pointed out. (As I’ve said, I do not have the resources and machinery. But the public’s support shows that if they mobilize, we can outdo the machinery of other candidates.)
Robredo’s campaign manager rallies ‘kakampink’: Speak up, counter fake news | Manila Bulletin – It’s still a long way to go before the May 2022 elections, but former Senator Bam Aquino, Vice President Leni Robredo’s campaign manager, wants to keep the momentum of the “pink-splosion” going as he promises to make it a “people’s campaign.” In a Facebook post on Sunday, October 10, he listed several things that Robredo’s volunteers, which he referred to as “kakampink,” to organize, persuade others, speak up against fake news, and be inclusive. Pink has become Robredo’s unofficial campaign color as her supporters wore pink and tied pink ribbons in their gates and cars when she announced last Oct. 7, that she’s joining the presidential race. On Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, celebrities, artists, small businesses, and ordinary Filipinos posted something pink on their social media accounts. “Sisikapin po natin na totoong people’s campaign ang gagawin natin. Galing ang enerhiya hindi lang sa kandidato, kundi sa taumbayan mismo (We will try to make this a true people’s campaign. The energy is not only from the candidate, but from the people themselves),” Aquino said.
