News Roundup 11 August 2021
Aug 11, 2021 • 5 min Read
Philippines sees 12,021 new COVID-19 cases in highest daily rise since April 10 | PHILSTAR.COM – Local health authorities on Wednesday reported 12,021 more COVID-19 infections, bringing the national caseload to 1,688,040. This is the highest single-day rise seen since April 10 when the Department of Health reported 12,674 new cases.
- Active cases: 81,399 or 4.8% of the total
- Recoveries: 9,591, pushing total to 1,577,267
- Deaths: 154, bringing total to 29,374
What COA flagged in DOH’s handling of billions in COVID-19 funds | PHILSTAR.COM – Heavy numbers are ahead in this story. And for the millions affected by the coronavirus crisis in the Philippines, they may be disheartening. The Commission on Audit has released its report on the Department of Health’s COVID-19 spending last year. The audit report looked into unutilized funds, deficiencies in procurement and the unauthorized grant of meal allowances. Overall, the deficiencies by end of 2020 stood at P66.28 billion. Further auditing revealed P1.036 billion more of that, to bring the total to P67.32 billion. It said these helped abet problems in the agency’s pandemic response in one of Southeast Asia’s worst virus outbreaks. COA said it found “considerable amounts” — P11.89 billion as of December 31, 2020 — of unobligated funds in the DOH. The allotments were intended to improve the agency’s capacity to address the ongoing health crisis, and to reinforce the country’s health care system. Auditors recommended that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III remind heads of operating units, hospitals, and other facilities, to “act with urgency and efficiency” in using funds allocated to the department. The DOH, in response, vowed to direct concerned officials to address challenges and roadblocks slowing down the efficient use of the funds. It sought to explain that a huge percentage of the unutilized balance is from the “Bayanihan 2” law, which includes allocations for health workers’ special risk allowance and hazard pay, among others. DOH said it only received the funds by October 30, 2020. Auditors also said accomplishment targets for the rollout of foreign-assisted projects, amounting to P3.42 billion, were not met by end-2020. COA called to hasten the procurement through proper planning, supervision, and monitoring of scheduled activities.
Remulla defends Moreno on ‘bikini’ photos: ‘He never lied, didn’t steal or kill’ | INQUIRER.NET – Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday came to the defense of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso amid criticism on the latter’s “provocative poses” in pictures taken in the 1990s when he was still an actor. “Kung ako ang tatanungin ninyo? Hindi ito isyu (If you will ask me, this is not an issue). What’s important is that Yorme NEVER LIED, DID NOT STEAL, KILL nor did he ever brought shame to the great people of Manila as a Public Servant,” Remulla said in a Facebook post. Remulla noted that the former actor did not pose for those pictures while he was a government official. He added that the mayor might have only joined showbiz in the past to help his family. “Dahil sa kanyang pag-aartista, hindi maiiwasang maraming sensitibong larawan ang nagkalat sa internet ngayon. Ngunit lahat ng ito ay kuha noong siya ay nagsisimula pa lamang,” the governor said. (Because of his work as an actor, there are sensitive pictures of him circulating in the internet now. But all of these were taken when he was just starting in showbiz.) “He was very young then. I am sure the limelight was quite tempting for a young lad from a very poor background. And why not? The opportunity for him to earn a living was readily available,” he added. He went on saying that “we were all young and foolish once.” Remulla did not mention who was criticizing Moreno for having those pictures, but earlier on Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte in his taped public address mocked, without naming names, a Metro Manila mayor who allegedly had “bikini” images circulating on social media, deadpanning to the public if what they want for president “trained like that of a call boy.”
Robredo reflects on what power does to a person: ‘Keep yourself in check’ | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo is not new to politics and power, having been the daughter of a regional trial court judge and the wife of a mayor for almost two decades, but she has a simple formula for not succumbing to the privileges that come with these positions. The lesson she learned from being involved in politics since marrying her husband, the late former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, who was also Naga City’s mayor for 19 years, is to “keep yourself in check.” “When you have power, parang (it’s like) some things get so easy—you know, the privileges. So kami mayroon kaming laging sinasabi sa bawat isa na ‘Huwag tayo niyan, kasi baka masanay tayo’ (So, we always tell each other ‘Let’s not do that, we might get used to it’),” Robredo told host Bianca Gonzales on her podcast. While she does not want to claim that she’s better than everybody else, the vice president believes it’s important to be aware of what power does to a person. “When you want to know who that person really is, give him power… Pero (But)the awareness that power will change you, it helps. It helps to keep yourself in check,” she said. This was so valuable to her and to her late husband who served Interior and local governments secretary that it was part of their routine to talk about the “thin line between decisions.”
