News Roundup 12 September 2021
Sep 12, 2021 • 4 min Read
DOH logs 21,411 new COVID-19 cases, five labs without data | PHILSTAR.COM – Health authorities reported 21,411 more coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the national caseload to 2,227,367. In its latest bulletin, the DOH reported a positivity rate of 27.0% out of 78,274 tests.
- Active cases: 181,951 or 8.2% of the total
- Recoveries: 25,049, bringing the number to 2,010,271
- Deaths: 168 newly recorded, or now 35,145 in total
According to the Department of Health, five labs were not able to submit their tallies for Sunday’s final count.
Robredo: Differences on pandemic policy no reason to be rude to doctors | PHILSTAR.COM – Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday criticized presidential spokesperson Harry Roque for his outburst against doctors at a pandemic response meeting earlier this week that was caught on video that has since gone viral. Roque has acknowledged “getting emotional” at the meeting, video from which was obtained by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Speaking on her weekly radio show aired over dzXL, the vice president said that, as a government official, Roque — the president’s spokesperson who also speaks for the coronavirus task force — had no right to respond the way he did. “If there is another person you are talking to who has a different view of things, you have no right to react the way Secretary Roque did, right?” she said, pointing out that the point of meetings is to hold discussions. “If you don’t agree, it’s okay to say you don’t agree. But you have no right to bully, be rude.” Roque berated doctors at a meeting of the coronavirus task force discussing possible quarantine statuses.
3 Luzon archbishops ask youth to register, vote in 2022 polls | INQUIRER.NET – Three archbishops in northern Luzon have called on the youth sector to register to vote and participate in the coming 2022 national elections. In a pastoral letter issued Sunday, Archbishops Marlo Peralta of Nueva Segovia, Socrates Villegas of Lingayen Dagupan, and Ricardo Baccay of Tuguegarao said that it is the youth’s “moral duty to resist and correct a culture of murder and plunder” in the country. The letter added that the free elections would “allow the selection and change of representatives in the most effective way to make political authority accountable.” “We plead with our youth and first-time voters to register themselves,” the pastoral message read. The appeal to the nation’s youth was included in the pastoral message which called for a full investigation of “any whiff of corruption” in the government and curb those who obstruct the legal processes. Amid an unprecedented pandemic, the archbishops said the “poor are slowly dying from joblessness and due to confusing quarantine classification.” “While other nations have risen from the pandemic, our death toll continues to rise,” they said. “We appeal to the sense of patriotism of the reluctant candidates to bring back ethics in our political life and run according to your conscience and not according to the surveys,” the message said. “This is not the time for despair but courage. This is not the time to be quiet but stand up for God,” the archbishops said.
Ombudsman’s refusal to release SALNs adds to public’s mistrust — Robredo | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo expressed disbelief that the Office of Ombudsman, whose mandate is to investigate public officials involved in corruption, is restricting access to their Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SALN) and will run after those who comment about it. During her Sunday radio show, Robredo said it was “unbelievable” that Ombudsman Samuel Martires wants jail term for individuals who make commentaries on public officials’ SALNs. The Ombudsman is mandated to act promptly on complaints filed against government officials or employees and enforce their administrative, civil and criminal liability in every case where the evidence warrants. “Pero ngayon parang ang role tuloy with the statement na binigay, siya ‘yung ngipin ng administration para balikan ‘yung nagki-criticize sa pamahalaan. Sobrang baliktad sa mandato ng opisina niya (but now the role of it with his statement, it seems to become the teeth of administration to run after those who criticize the government. It is against his office’s mandate),” Robredo said. “Bakit parang nagiging personal tuloy ‘yung pag-defend, parang nagiging private lawyer (Why does it look like the way he’s defending is personal, as if he’s a private lawyer)?,” she asked. Robredo was reacting to Martires’ plan to propose an amendment on Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, which will penalize people making commentaries on the SALNs of public officials. The penalty will be an imprisonment of five years.
