News Roundup 13 November 2021
Nov 13, 2021 • 5 min Read
PH records 1,997 new COVID-19 cases; positivity rate still low | INQUIRER.NET – The number of active COVID-19 cases in the country remains below 30,000 as the Department of Health (DOH) reported only 1,997 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday. According to the agency’s bulletin, the 29,382 active COVID-19 cases comprise one percent of the 2,815,080 total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country. Of the active cases, 63.6 percent are mild, 5.6 percent are asymptomatic, 16.34 are moderate, 10.1 percent are severe, and 4.3 percent are critical. Meanwhile, the DOH also reported 1,696 recoveries and 238 more deaths. These brought the total recoveries to 2,740,426 and fatalities to 45,272. The DOH said 4.5 percent of 45,964 individuals who were tested were found positive for coronavirus on Thursday. This positivity rate is within the five-percent benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization for sufficient testing. All testing laboratories were able to submit their data on time, according to the health department.
Duterte says he will run for vice president in 2022 | INQUIRER.NET – President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday hints at a vice-presidential run in next year’s elections which will pit him against his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio who earlier filed her candidacy for vice president under the Lakas-CMD party via substitution. Duterte, who accompanied senators Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Manila confirmed this development. Both Go and Dela Rosa withdrew their certificates of candidacy on Saturday for vice president, and president respectively. Go filed for presidency under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS) party. “Ako na ang assistant niya ngayon,” Duterte told reporters, pointing to Bong Go, hinting of his run as vice president. (I will be his assistant now.) When pressed if he’s going to run for senator, Duterte said: “Magba-vice [president].” Duterte, when asked if this meant that he will be competing against his daughter, responded in jest: “I don’t know, nag-file ba? Yung anak ko nag-file ba?” (I don’t know. Did she file already? Did my daughter file for president already?” “Monday na lang ako,” Duterte added. (I will do so on Monday.) Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, who also attended the event, added that Duterte will be filing his candidacy for vice president on Monday.
Opposition urged to unite to counter Marcos-Duterte tandem | PHILSTAR.COM – With former Sen. Bongbong Marcos and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio potentially joining forces for the 2022 elections, some personalities in the opposition urged unity among themselves to get the best chance of defeating the tandem. “The need for a united opposition has never been more important. The task of the opposition is to unite and work with all democratic and freedom-loving Filipinos in defeating this unholiest alliance of dynasts and budding tyrants,” Makabayan chairperson Neri Colmenares said in a statement. “We call on the opposition to put aside their differences and forge a broad united force,” Zarate said. “We must prevent the ‘mad’ (Marcos and Duterte) tandem from winning as this means another dark, even darker, time in our history.” Duterte-Carpio filed her candidacy for vice president as a substitute to Lakas-CMD bet Lyle Uy, who backed out from the vice-presidential race. Shortly after this, Marcos’ party, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, passed a resolution adopting Duterte-Carpio as their vice-presidential candidate. Forging unity among the various forces in the opposition is finicky, considering that some of them have had a long history of disagreements. For example, the social democrats composing the Akbayan party have a long-standing feud with the national democrats of the Makabayan coalition, while Makabayan does not see eye-to-eye with the right-wing Magdalo group.
Leni-Kiko tandem ready for the 2022 national elections | Manila Bulletin – The rigodon in Philippine politics was expected, Vice Presidential aspirant Senator Francis ‘’Kiko’’ N. Pangilinan on Saturday, Nov. 13 said. Pangilinan of the Leni Robredo-Kiko Panglinan presidential tandem, was referring to the withdrawal of Senator Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa as the presidential candidate of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP)-Laban (Cusi wing) party. The deadline for substitution is on Monday, Nov. 15. On Saturday afternoon, vice presidential aspirant Senator Christopher Lawrence ‘’Bong’’ Go was escorted by President Duterte to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) central office in Manila to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the presidency, substituting dela Rosa. On the same day, presidential daughter Davao city Mayor Sara Duterte filed her COC as vice presidential candidate. Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) announced it had adopted Sara as its vice presidential candidate, and endorsed her as the running mate of former senator Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Earlier, the PDP-Laban Cusi wing endorsed a Go-President Duterte presidential and vice presidential tandem, but Go refused the endorsement. After President Duterte turned down his endorsement as a vice presidential candidate as he said he was keen on leaving politics after his term, Go filed his COC as vice president. In his statement, Pangilinan said: ‘’Inaasahan na po namin ang mga rigodon de tsubibo na ganyan (We expected this rigodon).’’ ‘’Sumama po kami ni VP Leni sa halalang ito, dala ang matibay na paniwalang tanging si VP Leni ang pinaka nararapat sa pagkapangulo, lalo na’t tayo’y nasa gitna ng giyera laban sa sakit, gutom, at kawalang-trabaho (I and Leni joined the race with the belief Vice President Leni Robredo is the rightful candidate for the presidency, now that we are in the fight against sickness, hunger and joblessness),’’ he explained. ‘’Kaya kahit sino pa po ang sumali sa karera, tuloy lang po kami sa paghahanda para sa darating na kampanya (We are ready for the national elections whoever is in the race),’’ he added.
