News Roundup 15 March 2021
Mar 15, 2021 • 4 min Read
With 5,404 new COVID-19 cases, Philippines posts biggest daily rise in 7 months | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines on Monday logged 5,404 COVID-19 cases, the highest in seven months, raising the total number of infections in the country to 626,893. This is the fourth highest single-day tally in the Philippines since the start of the pandemic.
– Active cases: 53,479 or 8.5% of the total
– Recoveries: 71, pushing total to 560,577
– Deaths: 8, bringing total to 12,837
Vico Sotto in quarantine after driver succumbs to COVID-19 | PHILSTAR.COM – Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto announced Monday that he is under quarantine after his driver tested positive for COVID-19 and died last week. Sotto said his last exposure to his driver was on March 10 before he was brought to the hospital. The local chief executive and some of his staff got tested Sunday, and are still waiting for their test results. “Nung nakaraang Biyernes, nawalan tayo ng isang matalik na kaibigan dahil sa COVID-19. Siya ‘yung driver ko kaya talagang close contact ako bagamat sumusunod kami sa health protocols,” Sotto announced on Facebook. (Last Friday, we lost a best friend due to COVID-19. He’s my driver so I’m really a close contact even though we’re following health protocols.) The mayor said he is not experiencing any symptoms but will strictly comply with quarantine protocols. He will work remotely until the end of the month. “We will follow the health protocols of the City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit and the Department of Health,” Sotto said. Sotto also called on the public to have an enhanced community quarantine mindset amid the rising COVID-19 cases. “Mag-voluntary ECQ tayo hangga’t kaya. Pero hindi na natin kayang bumalik sa ECQ talaga. Kawawa ang mga tao, hindi nga magkaka-COVID, mamamatay naman sa gutom. ‘Yung mga nananawagan sa ECQ, sila yung mga nakakain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw kahit di magtrabaho,” he said. (Go on voluntary ECQ if possible. We cannot go back to ECQ. People will suffer. They won’t get COVID-19 but they will die from hunger. Those calling for ECQ are those who can afford to eat three times a day even if they don’t work.)
Binay hits ‘ningas cogon’ attitude of gov’t officials in observing health protocols | INQUIRER.NET – Senator Nancy Binay on Monday slammed the supposed “ningas cogon” attitude of some government officials in following health protocols against COVID-19 as the country face another surge in coronavirus cases. In a statement, Binay expressed alarm over the non-observance of minimum health protocols by public officials, saying this lack of sustained perseverance is emboldening ordinary citizens to also ignore safety standards. “’Wag sanang ningas-cogon—’yung sa umpisa lang tayo masigasig, tapos dedma na. (Please don’t have the ‘ningas-cogon’ attitude—that attitude of being enthusiastic at first then ignoring protocols later on),” she said. “No matter how long we impose curfews, or even considering enacting ordinances as an institutional response to abate the surge of COVID cases, lahat ‘yan ‘di magiging (all of that will not be) effective if we continue to display a relaxed atmosphere in the midst of a worsening public health crisis,” she added. Binay stressed that the public cannot be expected to follow if government officials themselves will not adhere to these health protocols. “Di ba, how can we expect people to consciously follow health protocols when even our national and local government officials do not conscientiously follow minimum health protocols?” she said. “Kahit anong curfew o liquor ban ang gawin, if we see people in government freely travelling to beaches and resorts, and organizing public gatherings as if everything is back to normal, talagang magre-relax din ang mga tao,” the senator added. (Whatever curfew or liquor ban we impose, people would really relax if we see officials in the government freely travelling to beaches and resorts, and organizing public gatherings as if everything is back to normal.)
Pangilinan cites ‘oversupply of ambitious politicians’, will seek re-election instead | Manila Bulletin – Senator Francis Pangilinan on Monday, March 15 disclosed his plans to run for re-election, and not for any higher office, in the upcoming May 2022 elections. Pangilinan said he has no intention of joining the roster of politicians aspiring for president or vice president, saying he doesn’t want to add to the “oversupply of ambitious politicians” in the country. “I’m up for reelection, that’s my plan…We have a shortage on pork, not ambitious politicians,” Pangilinan said in an interview on ANC Headstart. “I don’t want to add to that, there’s already an oversupply of ambitious politicians. Let’s not add to it,” he said. Nevertheless, he said, what is important right now is for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to focus on getting more eligible voters to register for the upcoming polls. The senator said a recent Senate hearing on electoral reforms showed that only 58 million Filipinos are registered out of 73 million eligible voters in the country. The Comelec, he said, has to yet to register around 16 million potential voters. He also said an estimated 10 million voters ages 18 to 29 have not registered in the last elections.
