News Roundup 19 July 2020
Jul 19, 2020 • 4 min Read
Coronavirus cases breach 67,000 with 2,241 new patients | PHILSTAR.COM – An additional 2,241 cases of the coronavirus were added to the health department’s latest tally on Sunday, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 67,456 recorded since the new pathogen’s emergence in December. According to the Department of Health’s latest update, 398 more have recovered from the virus while 58 have died, bringing their totals to 22,465 and 1,831 respectively.
Bilibid inmate Jaybee Sebastian, key prison drug trade witness, dies of COVID-19 | INQUIRER.NET – High profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian died on Saturday due to COVID-19. Sources say that a few weeks ago, Sebastian was taken to Site Harry, a COVID-19 facility inside the New Bilibid Prison, after showing symptoms of the virus. No autopsy was conducted. His body was immediately cremated at around 9 in the evening at a crematorium in Dasmariñas, Cavite. Sebastian, who was convicted of kidnapping-for-ransom and carjacking in 2009, was the key witness in the Bilibid drug trade. These cases are now pending before three branches of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said they are still verifying the report on Sebastian’s death.
BuCor: Data privacy law bars disclosure on PDLs who died of COVID-19 | PHILSTAR.COM – Some Persons Deprived of Liberty have already died after contracting the coronavirus in the country’s cramped prisons, but the Bureau of Corrections is not at liberty to disclose their identities due to data privacy complications, the bureau said Sunday. “Indeed there are PDLs who died due to COVID-19. However, as much as we want to inform the public with respect to the names of pdl who died due to COVID-19, the Data Privacy Act prohibits us from doing so,” BuCor director Gerald Bantag told reporters in a text message. Asked if there are any existing policies for third-party witnesses to be present in the event of an inmate’s death or cremation, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said: “We are looking at several theories. I expect that there are existing protocols whenever deaths occur inside the prisons.”
Pangilinan: Certify Anti-political dynasty bill as urgent | Manila Bulletin – Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Sunday challenged the Duterte administration to certify as urgent the Anti-political dynasty bill if it truly wants to dismantle oligarchy in the country. Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws, says he agrees with Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon’s observation that there should be a ban on political dynasties to effectively remove oligarchs in the country. “Tagal na nitong nakabinbin. Nakasaad pa sa Saligang Batas. Kailangang sumulong ito sa Kongreso, at mangyayari lang ito kung sasabihin ng Pangulo. (It’s long overdue. It is ordered by the Constitution. It has to move in Congress, and it will only do so with the President’s imprimatur),” said Pangilinan.Drilon earlier called on the Duterte government to pass the anti-political dynasty bill after the President boasted he was able to eliminate an oligarch without having to impose martial law following the House committee on legislative franchises’ junking of the ABS-CBN Corp.’s application for franchise renewal.
Church: Anti-terror law ‘morally wrong’ | The Manila Times – The Catholic Church strongly contested the legality of the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 even as it is not a party to any group, according to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). Fr. Jerome Secillano, CBCP executive secretary, in a text message to The Manila Times said, “[D]ifferent dioceses and Church groups have ‘shown opposition’ to Republic Act (RA) 11479 with released statements condemning the law.” “There are petitions brought before the Supreme Court also. It suffices to say that as of yet, the Church is neither a party nor joined to a group contesting the constitutionality or legality of the law,” the priest added. Former CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan said they “deeply regret” President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to sign the bill despite concerns raised by various sectors. “It is morally wrong, we humbly submit, to leave the terms of such a powerful bill to the interpretation of the reckless and the power trippers,” Villegas added. He said the Church decries terror and terrorism but unlike the government, it does not wish to meet violence and blind rage with heightened violence and legitimated terror but rather “as one, engage in the difficult but necessary task of building a culture that listens, that leaves none out, that accommodates differences.”
