News Roundup 19 October 2021
Oct 19, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines logs 4,496 new COVID-19 cases, 7 labs without data | PHILSTAR.COM – The Department of Health on Tuesday reported 4,496 new coronavirus cases to bring the Philippines’ total caseload to 2,731,735. Today’s numbers active cases down by 5,195 from the 68,832 on October 18. While cases were down below 5,000 for the first time today, DOH said seven laboratories did not submit testing results. “The relatively low cases today is due to lower laboratory output last Sunday, October 17,” the agency added.
- Active cases: 63,637 or 2.3% of the total
- Recoveries: 9,609 bringing the number to 2,627,126
- Deaths: 211, or now 40,972 overall
Senate panel orders 2 more Pharmally execs detained for contempt | PHILSTAR.COM – The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Tuesday ordered the arrest and detention of two more Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. executives over their refusal to submit documents subpoenaed by the panel. Pharmally corporate secretary and treasurer Mohit Dargani, and his sister, company president Twinkle Dargani will join director Linconn Ong, who is currently detained at the Senate for refusing to tell senators how much money former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang lent the firm. For weeks, the siblings have resisted Senate orders to submit several source documents related to the firm’s sales and purchases, citing advice from legal counsel. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has pressed for these documents for weeks, stressing that they are key to assessing whether there was overpricing in Pharmally’s deals with the government. The firm is the government’s top favored pandemic supplier, cornering deals worth billions with the Department of Budget and Management. This came to a head during the day’s hearing after the accountant who prepared Pharmally’s financial statements said that she never saw these documents and was instead shown a list and made to sign off. Facing a contempt charge and offered a final chance to hand over the documents, Dargani said the decision to withhold the documents is a company decision and not his own. “We are just asserting our right which was advised to us by our legal counsel.” Drilon observed that the Dargani siblings were “obviously refusing to comply with the subpoena.” “They have legal defenses. I assume that when we place them under detention until they comply with the orders of the committee, they will refuse and question it in court,” he added.
Comelec dismisses ‘false reports’ on 2022 elections | INQUIRER.NET – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) dismissed a “false report” which claimed that Commissioner Rowena Guanzon is pushing for the scrapping of the May 2022 polls that went viral on social media. “Commissioner Guanzon is NOT, repeat NOT, recommending that the 2022 National and Local Elections be scrapped,” said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez. “This Adobo Chronicles report stating otherwise is obviously #fakenews. #fightfake,” he added. The report came from The Adobo Chronicles, a satirical website founded in 2013, which describes itself as “the best source for unbelievable news.” Meanwhile, in a following tweet, Jimenez admitted that he is “leery” in accepting satirical news. “In an environment where a significant segment of the public are unable to separate fact from fiction, I am leery of accepting the ‘satire card’,” said Jimenez. The Comelec spokesperson also earlier denounced another post that spread on social media claiming that the Comelec has disqualified Vice President Leni Robredo from the presidential race. “VP Leni Robredo has not been disqualified. Video and articles that imply or suggest otherwise are #fakenews. COMELEC’s reminders on prohibited sources of funding apply to all would-be candidates. #fightfake,” Jimenez tweeted on Sunday.
Philippine physicians support Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing | Manila Bulletin – ‘’Let us all join hands and support the [Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s] search for truth.” This was the call made by Dr. Encarnicita B. Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, after registering her opposition to an order of President Duterte to members of his Cabinet and other government men preventing them from appearing before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Senator Richard J. Gordon. “Nananawagan po kami sa lahat ng mga Pilipino, regardless po kung ano ang ating political affiliation dahil kailangan po natin magsama-sama dito para malaman natin ang katotohanan (We call on all Filipinos, regardless of political affiliations because we need to act as one to know the truth,’’ Limpin said in a statement given to the committee on its 12th hybrid hearing today (Tuesday, Oct. 19). The Senate probe revolves around the alleged anomalous P11 billion transactions of Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. and PS-DBM for the delivery of COVID-19 pandemic-related medical supplies. In today’s hearing, Gordon said that ‘’it is clear and categorical to us that this grand conspiracy could never have happened without the imprimatur of the President. The President allowed his friends to bleed this nation’s coffers dry. In a statement, Dr. Tony Leachon, past president of the Philippine College of Physicians 2014 -2015 said: ‘’Sinusuportahan namin ang Senate Blue Ribbon Committee sa kanilang imbestigasyon para matukoy ang katotohanan at maparusahan ang katiwaliang lubhang puminsala sa ating bayan (We support the Senate Blue Ribbon committee in its investigation to determine the truth and punish the guilty for widespread damage it has caused to our country). Leachon stressed that ‘’public office is a public trust.’’
