News Roundup 20 January 2022
Jan 20, 2022 • 4 min Read
Philippines tallies 31,173 new COVID-19 cases | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines on Thursday registered 31,173 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the national tally to 3,324,478, data from the Department of Health showed. Of the newly-reported cases, 95% occurred from January 7 to January 20. The regions with the highest number of additional infections during that period were Metro Manila (30%), Calabarzon (22%) and Central Luzon (9%). The number of active cases was at 275,364, of which 95% have mild illness. The DOH also reported that the death toll increased by 110 to 53,153, while recoveries rose by 26,298 to 2,995,961. Around 43% of 73,989 samples on January 17 tested positive for COVID-19, way above the threshold set by the World Health Organization. Five testing laboratories did not submit data to the agency. The utilization rates of intensive care unit beds in the capital region and nationwide were at 51% and 50%, respectively.
Hontiveros: We must have assurance of continuous power supply for elections | PHILSTAR.COM – Senator Risa Hontiveros said the country must be assured of a continuous power supply for the upcoming May elections, after the transmission service provider pointed out that there may be a thinning of power supply during this year’s dry season. “We need certainty that there will be continuous power supply in the country for the elections. Failure to ensure an uninterrupted power supply will compromise the integrity of our elections,” she said in a statement shared by her media relations office on Thursday. According to Hontiveros, unstable power supply can set back the voting time, and delay the transfer of results to servers from the polling precincts. This comes days after the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) forecasted that the Luzon grid may experience thin operating margins- or the power in excess of demand- from April to June, driven by higher demand. The privately-led firm also observed that some power plants extended their maintenance shutdown this month, while others decreased their committed generation output. Hontiveros, who is running for Senate, also called on the Department of Energy to fulfill its assurance that there will be adequate and reliable power supply before, during and after the day of elections.
Robredo: 2022 polls a choice between ‘transformative’ and ‘patronage’ politics | INQUIRER.NET – The approaching election this May is not a mere race between presidential aspirants as it will be an important decision that people have to make about what kind of politics they want to reign in the country. Vice President Leni Robredo made this assertion on Thursday, reiterating that what she is offering the nation is transformative politics without patronage – different from what her archrival, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is promising. In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel’s Rundown, the presidential aspirant was asked how important the May 2022 election is. In response, Robredo said that the kind of politics she wants is not “bad.” “The 2022 elections is not just a fight between two or more candidates but it’s actually a decision that we have to make. Ano bang klaseng pulitika ‘yung gusto nating manaig sa atin? Ano bang klase ng governance ‘yung gusto nating manaig sa atin?” she asked. (The 2022 election is not just a fight between two or more candidates but it’s actually a decision that we have to make. What kind of politics do we want to have? What kind of governance do we want to prevail over the country?) “Kasi, what I’m offering is so […] different from what Mr. Marcos is offering. ‘Yong the kind of politics, ako– ako para sa akin mas transformative, ayaw ko ng patronage politics. Sa akin, ‘yong gusto kong pulitika na ‘yung pulitika hindi siya masama,” she added. (Because what I’m offering is so […] different from what Mr. Marcos is offering. The kind of politics that I offer, for me, is more transformative, I don’t want patronage politics. The politics I want is a politics that is not bad.) The decisions that people would make in the May polls would ultimately define the direction of the country for the next six years, Robredo explained. “So, para sa akin (for me), there’s so much at stake, pero (but) what’s at stake is not just my winning or losing these elections but what– what is the direction that we would want our government to take in the next six years,” she added.
Why Lorenzana is not OK with Sara’s mandatory military service push | Manila Bulletin – The Department of National Defense (DND) prefers the traditional Reserved Office Training Corps (ROTC) than the mandatory military service that vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte is planning to push. In a statement released on Thursday, Jan. 20, DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana enumerated some reasons why the mandatory military service for 18-year old male and female First, Lorenzana said the move will require more funds and resources: “Training camps would need to be established all over the land, and manpower and funds must be allocated to accommodate the millions who will reach the age of 18 every year. Second, he said they are expecting intense opposition of those who are not inclined to serve in the military. “Third, we are not on war footing and there will be little need of a general mobilization,” said Lorenzana.
