News Roundup 20 March 2022
Mar 20, 2022 • 5 min Read
Bello wants Comelec to ‘penalize’ Bongbong Marcos, Sara Duterte for skipping debates | INQUIRER.NET – Vice presidential candidate Walden Bello called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to impose heavy penalties on vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Duterte-Carpio and her running mate, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos for skipping the debates organized by the poll body. Bello was visibly fuming at the absence of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio in the vice presidential debate organized by the Comelec on Sunday, saying it is becoming a “big joke” since the candidates are “slashing one another for her benefit.” “The Comelec should do something about this. Maaari ba, can you penalize these two people, Marcos and Sara Duterte for not showing themselves up to Filipino people with their programs?” Bello said in the debate. He also slammed the Comelec’s current penalty of not allowing candidates who are absent in the debates from joining the poll body’s e-rally platform. Bello said the penalty is weak. Bello then called Marcos and Duterte “cowards” for not showing up in the debates. “We need stronger penalties for these people, kasi this is so undemocratic that they are not here. I am tempted to walk out right now. Because, precisely, we’re making fools of ourselves without this person who’s just clapping up there,” he said. “You can penalize these two jokers, Marcos and Duterte, for not showing up, they are spitting in the face of the Filipino people. I’m really so pissed off that these two jokers are not here. Duwag sila,” he said.
Group accuses China of using similar tactics as Russia in WPS | INQUIRER.NET – A nationalist group accused China of emulating Russian techniques in its illegal incursions into the Philippines’ maritime boundaries, as well as in its construction of islands in the West Philippine Sea to “legitimize” claims to the territory. According to Atin Ang Pinas co-convenor Amber Quiban, “China is using different but similar tactics to encroach on the Philippines and flaunt its threats against Taiwan.” “While Russia plants its nationals in Ukrainian soil to instigate and hasten the unrest and calls for secession, China has been building islands in the West Philippine Sea to ‘legitimize’ its claims over the territory that was already awarded to us by the decision of The Hague,” said Quiban. “These superpowers implant parts of their own in contested areas and territories to agitate the secessionists and create false legitimacy,” she added. This came after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recently summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian over the presence of a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) ship in Sulu waters from January 29 to February 1. The Chinese ship was challenged by the Philippine Navy but the ship continued to stay in Philippine waters despite being told to leave, as it violated Philippine sovereignty.
Long-shot VP bet David urges coalition to block Marcos-Duterte tandem | PHILSTAR.COM – Vice-presidential aspirant Rizalito David called on presidential and vice presidential candidates to unite and push back against survey frontrunners Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio, the candidates of the UniTeam slate of major parties. During the Commission on Elections’ vice-presidential debate Sunday, David acknowledged he and his presidential bet Jose Montemayor will not win in the 2022 polls, but said that others at the debate would lose too. “Wala ni isa dito ang mananalo kay Sara Duterte. Wala ni isa doon sa mga presidential candidates ang tatalo kay Bongbong Marcos,” the pro-life advocate said. (No one here will defeat Sara Duterte. No one among the presidential candidates will defeat Bongbong Marcos). So he made a call to his fellow bets: “Let us talk, let us form a grand coalition to defeat Marcos and Duterte.” “Please, please, please do a selfless act. Let us defeat Marcos and let us defeat Duterte together.”
Farmers’ group slams gov’t report on PH’s unemployment decline | Manila Bulletin – The government’s latest unemployment statistics failed to include discouraged workers in the agriculture sector that were forced out of farming activities, peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said on Sunday, March 20. The statement came after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) presented a decrease in the domestic unemployment from December 2021 to January 2022. Based on its report, the unemployment rate in the county is at 6.4 percent. This is equivalent to 2.93 million unemployed Filipinos which turned out to be lower than the 3.27 million unemployed individuals in December 2021. “PSA is painting a rosy picture about our state of employment but the stark reality is glaring at us. The local job crisis is worsening and the spate of price hikes make it even more difficult for jobless workers to survive,” said KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos in a press statement. Meanwhile, PSA’s data showed that the labor force participation rate in January 2022 dropped to 60.5 percent from December 2021’s 65.1 percent. This, according to KMP, is “deceptive” as it seems to exclude “discouraged labor force participants” who did not look for a job during the said period. “Ang katotohanan, mas marami ang walang trabaho at nasiphayo na nawalan na ng pag-asang makahanap ng trabaho dahil sa maraming dahilan. Isa na rito ang kakulangan ng panggastos sa paghahanap ng trabaho (The fact is that many are unemployed, frustrated, and have lost hope of finding work for many reasons. One of these is the lack of budget and funding for searching a job),” Ramos added.
