News Roundup 21 December 2020
Dec 21, 2020 • 5 min Read
COVID-19 cases in Philippines breach 461,000 with 1,721 new infections | PHILSTAR.COM – The Department of Health reported 1,721 new coronavirus infections Monday, pushing the country’s caseload to 461,505. The government has been urging the public to remain vigilant and continue observing health protocols as health authorities were already seeing indications of possible surge. The number of recoveries also rose by 82 to 429,207. Total recoveries accounted for 93% of the nation’s confirmed cases. Ten more people succumbed to the respiratory illness, bringing the death toll to 8,957. At present, there are 23,341 active cases in the Philippines or 5.1% of the total recorded infections. Of these, 82.2% exhibit mild symptoms, 8.5% are asymptomatic, 5.9% are in critical condition, 3% are severe cases and 0.34% have moderate symptoms. Monday’s count did not include submissions from five testing laboratories that failed to submit their data on time.
Missing ex-Court of Appeals justice found dead in Tarlac | PHILSTAR.COM – The National Bureau of Investigation on Monday confirmed that the body found in Capas, Tarlac more than a month ago, was those of missing Court of Appeals Justice Normandie Pizarro. Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay said this was based on DNA test results. “He (Pizarro) was last seen at a casino in Clark last 23 October. His car, an early model Honda Accord, was later on discovered somewhere in San Simon, Pampanga,” Sugay told reporters. The retired justice last spoke to one of his sons on October 23 at around 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., according to Sugay. Pizarro’s remains were later on discovered in Capas on October 30. NBI officer-in-charge Eric Distor noted that the body, which was found under a pile of leaves at a secluded quarry site in Barangay Lawy, Capas matched Pizarro’s DNA by 99.99%. According to the NBI, the Pizarro’s right hand and left-hand fingers were cut off as if to remove the possibility of identifying him through fingerprints. Pizarro wrote the decision clearing former Palawan governor Joel Reyes in the killing of environmentalist and broadcaster Gerry Ortega in Puerto Princesa in January 2011. He also wrote the decision that acquitted alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles in her serious illegal detention case. Another controversial decision that Pizarro penned was the ruling that dismissed the compensation claim of about 10,000 human rights victims from the Marcos estate.
Cop shoots dead a mother and her son in Tarlac | INQUIRER.NET – A police officer assigned at the Parañaque City shot dead his two neighbors, a mother and her son, in Paniqui, Tarlac. The Tarlac police, in its report, identified the suspect as Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, 46 years old and assigned at the Parañaque City Police Crime Laboratory, and presently residing at Barangay Cabayaoasan in Paniqui. Initial investigation showed that the suspect arrived in the house of victims Sonya Gregorio, 52, and Frank Anthony Gregorio, 25, and after a brief confrontation, shot them point-blank using a 9 mm firearm at around 5:10 p.m. Sunday. At around 6:19 p.m. on the same day, the chief of police of Rosales Municipal Police Station (MPS) in Pangasinan called the Paniqui Municipal Police Station informing that the suspect had surrendered at their station with his issued firearm that was used in the crime. Personnel of Paniqui police then proceeded to Rosales MPS to pick up and transfer the suspect to their station. According to Lt. Col. Noriel Rombaoa, chief of Paniqui MPS, the shooting incident happened after a confrontation between the suspect and the victims over the firing of a “boga,” a noisemaker usually made of PVC pipe or bamboo for revelries.
Robredo spokesman joins outrage over mother, son slay in Tarlac | Manila Bulletin – “This is now our reality.” Thus, said Vice President Leni Robredo’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez, adding his voice to the growing public outrage over the brutal police killing of a mother and her son in Tarlac. Gutierrez, who hails from the town of Paniqui, decried the death of Sonya Gregorio and Frank Anthony Gregorio who were shot dead by a police officer on Sunday. A viral video showed the suspect, Police Senior Master Sgt. Joel Nuezca, shot his two neighbors after a verbal altercation over the victims’ use of “boga” or firecracker in their hometown. Nuezca, who is assigned in Parañaque City, surrendered to authorities in Pangasinan. He has been turned over to Paniqui Police and is facing a double murder case.
Robredo to gov’t: Improve info drive on vaccines | Malaya Business Insight – Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday urged Malacañang to do a better job of informing the public on the full effects of the COVID-19 vaccines amid fears that vaccines being developed by Chinese company Sinovac Biotech are potentially unsafe. The company, which is among foreign firms that could supply vaccines to the Philippines, was earlier reported to have a record of bribing Chinese regulators. Robredo said as long as the public does not know how safe the Sinovac vaccine is, many people will not want to be vaccinated. “May concerns kasi sinasabi na iyong Sinovac, iyong galing sa China, mayroong mga ibang nagre-raise ng concerns (There are concerns that Sinovac, the one from China, there were some who raised concerns),” she said in her weekly radio program. “Dapat mag-exert ng effort para i-allay iyong fears ng mga tao (They have to exert to efforts to allay the people’s fears).” Robredo cited concerns raised by Dr. Tony Leachon, a former member of government’s Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), who earlier raised concerns about the safety and efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine which is still in the third phase of testing.
