News Roundup 22 January 2022
Jan 22, 2022 • 3 min Read
Philippines records 30,552 new coronavirus infections | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines logged 30,552 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of people who have been recorded as having tested positive for the coronavirus to 3,387,524. The Department of Health reported that 97 more people died, pushing the death toll to 53,406. Meanwhile, 41,471 were tagged as recovered, which brought down the number of active cases to 280,619. There are now 3,053,499 people who have recovered from the infection. All labs were able to submit testing data, DOH said.
After skipping Jessica Soho interview, Marcos accuses award-winning journo of bias | PHILSTAR.COM – Presidential aspirant and former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. opted not to be interviewed by Jessica Soho as his campaign perceives the multi award-winning veteran journalist to be “biased against the Marcoses.” “We believe her questions will just focus on negativity about BBM which the UniTeam dislike,” said Marcos’ spokesperson Vic Rodriguez in a statement. But in a statement, Soho’s home network GMA said aspirants must expect tough questions from the journalist. “The questions are tough because the job of the presidency is tough,” GMA Network said. It added that it “takes exception” to the Marcos campaign’s attack on Soho’s credibility, when she “has consistently been named the most trusted media personality in the Philippines by both local and foreign organizations.”
Around 300 arriving Filipinos test positive for COVID-19 per day — BOQ | INQUIRER.NET – Around 300 overseas Filipinos per day test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival to the Philippines, the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) said Saturday. BOQ Deputy Director Roberto Salvador Jr. noted that this is 10 percent of the around 3,000 arrivals to the country per day. “Tumatanggap ang BOQ ng [positive] result ng RT-PCR ng mga galing sa ibang bansa ng at least 300 per day. Ganun kadami ang sineserbisyuhan ng BOQ every day,” he said at the Laging Handa public briefing. (The BOQ receives at least 300 [positive] RT-PCR test results from arriving travelers per day. That’s how many the BOQ is rendering services for per day.) “Sa ngayon po ang average natin per day na arrivals, ‘yung capacity natin, is 3,000. Ang nagpopositive every day is close to 300, so approximately, 10 percent to 14 percent ang nagpopositive sa arrivals nating mga Pilipino,” he added. (Our current average of arrivals is currently 3,000. Close to 300 test positive per day. So approximately 10 to 14 percent of arriving Filipinos test positive.)
CHR pushes for ‘genuine agrarian reform’ on 35th anniversary of ‘Mendiola Massacre’ | Manila Bulletin – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) batted for “genuine agrarian reform” as the country commemorates today, Jan. 22, the 35th anniversary of the “Mendiola Massacre.” On Jan. 22, 1987, 13 farmers died and scores of others injured when anti-riot law enforcers “fired at rallyists” on Mendiola Street in San Miguel, Manila. “On this day, the CHR joins in the relentless call for justice and denounces the numerous attacks that our farmers and laborers continue to experience up until present,” the CHR said in a statement. “Despite being key in ensuring a steady food supply, farmers and laborers continue to struggle with low pay and land dispossession, which is further compounded by competition from imported produce that further harm local farmers’ income,” it added. At the same time, the CHR stressed that all individuals have the right to express dissent and express their grievances against the government without fearing harm or retaliation. For its part, the CHR vowed “to continue doing its work in improving the plight of farmers and by being their voice for the government.”
PH, US armies prepare for war games in March | Manila Bulletin – The Philippine Army and the United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) will hold a month-long military drill in various areas in Central Luzon in March to enhance their interoperability and as part of their commitment to help each other in times of need. Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., PA Commanding General, said a thorough planning of the “Salaknib” exercise is now being conducted by Filipino soldiers and their American counterparts. “Salaknib, which means shield in Ilocano, is a testament to our enduring ties with the US Army. It is anchored on the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty and has been ongoing since 2015,” he said in a statement Saturday, Jan. 22.
