News Roundup 22 May 2021
May 22, 2021 • 5 min Read
Philippines sees 6,831 new coronavirus cases | PHILSTAR.COM – Local health authorities on Saturday recorded 6,831 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the Philippines to 1,178,217.
- Active cases: 54,326 or 4.6% of the total
- Recoveries: 7,981, pushing total to 1,103,945
- Deaths: 183, bringing total to 19,946
Solgen asks UP Board of Regents for Leonen’s SALNs | PHILSTAR.COM – The Office of the Solicitor General has asked the University of the Philippines’ highest governing body to allow the release of Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen’s wealth declarations from his time as a faculty member of the state university. The Philippine Collegian, UP’s student publication, first reported this after it discovered discussions on the OSG’s request in a poorly redacted portion of the minutes of the UP Board of Regents’ November 26, 2020 meeting. During that meeting, the board’s chairperson, Prospero De Vera, told the board that he received a letter from the OSG asking that they overturn the UP Diliman’s Human Resource Development Office’s decision to deny the release of Leonen’s statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth. The board did not take any action on the OSG’s request and instead scheduled a special meeting to discuss the legal aspects of the issue and for them to be briefed by the UP’s legal affairs office. During the board’s discussions, De Vera, who also serves as chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education, said the board has jurisdiction over the request “since the OSG is asking for the policy of the university insofar as release of the SALN of faculty members is concerned.” He added that the OSG’s appeal may be considered as a request under the “freedom of information law,” although no such law exists. He then requested that Vice President for Legal Affairs Hector Danny Uy provide the board a legal opinion on the matter. Faculty regent Ramon Guillermo then raised the SC’s rejection of the OSG’s request for Leonen’s SALNs and requested that this be also included in Uy’s legal opinion. Uy then said that he was informed that the remedy to the rejection of the OSG’s request is for it to be approved by the SC. UP President and board co-chairperson Danilo Concepcion clarified that the SC resolution on SALNs states that the wealth declarations of sitting judges and justices may only be released upon the approval of the court.
‘Brand agnostic’ COVID vaccination must not violate right to informed consent — IBP | INQUIRER.NET – The government’s plan not to announce the brand of COVID-19 vaccine to be administered should not infringe on the public’s right to informed consent, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said. “Non prior public disclosure of vaccine brand may be a practical measure only to avoid delays, undue hedging and over-extended lines for a preferred brand in the government’s free vaccination program,” IBP national president Domingo Cayosa said in a statement. “It does not and should not take away the right to INFORMED CONSENT as the citizen must be individually appraised before vaccination about the brand and other details to enable him/her to intelligently consent to OR decline the offered vaccination. The Department of Health has publicly recognized the right to informed consent,” he added. Suggestions to stop disclosing the brand of vaccine to be administered surfaced after alrge crowds showed up in several vaccination centers where a preferred vaccine brand was scheduled for administration. Cayosa said that despite the IBP’s statement, they still encourage people to get vaccinated.
Robredo bats for gender equality: ‘There is a glass ceiling we must shatter’ | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo’s women empowerment programs are centered on economic empowerment because she sees this as a critical component of women’s ability to stand for themselves, especially in an abusive relationship. The vice president was the guest of the Between Us Queens podcast by Pia Wurtzbach, Carla Lizardo, and Bianca Guidotti on the topic, “Raising Strong Women.” “Most of our programs on women empowerment are really centered on economic empowerment. Kasi para sa akin, walang saysay iyong tuturuan mo sila about gender equality—alam mo iyon, iyong mga workshop workshop—kung hindi sila economically independent (Because for me, there is no point to teach them about gender equality—those workshop workshop—if they are not economically independent,” she said. “If they are not earning, napakababa ng (they have very low) self-esteem. Kasi iyong kultura natin (Because our culture) does not give any value to house work, does not give any value to taking care of children at home. Iyong mga (Those) stay-at-home moms are looked down upon by society,” Robredo added. Before she joined Congress in 2013, the vice president was a practicing lawyer handling cases of abused wives. She recalled that at the heat of the moment, the wives will file a case against their husbands. But on the day of the hearing, they would be a no-show, with Robredo sometimes seeing the same couples at a local mall being all sweet to each other. Robredo was quick to clarify that she doesn’t blame these victims. “You can’t blame (them). Una (First), it’s cultural. Number [two], wala nang self-esteem (there’s no self-esteem), eh. Most battered wives feel that, alam mo iyon (you know), dependent sila (they are dependent) on the husband,” Robredo said.
