News Roundup 28 December 2021
Dec 28, 2021 • 4 min Read
Instead of COVID-19 bulletins, DOH says to issue advisories and analysis to ‘better guide’ public | PHILSTAR.COM – The Department of Health is changing how it relays the latest COVID-19 information in the country to “better guide” the public, its spokesperson said a day after announcing the DOH will no longer release social media updates on coronavirus cases. In an interview with TeleRadyo on Tuesday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said no information will be lost when the agency implements its new reporting system next year. Vergeire said the DOH will issue advisories that include reported COVID-19 cases as well as “condensed analysis” every day. “So ang lalabas sa amin ngayon ay hindi na ‘yung case bulletin ngunit para pong analysis to better guide our public kung ano ang dapat gawin at ano ‘yung nangyayari talaga dito sa ating bansa with regards to COVID-19,” the health official said. (So we will no longer release case bulletins, but we will instead issue analyses to better guide the public on what needs to be done and what the COVID-19 situation in the country is.) According to Vergeire, some of the details included in case bulletins have been found to be of little use to the public. “We have assessed itong case bulletin. ‘Yung pong mga datos na nakapaloob dito hindi na masyadong ginagamit ng mga tao at ‘yung messaging ay hindi po nakukuha masyado,” she said. (The public doesn’t really use some of the data in the bulletins and the messaging isn’t really communicated as well as hoped)
Pangilinan slams ‘resurrected’ wiretapping case vs Hontiveros | INQUIRER.NET – Senator Francis Pangilinan on Tuesday condemned the “resurrected” wiretapping case filed against fellow opposition senator, Risa Hontiveros, saying it should have been “dismissed right away.” In a statement, Pangilinan rallied behind Hontiveros, who earlier posted bail at the Pasay City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 46 after she was recently indicted over the wiretapping case filed by former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II in 2017. “We stand in solidarity with Sen. Risa Hontiveros as she faces the wire-tapping case resurrected after years in slumber. Kaisa ako ni Sen. Risa sa laban niyang ito [We rally behind her in this fight],” Pangilinan said. “Halatang harassment ang pagbuhay ng kasong ito [It’s obvious that the resurrection of this case is harassment]. The case should have been dismissed right away. Walang wire na tinap [No wire was tapped]. Nasilip lang mismo sa phone ni Vitaliano Aguirre ang pagpilit niyang kasuhan si Sen. Risa sa Senado mismo habang may pagdinig [It just so happened that it the messages on Vitaliano Aguirre’s phone was captured, showing he wants cases filed against Sen. Risa,” the senator added. Pangilinan said Hontiveros is protected by legislative immunity since she made a photo of these text messages public in a privilege speech during a Senate session. “Dapat ibasura ang kasong isinampa sa kanya [The case filed against her should be junked],” Pangilinan added.
Robredo returns to Dinagat Islands to bring aid; eyes building permanent houses for typhoon victims | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo bared her plan to build safe houses for families displaced by typhoon Odette in Dinagat Islands when she went back to the province Tuesday, Dec. 28 to bring food relief. Robredo said she discussed the plan with Dinagat Governor Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao during her visit. She said she will work with the local government of Dinagat Islands in building permanent and safe houses for households residing in danger zones and coastal areas, replicating her office’s housing projects in Bicol and Marawi. “So ito yung pag-uusapan natin. Inuna lang natin yung pagkain kasi nung pagpunta ko dito nung Sunday, marami akong mga taong kausap dun sa may evacuation center malapit sa capitol. Yung– yung nirereklamo nila kulang na ng pagkain. So, ang inuna namin na ipadala mga pagkain. Pero yung next phase nito, yung pabahay na (So, we will discuss about this. We just prioritized the food because when I was here last Sunday, I talked with the victims at the evacuation center near the capitol. They said they were already running out of food supply. So, we prioritized sending food but the next phase will be the housing project),” Robredo said. This was Robredo’s second visit in the province in over a week. This time, she went back to reassess further assistance they can provide in areas they were not able to reach during last week’s visit. “Ito pangalawang punta ko. Nandito na ko nung Linggo kaya lang pagpunta ko ng Linggo marami pang mga daan yung hindi pa nadadaanan so hindi ako nakaikot. Ngayon ay tiningnan natin yung sa operations center, inalam pa natin kung ano yung mga pwede pang iba tulong (This is my second visit here. I was here last Sunday (Dec. 19) but I wasn’t able to go around because of road closures. Now, I was able to visit the operations center to check what assistance we can further provide),” Robredo said.
