News roundup 29 August 2020
Aug 29, 2020 • 3 min Read
Philippines’ COVID-19 caseload surpasses 213,000 with 3,637 new infections | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines recorded 3,637 new infections of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Saturday, bringing the country’s total caseload to 213,131. The announcement of 655 additional survivors of the coronavirus, meanwhile, brought the recovery count to 135,101. However, the death toll reached 3,419 after 94 more mortalities were reported by the Health department.
8 killed in North Cotabato ambush incident | PHILSTAR.COM – Eight motorists were killed in an alleged ambush in Barangay Aringgay in Kabacan town past noontime Saturday. The victims were on separate motorcycles en route to an interior area in Barangay Aringgay when they were attacked by gunmen positioned along the road. Local officials said, however, the incident seemed more a gunfight between the victims and policemen. North Cotabato’s Kabacan town is home to mixed Muslim and Christian residents. North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco, chairperson of the provincial peace and order council, said she has asked the local government unit of Kabacan and the municipal police to investigate on incident.
Bacolod City on lockdown; cases up due to returnees | INQUIER.NET – This city of more than 600,000 people went on a four-day lockdown on Friday, a month after the government rejected the appeal of physicians from Negros Occidental to impose a strict quarantine to stem the number of infections in the city and province. The lockdown was implemented as the province emerged as one of the top five areas with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country and the rise in infections was mainly due to the return of stranded individuals to their communities. “When we checked the data, we verified that it was really those who came back to their areas which caused the increase in the number of cases. We are continuously studying the situation in Negros Occidental,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
VP not interested in revolutionary gov’t, calls the move ‘illegal’ | Manila Bulletin – Vice President Leni Robredo has no interest to take part in the move to establish a revolutionary government being pushed by President Duterte’s supporters to amend the Constitution. Robredo’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez on Saturday, August 29, said the pro-Duterte group should not count on Robredo as an alternative option to lead their cause. “Asa pa kayo (Don’t be hopeful),” Gutierrez, who is also a legal adviser to Robredo, said in a Twitter post. Robredo again rejected proposals for the creation of a revolutionary government after the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordination Committee (MRRD-NECC) said it is now looking at her after Duterte dismissed these calls.
Security forces hunt 2 Indonesian, Filipino terrorists in Zamboanga | The Manila Times – Security forces launched a massive hunt for two Indonesians and a Filipino member of the pro-IS terror group Abu Sayyaf who are planning attacks in the Zamboanga Peninsula in the southern Philippines. Mayor Beng Climaco released the photos of the terrorists and warned the public to keep on the lookout for the trio. She said the government has offered a P3 million reward for the capture of the Indonesian Andi Baso and his female partner Reski Fantasya; and Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Mundi Sawadjaan, who is being linked to the recent twin suicide bombings in Jolo town in the neighboring province of Sulu. “Authorities warn the public against three members of the Sulu-based ASG believed to have been sent out for a mission to sow terror in Zamboanga Peninsula. The national government is offering a reward of P3M for the information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of each of the suspects,” Climaco said in an advisory alongside photos of the terrorists.
