News Roundup 30 May 2021
May 30, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines sees 7,058 new COVID-19 cases, 139 more deaths | PHILSTAR.COM – Health authorities on Sunday reported 7,058 more coronavirus cases along with 139 additional fatalities. The development marks the third straight day of officials tallying over 7,000 additional cases, and the fifth consecutive day of more than 100 deaths. As it stands, the country’s total count of cases stood at 1,223,627. Four laboratories did not turn in screening results, according to the Department of Health.
- Active cases: 53,757 or 4.4% of the total
- Recoveries: 6,852, bringing the number to 1,149,010
- Deaths: 139, or now 20,860 in total
Gov’t should aim high instead of lowering ‘realistic’ year-end vaccination target — Robredo | PHILSTAR.COM – Vice President Leni Robredo said that it would be better for the national government to retain its goal of having 70 million Filipinos vaccinated for the coronavirus by the end of 2021 rather than revert to more “realistic” targets. To recall, the Department of Health said that the government “refocused” its target from 70% of the country’s population to at least 50% due to the tight supply of vaccine doses around the world. Speaking on her weekly radio show, Robredo said that a higher target would accomplish more because it would push the government to fast-track inoculation efforts. “I hope we still aim high. For me, it won’t be a bad thing to still aim for herd immunity so our actions are geared towards that end…this is an emergency, and it’s essential to respond to problems right away,” she said in mixed Filipino and English. “Realistic targets are okay. But for me, we will do better and act more urgently if we have higher targets.” Health authorities have said that herd immunity is achieved when around 70 percent of the population is inoculated. The National Task Force Against COVID-19 continues to bat for herd immunity by November of this year despite the lowered vaccination targets.
Two elderly communist leaders slain at home in the Visayas | INQUIRER.NET – Two elderly consultants to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in the aborted peace talks were killed in separate incidents on Friday night, one by assassins in Cebu and the other by the police during a raid in Iloilo. Killed in the raid was Reynaldo Bocala and his companion, Willy Epago, who allegedly put up a fight against officers who tried to serve warrants for his arrest at his house at Barangay Balabag in Pavia town, Iloilo. Bocala, husband of NDFP consultant in Panay, Maria Concepcion “Concha” Araneta, allegedly occupied various positions in the rebel movement, including deputy secretary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in Panay. He was to mark his 75th birthday next month. There was a P4.8 million price on his head. In Cebu, former priest Rustico Tan, 80, was gunned down by unidentified assailants while sleeping on a hammock inside his house on Camotes Island. Tan left the priesthood several decades ago and joined the New People’s Army (NPA). He later served as peace negotiator during the administration of President Corazon Aquino. He was still an NDFP peace consultant before his death. Since the collapse of the talks under President Rodrigo Duterte, four other peace consultants to the NDFP had been killed — Randall Echanis, Randy Malayao, Eugenia Magpantay and Agaton Topacio. Six others had been arrested and detained on various criminal charges — Francisco “Frank” Fernandez, Renante Gamara, Alfredo Mapano, Vicente Ladlad, Rey Casambre and Adelberto Silva.
Robredo brings COVID-19 response programs to provinces | Manila Bulletin – The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has extended its COVID-19 response programs to outside the National Capital Region Plus (NCR Plus) bubble as other provinces in Visayas and Mindanao have been experiencing surges in cases, too. On Sunday, May 30, Vice President Leni Robredo said during her radio show that her office shipped medical supplies all over the country, particularly in Panay Island, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Negros Oriental, and Negros Occidental. “The surge outside NCR+ is real. We’ve been getting more requests now for PPEs and medical supplies compared before. Yesterday, our team was at the Cebu Pacific cargo area to bring medical stuff intended for hospitals, health facilities, and LGUs in the different parts of the country,” she said on a separate Facebook post. Aside from the mentioned provinces, Robredo added that they sent medicines for Doctors to the Barrios in Butuan City, Dinagat Islands, and Lanuza, Surigao del Sur. A second batch of medical supplies was also sent to Puerto Princesa in Palawan. Meanwhile, Robredo lamented that many health workers in Negros have resigned or want to resign because hospitals in Dumaguete have already been overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. It’s not only in Negros, the vice president said, citing that the same thing is happening in Palawan.
