News Roundup 31 January 2022
Jan 31, 2022 • 4 min Read
PH logs 14,546 new COVID-19 cases, 26,500 latest recoveries | INQUIRER.NET – The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday registered 14,546 new cases of COVID-19 and an additional 26,500 recoveries, active cases slightly decreased to 190,818. This is the first time active cases have dipped below the 200,000-mark since January 11. Based on the DOH’s report, 70 percent or 10,203 of the new infections were logged within the last 14 days. It showed Region 11 as the top region that posted the highest number of new cases at 1,381 new cases (14 percent) in the recent two weeks, followed by Metro Manila with 1,053 (10 percent) and Region 7 with 973 (10 percent). The positivity rate, meanwhile, is at 28.4 percent out of the 52,013 tests conducted on Jan. 29, also the lowest rate since Jan. 4 (26.20 percent). Of the 190,818 active cases, DOH said 97.4 percent currently suffer mild or asymptomatic cases, specifically, 177,584 individuals suffer mild cases, 8,239 are asymptomatic, 3,126 moderate, 1,540 severe, and 329 critical.
Robredo: PH not ready for change in gov’t system, advocates party reform instead | INQUIRER.NET – Vice President Leni Robredo believes Filipinos are not yet ready to change the country’s system of government, advocating instead for clearer party-lines under the current system. During DZBB’s presidential interviews on Monday, Robredo was asked if she has a preferred form of government in mind, like other predecessors, the most recent of which was President Rodrigo Duterte who tried to push for a federalist state. However, Robredo said that what she would focus on is changing the country’s party system where the Philippines is an outlier as the country uses a presidential government but adopted a multi-party system instead. “Kapag tinignan kasi natin ngayon, ano ba ‘yung klase ng gobyerno na meron tayo? Presidential pero multi-party system tayo. Eto medyo may disconnect ito nang konti kasi bihira ‘yung presidential na multi-party system. Kung meron man, mas exception to the rule siya, so tayo mas exception to the rule,” she said. “So kung titignan natin ‘yung any changes or amendment sa constitution on the form of government, para sa akin ito ‘yung tignan natin: talaga bang nararapat para sa atin ‘yung multi-party system considering na presidential tayo?” she asked. The Vice President clarified that while discussions for a federal form of government are OK, she thinks that the country is not yet ready for changes in the constitution as other regions may not be equipped with the resources needed for the shift.
In voting to DQ, Guanzon says Marcos’ acts ‘a serious defect in one’s moral fiber’ | PHILSTAR.COM – Amid rising tensions between poll commissioners on the resolution of the disqualification cases against presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Monday released a copy of her separate opinion ahead of the division’s promulgation of a ruling. “Respondent’s repeated and persistent failure to file his [ITRs] for 1982, 1983, 10982 and 1985 constitutes an offense involving moral turpitude,” Guanzon said in her Separate Opinion on the disqualification case against Marcos. The retiring commissioner voted to grant the petitions for disqualification and declare Marcos disqualified from running for the position of the President of the Philippines. It remains unclear how Guanzon’s vote will figure in the resolution of the petitions as the Comelec First Division has yet to release a ruling in the case. “Unfortunately, there is has yet no ponencia, no decision as of yet and so the separate opinion of Commissioner Guanzon basically stands alone in this case right now,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a streamed conference by ABS-CBN. As it is, Guanzon’s opinion remains a separate opinion, not a dissenting or concurring opinion. Jimenez said that seeing that Guanzon will retire on Wednesday — and Tuesday is a holiday — her opinion will be on record of the Comelec, but it is unsure if it will be part of the records of the said disqualification case. But on disposition of the case, “we’re really going to wait for the ponencia because the ponencia will be controlling,” he added.
Robredo signs pact with urban poor sector: Focus on social housing, justice for displaced families | Manila Bulletin – One of the things that presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo will focus on if she wins the presidency in May 2022 is an “honest-to-goodness” empowerment of Filipinos belonging to the urban poor sector so they could participate in addressing the various issues they face, most especially in the housing sector. Robredo signed the urban poor covenant with the Leni Urban Poor coalition at the Leni-Kiko Volunteer Center in Quezon City on Monday, Jan. 31. The covenant covers assistance during the pandemic, safe and affordable housing, justice for families forced to resettle in far areas, enough funds for social housing, no more red tape in the housing industry. “Gusto nating baguhin, na dapat nabibigyan tayo ng mas malaking boses para tayo ‘yung mag-desisyon para kung saan tutungo ‘yung ating pakikipaglaban. Yun po ang dahilan kung bakit noong nabubuhay pa ‘yung asawa ko, talagang pinaglaban natin ang People’s Plan (We want to change, that you should be given a big voice so we will decide where our fight is headed. That’s the reason why when my husband was still alive, we fought for the People’s Plan),” Robredo told the audience in the event. Opposition senatorial bets aspirants Sonny Matula and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV were also in attendance.
Photo Source: patrickroque01 – commons.wikimedia.org
