News Roundup 31 March 2021
Mar 31, 2021 • 4 min Read
With 6,128 new infections, COVID-19 cases in the Philippines climb to 747,288 | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines on Wednesday recorded 6,128 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 747,288.
- Active cases: 130,245 or 17.4% of the total
- Recoveries: 491, pushing total to 603,746
- Deaths: 106, bringing total to 13,297
US flags impunity in the Philippines amid ‘unlawful, arbitrary’ killings | PHILSTAR.COM – The United States flagged the “significant problem” of impunity within Philippine security forces amid a spate of “unlawful and arbitrary” killings of activists, judicial officials, local government leaders, journalists and drug suspects. “There was a widespread belief that police enjoyed impunity for killings,” the US State Department said in its annual report on the state of human rights in the Philippines released Wednesday. It also noted that many cases of killings involving the police have remained unsolved and that the Philippine government investigated a “limited number” of reported human rights abuses. For one, the US State Department said, the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ own human rights office did not identify or investigate any extrajudicial killings, murders or forced disappearances from January 2020 to October 2020. The US State Department also highlighted the “continued attacks” on human rights defenders, citing the killings of peace consultant Randall Echanis and human rights activist Zara Alvarez. President Rodrigo Duterte has often come to the defense of uniformed personnel and guaranteed their protection from prosecution whenever they land in hot water for alleged abuses. The Philippine National Police has denied that there is a culture of violence and impunity within its ranks and insisted that documented abuses committed by its personnel are isolated incidents. The US State Department, however, concluded that “members of the security forces committed numerous abuses.” “Civil society organizations accused police of planting evidence, tampering with crime scenes, unlawfully disposing of the bodies of drug suspects, and other actions to cover up extrajudicial killings,” it said in its report. Among the abuses cited in the report is the police’s alleged planting of evidence in the fatal shooting of Winston Ragos, a former soldier who suffered from a mental illness accused of violating quarantine protocols. The report also cited the killing of nine unarmed Muslim men in Kabacan, Cotabato allegedly in the hands of the police. The Philippine Commission on Human Rights, the report said, also suspect that the police or anti-narcotics agents were involved in 61 complaints of extrajudicial killings.
11 Cebu City cops face raps for ‘robbing’ woman; team leader accused of rape | INQUIRER.NET – Eleven policemen assigned to a police station in this city face charges after they allegedly robbed a 35-year-old woman they arrested on accusations of keeping unlicensed firearms. Complaints of robbery, arbitrary detention, grave coercion, and grave threats were filed against the 11 policemen at the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office on Friday. The team leader, Staff Sergeant Celso Colita, was also charged with two counts of rape for allegedly molesting the female victim inside a motel, according to Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7). The 11 policemen were relieved from their posts while an internal investigation is being conducted.
Bayan Muna lambasts China’s occupation of Julian Felipe reef – Are Chinese vaccines the Duterte admin’s 30 pieces of silver? | Manila Bulletin – China has been using its vaccine donations to soften Filipino officials stance on its continued incursions on areas clearly belonging to the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate aired this view as he chided China for “practically occupying” Julian Felipe Reef which is located with the Philippines’ EEZ. “China is apparently misleading the Philippine government and brazenly covering up the real purpose why Julian Felipe Reef is being swarmed by its maritime militia,” Zaratre said in a statement. Media reports showed the Chinese fleet currently at the West Philippine Sea demanded a Philippine military aircraft conducting an aerial patrol to “leave immediately” as it flew over Julian Felipe Reef last Tuesday. The Chinese radio communication said: “You are approaching a Chinese reef. To avoid any move that may cause misunderstanding, please leave immediately,” “This is glaring proof that the Chinese maritime militia fleet is not there because of a weather disturbance but as a prelude to fully occupying Julian Felipe Reef, do reclamation activities and convert it into another artificial island-cum-military installation, like what they did to at least seven of our reefs,” said the progressive solon.
