Senators want probe on recent spate of killings in Philippines By DONA MAGSINO, GMA News
Published December 18, 2020 10:40am Several senators believe the Senate should step in and investigate the recent killings in the Philippines this year as two resolutions were filed seeking such action. Senate Resolution No. 599 seeks to launch a probe on the disturbing trend of unlawful killings perpetrated by unidentified gunmen against activists, doctors, lawyers, and journalists all over the country. Their increasing brazenness and daring show how the law enforcement authorities have lost control of the country s peace and order, read the resolution filed by Senators Risa Hontiveros, Ralph Recto, Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Nancy Binay, Leila De Lima, and Richard Gordon.
Not the more, the merrier: Philippines celebrates a very different Christmas 2 minutes read
By Sara Gómez Armas
Manila, Dec 18 (efe-epa).- Asia’s largest Catholic nation, the Philippines, is celebrating a very different Christmas this year amid fears that even restricting capacity at churches will not be enough to stop a rebound in Covid-19 infections.
Christmas is one of the most celebrated dates on the country’s calendar and the month of December usually brings crowded shopping malls, dining in restaurants only if you reserve well in advance and much more congested traffic than at other times of the year.
[ANALYSIS] Recommendations on meeting the marginalized s needs in the pandemic
Dec 18, 2020 3:22 PM PHT
Eduardo C. Tadem
Given the dire Philippine situation and the continuing rise in COVID-19 infections, it is urgent that government undertake new and innovative measures to stem the pandemic and arrest the deteriorating conditions of the Filipino people.
The government appears to be caught in a “devil and deep blue sea” situation. The late response to the crisis resulted in an unmanageable spike in COVID-19 cases and necessitated a prolonged lockdown and strict quarantine measures. But doing so has also caused a severe economic crisis and rapid deterioration in the living conditions of Filipinos, particularly the poor.
THE sought-after SALN or Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of Associate Justice Marvic Mario Victor Leonen has gained public attention again with the filing of an impeachment complaint against him before the House of Representatives on December 7 by one Edwin Cordevilla.
Varying opinions have been issued in the media concerning the period by which the SALN can be made available to the public. Even retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio wrote in his column in another newspaper that, “Even if we assume, for the sake of argument, that Justice Leonen failed to file his SALNs while he was teaching at the University of the Philippines, any such crime has now prescribed. In the 2018 case of Melita del Rosario v. People of the Philippines, the Supreme Court ruled that the prescriptive period for failure to file a SALN is eight years. Justice Leonen left the University of the Philippines more than 10 years ago.”
December 17, 2020 | 8:18 pm Font Size
PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN
THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) expects a fresh surge in coronavirus infections during the holidays as people violate quarantine rules and health standards.
Cases in Metro Manila could peak to 4,000 daily by next month, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said, citing estimates by a research team from the University of the Philippines (UP).
“Cases in the national capital region may reach upwards of 4,000 cases per day, which may overwhelm our health system to upwards of 80% utilization by the end of January if we do not act aggressively to halt the transmission now,” she told an online news briefing.