DOCSLIB.ORG

Duterte: Vaccine Needed Before Recovery Road Map

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Duterte: Vaccine Needed Before Recovery Road Map Duterte: Vaccine needed before recovery road map By: Julie M. Aurelio - Reporter / @JMAurelioINQ ​ ​ ​ Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:05 AM August 01, 2020 ​ President Rodrigo Duterte said he needed a vaccine against the coronavirus that caused the global COVID-19 pandemic before he could lay down the roadmap for the country’s recovery from the national health crisis. He was reacting to criticisms that he did not spell out clear plans to deal with the pandemic in his State of the Nation Address on Monday. “I could not have uttered a single sentence about roadmap to recovery because the medicine must come first,” the President said. He spoke during his meeting with some members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Thursday, which was broadcast on government television on Friday morning. Opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Mr. Duterte “uttered the same incoherent statements that did not present a health and economic roadmap that could lead us through this pandemic.” Renato Reyes, Bayan secretary general, said in a statement that the President’s response to the pandemic was “primarily to wait for a vaccine from China.” Mr. Duterte promised a “normal” life for Filipinos as early as December but only if the government gets its hands on the vaccines. He urged Filipinos to be more patient as the vaccines were on their way. “I promise you, by the grace of God, I hope by December, we would be back to normal. Not the new normal, new normal. I said even at the beginning, let’s just wait for the vaccine,” he said. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the Philippines could fully reopen the economy and “start the normal life” once a vaccine became available. “The economy actually is already beginning to recover. Our estimate is that we hit already the lowest part of the economy in April, or May,” he told the President. “Actually, it’s already starting to pick up already now.” President Duterte —MALACAÑANG PHOTO WHO: No cutting corners The World Health Organization (WHO) last week dampened hopes for a vaccine within the next few months. “We’re speeding up as much as possible but we’re not in any way going to cut corners on safety,” WHO health emergencies program executive director Mike Ryan said. “We can shorten that time but realistically it’s going to be the first part of next year before we start seeing people getting vaccinated.” But Mr. Duterte said there were potential vaccines being made by pharmaceutical companies in other countries particularly China. “The good thing is, to our credit, we have remained friendly with China … They promised that we will be a priority,” he said. He already had a list of who should receive the vaccines for free. Priority recipients The top priority will be the poorest Filipinos, referring to those who received financial aid from the government during the lockdown. “The first will be the have-nots and of course, those in the hospitals, the sick or dying,” Mr. Duterte said. Next are the “middle income” earners and then Sen. Bong Go, his close aide, his Cabinet officials, specifically Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano and Budget secretary Wendel Avisado. They will be followed by “my military and my police because I need a strong backbone,” the President said. “The backbone of my administration is the uniformed personnel of government.” He also offered the prospective vaccines to communist rebels “as a matter of humanity … and because they are also Filipinos.” Health workers left out Health and labor groups assailed Mr. Duterte for leaving out healthcare workers. The Filipino Nurses United (FNU) pointed out that while they have nothing against the government providing the vaccine to the poorest Filipinos, it should’ve been top of the President’s mind to vaccinate medical frontliners first given the risk that they are exposed to. “Once our frontline health workers fall ill, that will be a big problem for our countrymen,” FNU president Maristela Abenojar said in a phone interview. Dr. Josh San Pedro, coconvener of the Coalition for People’s Right to Health, said the distribution of the vaccines should be based on one’s risk, not on who is favored by the government. He also said the government shouldn’t rely heavily on vaccine being available soon as it would not only give “false hopes” but may also lull the public into complacency. “A true solution to this public health problem goes beyond a vaccine—requiring attention to nutrition, access to nutrition, housing, and a free, quality and comprehensive healthcare system,” he said. Sentro secretary general Josua Mata said it was “disgusting” that Mr. Duterte “would pander to the military and the police by ensuring that they get special mention as among those to be prioritized.” Free shots for poorest Dominguez said the DOH had estimated that at least 20 million of the poorest Filipinos needed to be vaccinated for free. If two shots were required, and at a cost of about $10 per dose, this would total $400 million or about P20 billion, Dominguez said. He did not say where he got the vaccine price estimate. He said the state-run Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) would purchase the vaccines to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration with loans from the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). The vaccines will be sold to the DOH, which will pay PITC over time with its budget allocations, Dominguez said. Good financial position He said both LBP and DBP were in a good financial position to support the estimated loan requirements because the government hardly collected any dividends from them since 2016, strengthening their capital bases. Speaking at the Laging Handa Briefing on Friday, Trade Secretary and PITC chair Ramon Lopez said the private sector could also ask PITC to buy the vaccines for them to get volume discounts. “What the government is only saying here is that the poorest of the poor will be prioritized first. Nobody is preventing anyone from importing also the vaccine, and if they want us to buy [in huge volumes], they could course it through PITC,” he said. No details PITC President and CEO Dave Almarinez said they were ready “to deliver the much needed vaccines in this great hour of need of our country today.” Lopez told reporters in a Viber message that there were still no details regarding the brands, quantities and price. Sen. Nancy Binay on Friday urged the government to take “the right approach to public safety and provide the highest degree of prudence” in acquiring the vaccines, recalling the Dengvaxia fiasco. Sen. Francis Pangilinan said President Duterte’s plan to stem the contagion would be futile as long as Health Secretary Francisco Duque III remains at his post. “(The President’s) proposals to address (the pandemic) ring hollow and empty when he condones incompetence and corruption, and when his team continues to miss their targets for mass testing and contact tracing,” Pangilinan said. —WITH REPORTS FROM JOVIC YEE, MARLON RAMOS, ​ ROY STEPHEN C. CANIVEL AND BEN O. DE VERA Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1315157/duterte-vaccine-needed-before-recovery-road-map#ixzz6 UD1WsgZZ Subjects: VACCINE ​.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Committee Daily Bulletin
    CCoommmmiitttteeee DDaaiillyy BBuulllleettiinn 17th Congress A publication of the Committee Affairs Department Vol. III No. 50 Third Regular Session November 19, 2018 BICAMERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MEETING MEASURES COMMITTEE PRINCIPAL SUBJECT MATTER ACTION TAKEN/ DISCUSSION NO. AUTHOR Bicameral HB 5784 & Rep. Tan (A.) Instituting universal health care for all The Bicameral Conference Committee, co- Conference SB 1896 and Sen. Recto Filipinos, prescribing reforms in the health presided by Rep. Angelina "Helen" Tan, M.D. Committee care system and appropriating funds (4th District, Quezon), Chair of the House therefor Committee on Health, and Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, will deliberate further on the disagreeing provisions of HB 5784 and SB 1896. The Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) were requested to submit their respective proposals on the premium rate, income ceiling and timeframe to be adopted in relation to the provision increasing the members’ monthly PhilHealth premium. Other conferees who were present during the bicameral conference committee meeting were the following: On the part of the House, Deputy Speaker Evelina Escudero (1st District, Sorsogon), Reps. Jose Enrique "Joet" Garcia III (2nd District, Bataan), Arlene Arcillas (1st District, Laguna), Estrellita Suansing (1st District, Nueva Ecija), Cheryl Deloso-Montalla (2nd District, Zambales), and Ron Salo (Party- List, KABAYAN); on the part of the Senate, Senators, Ralph Recto, Risa Hontiveros, and Joel Villanueva. Also present were former Reps. Karlo Alexei Nograles and Harry Roque Jr., DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III, and Dr. Roy Ferrer, acting President and CEO of PhilHealth. Bicameral HB 5236 & Rep.
    [Show full text]
  • Diplomacy” with China Made the Philippines a COVID‐19 Hotspot in Southeast Asia by Sheena A
    Number 541 | December 16, 2020 EastWestCenter.org/APB “Diplomacy” with China Made the Philippines a COVID‐19 Hotspot in Southeast Asia By Sheena A. Valenzuela When the news of a mysterious illness in mainland China came to light in late December 2019, some states treated it seriously and acted with urgency to migate potenal transmission of the disease and its harmful impacts on economic and social security. For instance, the Vietnamese government recognized the coronavirus outbreak as a threat early on. In a statement on January 27, 2020, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc likened the fight against the coronavirus to “fighng against enemies” and stressed that “the Government accepts economic losses to protect the lives and Sheena A. Valenzuela, health of people”. Three days aer the pronouncement, Vietnam closed its shared borders with China Research Associate at and banned flights to and from its neighbor. Vietnam adopted these measures despite the fact that its the Ateneo School of economy is closely linked to China, its largest trading partner. Government in the On the other hand, the Philippines downplayed the threat of the virus and waited unl transmission Philippines, explains had accelerated within its borders before implemenng countermeasures. When the first COVID‐19 that: “The Philippines case was reported in the country on January 30, the public became increasingly worried and some downplayed the threat groups called for a ban on flights from China. However, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte stated of the virus and waited that he was not keen on stopping tourist traffic from China, as “it would not be fair.” Department of unl transmission had Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III supported Duterte’s posion, saying that a ban “would be accelerated within its tricky” and that it would spark “polical and diplomac repercussions” because the virus was not borders before confined to China alone.
    [Show full text]
  • Submission of Proposals: Application Form
    Submission of Proposals: Application Form. Please read carefully the "Guidelines for the Submission of Proposals" which outline the modalities for application and the criteria for the selection of proposals spelled out in the Cities Alliance Charter. Please ensure that all necessary supporting documentation is attached to this form. Additional information may also be enclosed, but total submission should not exceed 12 pages. DATE: rec’d 15 November 2010 1. TITLE of PROPOSAL: Developing a National Slum Upgrading Strategy for the Philippines 2. PROPOSAL SUBMITTED BY1: Name and Title: Nestor P. Borromeo, Secretary General Organization : Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Address: 15F, BDO Plaza, Makati Avenue, Makati City Telephone/Fax/E-mail: (0632) 811-4168, Name and Title: Wendel Avisado, Deputy Secretary General Organization : Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Address: 15F, BDO Plaza, Makati Avenue, Makati City Telephone/Fax/E-mail: (0632) 811-4116, [email protected] 3. CITIES ALLIANCE MEMBER(S) SPONSORINGTHE APPLICATION: Name and Title: Christopher T. Pablo, Senior Operations Officer and Task Team Leader Organization : The World Bank Office Manila Address: 20/F, Taipan Place, Emerald Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City,Metro Manila, Philippines Telephone/Fax/E-mail: +632-917-3065/632-937-5870/ [email protected] Name and Title: Organization : Address: Telephone/Fax/E-mail: 4. RECIPIENT ORGANISATION: – organization that will receive and execute the grant: Task Manager Name & Title: Wendel Avisado, Deputy Secretary General Organization : Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Address: 15F, BDO Plaza, Makati Avenue, Makati City Telephone/Fax/E-mail: (0632) 811-4168 5. OTHER IMPLEMENTING PARTIES (if any): Name & Title: Organization: Address: Contact Person/Title: Telephone/Fax/E-mail: 1 Country-specific proposals typically originate from local authorities, but must be sponsored by at least one member of the Cities Alliance (see Cities Alliance Charter, Section D.14).
    [Show full text]
  • Shut-Down of Duterte-Critical News Group Seen As Attack on Press
    STEALING FREE NEWSPAPER IS STILL A CRIME ! AB 2612, PLESCIA CRIME Proposed legislature could abolish Senate WEEKLY ISSUE 70 CITIES IN 11 STATES ONLINE Vol. IX Issue 458 1028 Mission Street, 2/F, San Francisco, CA 94103 Tel. (415) 593-5955 or (650) 278-0692 January 18 - 24, 2018 Shut-down of Duterte-critical news group PH NEWS | A2 seen as attack on press freedom By Daniel Llanto | FilAm Star Correspondent PH media has been fair - Pew Research For supposedly inviting foreign of Duterte as well as the leading ownership, the Securities and Ex- broadsheet Inquirer for various stated change Commission (SEC) revoked reasons. the certificate of incorporation of news For the closure of Rappler, op- website Rappler, shutting down the position senators and media organiza- popular news group known for critical tions cried out pure harassment and reporting of the Duterte administra- undisguised attack on press freedom. tion. “I strongly condemn the SEC’s It may just be coincidence that revocation of the registration of Rap- Rappler is headed by Managing pler,” Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said. Director Maria Rissa who previously “It would also send a chilling message PH NEWS | A3 headed ABS-CBN News and Public to other media entities to force them Affairs as chief and that President to toe the Administration’s propa- Durant leads Warriors Duterte earlier gave Rappler a piece ganda lines.” victory against Cavs of his mind for its alleged foreign Sen. Risa Hontiveros found it “a (L-R) Rappler Managing Director Maria Ressa and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar funding. ABS-CBN is in the crosshairs (Photos: www.techinasia.com / www.
    [Show full text]
  • LSDE September 01, 2020
    Leyte-Samar DAILYPOSITIVE EXPRESS l FAIR l FREE VOL. XXXI I NO. 073 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 P15.00 IN TACLOBAN As health workers getting COVID-19 infection Alfred calls DOH JOEY A. GABIETAto fix protocols TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Alfred Romual- Samar student dez has called on the Department of Health (DOH) to improve its system to ensure that no uses local fern health workers would further be infected of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). to create portraits Romualdez said that tract tracing, we have seen TACLOBAN CITY- during this time of pan- based on the report he has most of the transmissions Who would want to have demic,” he said. received from the contact are coming from health his or her portraits to be While the village where tracers of the city, many workers which led to trans- made out of leaves from a the young artist wanna-be health workers have be- mission to their houses and fern? lives, Barangay Binalayan, come sources of the virus, close contacts. So we have This was exactly what remain to be COVID-19 infecting their loved ones to address this immediately Ryan Managaysay, a 21-year free, the town of Tarang- and those that they are in- once and for all,” Romual- old second-year student nan is considered to be one teracting. dez said in a press confer- taking up education major of the hot spot areas in Sa- As of the latest count, ence Monday (August 31). in Social Sciences at the Sa- mar province of the dread- there are about 27 health “My concern is it’s not mar State University (SSU), ed virus.
    [Show full text]
  • Aid Money Drying Up
    Aid money drying up Daily Tribune​ - Published 2 days ago on April 27, 2020 12:07 AM By ​Hananeel Bordey Photo credit: Facebook page — Department of Social Welfare and Development @dswdserves As a result of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila and other hotbeds of the coronavirus disease 2019 being stretched until 15 May, relief money is about to run out, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista said. Bautista, on Sunday, indicated that funds for the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) given to the country’s poor is fast being depleted and the remaining resources will have to be distributed only to those who badly needed assistance. Under SAP, the government distributed P8,000 to each poor family in Metro Manila and P5,000 per household in the provinces. “The implementation of the SAP only to beneficiaries in ECQ areas is in consideration with the budget availability,” he said. Bautista referred to the statements of Department of Finance (DoF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado during a recent briefing led by President Rodrigo Duterte where both officials said only P45 billion remains of available funds after the government spent P352.7 billion for SAP in the ECQ’s initial one-and-a-half month scheduled to end 30 April. Only in ECQ areas “The bottomline there is really the budget intended for the succeeding days of the quarantine period is running short,” Bautista said. Under the new directive announced by the government, ECQ will be retained until mid-May in Metro Manila, Benguet, Pangasinan, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Albay and Catanduanes, Davao del Norte and Davao City.
    [Show full text]
  • Mega Swabbing Center in Taguig City Opens to Boost COVID19 Testing Capacity
    Date Released: 06 May 2020 Releasing Officer: DIR. ARSENIO R. ANDOLONG Chief, Public Affairs Service Mega Swabbing Center in Taguig City opens to boost COVID19 testing capacity Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana together with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año, National Action Plan Against COVID19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., Deputy Chief Implementer Secretary Vince Dizon and Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano inspected and witnessed the opening of Mega Swabbing Center in Taguig City on 6 May 2020. ENDERUN COLLEGES, Taguig City – As part of the government’s continuous efforts to mitigate the spread and the effects on public health of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19), the second Mega Swabbing Center opened in Taguig City on 6 May 2020. The swabbing center can conduct 1,000 to 1,500 swabs daily, boosting the country’s health system capacities to detect, isolate and treat COVID19 patients. DND Press Release | Page 1 of 2 Secretary of National Defense Delfin N. Lorenzana, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año, National Action Plan Against COVID19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., Deputy Chief Implementer Secretary Vince Dizon and Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano inspected and witnessed the opening of the facility. Health workers from the Department of Health will conduct the swabbing, while personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines will undertake the encoding part in the operations, according to Secretary Lorenzana. “We will supply personnel as bar coders and encoders from the Armed Forces, who will be trained to assist the swabbers in the Mega Swabbing Centers,” the Defense Chief said.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 1St Quarter Report
    JANUARY 06 2020 National Budget Passed into Law President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed into law the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA) on January 6, 2020. The 4.1-trillion Budget, which carries the theme “Continuing the journey to a more peaceful and progressive Philippines”, is 12 percent higher than the FY 2019 National Budget. It builds on the gains made over the first three and a half years of the Duterte Administration by continuing the thrust for genuine change, inclusive growth, and equitable development for the country and the Filipino people. The 2020 National Budget will sustain the critical infrastructure, human capital development, and peace and order initiatives of the Administration to support socio-economic growth. 2 3 Salary increase for gov’t workers implemented President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has signed into law a measure that increases the take-home pay of government employees, including teachers RA 11466 and nurses. Republic Act (RA) No. 11466 , otherwise known R.A. 11466 as the “Salary Standardization Law (SSL) of 2019,” was enacted on January 8, 2020. With this, civilian government employees will benefit from another round of salary increases starting January 2020 until 2023. The salaries, particularly of those in the rank-and-file, will be brought closer to, if not higher than, market-rate levels. The SSL 5 likewise institutionalized the grant of the Mid-Year Bonus, which is equivalent to one month basic salary. JANUARY 08 JANUARY Duterte Administration’s budget priorities tackled in DBM’s Budget Fora These Budget Fora have been an annual event of the DBM to set the parameters and procedures that will guide various offices/ agencies in the execution of the 2020 National Budget and the preparation of their respective proposed budgets for 2021.
    [Show full text]
  • Change in Schedule of Pre-SONA Forum 2020
    Republic of the Philippines National Economic and Development Authority MEMORANDUM VERY URGENT FOR : Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea OES Secretary Carlos Dominguez III DOF Acting Secretary Karl Chua NEDA Secretary Mark Villar DPWH Secretary Arthur Tugade DOTr Secretary Gregorio Honasan II DICT Secretary William Dar DA Secretary Ramon Lopez DTI Secretary Wendel Avisado DBM Secretary Fortunato de la Peña DOST Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat DOT Secretary Alfonso Cusi DOE Secretary Eduardo Año DILG Secretary Karlo Nograles OCS Secretary Isidro Lapeña TESDA Undersecretary Ferdinand Cui, Jr. PMS Governor Benjamin Diokno BSP SUBJECT : CHANGE IN TIME SCHEDULE OF THE “ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CLUSTER (EDC) AND INFRASTRUCTURE CLUSTER (IC) PRE-SONA FORUM 2020” ON 08 JULY 2020 FROM : EDC Secretariat DATE : 06 July 2020 1. Please be advised that the time of the 2020 Pre-SONA Economic Development Cluster (EDC) and Infrastructure Cluster (IC) Forum: Regaining Momentum, Accelerating Recovery in a Post COVID-19 World on 08 July 2020 has now been changed to 11:00 AM from 9:00 AM. 2. In this regard, the PCOO, through the EDC Secretariat, requests all EDC member agencies to post in their respective Facebook pages the Pre-SONA Schedule Update Image together with its proposed caption (kindly see attached Pre-SONA Schedule Update Image and Proposed Caption on Schedule Update). 3. Note that this is based on the latest instruction of the PCOO. 4. For questions and clarifications, your designated staff may wish to contact Mr. Antonio Jose G. Leuterio and Ms. Rodelyn L. Rodillas at e-mail addresses [email protected] and [email protected], respectively.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluation of the Sixth UNFPA Country Programme to the Philippines 2005-2010
    Evaluation of the Sixth UNFPA Country Programme to the Philippines 2005-2010 Prepared for: UNFPA Country Office, Manila, the Philippines Prepared by: Dr Godfrey JA Walker M.D. - Team Leader Dr. Magdalena C. Cabaraban, Ph.D. - Mindanao/ARMM Consultant Dr. Ernesto M Pernia, Ph.D. - PDS Consultant Dr. Pilar Ramos-Jimenez, Ph.D. - Gender and RH Consultant November 2010 Evaluation of the UNFPA Sixth Country Programme, Philippines 2005-2010 Table of Contents Page Map of the Philippines iv Acronyms v Executive Summary vii Background and Situation Analysis vii Evaluation Purpose, Audience and Methodology vii Main Conclusions vii Sustainability x Relevance x Impact – Effectiveness xi Factors Facilitating CP Success xi Efficiency xii Main Recommendations for the 2012-2016 Country Programme xii 1. UNFPA and Evaluation 1 2 Scope and Objectives of the Evaluation of the Sixth UNFPA Philippines Country Programme 1 3 Methods Used in the Evaluation 2 4 Country Background and Context 3 5 The Sixth UNFPA Philippines Country Programme 5 6 Review of Implementation of the PDS Component of the Country Programme 9 7 Review of Implementation of the RH Component of the Country Programme 21 7.1 Maternal Health 23 7.2 Family Planning 40 7.3 Adolescent Reproductive Health 47 7.4 HIV and AIDS 55 7.5 UNFPA’s Humanitarian Response Strategy for RH and SGBV 62 8 Review of Implementation of the Gender & Culture Component of the Country Programme 64 9 Review of Implementation of the Sixth Country Programme in Mindanao 75 10 UNFPA and Implementation of UNDAF, Joint UN Programmes and South to South Co-operation 89 11 Monitoring Implementation of the CP and Assessment of Overall Achievement ii Evaluation of the UNFPA Sixth Country Programme, Philippines 2005-2010 of the Targets Set in the CPD and CPAP 2005-2009 93 12 Management of the Country Programme: Complementarity, Coordination and Integration of RH, PDS, Gender and Culture.
    [Show full text]
  • DENR Online News Monitoring
    DATE: ____JULY _20________, 2020 DAY: _____MONDAY________ DENR IN THE NEWS Strategic Communication and Initiatives Service STRATEGIC BANNER COMMUNICATION UPPER PAGE 1 EDITORIAL CARTOON STORY STORY INITIATIVES PAGE LOWER SERVICE July 20, 2020 PAGE 1/ DATE TITLE : DENR, humirit sa Kongreso na bigatan pa ang parusa sa R.A. 9147 July 19, 2020 - 07:02 PM Humihirit si Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu sa Kongreso na bigatan pa ang parusa sa Republic Act (RA) 9147 o ang Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001. Ayon kay Cimatu, ito ay dahil sa nagiging paulit-ulit lamang ang paglabag ng mga sindikato. “RA 9147 should be amended to include a mandatory minimum jail term of six years for those found guilty of the criminal acts defined under the law,” ani Cimatu. “This is to make sure that convicted offenders will be able to serve their sentence and will not be eligible for probation,” pahayag ni Roy. Sinabi ito ni Cimatu matapos ang isang task force sa ilalim ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ay nakaaresto ng dalawang suspek sa ilegal na pagbebenta ng wildlife Tondo, Manila. Sa pamamagitan ng entrapment operation, nasagip ng Philippine Operations Group on Ivory and Illegal Wildlife Trade (Task Force POGI), ang 42 threatened at endangered species na mga pagong na tinatayang nagkakahalaga ng Php550,000 mula kay Eumir Rommel Raganit at Bruce Kenneth Tan na ngayon ay nahaharap sa kasong paglabag sa RA 9147. Kasama sa mga nasagip ay 11 black pond turtles (Geoclemys hamiltonii), na itinuturing na critically endangered sa ilalim ng DENR Administrative Order No.
    [Show full text]
  • President Rodrigo Duterte's Economic Team
    Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 07/31/2020 6:07:26 PM Media Releases (February to June 2020) 1. March 16 Media Release: Philippine DoF pledges over USD525 million to support health authorities and provide economic relief during COVID-19 March 16, 2020 PRESS RELEASE Gov’t economic team rolls out P27.1 B package vs COVID-19 pandemic President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic team has announced a P27.i-billion package of priority actions to help frontliners fight the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and provide economic relief to people and sectors affected by the virus-induced slowdown in economic activity. The package consists of government initiatives to better equip our health authorities in fighting COVID-19 and also for the relief and recovery efforts for infected people and the various sectors now reeling from the adverse impact of the lethal pathogen. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, who chairs the Duterte Cabinet's Economic Development Cluster (EDC), said on Monday the measures in the package “are designed to do two things: First is to ensure that funding is available for the efforts of the Department of Health (DOH) to contain the spread of COVID-19. Second is to provide economic relief to those whose businesses and livelihoods have been affected by the spread of this disease.” “As directed by President Duterte, the government will provide targeted and direct programs to guarantee that benefits will go to our workers and other affected sectors. We have enough but limited resources, so our job is to make sure that we have sufficient funds for programs mitigating the adverse effects of COVID-19 on our economy,” he added.
    [Show full text]