COVID CASES JUMP TO 3,246; DEATHS AT 152

MANILA — The number of confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID) cases

nationwide yesterday jumped to 3,246 while fatalities rose to 152, according

to the Department of Health (DOH).

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said 152 new cases pushed the

total to 3,246 and eight new deaths brought to152 the number of fatalities.

Vergeire also reported that seven additional recoveries brought to 64 the

number of patients who recovered from the illness.

She explained that number of COVID fatalities was higher than the number of

recoveries because recovery time for those afflicted with the infection

takes at least two weeks.

“From the onset of infection, it takes two weeks for patients with mild

symptoms to recover and three to six weeks recovery time for the severe and

critical case. That is why we have yet to record higher number of recoveries

from our active cases,” Vergeire said.

She said the lack in testing capacity in the past also contributed to the

high number of deaths.

“Only the vulnerable and high risk population were being tested for COVID

before that is why there are more fatalities than recoveries,” Vergeire

said.

But with mass testing to start after Easter, the DOH expects fewer

COVID-related deaths.

PEOPLE UNHAPPY WITH COVID RESPONSE FREE TO CRITICIZE – DUTERTE

MANILA — People who are not satisfied with the government’s handling of the

coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are free to use the internet to

express their views, President Duterte said.

“I govern properly and right. If it makes you happy, then you smile. If not,

you criticize me,” Duterte said in a televised public address last Friday.

“Walang pigil, social media, lahat kayo (No one is preventing you from using

social media. All of you),” he added.

Some sectors have expressed concern that the Bayanihan ActÂ’s provisions on

fake news would be used to suppress views critical of the government.

Under the Bayanihan Act, which provides Duterte additional powers to combat

COVID-19, individuals or groups creating, perpetrating, or spreading false

information on the pandemic that are clearly geared to promote chaos, panic,

anarchy, fear, or confusion may be imprisoned for two months or slapped with

a fine ranging from P10,000 to P1 million or both.

Rights lawyer Chel Diokno has accused the National Bureau of Investigation

of going after citizens who merely expressed their sentiments on the way the

government responded to the COVID-19 crisis. The NBI has confirmed issuing

more than a dozen subpoenas but clarified that it does not focus on social

media comments but on factual errors or the “malicious intent” to spread

false news. Officials have also given assurances that the law wonÂ’t be used

to silence critics of the government.

ROBREDO APPEALS FOR MAXIMUM TOLERANCE ON ECQ

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday appealed to law enforcers for

maximum tolerance as they strictly implement the enhanced community

quarantine in Luzon to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019.

Robredo made the statement in reaction to a recent order by President

Duterte to the police to shoot “troublemakers” during the Luzon lockdown

when the authoritiesÂ’ lives are in danger.

“We need to put into perspective why we need the checkpoints. The very

essence of this is to save lives and not to further spread the virus. For

me, the order to kill the violators is a wrong message,” the Vice President

said in her weekly program over radio station dzXL.

“It’s crucial for our law enforcers to observe maximum tolerance, they also

need to understand why there are people who insist to go out. ItÂ’s OK to

have strict enforcement, but they must also treat the people humanely,”

Robredo, a former human rights lawyer, added.

Duterte on Friday night denied giving law enforcers a “shoot-to-kill” order

against people flouting the enhanced community quarantine regulations.

“I never said in public ‘shoot-to-kill.’ Period,” he said in a televised

address.

The President added that police officers and soldiers would only resort to

strict measures if their lives are threatened.

“If you resist, if you put the lives of police officers in danger, (to

police) shoot them, kill them. That’s the law,” he said.

QUARANTINE EXTENSION GAINS SUPPORT

MANILA — From Vice President Leni Robredo to senators, opposition lawmakers

and the secretary of the interior, there is growing support for the

extension of the enhanced community quarantine but with restrictions

gradually eased, and improved public health measures put in place.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año yesterday said the Inter-Agency Task Force

(IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases would meet today

to discuss whether the Luzon-wide quarantine would be extended or modified

to address the health crisis.

“As far as I am concerned, I think it’s better to continue the lockdown

until we have flattened the curve, so we will not have any relapse,” he said

in an interview.

Año said the possible extension of the quarantine is the No. 1 agenda of the

meeting so that they could come up with a recommendation before April 10.

He said the lockdown is effective and the country needs to extend the strict

quarantine measures to sustain its gains.

“Pinag-aaralan nila yung trend sa buong mundo at saka yung pag-aaral dito sa

coronavirus (They are studying the trend around the world and the study here

of the coronavirus). Sinasabi kasi nila na (They are saying) compared with

other countries, we are really doing good now. Compared with US, Italy,

Spain, (Britain), we are really doing good because we have the lockdown,” he

said in another interview with dzMM.

He added that the government is trying to avoid a relapse wherein a second

surge of infections could be harder to contain.

The DILG chief said they are “still expecting the worse” as the confirmed

cases in the country topped 3,000.

DUTERTE DONATING ONE MONTH'S SALARY TO COVID-19 RESPONSE

President Rodrigo Duterte will donate his one-month salary to support

efforts to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a

fast-spreading pandemic that has infected more than one millions people

worldwide, more than 3,000 of them in the Philippines.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo notes that many Cabinet members have

pledged to donate 75% of their monthly salaries from April to December to

boost the government's fight against the disease.

"Others have volunteered a salary deduction for the whole duration of the

state of public health emergency in solidarity with our countrymen and to

help in the government efforts to halt the spread of the coronavirus,"

Panelo says in a statement issued Sunday.

"The President is likewise donating his one month salary for the cause," he

adds.

Duterte earns close to P400,000 per month, based on the latest government

salary hike passed by Congress.

Panelo says other officials with the rank of secretary are giving portions

of their salaries to boost the campaign against COVID-19.

DOH SEES END TO HARASSMENT OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS

MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) sees an end to harassment and

violence against health workers and persons under investigation (PUI) for

coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with the passage of an

anti-discrimination ordinance.

“This is a necessary step towards avoiding unfair treatment and crimes

against our countrymen who are victims of this virus, including our

frontliners who are instrumental in our fight against COVID-19,” said Health

Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, as she commended the Manila city

government for issuing the anti-discrimination ordinance for frontliners,

PUIs and persons under monitoring (PUM).

DOH previously condemned acts of discrimination and harassment against

health workers.

According to Vergeire, health workers are among those to be prioritized in

the mass testing for COVID-19, which the government will implement starting

April 14.

“We need to prioritize the vulnerable members of the population such as

pregnant women, those who are immunocompromised, and our frontline health

workers who have the highest exposure to the virus,” Vergeire said during

the Beat COVID-19 virtual presser Saturday afternoon.

Beginning Tuesday, the DOH expects to conduct 3,000 tests per day, and

increase the capacity to 8,000, and even as much as 10,000 tests per day by

the end of April.

With expanded testing, Vergeire said, the DOH expects to get a fuller

assessment of the public health situation.

Meanwhile, workers who get infected with COVID-19 while doing their job can

avail themselves of temporary disability and other benefits, the Employees

Compensation Commission (ECC) reported yesterday.

MANILA CITY FAMILIES TO RECEIVE P1,000 CASH AID, ISKO SAYS

MANILA — The City Government of Manila is set to extend P1000 aid to more

than 5,000 families in the city as the Luzon-wide enhanced community

lockdown.

Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno announced in a Facebook live Sunday night that

he signed Ordinance No. 8625, allowing the grant of City Amelioration Crisis

Assistance Fund (CAFAF) 2020.

“Bawat isang pamilya, 568,000 families per total of the listed barangays,

tatanggap po kayo—kaysa intayin pa niyo ang pagkain na laging nade-delay

dahil sa kulang na suplay—ay bibigyan po kayo ng pamahalaang lungsod ng

Maynila na tig-iisang libong piso,” Moreno said.

This will be on top of the food box that will be given to the families in

the city, Moreno added.

The city mayor said priority will be given to the 544 barangays who are yet

to receive food box from the local government.

“House-to-house (ang distribution), wala pong pila. Lahat ng itinala ninyo

ay dapat nÂ’yong bigyan isa-isa. Sila ay mag-iisyu ng resibo at

acknowledgement receipt,” he explained.

DOCTORS, LAWYERS URGE COVID PATIENTS TO WAIVE PRIVACY

MANILA — The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and two medical

organizations yesterday appealed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

patients and persons under investigation (PUI) to waive their right to

patient privacy to aid the Department of Health (DOH)Â’s contact tracing

efforts and stem the spread of the disease.

In a one-page statement, IBP national president Domingo Egon Cayosa, along

with Philippine Medical Association (PMA) president Jose Santiago Jr. and

Philippine College of Surgeons (PCS) president Jose Antonio Salud, said the

pressing demands of public health and safety have outweighed individual

rights.

“We earnestly request that COVID-19 patients or PUIs voluntarily waive the

confidentiality of their medical condition and forthrightly inform those

they have been in close contact with; that the government, particularly the

DOH, prudently use and promptly share medical information to enable all

concerned authorities, institutions and persons to effectively take

precautionary and remedial measures,” they said.

With the increasing number of COVID-19 patients seeking treatment or

admission in clinics and hospitals, some of whom do not divulge their true

condition, they risk infecting these health institutions and their health

workers.

It also becomes difficult for government to conduct timely, adequate and

complete contact tracing. It would be difficult to determine how many virus

carriers may have multiplied because they were not properly tested,

quarantined, isolated or treated.

They added it would only be fair to those who may have had contact with a

COVID-19 positive patient or a PUI, that they be informed so they could take

precautionary or remedial measures.

RIZAL STARTS LOCKDOWN TODAY

MANILA — The province of Rizal will be on lockdown starting today to address

the rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Acting governor Reynaldo San Juan Jr. yesterday issued Executive Order 14,

restricting entry to and exit from the province to protect residents from

potential virus carriers who are not from Rizal.

The lockdown will take effect at 8 a.m., the provincial government said

without indicating how long it would last.

“It is for the protection of the province. We want to ensure the safety of

our people. Considerations have been done since the implementation of the

community quarantine, but people do not take it seriously,” San Juan said.

POPE FRANCIS NAMES NEW JOLO BISHOP

MANILA — Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop for the vicariate apostolic

of Jolo, Sulu.

The appointment of Fr. Charlie Inzon as apostolic vicar of the Jolo

Vicariate was announced by Pope Francis on Saturday, according to the

CBCPNews, the official publication of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the

Philippines.

Before his appointment, Inzon had been serving as provincial superior of the

Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) since 2018.

Jolo has been without a bishop for 14 months.

The 54-year-old Inzon replaced Bishop Angelito Lampon, who was appointed

archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cotabato in January last year.

Another OMI priest, Fr. Romel Saniel, served as acting administrator of the

Jolo Vicariate before InzonÂ’s appointment.

An apostolic vicariate is a local church that has yet to be established as a

diocese.

Inzon was born in Putiao, Sorsogon on Nov. 24, 1965. He studied philosophy

at the Notre Dame University in Cotabato City and theology at the Ateneo De

Manila University.

He was ordained on April 24, 1993.

NEW CLARK CITY CONVERTED INTO HOSPITAL

Government buildings at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac have been

refurbished and converted into a 1,000-bed hospital, IATF spokesperson Karlo

Nograles said Monday.

NTF COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez also reported that the Rizal

Stadium will be ready by this week with a capacity of 200 beds and the World

Trade Center will also hold 500 beds and will have living quarters for

health workers once finished.

"Sec. Galvez also reports that many LGUs have also stepped up efforts to

provide quarantine areas in their respective localities, and we will report

on the same in the days ahead," Nograles said at the Laging Handa virtual

briefing.

ISKO SHUTS DOWN HOSPITAL AS 5 STAFF GET COVID

MANILA — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Saturday night ordered the closure of

the Sampaloc Hospital after five of its frontliners tested positive for the

coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

Moreno stopped the hospitalÂ’s operations to give way to the disinfection of

the medical facility and allow the frontliners to recover after attending to

COVID-19 patients, who could have transmitted the virus.

According to the city public information office, 14 doctors, eight nurses

and seven administrative personnel of the hospital are undergoing quarantine

as they are considered persons under investigation (PUIs) amid exposure to

COVID-19.

Moreno said if the health workers were not isolated, the virus may spread

among them.

He assured the public that other government-run hospitals in the city would

remain open.

Moreno said patients seeking medical attention may proceed to the Ospital ng

Tondo, Ospital ng Maynila, Gat Andres Bonifacio Medical Center and Justice

Jose Abad Santos General Hospital.

Manila has recorded 18 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the number to 156

with 305 PUIs .

Twenty-five people have died of COVID-19 and 14 others recovered from the

disease.

DOOR-TO-DOOR DELIVERY OF VEGETABLES, FRUITS AS AGRI DEPT TAPS E-COMMERCE

MANILA -- The Department of Agriculture partnered with an online shopping

platform to deliver produce to Metro Manila homes during the COVID-19

lockdown, DZMM reported Monday.

Consumers can shop on the website and have fruits and vegetables delivered

to their doorstep. Nearby areas such as Antipolo are also covered, according

to the report.

Also on Monday, the department brought its Kadiwa Market of low-priced

produce to the Philippine Coconut Authority in Quezon City. The pop-up

market is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be in the area until

Wednesday, DZMM said.

Luzon, home to half the Philippines' 100 million population is on lockdown

until April 12 to stop the coronavirus pandemic. During which, people are

required to stay at home and travel is restricted to food, medical supplies

and frontline workers.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

ACTOR MENGGIE COBARRUBIAS DIES OF SUSPECTED COVID-19

MANILA — Award-winning actor Menggie Cobarrubias passed away this morning

due to suspected novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), his niece

Patricia Prudon confirmed on Facebook.

Prudon first posted that her uncle died "from battling NCOV-19," but later

on said that they lost her uncle "from pneumonia complications."

"I lost my uncle this morning from pneumonia complications. Still to confirm

if NCOV-19 positive siya. Will keep everyone posted," she said. "My heart

aches that I could not see him one last time. Rest in peace, Tito Menggie!

We love you! Thank you for being a father, a lawyer, a general and a whole

lot more roles to Philippine cinema. You will surely be missed. Ingat

everyone. Stay at home. Don't risk it. To all my Cobarrubias family please

pray for our loved one's soul and his family."

Menggie's wife Gina Jorge Cobarrubias also confirmed the news in a Facebook

post.

"Goodbye my love. Thank you for the 30 wonderful years. I love you. Dear God

please give me the strength to be able to face this very difficult moment of

my life," she wrote.

Early this week, actor Lui Manansala posted that Cobarrubias was in critical

condition while waiting for his COVID-19 test result.

Cobarrubias, who portrayed a myriad of roles including doctors, starred

alongside Piolo Pascual and John Lloyd Cruz in "Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis,"

with Vilma Santos in "Bata, Bata Paano Ka Ginawa?"; with Nora Aunor in

"Kabisera"; and with Bea Alonzo and Charo Santos-Concio in "Eerie," among

many others.

In 2014, he won Best Actor at QCinema International Film Festival and in

1980, as Best Supporting Actor at Gawad Urian.

Before he passed away today, the actor was able to post "Good bye" on his

Facebook account.

Good bye

Posted by Domingo Cobarrubias on Wednesday, March 25, 2020

SPORTS

FOOTBALL: BAYERN MUNICH TO RESUME TRAINING ON MONDAY

BERLIN, Germany -- Bayern Munich said Sunday that players will return to

training on Monday for the first time since the Bundesliga was suspended due

to the coronavirus.

Bayern led the table by four points when the season was halted on March 13.

"The Bayern Munich first team will return to training in small groups from

Monday, April 6," said a statement from the club.

"This will be done in coordination with government policy and the relevant

authorities.

"It goes without saying that all hygiene regulations will be strictly

observed."

German football league officials had already advised a break in training

until Sunday at the earliest.

Bayern said that training will be held in private with no members of the

public allowed.

"In order to further slow the spread of the coronavirus, Bayern asks fans to

continue to follow the instructions of the authorities and therefore please

do not come to the Bayern training ground," added the statement.

More than 1,300 people have died in Germany from the coronavirus.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. - Ralph Waldo Emerson