Coronavirus Lockdown: 93.9% Recovery Rate, Arrest Those Who Refuse to be Vaccinated, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.

When it comes to face shields it appears the issue is not science but the decree of Duterte.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/791889/palace-duterte-statement-on-face-shield-use-considered-policy/story/

President Rodrigo Duterte's statement requiring the wearing of face shields  on top of face masks only in hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic is considered policy, Malacañang said Thursday.

“I can confirm what Senate President [Vicente] Sotto and Senator [Joel] Villanueva said that the President did say that the wearing of face shield should only be in hospitals,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said during a Palace briefing.

“When the President has decided, that is the policy,” he added.

Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the government's policy-making body in the COVID-19 response, can appeal the President's decision, Roque said.

“The President announced a new policy but this is without prejudice to the IATF appealing the decision of the President,” he said.

On the one hand, "the President has spoken" should never be how any policy is decided but, on the other hand, good riddance to face shields. The DOH will appeal and hopefully that appeal gets shut down not just because Duterte has spoken but because there is no science to back it up.

While some have lauded this move on Duterte's part the PNP is warning people that they still need to wear face shields because they have received no new directives as of this time. When it comes to face shields it depends on who is talking. That's because the government does not exactly have a uniform policy especially now that Duterte has made his pronouncement.

One health expert says face shields are a must because of variants which are more communicable.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/06/18/21/continue-to-use-face-shield-expert-says-philippines-outdoor

An expert infectious diseases urged the public on Friday to continue wearing face shields, even in areas where the plastic coverings are no longer required, to dodge more infectious COVID-19 variants.  

The Delta COVID-19 variant that originated in India, 13 cases of which were tallied in the Philippines, is 60 percent more transmissible than the Alpha variant first detected in the United Kingdom, said Dr. Edsel Salvaña, a member of the group that advises the health department. 

The Alpha variant is already 60 percent more infectious than the original COVID-19 variant, he noted.  

Face shields could serve as an "extra layer of protection" against these variants, he said in a televised public briefing. 

(For me, even if they say that face shields are no longer required, I will continue to use them, especially with the threat of this variant.) 

Maybe they could offer protection but maybe not. But what's worse is that the Philippines lacks the tools to detect those variants.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/18/21/lack-of-genome-sequencing-kits-slows-down-identification-of-ph-covid-19-samples

Identification of COVID-19 variants in the Philippines has slowed down in the past weeks due to "logistical issues", the Department of Health said Friday. 

For about 2 weeks, the DOH did not report how many individuals were carriers of foreign COVID-19 variants in the Philippines due to the lack of genome sequencing kits, Health 

Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online press conference. 

(Maybe supplies will arrive this coming week... We just encountered some logistical issues.) 

(These supplies will last until the end of the year so we do not see that we will have issues by the end of the year.)

Logistical issues? Hopefully they get that fixed soon.

Meanwhile if not face shields, face masks are in!

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/383291/customers-will-be-penalized-for-not-wearing-masks-inside-restaurants-bars-cafes-eoc

According to the new order of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to all food and beverage establishments in the city, the customers will be required to wear their masks unless they are in the act of eating and drinking. 

If they are simply waiting for their orders, talking with companions, or have finished their meals, they must be wearing their masks. 

“Customers should only remove their face masks when in the act of eating or drinking and should immediately wear them afterwards,” said the order.

I really have to wonder who is going to enforce these regulations. Is the local government paying people to roam about restaurants looking for violators? 

Despite all that nonsense the Philippines could be face mask-free by Christmas.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/17/21/philippines-covid-mask-vaccine-christmas

Malacañang on Thursday expressed optimism that Filipinos can ditch anti-virus masks in some public areas by Christmas this year, as the COVID-19 vaccination drive ramps up. 

Molecular biologist Fr. Nicanor Austriaco Jr., OP, in a Palace briefing, said Metro Manila and 8 focus areas could achieve COVID-19 containment by October, and herd immunity in November. 

(That is achievable. We are aiming for population protection, or containment as Fr. Austriaco put it, because we know that countries which have achieved containment no longer mask up, at least outdoors.)

Israel and parts of the US, among others, have contained their COVID-19 outbreaks, Roque noted. 

"That's what we are aiming for--tama po si Fr. Austriaco--a mask-less Christmas," he added. 

That would be great but it depends on the vaccination program which involves many factors not the least of which is actually getting vaccines in the country. Maybe by Christmas we will also see segregated spaces for vaccinated and non-vaccinated people.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/06/19/2106537/segregation-proposed-vaccinated-people-public-places

Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion is proposing segregation in business establishments between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals to allow a safer reopening of the economy, which is still reeling from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

“The application can be on time or physical location,” Concepcion said in a phone interview yesterday. He said for instance, in certain sports events like basketball, vaccinated spectators may view the game from an area separate from that occupied by unvaccinated fans.

In movie theaters, he said the segregation could be applied by setting a different showing time for those vaccinated and unvaccinated.

He said segregation is being considered by the private sector as a way to allow further reopening of the economy with some business activities still closed and prohibited from operating.

“These are ideas we are floating on how to increase capacity. In other words, right now, movie theaters are closed, etc. So how do you open it up safely? These are ideas,” he said.

These maybe "just ideas" but they are bad ideas. What is the need of all this madness when the DOH admits that the recovery rate across the country is 93.9%?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1144063

An additional 4,585 patients have beaten the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), pushing the country's overall recovery count to 1,257,774 on Thursday.

The Department of Health (DOH), in its latest Covid-19 bulletin, said recoveries account for 93.9 percent of a total of 1,339,457 infections since the start of the pandemic last year.

Another 6,637 new cases and 155 new deaths were also reported. These figures bring the overall tally of active cases to 58,407 and the death toll to 23,276.

The latest figures showed 91.8 percent of the active cases are mild, 3.8 percent are asymptomatic, 1.8 percent are severe, 1.30 percent are moderate, and 1.3 percent are in critical condition.

Look at those statistics and tell me again that this is a pandemic. It's not. 

As the vaccine program continues, the Philippines is set to receive 40 million doses of Pfizer's vaccine which the DOH says is key to herd immunity, quarantine statuses will change which means traffic will increase.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/06/19/2106550/mmda-expects-worst-edsa-traffic

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has admitted it is “expecting the worst” for traffic on EDSA as the number of cars using the major thoroughfare is approaching pre-pandemic figures.

In an interview with One News yesterday morning, MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos said the number of cars currently using the avenue is already nearing 400,000 – almost similar to the “Carmageddon” along EDSA before the COVID-19 pandemic struck last year.

“Now, that is our situation. Only a few (thousand number of cars) and we are back to the (number of cars during) pre-pandemic time,” Abalos said in Filipino and English. “There is only a difference based on the status. For example, when the new variant (of COVID-19) was found earlier in the year, the number (of cars) dipped by 10,000. Every time there is a new status, the number dips. But for now, let us expect the worst. Let us expect it to a number closer to pre-pandemic figures,” he added. To alleviate traffic congestion along EDSA, Abalos said they are looking into instituting several possible policies, taking into consideration that the capacity is only about 300,000 cars a day.

Traffic maybe increasing but getting back to normal is not going to happen anytime soon. 

Contrary to the way this article started it turns out Duterte has not done away with face shields but has instead made them mandatory both inside and outside as a way to avoid "disaster for the nation."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1144480

The “small inconvenience” of wearing face shields is a “small price to pay” to prevent impending “disaster” caused by new coronavirus strains, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday.

Duterte defended his decision to retain the mandatory face shield policy, citing the need to be more cautious over the highly infectious Delta coronavirus variant (B1617) first discovered in India.

The Philippines, he said, could not afford another coronavirus wave as it would take a toll on the country’s economy.

He also cited reports that the new coronavirus strain could be resistant to some Covid-19 vaccines.

“I will apologize to the Filipino people that this thing was being discussed openly and many thought that we were ready to do away with the face [shields]. But with the kind of aggressive infection that poses a very grave danger to…it’s a small inconvenience, actually. I know that it is inconvenient really to be wearing the mask, adjusting it from time to time. But that is only a very small price to pay than rather gamble with doing away with it and courting disaster,” Duterte said in a meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), some Cabinet members, and medical experts.

His decision to retain the mandatory face shield policy came following health experts’ recommendation to “triple” precautions against the Delta coronavirus strain.

“As of now, the face [shield] is on...It is to the national interest that we must triple our effort because I said we do not know if it would require a new vaccine which has to be invented first. Second, we cannot afford a second wave because it might be far worse than the first and then we will have a problem with the economy and as I said it would be disaster for the country,” he added.

He also clarified that he never said with finality that he would lift the mandatory wearing of face shields.

There is still no scientific evidence to support the wearing of face shields and the Philippines, along with Peru, remains the only nation in the world requiring this accouterment. This announcement comes after a few days of conflicting statements from both the Palace and the DOH regarding the necessity of face shields. There is more confusion regarding quarantine classifications as the DOH wants to see them lifted  to give LGUs a freer hand at managing the pandemic while the Palace says that will not be happening anytime soon. 

One LGU, Cebu City, is not at all on board with the national government. They have filed a lawsuit against the IATF over the protocols regarding quarantining incoming travelers. Duterte reacted by saying he will not abide by any court order in this matter as his word is law.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1449063/duterte-says-he-wont-obey-courts-over-pandemic-management

“I don’t want to lock horns with the judiciary. I said I respect it. But there are times that, you know… the courts can function normally and maybe grant injunctions,” Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino. “But this time, I said they are put on notice that I will not be stopped. I will not obey the courts in the matter now of managing the pandemic.”

All of this is moot now because after this tirade Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia relented and said they would follow the national protocols set by the IATF. 

Despite being a lawyer Duterte has zero respect for the courts or for the rule of law for that matter. He is on record as dismissing the Constitution as being just a piece of paper. His newest outrageous, and unenforceable, threat is that he will have those who refuse to be vaccinated arrested and forcibly injected.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1449112/you-dont-want-to-get-vaccinated-vs-covid-19-then-face-possible-arrest-duterte-warns

“They are hard-headed.  Don’t get me wrong. There is a crisis being faced in this country. There is a national emergency. If you don’t want to get vaccinated, I will have you arrested. And I will inject the vaccine in your butt. [CURSES]. You are pests. We are already suffering and you’re adding to the burden,” Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino.

“So all you Filipinos listening, watch out. Don’t force my hand into it…  I have a strong arm for that. Nobody likes it. But if you won’t get vaccinated, leave the Philippines. Go to India or somewhere — to America.  But as long as you are here and you are a human being that can carry the virus, get yourself vaccinated,” he added.

The President also threatened to ask the Department of the Interior and Local government to order barangay officials to list people who would refuse to get vaccinated. In jest, he added that he would have them injected ivermectin — the controversial anti-parasitic drug that some doctors claim could cure COVID-19.

“These are the stupid people who don’t like to be vaccinated. And they are really the carriers, you know. They can travel from one place to another and carrying the virus and contaminating other people. You people who don’t like to get vaccinated, I’ll have injected with a vaccine for pigs— this ivermectin. That will really kill [the virus], including you,” he said.

Everything about this "joke" is stupid. Duterte is apparently unaware that the vaccine offers no immunity and that even the vaccinated can be carriers and get sick. But apparently the Palace is insistent about this. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1449391/palace-law-ordinance-needed-to-arrest-people-refusing-to-get-covid-19-vaccine

According to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, the country’s jurisprudence allows the government to compel mandatory vaccination but that such action would still need a law or ordinance to provide for the punishment of people unwilling to get jabbed against the disease. 

(Under the jurisprudence of the Philippines and America, the government can implement compulsory vaccination but it needs a legal basis so it needs either an ordinance or a law that would provide for the punishment of those who refuse to get vaccinated.) 

The Palace official also said the State has an inherent police power to implement policies, even if it could violate certain rights, to protect public health. 

(When you say police power, there are really policies that could violate rights in exchange for the larger interest and this is the public health and public safety.) 

Roque added that the Executive branch could easily ask Congress to draft a law on the matter but he said President Rodrigo Duterte hopes it does not come to that point. Duterte earlier threatened to have individuals who refuse to get COVID-19 vaccines arrested. 

Roque then said Duterte only made the threat to “emphasize what the state can do.”

These statements soundly rebuke those who defended Duterte's remarks as merely expressing his exasperation. The Palace really thinks the government has both the power and prerogative to force vaccinations upon penalty of arrest. They also want to make that scenario a reality if it comes "to that point." Even Duterte's legal counsel, Panelo, says Duterte has a, "constitutional command" to enforce such a law.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1144674

In a press statement, Panelo defended Duterte’s warning, saying the Chief Executive's statement is “not without any constitutional basis”.

Citing Article 2, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution, Panelo said “the prime duty of the government is to serve and protect the people”.

“Thus, with the prime duty of the government to serve and protect the people — as constitutionally enshrined in Article 2, Section 4 — the President as its head is charged with the obligation to do what is necessary to comply with the constitutional command,” he said.

What a twisted reading of the Constitution. With this interpretation basically any law could be passed in the name of public safety. In a land where liberty is not much valued the Supreme Court would likely uphold it.

Lots More Coronavirus Signs and Situations

I have written several articles concerning coronavirus signs and situations. I prefer each article to be based on silly things I have seen with my own two eyes but let's start this off with something I only saw in the news. On Twitter actually.

https://twitter.com/PhilstarNews/status/1384088513247813633

"Stay at home, or come with me"

Police officers arrange a scary display at the checkpoint along San Mateo, Rizal by the boundary of Quezon City to remind people to stay at home due to different variants of COVID-19.

This is a weird one. The cops are discouraging people at checkpoints from going any further due to, not just COVID-19, but the many variants floating around. But if you are at a checkpoint then obviously you  want or need to be out for some reason. Why turn back just because you see an early halloween display?

What's really funny is if you zoom in the sign reads:

Stay home?

or 

Come with me?

Grammatically it does not even make sense because neither once of those choices should be a question. It's all declarative, "Stay home or come with me!"  It's just desperate scare tactics for a virus that has an over 90% survival rate and that you don't even know you have unless you get tested.

You know what else is scary? Machines! How many movies have there been made and how many science fiction books have been written where the machines take over? Ok, maybe machines in real life aren't so scary but they tend to impart a seriousness to the situation. Like this machine:

This is a sanitation corridor. Why the security guard did not want me to take a picture of it I have no idea. There is nothing secretive about it. You can see it from the street. He even told me how it works. You walk through it and you get sprayed with a mist of alcohol. Maybe he just did not want me to show the world how scared and stupid this BPO is.

Lots of fake drugs to combat COVID-19 are going around. A few boxes of them ended up on my dinner table but I had no idea at the time they were fake.

This drug is called "Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang" and I have no idea what it does because the box and instructions are all in Chinese!

It turns out this particular version of this drug is unapproved by the FDA.  They have only approved the English language box.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/19/21/fda-warns-public-vs-unregistered-drug-lianhua-qingwen-jiaonang-with-chinese-characters

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned the public against the selling of unregistered drug product Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang with Chinese characters. 

Based on its advisory dated April 7, FDA said their continuing post-marketing surveillance saw “incessant sale” of the product even on social media. 

“As per continuing post-marketing surveillance, there is still incessant sale and distribution even through social media platforms such as Facebook, of Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang with Chinese characters, which were verified as unregistered by the FDA,” the FDA said.

The FDA reminded the public that only the drug with English text and said details in the advisory was issued with a Certificate of Product Registration and approved to be sold or marketed in the country.

“Thus, the agency cannot guarantee the quality and safety of the product with the Chinese text due to these have not undergone evaluation by the FDA and came from unlicensed sources or establishment. The consumption of such violative product may pose potential danger or injury if administered,” it said. 

What the difference is between the contents of the English box and the Chinese box is, I don't know. 

We all have heard how strict the PNP can be about enforcing COVID-19 protocols. Now you can be arrested for not wearing a face mask properly. I was on the jeepney a while back when they waved us over. Everyone that had a face shield quickly put it on. Those who did not faced these harrowing scenes:

In the first picture the PNP had stopped us. In the second on of them is taking pictures of the fact that they had handed out face shields! Woo!  Thank goodness no one went to jail. But that guy who received a free face shield did not even put it on and we all took them off as soon as the jeepney began moving.  

Now let me show you probably the most "They Live" billboards I have ever seen. What is the real message here?

Vaccine is safe

Vaccine works

Sure thing. The vaccine is so safe I need a billboard to tell me so. Why is that? 

Let's look at one last propaganda poster.

This is just your regular run-of-the-mill COVID-19 propaganda poster. But there is something odd at the bottom.

USAID?  Why is the CIA sponsoring this propaganda? Of course they have donated millions in equipment, why not help with the propaganda? The CIA is great in that department. See Operation Mockingbird!

Insurgency: Global Pressure

Recently the media has been captivated by the killing of two cousins by an NPA landmine. Their story has been covered in many stories even documenting their burial. But not all NPA crimes get as much coverage.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143794

Two police officers from Butuan City Police Office Station 4 (BCPO-4) were held at a gunpoint, hogtied, and killed by 10 armed men believed to be members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).

Brig. Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr., Police Regional Office Caraga director, identified the slain police officers as Police Executive Master Sergeant (PEMS) Sherwin Roy Cajutol and Corporal Nazar Libot.

“They were dispatched in Sitio Tagulaje, Barangay Antongalon, Butuan City at around 6 a.m. on Tuesday (June 15) to conduct follow-up intelligence operation when attacked by NPA rebels,” Caramat said in a statement Tuesday.

He added that BCPO-4 received information last week on the plan of the NPA rebels to attack the farm of Col. Canilo Fuentes, the former chief of BCPO.

“The two police officers were held at gunpoint, hogtied and dragged by the NPA rebels towards the nearby farm of Col. Fuentes. Inside the farm, the rebels mercilessly shot and killed the two police officers,” Caramat said.

The NPA rebels also carted away the issued short firearms of the slain police officers, he added.

“We slam this atrocity that claimed the lives of our police officers. What the NPA showed was a blatant arrogance and disregard to the value of human life,” Caramat said.

That is a very atrocious act of violence agains two policemen. The details are also of the kind that would certainly attract readers and the nature of the crime lays bare the viciousness of the NPA. So why did this story not get as much coverage as the killing of the Absalon cousins. Maybe the media recognizes that the PNP are legitimate targets in the NPA's revolution while the Absalon cousins were innocent civilians? Probably not. 

Last week I wrote that the killing of the Absalon cousins seemed to mark a turning point the 52-year old insurgency. I am not the only one to think that. 

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/06/15/news/national/task-force-eyes-global-pressure-for-dutch-to-deport-joma/1803212

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) will seek global pressure to push the Dutch government to deport Jose Maria "Joma" Sison to the Philippines to make him pay for the crimes committed by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army, particularly violations of the International Humanitarian Law.

Undersecretary Severo "Nonoy" Catura, task force spokesperson on the peace process, human rights and international engagements, said the government will bring the matter to the United Nations, which is slated to meet this week.

The move comes a week after the killing of Keith Absalon and his cousin who died when NPA rebels exploded an anti-personnel mine in Masbate.

The task force said the NPA violated the Anti-Personnel Mine (APM) Treaty Convention signed in 1997 that bans the use of such weapons "especially by terrorist groups."

"All European nations, including the Netherlands, have ratified and acceded to this (banning of APM)," Catura said in a briefing on Monday. He pointed out Sison is in the Netherlands supposedly for humanitarian reasons, but he is responsible for ordering the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to carry out attacks using APMs against government troops and civilians.

Catura said the death of Absalon and his cousin might serve as the key for global pressure to bring back Sison to the country to answer for his heinous crimes.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, NTF-Elcac spokesperson for Social Media Affairs and Sectoral Concerns, called on the removal of the Makabayan bloc to end its misrepresentation in the House of Representatives for being the "mouthpiece of Sison."

Members of the bloc are representatives of Bayan Muna, Kabataan Partylist, Act Teachers Partylist and Gabriela.

"They continue their classic lies by pretending to condemn what had happened to push the government to negotiate for another round of peace talks," Badoy said.

"They ought to resign, and Joma ought to be brought home to answer for their crimes," she added.

"For as long as the Makabayan bloc and the CPP-NPA-NDF are still in Congress, and for as long as Joma Sison is being harbored by the Netherlands, they are harboring the head of a terrorist organization," Badoy said.

Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., commander of the South Luzon Command said the dwindling numbers of terrorist rebels was the main reason why APMs are being used "to show they (NPA) still exist."

There's a lot to breakdown in this article. First of all the NPA has been using landmines or APM's for decades. The 1997 treat regarding APMs is also known as the Ottawa Treaty. Why would the NPA care about this treaty? They are not signatories to it but guess who else is not.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parties_to_the_Ottawa_Treaty

The USA, Russia, and China, along with 32 other nations, are not signatories. Three permanent members of the UN Security Council are not signatories to this treaty. The USA, in particular, is not a signatory because they have landmines all over the DMZ in South Korea. 

The Clinton administration declined to accede to the Treaty under pressure from the Pentagon, which was concerned with the strategic importance of landmines along the Demilitarized Zone (or DMZ) between North and South Korea. The United States, in conjunction with South Korea, has deployed thousands of landmines across the DMZ to serve as a deterrent against North Korean invasion. Robert Beecroft, a State Department official under President Clinton, said that the United States would have signed the treaty if not for the issue of Korea.

https://hir.harvard.edu/all-mine-the-united-states-and-the-ottawa-treaty/

Interestingly Finland is looking to get out of the obligations of this treaty which their Minister of Defense calls a "blunder."

https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/politics/15686-joining-ottawa-treaty-was-a-blunder-by-a-peacetime-fool-says-minister-of-defence.html

“Finland’s decision to join the Ottawa Treaty was a blunder by a peacetime fool. By joining the treaty, Finland created a hole in its military defence capabilities that is useful only to the enemies attacking us,” he wrote in a blog on Puheenvuoro on Monday.

Why does the Philippines care about this treaty all of a sudden? They have a ruling from the UN arbitral court giving them the disputed territory in the West Philippine Sea but the Duterte administration refuses to press the issue because, as the repeat ad nauseam, there is no body to enforce the ruling. What body is there to enforce the Ottawa Treaty? There is none! Why go before the UN to pressure the Netherlands to deport Joma and decline to seek the same kind of international pressure against China to abide by the UN ruling? Surely the issue of China encroaching on Philippine territory and building military bases is more important that making sure an old man return home to face punishment for his crimes?

Second of all the NPA has never stopped using landmines so why would the government use this issue now to pressure the Netherlands to deport Joma Sison? Why haven't they done this before?

Thirdly, Badoy's call to boot the Makabayan Bloc out of Congress is just more of the same stunts the government has been pulling for years. If they have evidence against these people that they are indeed fronts for the CPP then they should show it and take them to court. But they have never attempted such a thing. Instead they lob accusation after accusation. It is simply not enough the Sison red-tagged them, as the NTF-ELCAC is fond of saying, but they need real proof. After all this time it appears they do not have any.

Fourthly, the NTF-ELCAC will have to prove that Sison is indeed pulling the strings all the way from the Netherlands. It is hard to believe that one old man thousands of miles away is directing day-to-day operations in the Philippines. Why not secretly meet with the government of the Netherlands, lay out their concerns, and put a tap on his phone and computer and find out exactly what his role is? Has the AFP even thought of that?

What would bringing Sison back to the Philippines accomplish anyway? Sure he would be brought to justice but it might enflame the NPA and cause more attacks. Why focus on that old man instead of going all out to destroy the NPA once and for all? When looked holistically what we see is the AFP chasing their tails. In 2018 Cebu was declared insurgent free.

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1010797

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), 302nd Infantry Brigade stationed in Carmen, Bohol, assures the public that Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor are insurgency-free.

"Generally, lahat ito remains to be insurgency free. Wala tayong established na politiko-military structures, yung CPP-NPA dito. Wala tayong mga regular NPA formations na nag ooperate at wala ding guerilla fronts na established. (Generally, all areas remain to be insurgency-free. We have no established political-military structures, the CPP-NPA, here. We have no regular operating NPA formations and no established guerilla fronts)," stressed Col. Ignacio B. Madriaga, Commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army.

“Ang insurgency natin ay grievance-based. What drives insurgency is the discontent of the people na hindi nasosolusyunan noong unang panaho,” Madriaga said the brigade continues its effort in maintaining peace and order in the three areas of coverage.

Alongside the brigade, the LGUs and ordinary citizens have taken the bulk of the responsibility in ensuring that Bohol, Cebu, and Siquijor remain insurgency-free.

However, Col. Madriaga clarified that while the areas are insurgency-free, they are not insurgent-free.

Insurgency free but not insurgent free. Why, when they are fighting a war, are they concerned with making these kind of meaningless distinctions which only confuse the real status of the conflict? Well, three years later there is a different story in Cebu.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/382801/afp-not-discounting-presence-of-npa-rebels-in-cebu

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command is also not discounting the possibility that there could be members of the New Peoples Army (NPA) in the province of Cebu. 

Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, group commander of the 3rd Civil Relations Group-Civil Relations Service AFP issued the statement following a similar assertion by Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Engelbert Soriano a week ago. 

Martinez said there is still a possibility that there may be NPAs roaming around and looking for people to recruit in Cebu despite the secured environment here. 

However, he believed that Cebuanos have become wary of the rebel group after they have experienced the destruction of communities and witnessed the unnecessary loss of lives. 

He acknowledged that NPAs have the flexibility to roam around without carrying firearms and can also recruit but he said that the question remains, “do the people want or like them?” 

Martinez said this will always go back to the community but he believed that Cebuanos are peace-loving people and will continue to cooperate with the authorities. 

Talking about the recent Bohol encounter between the AFP and NPA, Martinez believed that the latter’s combatants are not actually from Bohol and are merely recovering there. 

Though he cannot ascertain as to how many NPA members are present in Cebu, Martinez assured that the figure is manageable and that they are making sure that the entire province is secured by government forces and the police. 

Maybe Martinez simply does not want to panic anyone, maybe be believes what he is saying. But nothing he says make sense. He says there might be NPA's ruling around Cebu but he does not know if so or how many. Then he assures the public that the number is manageable. But he just said he does not know how many are present! So he is lying at worst and overconfident at best when he says the figure, which he does not know, is manageable.

Then there is the encounter in Bohol. It is very doubtful that these men were "merely recovering there."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141409

A high-ranking leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) and four other rebels died in an encounter with government forces in Cabacnitan village, Bilar town in Bohol on Tuesday.

A soldier was injured in the firefight, and is now in stable condition in one of the hospitals in Tagbilaran City.

A statement by the 3rd Infantry “Spearhead” Division’s (3ID) public affairs office said the soldiers from the 47th Infantry “Katapan” Battalion (47IB) were conducting a combat operation in response to reports of local residents on plans of the communist terrorist groups (CTGs) to “liquidate” known government supporters and personalities.

“While responding, the troops encountered more or less 11 armed members of the communist-terrorist group,” Maj. Cenon Pancito, the Army Division’s public affairs officer, said.

The government troops seized from the encounter site two M16 rifles; five .45 caliber pistols, a bandolier, three short magazines of M16 with 30 rounds of ammunition, six cellular phones, a laptop, a grenade, a hand-held radio, and various subversive documents with high intelligence value.

Pancito said one of the fatalities was believed to be the vice commanding officer of SYP Platoon of the CTG's Bohol Party Committee.

The operating soldiers said they encountered 11 rebels, six of whom escaped eastward.

Even if this group was not from Bohol they were certainly not there to "recover", whatever that means. They were there to wreck havoc. And if the AFP continues to handle the insurgency in the way they do the NPA will wreck havoc for years to come.

Is Waste Management A Human Rights Issue?

I have written quite a lot about garbage on this blog. With there being so much of it clogging the waterways and strewn across the ground, the City of Cebu collected 13k tons of garbage in a recent clean-up drive, it seems there is not much new that can be said about the problem. But here is a totally novel angle on the subject. Proper waste disposal and sanitation is a basic human right. So says the CHR.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143822

Waste management shows how a country values human dignity as the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday recognized improved efforts in time for the observance of Philippine Environment Month in July.

The CHR likewise lauded the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) order to close down some 335 open dumpsites nationwide.

In a statement, CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said waste management efforts will not only improve environmental sustainability and health outcomes but will surely contribute to the full enjoyment of basic human rights.

"While national and local interventions during the pandemic are largely focused on protecting lives and economies, management of waste is also essential to minimize long-term risks to human and environmental health," she said.

In shutting down open dumpsites, the DENR enforced Republic Act (RA) No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which provides the necessary policy framework, institutional mechanisms, and mandate for local government units (LGUs) to achieve 25-percent waste reduction through the establishment of an integrated solid waste management plans based on 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycling).

De Guia said environmental degradation can lead to "very serious and continuing violations of our human rights".

"People’s health, food and water safety, housing, and overall well-being can be negatively affected by improper disposal of waste and hazardous materials," she added.

Among the health and environmental risks of illegal dumpsites are the contamination of soil and water, increased risks of natural disasters and health issues, and disruption of wildlife, the CHR said.

"Unlike sanitary landfills, illegal dumpsites do not have built-in systems and constant monitoring for environmental safety," she said.

RA No. 9003 specifically bans the use of open dumpsites for solid waste by any person, including LGUs.

This is in response to the DENR's closing of some 200 open dumpsites across the nation.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1128627

"This is my directive to them: All open dumpsites must be closed by the end of March this year!" he announced Tuesday in a message for the RA 9003's 20th anniversary celebration.

Aside from closing open dumps, he said DENR will help further promote the development of sanitary landfills nationwide, practice of waste segregation at home and improvement of garbage collection.

There'll be house-to-house campaigns as well to promote solid waste management among communities, he noted.

"Yes, we can do it!" he added. "And we must do it! Let us all manage our garbage towards a cleaner, healthier and progressive Philippines."

I know for a fact that not all the dumpsites have been closed because there are several in my area that remain as active as ever. The Philippines has a long way to go in rectifying their garbage problem.

But it is it really an issue of human rights? I don't think so. It's an issue of the social contract nature of the Philippine government needing a major overhaul. The constitution is clear the all political power stems from the people.

We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

SECTION 1. The Philippines is a democratic and republican State. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/1987-constitution/

In practice we know this is not true. Sovereignty does not actually reside in the people and government authority does not actually emanate from them. The people may elect officials but the people do not craft the laws that govern the nation or direct the policy which goes into enforcing those laws. The people certainly had no hand in writing RA 9003. If they did there might not be a provision prohibiting open burning of waste. 

There is also the problem of the people. Can the people violate their own human rights? That would be silly and yet if proper waste disposal is a human rights issue then it seems they are as it is the people who continue to dump their garbage in open dumpsites. Look at this open dumpsite which is actually growing.

Maybe this picture does not show it very well but this dumpsite is getting wider. You can see at the edge of the picture the garbage all along the sugarcane. The people created this mess despite their being signs which said to not dump there. And the government does not care. In fact this dumpsite is just outside the entrance to a village where the government is erecting a huge welcome arch.

The local government would rather spend thousands on trivialities like this arch then fix the garbage issue. That is highly problematic and indicates that the government does not really care about the safety, health, and well-being of the people.

The issue here is not complex at all. The government that the people created needs to enforce the sanitation laws and create the healthy environment that will be conducive to good living for the people. On the other hand the people need to stop flagrantly violating the laws which the government they elected has enacted for their benefit. It is most certainly not a human rights issue. It's a common sense issue. Stop littering and stop tossing garbage on open dumpsites.