More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
The Supreme Court has junked three petitions against the government's COVID-19 policies.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/13/23/supreme-court-junks-petitions-vs-covid-policies |
The Supreme Court has junked 3 petitions that sought to question various regulations issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), local government units and other agencies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press briefer, the high court’s Public Information Office said the magistrates, during its session on Tuesday, July 11, voted to dismiss separate petitions all filed in February and May 2022 by former presidential candidate Dr. Jose Montemayor, Jr., a group of passengers’ and riders’ advocates, and civic groups.
“The Court held that petitions were dismissible for violating the doctrine of hierarchy of courts as the resolution of the issues raised therein required the determination and adjudication of extremely technical and scientific facts that necessitates the conduct of a full-blown proceeding before a court of first instance,” it said.
The court of first instance refers to the regional trial courts which are in a position to receive evidence.
The Supreme Court, on the other hand, is not a “triers of facts,” which means only issues on the interpretation of a law or its constitutionality are brought before it.
The COVID policies questioned by the petitions included a policy that required all public and private establishments to order their employees doing on-site work to either get vaccinated against COVID-19 or be subjected to an RT-PCR test every 2 weeks, shouldering their own costs.
According to petitioners, the various policies violated their right to due process, impaired their right to travel and infringed upon the equal protection clause because they apply only to those who do not have private vehicles and discriminated against the unvaccinated.
“They averred that the impugned measures embody a mandatory vaccination policy considering that the use of public transportation is an essential part of Filipino life,” the briefer said.
The briefer did not say if the Supreme Court, in its resolution, still addressed the constitutional issues raised by the petitioners. Under a long-standing doctrine, the high court will not resolve constitutional issues if petitions have already been dismissed on other grounds.
In an interview with the media, Department of Health spokesperson Dr. Eric Tayag said they welcomed the ruling but expressed concern that new petitions would be filed.
(But if you read the briefer, it seems there’s still a chance that they will bring the complaint to a court, not the Supreme Court. So that’s what we’re expecting that petitioners will do.)
(But I hope they understand that everything we do has basis and the court sided with us.)
If the Supreme Court had moved immediately to dismiss these petitions because they had not gone through the lower courts then petitioners still could have had time to refile them appropriately and be heard. As it is the SC did not side with the DOH as spokesperson Dr. Eric Tayag claims. They sided with precedent that cases must go through the lower courts first.
Stil the DOH is claiming a victory saying that their policies served the public good.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1801686/doh-on-sc-dismissal-of-petitions-vs-covid-19-efforts-govt-policies-are-for-common-good |
The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court’s dismissal of three petitions against the constitutionality of government measures during the coronavirus lockdown.
In a statement, DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa asserted that the government’s COVID-19 rules were implemented for the public’s good.
“The DOH, as the leading agency overseeing the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Diseases (IATF/ED), takes this opportunity to reaffirm that all regulations and policies implemented during the pandemic were enacted with the utmost consideration for the common good,” he said.
If curtailing civli liberties is for the public good then I suppose they are right. But really it's a case for the Supreme Court to decide.
NAIA is nearing pre-pandemic passenger flight levels..
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1801830/miaa-records-78-percent-increase-in-intl-domestic-passengers-in-first-half-of-2023 |
A higher volume of passenger and flight movement was recorded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) from January to June 2023 compared to the same period in the previous year, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said Friday.
In a statement, MIAA reported a total of 22,221,933 international and domestic passengers in the first half of 2023, marking a 78% increase from 2022 and just an 8% decrease from the pre-pandemic level in 2019.
Flight movements tallied at 135,883 — a 42% increase for the same period in 2022 and equivalent to 100% of the flights handled at NAIA in the first half of 2019.
“We are pleased to experience these surges in statistics — a strong indication that passengers have regained the confidence to travel again. The double-digit surge in our flight movements and passenger volume is enough ground for optimism that the aviation industry is steadily heading towards full recovery,” said MIAA Officer-in-Charge Bryan Co.
People have been traveling for a while now but the problem is with the airlines cutting back on flights. Will they increase service?
With more passengers going through NAIA perhaps Duty Free Philipines will be able to meet its goals once again.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/15/covid-19-blamed-for-failure-of-duty-free-philippines-to-remit-p174-m-to-gov-t |
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic that caused “plummeting sales and sustained net losses,” Duty Free Philippines Corporation (DFPC) had not remitted the P174.32 million share of the government from its operations for several years.
In its report, the Commission on Audit (COA) said of the P174.32 million, a total of P52 million is for the Department of Tourism (DOT) while P122 million is for the Tourism Promotion Board.
COA said the amount had remained uncollected as of Dec. 31, 2022 contrary to the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9593, the Tourism Act of 2009.
In noted that RA 9593 mandates that a variable percentage of DFPC's net profit should be remitted to the office of the Tourism Secretary at the end of every fiscal year in order to fund tourism programs and projects in lieu of its statutory remittance to the national government.
"Inquiry with the accounting division staff and review of accounting records showed that no subsequent remittances were made nor accrual of share from the earnings of DFPC in the years 2020 and 2021 due to the net loss incurred by DFPC on both years," COA said in its report.
But COA recognized the financial difficulties of the DFPC from 2020 to 2022 with less travelers and tourism activities because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It also pointed out DFPC Board Resolution No. 5-9-24-20 dated Sept. 24, 2020 which has no validity period of the deferment of DFPC's remittance and no alternative schedule of payments nor proposed measures or action plan taken on the remittance of amounts due from DFPC.
Thus, COA, recommended that the DOT should coordinate with the DFPC and take necessary measures to collect its P52 million share "within a reasonable period" and ensure that its shares moving forward is regularly and promptly accrued.
It lamented that had the share been remitted timely, the funds could have been used to implement more programs and projects that could attract more tourists in the country, therefore helping the DFPC increase its sales and obtain more profits.
The DOT claims more tourists are arriving so it's only a matter of time before revenues are up again.
The Senate has finally abolished its mandatory face mask rule.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/16/zubiri-no-more-face-mask-health-protocols-when-senate-resumes-session-on-july-24 |
The Senate will do away with the mandatory use of health masks at the opening day of the Second Regular Session of the 19th Congress on Monday, July 24.
Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri announced this during a DWIZ radio interview on Saturday, July 15, where he said he has done away with Covid-19 health protocols.
"We will just practice precautionary checks, if have coughs or colds…If one does not feel well, he or she has to self-isolate and not go to the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA on July 24),’’ he said.
At the opening session at the Senate in the morning of July 24, Zubiri said the Senate would not ask for RT-PCR and antigen tests.
"But at the House of Representatives, one has to show his vaccination card. That is what they would ask for,’’ he pointed out.
The Covid-19 pandemic hit the country in early 2020 leading to the restriction of the movement of Senate personnel.
Zubiri emphasized that there would be no new rules "but it will be business as usual, we need to hit the ground running."
If a member of the House is not vaccinated will they have to submit to testing?
The DOH has ordered more money released for health workers for their COVID allowance.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1802226/doh-orders-release-of-p1-3b-for-health-workers |
The Department of Health (DOH) ordered early this month the release of around P1.3 billion in health emergency allowances (HEA) for private and public healthcare workers who handled COVID-19 patients.
Based on a department order dated July 5, a copy of which was furnished to the Inquirer on Saturday, P457.1 million was set aside for public hospitals and private health facilities, which will be coursed through the regional Center for Health Development (CHD), in 10 regions. This covers the COVID-19 allowances that should have been given for their work since January this year.
Another P802.3 million was allotted for the distribution of HEA to private hospitals in Metro Manila and Calabarzon, through its respective CHDs. The amount covers the delayed benefits for the period July to December 2021 and July to December 2022.However, even with the latest allotment for the COVID-19 benefits, delayed payment for around eight to 10 months of hospital duty has remained unfunded, according to the United Private Hospital Unions of the Philippines.
Better late than never? No wonder nurses are leaving the Philippines in droves.
COVID cases are down again.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1205818 |
The country’s daily average of new Covid-19 cases declined by 23 percent from July 10 to 16, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Monday.
In its latest case bulletin, the agency recorded 277 daily infections, a decline of 82 cases from the 359 recorded between July 3 to 9.
A total of 1,938 new cases were recorded in the recent week.
The tally of severe and critical infections also decreased to 324 from the previous week’s 382.
No deaths were verified during the past week.
This is a trend that continues with no stopping in sight.
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