Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Monday, August 30, 2021.
READ: Koko 'ousts' Duterte as PDP-Laban chairman
THE faction of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) led by Sen. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao on Sunday announced it has booted out President Rodrigo Duterte as party chairman. Pacquiao's ally, Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel 3rd, said he has replaced Duterte as chairman. The rival camp led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi promptly dismissed Duterte's ouster as "a comedy," insisting Pimentel has become "irrelevant" and has ceased to represent the party. The "expulsion" of Duterte is the latest skirmish in the escalating feud that is threatening the unity of the PDP-Laban. Pimentel said the decision to oust Duterte was made during a virtual national council meeting held while Pacquiao was flying back to the Philippines from the United States. Pacquiao was expected to arrive on Monday, days after losing his championship fight with Cuban Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 21.
READ: More Delta cases detected
The Department of Health (DoH) has found 516 more cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant, making up the majority of the cases sequenced by the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center and the National Institutes of Health. The new infections comprise 68.9 percent of the 748 samples sequenced. The department said 473 of the new Delta cases were locally sourced, 114 of which had addresses in the National Capital Region, 79 in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), 64 from Central Luzon, 48 in Northern Mindanao, 32 from Cagayan Valley, and 24 from the Ilocos Region. Other detections were reported in Bicol, Western Visayas, Zamboanga, and the Cordillera Administrative Region while 31 other cases were from returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and 12 are still being verified if they are ROFs or local cases. A total of 505 cases were tagged as recovered, while five have died and six remain active. Total Delta cases since the first detections of the variant in May were 1,789.
READ: Fewer Filipinos follow health protocols - OCTA survey
There are fewer Filipinos who practice minimum health protocols to protect themselves from Covid-19, a survey by the independent OCTA Research revealed. The group's latest Tugon ng Masa survey, conducted from July 12 to 18, showed 89 percent of the respondents said they wear face masks. It also found 85 percent regularly wash their hands with water and soap or disinfect using alcohol, 70 percent use face shields, and 64 percent observe physical distancing.
READ: PhilHealth freezes memo on claim payment
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has suspended the implementation of a memorandum that seeks to stop claims payments to hospitals being investigated for fraud. Under Memorandum Circular 2021-0013, the state health insurer can suspend the reimbursement of claims to health care facilities under investigation for fraudulent or unethical acts or abuse of authority. Hospital organizations such as the Philippine Hospital Association and the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines denounced the circular as another way to delay the processing of claims.
READ: Lacson: We need to reinvent bureaucracy
SEN. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said the country needs to reinvent the bureaucracy to combat the pandemic and corruption which are among the biggest problems facing the nation. The senator, who has announced he intends to run for president next year, reiterated the need to adopt the practices of successful business corporations such as the zero-based budget planning to replace the traditional and impractical practice of imposing a budget ceiling on different departments.
READ: Duterte to pass 'competitive' PH to successor – Palace
THE Duterte administration is hopeful it will leave a strong economy to whoever will succeed him next year, Malacañang said on Sunday. Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the policies laid down by the government have bolstered the economy and made it more competitive than before. In an interview, Andanar highlighted the legacies of President Rodrigo Duterte, which he said created more opportunities for Filipinos to be competitive in the local and international setting.
READ: Brunei in need of doctors, nurses
THE Department of Labor and Employment on Sunday said Brunei has sought exemption from the Philippines' deployment cap on health care workers. Labor Attaché Melissa Mendizabal of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office said Brunei needs around 200 nurses and 30 medical doctors. Mendizabal said Brunei first made the exemption request last year but it was not granted. It reiterated its appeal last July.
BUSINESS: Tax effort jumps in first 6 months
Over to business, the government's tax receipts as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) jumped in the first half of this year, according to data released by the Department of Finance (DoF) over the weekend. The DoF reported in an economic bulletin that the government's tax effort picked up by 0.55 percent to 14.74 percent from 14.19 percent a year ago. Higher collections from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Customs (BoC), and other offices were credited with the improvement.
SPORTS: Obiena resets PH record, wins silver in Paris meet
Topping sports, Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena set a new national record in his silver medal finish at the Meeting De Paris, part of the 2021 Wanda Diamond League, on Saturday night (Philippine time) at the Charlety Stadium in Paris, France. Obiena cleared 5.91 meters in just his first attempt, breaking the previous national record of 5.87 he previously set at the Irena Szewinska Memorial Cup in Poland in June. Paris is the site of the next Olympic Games in 2024.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino are today's front page columnists. Tiglao says actions always have consequences while Fr. Aquino reflects on hope in the midst of a pandemic.
Today's editorial believes Sen. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao is better off respecting his limits. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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With Dafort Villaseran, Paulo Dimaapi, and Christian Crow Maghanoy, this is Aric John Sy Cua reporting. Have a safe week ahead.