As of August 10, 2020, 11:00 PM, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte addressed the nation through a recorded speech to provide updates on the COVID-19 situation. Below are the highlights of the briefing:
- PRRD shared that there are saddening developments in the country’s battle against COVID-19, but the government is consistently adding to the country’s testing capabilities as well as enhancing contact tracing.
- The country has seen a rise in COVID-19 cases, especially in the National Capital Region (NCR).
- PRRD said the government will be forced to utilize the military to urge Filipinos to obey community lockdown rules if the need persists.
- PRRD addressed doctors who are calling for a lockdown, saying that he wants to give in to their demands but the economy will suffer.
- PRRD also said that the Congress’ budget for the social amelioration program (SAP) has depleted, meaning people need to go out to work and provide for their families.
- PRRD said that the National Action Plan against COVID-19 is strong, and the government is doing all that it can to balance the Philippine economy and the fight against COVID-19.
- Russia will be giving the Philippines COVID-19 vaccine free of charge.
- The plan is to have the vaccine injected to volunteers. PRRD also said that he plans to be the first person injected with the vaccine, and he will do so in public.
- PRRD said that he trusts that Russia’s vaccine is safe, but its safety will still have to be verified through results of clinical trials.
- PRRD said that the Philippines will hopefully be COVID-free by December.
- PRRD also asked the Department of Health Secretary to look for the best individual qualified to liaise with Russia regarding the technology behind the vaccine.
- PRRD stated the contact tracing has to be financed by the government.
- PRRD urged Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año to ask the Philippine National Police (PNP) to provide transportation for contact tracing.
- Barangay captains can lead contact tracers to the residence of infected individuals.
- DILG Sec. Año reported on the application of telecommunications companies for permits to build towers so that they can improve their services. Among those that applied were Touch Mobile and Globe Telecommunications, Smart Communications, Dito Telecommunity Corporation, and smaller companies like Huawei.
- The remaining 428 pending applications will be monitored, and fast tracked because in the old system, the application would need 241 days, 19 permits, and 86 document requirements. Now, the system only requires 16 days, 8 permits, and 35 documents.
- Sec. Año also reported on the preventive suspension of barangay captains that have a history of malversation, corruption, and other graft-related anomalies connected to the distribution of Social Amelioration Program or SAP.
- The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) received 155 criminal complaints, and Sec. Año is currently in coordination with Ombudsman Samuel Martires and his office.
- Within the week, 50 barangay captains will be initially suspended, while the Ombudsman investigates the administrative aspects of their cases. The number of barangay captains that were be suspended per region is as follows:
- PRRD said that it is important the barangays be informed of these cases.
- PRRD also warned against those guilty in the PhilHealth corruption cases, and said that government officials do sacrificial work because they could’ve gotten bigger salaries in the private sector.
DOH Advisory
As of August 10, 2020, 4:00 PM, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 6,958 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 136,638 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The DOH also recorded new recoveries at 633, bringing the total number of recoveries to 68,159, while 24 more died, raising the death toll to 2,293.
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