ANC After The Fact

Secretary Harry Roque, President Duterte’s spokesman berated medical frontliners in a recent meeting by the government’s Inter Agency task force.

Roque blew his top when doctors appealed to the government to revert Metro Manila to strict lockdown instead of relaxing restrictions.

This was the time when COVID-19 cases were soaring driven by the Delta variant.

Roque has since apologized for the flare-up. But he’s standing up with what he said.

We speak with those at the receiving end of the secretary’s outburst.

Was it even called for? Was it even fair?

But more importantly, is the government doing well or doing enough to take us out of this worsening pandemic?

Earlier today, President Duterte’s daughter Sara — a frontrunner in major pre-election surveys for president — announced that she would no longer run for any national position next year.

Her statement in response to her father’s decision to run for vice president. according to her, they had both agreed that only one of them would seek a national post in 2022.

But despite the categorical statements from the two Dutertes, many are still not convinced that these decisions are set in stone — at least, not Sara Duterte decision to forgo a presidential run.

Remember that Mister Duterte himself was known to say something and do the exact opposition before he joined the 2016 presidential election by substitution.

Remember that in 2015, Mister Duterte also made a “final and categorical” statement that he would no longer run for president.

In the meantime, the ruling PDP-Laban party also nominated the president’s aide, Senator Christopher Go as its standard bearer. But Go later said he was not interested.

In this episode, we talk about the emerging scenarios and realignment of forces in the upcoming election campaign.

Guests:

Prof. Aries Arugay

U.P. Department of Political Science

Prof. Antonio Contreras

DLSU Political Science Department

A viral post by a business owner pretty much sums up the frustration of many over the Duterte administration’s handling of the latest Delta variant surge. 

Inchang Mendoza related how her restaurant staff was all set for reopening. In fact, they had conducted a general clean-up and bought kilos of meat.

But at the last minute, Malacanang announced that Metro Manila won’t shift to a general community quarantine. 

So what happened?

President Duterte spent two hours in a recorded public address. 

But never did he explain why his administration walked back on a decision, which was announced days ago. 

Dr. Esperanza Cabral

Former PH Health Secretary

Dr. Maricar Limpin 

President, Philippine College of Physicians

Dr. Nemuel Fajutagana

Chairperson, Medical Action Group

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise here in the Philippines, congressmen have opted to investigate a research group which has been analyzing data mainly from the Department of Health since the pandemic began last year.

At Monday’s hearing, congressmen raised questions over the OCTA Research Group’s findings where it’s getting its funding and whether it’s indeed independent.

But on the other side of the debate, supporters believe these criticisms are meant to put the blame on octa for whatever shortcomings there have been in the government’s pandemic response.

Or to put it simply — is OCTA under fire for telling the inconvenient truth?

The Philippines reached another grim milestone — 22,415 new COVID-19 cases — the country’s highest single-day tally since the pandemic began last year. 

As reported, hospitals are also overwhelmed, especially in Metro Manila, despite what the official bed occupancy rates tell us. 

But in the meantime, the Philippines, starting today, has lifted its travel ban on ten countries where the Delta variant is also prevalent.

By Wednesday, September 8, Metro Manila will also shift to a General Community Quarantine and will experiment on “granular lockdowns.”

This means only streets, villages, or buildings will be locked down not entire regions or provinces.

In this episode, we talk about the wisdom, the logic of these policy adjustments when cases continue to increase and are projected to rise even further.

President Duterte is facing some serious allegation this late in his administration.

It began with a Commission on Audit report that found deficiencies in how the Health department spent — or failed to spend — billions of pesos in COVID-19 funds.

Part of these was a huge contract amounting to 8.7 billion pesos bagged by a company with limited capitalization and whose incorporators are now nowhere to be found. 

But here’s the sad part. 

Medical supplies such as face masks and face shields were allegedly overpriced several times over.

In response, Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque claimed personal protective equipment bought under the previous Aquino administration were also overpriced.

Christian Esguerra sits down with Atty. Abigail Valte, Aquino's former deputy presidential spokesperson.

A single company with small capitalization bagging an 8.7-billion-peso contract from the government to supply pandemic-related medical supplies naturally raised questions. 

And when it turned out the price of the purchase was padded several times over, it was but natural for senators to dig deeper.

One of them found that executives of this company in question were facing allegations of financial crimes in Taiwan.

Some of them allegedly have close ties with President Duterte, who, by the way, slammed the ongoing Senate inquiry and even insulted a couple of senators.

This episode takes a look at what the investigation has unraveled so far and how far it can go given this pressure from the president.

Early on, President Rodrigo Duterte promised never to tolerate even a “whiff” of corruption in his administration.

not that senators needed to be reminded of their role under the country’s system of checks and balances.

But lately, their investigation has centered on the Commission on Audit's findings on “deficiencies” in an enormous amount of money intended for the government’s pandemic response.

Part of this was some P8.7 billion worth of government contract bagged by company with alleged ties with one of the president’s men. 

Worse, the purchase of face masks and other COVID-related equipment was allegedly overpriced.

Snd so the Senate is investigating as part of its oversight function and in aid of legislation.

But in response, Duterte castigated senators and made personal attacks on Senators Richard Gordon and Panfilo Lacson.

For a change, some senators are now fighting back and reminding Duterte of their mandate under the law. 

In this episode, we try make sense of this conflict between Duterte and a Senate he once controlled with relative ease.

 Christian Esguerra sits down with Former Senator Serge Osmeña who served at the Senate for 18 years and used to head the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies and the Senate Committee on Energy.

The confirmation was grim but perhaps, not unexpected — according to the World Health Organization, the Delta variant is now the most dominant strain here in the Philippines. 

But the important question is — what are we doing about it? are we doing enough to contain it? 

Just days ago, the Philippines recorded its highest single-day tally of new COVID-19 cases — a total of 22,366 cases.

In this episode, we break down the numbers with members of the OCTA Research Group, an independent group of scientists and data analysts monitoring the government’s pandemic research. 

Senators began investigating “deficiencies” found by the Commission on Audit in some P67 billion in funds the Department of Health spent and didn’t spend for its pandemic response. 

In the process, they discovered how a new company with a missing address cornered a 9-billion-peso-government contract for the purchase of face masks and face shields last year. 

Worse, the items were said to have been grossly overpriced at a time when millions of Filipinos are crying out for aid as rising COVID-19 cases triggered new and potentially longer lockdowns.

In this episode, we try to connect the dots as to how this company in question bagged the contract and who should he held accountable especially on the side of the government.