Health advocates file petition for mass testing
Citing the people’s right to health under the Philippine Constitution, the petition for a writ of mandamus shall compel the Department of Health and other agencies to conduct pro-active mass testing, aggressive contract tracing and effective isolation, and treatment of Covid-19 positive cases to contain the spread of the virus.
The anomaly of transport modernization (Part II)
In many instances, the solution to the complex transport problems of Metro Manila lies in the physics of the problem, in the same way that dealing with COVID-19 requires medical science. But the Duterte administration has simply picked up its pre-COVID proposal of “jeepney modernization” and used the pandemic to justify finally pushing for it, amid protestations by jeepney drivers and the adverse impact on millions of commuters.
Ang sinapit ng mga drayber
“Dati, kami ang kinakawayan. Ngayon, kami ang kumakaway [para mamalimos}.”–Joel Caligayan, tsuper ng jeep biyaheng Rosario-Cubao
The anomaly of transport modernization (Part I)
For the majority of poor commuters, what is more painful to see now is how the Duterte government, not backed by science, is on the verge of banning the traditional jeepney from the road forever and insisting that modernization is the cure.
The Old and New Bilibid Prisons in the Time of Pandemics
More than a century ago, Philippine prisons reeled from a flu pandemic. History might be repeated without adequate healthcare for prisoners and drastic interventions to stem the Covid-19 outbreak.
Govt jeepney ban has already cost drivers Php78,000
Jeepney drivers, to date, have lost some 78 working days over the past 3 months or 13 weeks of suspended mass transport. This translates to a total net income loss of Php78,000 or Php26,000 per month of lockdown, said IBON. Out of work jeepney drivers lose Income with each passing day of transport suspension.
Hidden Victims of the Pandemic: The Old Man, the Jail Aide, and the Convict
Three persons deprived of liberty describe how inhuman conditions in the country’s jails and prisons are placing them at greater risk amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Open-air jeepneys safer against COVID-19 than enclosed modernized counterparts
There are studies which indicate that open-air transport may have advantages over enclosed, air-conditioned transport in controlling the spread of COVID-19. Despite physical distancing, enclosed modern jeepneys can become centers for spreading the virus compared to the natural ventilation of traditional jeepneys.
PH Debt: All’s well that swells
Loans amounting to US$3.95 billion are, at the current exchange rate of Php50.05 to a US dollar, equivalent to Php197.7 billion. This increased the outstanding national government debt which has already risen from Php7.7 trillion by the end of 2019 to an astounding Php8.6 trillion by April 2020. The Php869-billion increment in the last four months far surpasses the full-year increments of the last three years.
Pandemic Forces Judiciary to Hasten Digitalization
Can videoconferencing ensure a speedy and public trial that must be guaranteed under the constitution? How about the right to confront a witness against the accused and the process of authenticating evidence, which is required by due process?