Thread by @cnnphilippines

THREAD: Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque holds a media briefing | LIVE bit.ly/3fdLL9g

Updates by our digital producers @gleefjalea and @lisbetesmael

Roque reiterates President Rodrigo Duterte's call to follow the government's COVID-19 vaccination list. bit.ly/3lQ5flt

Roque gives a list of livelihood programs that are still being implemented amid the pandemic.

Roque says state-run LandBank already released ₱5.28 billion for micro, small and medium enterprises and cooperatives under the I-RESCUE lending program.

Roque says 1,503,273 violated minimum public health standards since August 2020 up to this month. Most Filipinos did not follow social distancing rules.

Roque: Metro Manila has already reached high occupancy rate of temporary treatment facilities.

Roque: Dahil bukas na ang ekonomiya, patuloy ang investments.

Total investments surged by 64.65% to ₱137 billion in the first quarter of 2021, vs ₱83 billion recorded a year earlier.

MMDA chair Benhur Abalos joins the briefing to give updates on the surge in COVID cases in Metro Manila over the past weeks.

MMDA Chairman Abalos says they have allocated 300 contact tracers for the 17 cities to detect cases. PNP has also allocated 362 virtual contact tracers to address the surge.

MMDA Chairman Abalos: February 22 was the date when we had the lowest case in Metro Manila, 3,767. After a period of three weeks, tumaas sa 12,029 cases.

MMDA Chairman Abalos: Metro Manila conducts 3,933 swab tests a day.

MMDA Chairman Abalos says they asked the Department of Education to provide a list of schools that can be used as isolation facilities.

Mas makakatipid po tayo dito dahil hindi na sa mga hotels.

MMDA Chairman Abalos says he recently talked to Education Secretary Leonor Briones to use schools as temporary isolation facilities. Briones agreed to this but noted that chosen sites must meet IATF standards and must be separate from those intended for vaccination activities.

MMDA Chairman Abalos: A total of 169 areas in Metro Manila cities imposed granular lockdowns.

MMDA Chairman Abalos: Sa Metro Manila, one voice po kami dito. Last year, napababa po, that's what we're doing now. Masaya po kami dahil kasama na namin ang Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan.

MMDA Chairman Abalos on the COVID-19 situation in Pasay: Lately 'yung increase niya ay hindi na ganun kataas, di na more than 50 ang increase. Tumataas pa rin pero hindi na tulad ng dati.

Finance Asec. Secretary Paola Alvarez says PH govt's fund for vaccine procurement is still at ₱82.5 billion.

Finance Asec. Alvarez: Kung gusto nila makita ang loan agreements, naka-upload po sa Facebook at DOF website.

Today's briefing once again lays down reasons why IATF must not be abolished despite criticisms on its allegedly slow pandemic efforts.

National Task Force against COVID-19 adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa: Abolishing the IATF means replacing it with another inter-agency body, because there must be a whole-of-government approach.

Dr. Herbosa: The COVID-19 pandemic is really a challenging problem. It is evolving. As the virus changes, so will our strategy changes. The abolition proposal of the IATF goes against principles of disaster and emergency medicine.

Dr. Herbosa: Why are we experiencing the surge? The pandemic is not because the IATF did or did not do anything, but because of what the virus did. Ang kalaban po natin dito ay ang virus, hindi ang IATF.

Roque on lawmakers' plea to provide another round of cash aid to Filipinos: Ang kinakailangan po munang gawin, siguraduhin na yung mga pondong nilaan para sa subsidies sa Bayanihan 2 ay nadistribute na sa beneficiaries

Roque: Pwede naman pong pag-usapan ang Bayanihan 3 pero ubusin muna natin ang salaping nakalaan sa Byaanihan 2 at sa 2021 budget

Dr. Herbosa: Nagkaroon ng variants, they're all transmissible. Sumipa ang hawaan. There are also some people na di talaga sumusunod sa minimum public health standards. Itong dalawa nag-contribute dito, kasama ang pag-increase of mobility dahil gusto natin ibalik ang ekonomiya.

Dr. Herbosa: We expected this, hintay tayo nang hintay dito sa second wave na ito. Kala natin December, January, February, but we were all flat. With the variants, napuno ang mga ospital.

cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/8/…

Roque on vaccinees being part of the quick substitution list: Hindi ko po alam anong nangyari sa Parañaque, pero kino-confirm ko na meron tayong quick substitution list... Kasi hindi naman pwedeng masayang yung vials na nabuksan na

Citing Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez, Roque says celebrity Mark Anthony Fernandez had hypertension as comorbidity, making him eligible

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Roque to public officials skipping vaccine line: Kailangan ng National Quarantine Law na magpapataw ng parusa sa mga hindi susunod sa national vaccination plan

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Roque says he already tested negative for the virus

Roque on COVID-19 lessons: Kung hindi kailangang pumunta sa ospital, hindi na po ako tatapak. Noong ako'y nagpositive, binilang ko mga 15 ospital ang aking pinuntahan all within a period of two weeks

Roque on Duterte's 76th birthday this March 28: I'm sure the President wishes an end to this pandemic at nais niyang makabalik tayo sa buhay na normal. Ibig sabihin makabalik tayo sa napakataas na growth rate taon taon dahil ang pangako niya ay komportableng buhay para sa lahat.

Roque on courses of action on killing of lawyers: Gagampanan po ng ating ehekutibo ang katungkulan ng estado tungkol sa pagpatay ng mga mamamayan. Ito'y madaliang imbestigasyon, bibigyan ng remedyos sa ating batas ang mga naging biktima

MMDA chairman Abalos: Bago ang implementation na ito, nag-consult po kami sa DOH, OCTA, gusto nila lockdown talaga. But we have to calibrate the economy with health (1/2)

MMDA chairman Abalos: Ang ginawa na lang massive testing, tracing, granular lockdowns. Dahil sa nangyaring ganito, sa ginawang steps ng mga mayors, makikita natin in a few more days to come (2/2)

MMDA chairman Abalos on COVID-19 surge: All it takes is massive testing at most importantly, tulungan ang bawat isa. At least tulungan ito. Government cannot do it alone.

Roque to CHR: Kumalap sila ng ebidensiya kada biktima na sa tingin nila illegal use of force sa panig ng state agents. Ibigay ito sa NBI para sila'y maka-file ng kaso. Walang mangyayari kung sila'y dakdak lang ng dakdak

Roque on public officials jumping the vaccine line: It is wrong. At baka mawala 'yung mga libreng dosages kung hindi masunod ang priority. Pero naging mayor rin ang presidente kaya niya nasabing 'gray area'

cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/25…

Roque explains that while mayors were moved up to the A4 priority, inoculation is still ongoing for the medical frontliners under the A1 group. The government has not yet officially agreed to conduct simultaneous vaccination to date.

cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/20…

Roque on Chinese militia in Julian Felipe Reef: Malinaw ang mensahe ni Presidente sa UN. Una, poprotektahan natin ang ating teritoryo. Tayo'y naninidigan sa arbitral award at ang hidwaan sa WPS ay dapat maresolba sa pamamagitan ng UNCLOS. Di nagbabago ang posisyon ng Presidente

Roque on the reported slow decline in COVID-19 reproduction rate: Walang kaduda duda sa akin na nag-co-cooperate ang mga Pilipino dahil sila mismo nais nilang pangalagaan ang kanilang mga sarili para sila ay makapag-hanapbuhay

Roque on Chinese militia: Ang sabi ng Tsina mnandoon lang ang kanilang mangingisda dahil they are seeking refuge from bad weather. Sana po lumipas na ang bad weather.

State weather bureau PAGASA says the Philippines is already expecting a warm and dry season this week. There are no major weather disturbances in the country.

cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/23…

Should Duterte also face charges for letting his security group receive COVID-19 shots ahead of others?

Roque: Wala pong application ng command responsibility 'pag walang digmaan

Roque: Hindi po pinapasuway ng CBCP ang ginawang resolution ng IATF.

Under the NCR Plus 'bubble,' mass gatherings, including large religious activities are prohibited but weddings, baptisms, and funerals may be held with only 10 participants.

cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/22…

Roque on mayors skipping vaccine line: Ang problema, 'yung mga city health officers ang nagrerequest na maging champions ang pagbakuna ng mga mayor dahil karamihan ng tao, ayaw sa Sinovac.

NITAG only allowed three public officials to get inoculated: vaccine czar Galvez, testing czar Dizon, MMDA chair Abalos

Roque says Duterte will sign state of emergency due to ASF situation: Nakarating na ang rekomendasyon, pero hindi ko masabi kung kelan

cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/18…

Roque on Duterte's meeting with Chinese Amb. Huang Xilian: Ang sabi ng Chinese ambassador sila'y mangingisda, nandoon lang sila because they are seeking shelter. Wala naman pong kontrobersiya dahil hindi naman nila pinaglalaban na mananatili sila doon

Roque refuses to name the Cabinet members he "abhors": Pang-"That's Entertainment" iyan, hindi pang-presidential briefing

Roque on Duterte's meeting with Chinese Amb. Huang Xilian: Matagal na itong nai-schedule, it was just a social call dahil birthday ni Presidente. Naging malinaw naman ang Presidente na siya'y Presidente at poprotektahan ang teritoryo ng Pilipinas