Beware of extortionists, UV ray disinfection devices

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

    The Department of the Interior and Local Government has warned local chief executives not to fall for extortionists who pose as DILG officials asking for money in exchange for assistance in their pending cases.
    DILG Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya, said they have received reports that impostors tell local officials they will help clear pending investigations against them in exchange for cash.
    “Any claim that they will be cleared of pending charges for a fee is a hoax,” Malaya said.
    He said there was an instance when a mayor was asked by an individual posing as a senior official that the DILG would donate 2,800 sacks of rice, but the mayor should send P20,000 for transportation costs.
    “Let the public be warned that senior officials of the DILG do not call LGUs asking for favors. It is prudent to always check and consult our provincial DILG office to confirm before believing or sending money to these con artists,” Malaya said.
    The DILG has reportedly received complaints of extortion from local executives from Laguna, Quezon, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Iloilo, Leyte and Cotabato.
        So far, there are no reports of this kind of scam in the Cordillera.
    We know of some officials in the region who have pending cases with the Ombudsman’s Office, but so far, we don’t hear of scammers approaching them to “fix” their cases.
         The DILG has ordered the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to look into the incidents and arrest the perpetrators.
        Malaya advised the public to be careful in dealing with individuals pretending to have connections with the DILG.
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The Dept. of Health (DOH) has cautioned the public against the dangers of using ultraviolet (UV) ray disinfection devices sold in the market as a protective measure against Covid-19.
    During a virtual briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH is not recommending to the public any device using UV light for disinfection and sterilization.
    Vergeire said UV rays pose harmful effects to humans when used incorrectly.
    “If an individual does not know how to use the UV light properly, it can cause skin burns or affect the eyes,” she said.
    The World Health Organization (WHO) previously warned the public that UV radiation could cause skin irritation and damage to the eyes.
    While UV light has been used for disinfection in hospitals and other health facilities long before the coronavirus pandemic,     Vergeire said strict rules are observed in using it.
    “Based on our protocol what we recommend – and this is supported by evidence – is directly wiping off surfaces using disinfectant (to kill the virus),” she said.
    “When it comes to UV light, there is no sufficient evidence what type and dosage of UV light would be enough to kill the SARS-Covid 2 virus,” she added.
    For the protection of the public, especially children, Vergeire urged those interested to use UV light for disinfection to first learn the process and be guided by its proper use.
    The WHO said cleaning hands with alcohol-based sanitizer or washing with soap and water are still the most effective ways to remove the virus.
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Sen. Imee Marcos has sought to end the commercialization of state colleges and universities (SUCs) that allowed foreign students to enjoy the same benefits reserved for Filipino state scholars.
    Marcos said enrollment quotas for foreign students were preventing more Filipinos from availing of government-funded college education, particularly in expensive medical courses. 
    "Let’s take care of Filipinos first. Our taxes must support our future Filipino doctors, especially amid this enduring pandemic,” Marcos said in a press statement.
    “Our effort to ratchet up our supply of doctors may be lost entirely and merely expended on foreigners,” Marcos added, citing that the Senate was on the verge of enacting legislation on expanding medical scholarship, known as the 'Doktor Para Sa Bayan' bill.
    Marcos called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to submit a list of foreign students in SUCs in the past five years, during a Senate finance committee hearing Monday on the government agency’s budget for 2021.
    The CHEd is asking for an additional Php4.6 billion to expand the government’s capacity to sponsor Filipino medical students to 5,368 each year.
    CHEd chief Prospero De Vera said that the government agency’s hands were tied in limiting the number of foreign students in SUCs because the decision to accept them rested on the Board of Regents of each college or university.
    The Bureau of Immigration has recorded some 26,000 foreign students in the country but did not determine how many were studying medicine in eight SUCs including Mariano Marcos State University, University of Northern Philippines, Cagayan State University, Bicol University, West Visayas State University, University of the Philippines - School of Health Sciences, University of the Philippines - Manila, at Mindanao State University - Marawi.
    Three more SUCs have an ongoing application to offer medical courses - Cebu Normal University, Western Mindanao State Univerity in Zamboanga City, and the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City.
    Marcos called on the CHEd, SUCs, and the Bureau of Immigration to conduct an immediate review of policies regarding foreign students to ensure that Filipino students are given priority.
     Marcos also sought the cooperation of medical student organizations to stay alert and report to the government on how SUCs might be favoring foreign students.