The joint House Committees on Public Order and Safety and on Human Rights began examining the reported 297,000 “excess deaths” by the Philippine Statistics Authority during the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigation questions the connection between these deaths, the government’s vaccination efforts, and the legality of the Pandemic Treaty and International Health Regulations. Rep. Dan Fernandez noted a 43% increase in mortality rates in 2021 compared to the pre-pandemic average. Health officials were questioned about vaccine safety, and lawyer Tanya Lat reported incidents of coercion and discrimination related to mandatory vaccinations.
Editor’s Note: This investigation into the reported 297,000 “excess deaths” during the COVID-19 pandemic cast a harsh light on the coercion, ostracism, and discrimination faced by unvaccinated individuals. Cong. Abante’s analogy of the hearings as Pandora’s box is apt, revealing an ugly tapestry of negative impacts and consequences of the pandemic in the country. The flaw in the pandemic response was exposed by Atty. Lat’s testimony about coercive tactics linked to forced vaccinations. Only now are we beginning to uncover the full extent of these harms, raising urgent questions about the balance between public health measures and individual rights.
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