ANC After The Fact

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Episodes

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ANC After The Fact

#ANCAfterTheFact is a no-nonsense talk show where host, veteran journalist Christian Esguerra, dissects the most important issues of the day and holds officials to account with straightforward interviews. #ANCPodcast

Episodes

EP 80: Duterte spokesman under fire for berating health workers

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 secret...

Sep 10, 2021•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast

EP 79: Duterte running for VP; Sara says no longer seeking any nat’l post

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 leas...

Sep 09, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast

EP 78: Duterte postponement of NCR granular lockdown confuses public

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 a...

Sep 08, 2021•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast

EP 77: Who's funding OCTA Research 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 sho...

Sep 08, 2021•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast

EP 76: PH eases quarantine restrictions despite record cases

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...

Sep 06, 2021•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast

EP 75: Billions worth of ‘overpriced’ med supplies rock Duterte administration

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 shiel...

Sep 04, 2021•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast

EP 74: PH Senate's probe into anomalous pandemic supply deals

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...

Sep 03, 2021•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast

EP 73: PH Senators slam Duterte for criticizing probe into pandemic fund use

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...

Sep 02, 2021•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast

EP 72: W.H.O.: Delta variant now most dominant variant in PH

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 g...

Sep 01, 2021•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast

EP 71: Probing PH Health Department's COVID-19 fund spending

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 ...

Aug 30, 2021•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast