Headline
stringlengths 5
161
| Authors
stringclasses 507
values | Date
stringlengths 8
29
| Content
stringlengths 72
29.6k
| Brand
stringclasses 12
values | URL
stringlengths 37
766
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quiboloy charged with non-bailable human trafficking case in PH court | Lian Buan | 19/03/2024 19:02 | PREACHER. Apollo Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church.
MANILA, Philippines – The embattled doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy has been charged with a non-bailable case of human trafficking at the Pasig City court, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday, March 19.
The next step is for the Pasig court to determine if there is basis to issue a warrant of arrest against Quiboloy for qualified human trafficking under Section 4(a) of Republic Act No. 9208.
While Quiboloy can evade the summons of the Senate citing his constitutional right, he cannot evade a court warrant that requires strict compliance, otherwise he will be declared a fugitive. The Senate secured the numbers to issue its own arrest warrant earlier on Tuesday, which can be enforced; however, under their contempt powers, they can only detain a subject for as long as their inquiry lasts.
DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano said the charges were filed in Pasig on Monday, March 18, and that separate charges for child abuse were filed at the Davao City court last week. Clavano said prosecutors recommended a P180,000 bail for the sexual assault against children case and an P80,000 bail for the maltreatment against children case, both under Republic Act No. 7610.
These were the complaints initially junked by prosecutors during the Rodrigo Duterte government but reversed through a petition for review as approved by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
“This case underscores our commitment to hold accountable those who would harm our society’s most vulnerable. Let this serve as a reminder that no individual, regardless of their position, is above the law,” Remulla said in a statement Tuesday.
The sexual trafficking case against Quiboloy in California is also still ongoing, and the warrant against him by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has been unsealed.
If and when the US requests for extradition, the decision on whether to keep him here for his local cases or to send him to the US first would be for the government to decide.
Under the extradition treaty, if a person is being prosecuted in the Philippines, the government can decide to turn that person over to the US first and then finish prosecution there. Similarly, the Philippines can also decide to postpone the extradition to finish prosecution in the country first.
The Philippines, as the requested country, “has first dibs,” said former senator Leila De Lima, a lawyer and former justice secretary. “But Philippines may defer to [the United States],” she said.
The only thing that can stop extradition is if Quiboloy has been acquitted or convicted of the same exact case in the Philippines. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
I appreciate this action of our Department of Justice through Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. But what about those prosecutors under the Duterte Government who initially junked these complaints? Will they not be held accountable? Any reply from the DOJ?
Original prosecutors need to be held accountable. Presidents need vetting to hold the highest office in the land.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/quiboloy-charged-non-bailable-trafficking-case-pasig-court/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2y1pLkbmoiteUI-WGeqejQB30A2qXKDTlCZ6Z5WMtMPJCBk-1JsP5Vb6U_aem_WVGzgcpSV_rcxH1mbb2LKQ |
TIMELINE: The Chocolate Hills resort controversy | jsitchon0312 | 18/03/2024 21:45 | RESORT. The Captain's Peak Resort officially closes down on March 13, 2024.
John Sitchon/Rappler
CEBU, Philippines – Vlogger Renmark Nisnisan, also known as “Ren The Adventurer,” posted what seemed to be an innocent travel video of a resort built in the middle of three Chocolate Hills on Wednesday, March 6.
The video, which the resort’s property owner, Edgar Buton, thanked the vlogger for, exploded with numerous remarks from netizens all over the country who were enraged by the apparent encroachment of the structures on the country’s national treasure.
As of Monday, March 18, the video posted on social media platform Facebook has over 16 million views, 58,000 comments, and over 413,000 reactions. At least 173,000 of the total reactions are “angry”.
The controversy eventually caught the attention of public officials in both the local and national levels. On March 13, Senator Nancy Binay filed Philippine Senate (PS) Resolution No. 967 seeking a probe, in aid of legislation, into the construction of all structures within the vicinity of the Chocolate Hills.
How did a small resort cause a nation-wide investigation of this scale? Here’s a timeline of the events leading up to the resort’s closure.
December 3, 2007
Transfer Certificate Title No. 37139 officially declares Edgar Buton the owner of a parcel of land with Lot No. 3555, CAD 959-D, Case No. 10, situated in the Barrio of Canmano, Municipality of Sagbayan, Bohol.
The document states that the original owner of the land was a member of the Amores clan that was granted the lot on August 14, 1996.
Through the years, the land would be used by Buton’s family as a private recreation area and a camping ground for close friends and travelers passing by their residence.
February 15, 2018
Local officials of Barangay Canmano, including tourism officer Perfecto Bambe, and Buton’s sister, Julieta Sablas, attend a special meeting of the Chocolate Hills Natural Monument (CHNM)-Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) at Reyna’s the Haven and Gardens in Tagbilaran City to discuss the proposal to build the Captain’s Peak Garden Eco-Park.
The proposed project includes the establishment of a function hall, landmark, photo booth, swimming pool, cottages, zip line, shower and dressing room, parking area, coconut garden, flower garden, and water fountain.
Officials, through PAMB Resolution No. 1, s. 2018, resolve to endorse the proposal under the following conditions:
DENR Central Visayas Director Gilbert Gonzales III signs the resolution as chairman of the PAMB, signifying the government agency’s approval of the project.
January 2019 to 2020
Captain’s Peak owner Buton and administrator Sablas get their official business permit from the office of the mayor of Sagbayan. The mayor at the time is Ricardo Suarez.
The management of Captain’s Peak doesn’t have an ECC but begins operating as a resort, welcoming guests.
The management also creates an official Facebook page on January 12, 2019, and posts photos of guests posing by built structures on January 19, 2019.
Some time in 2020, the management gets their first building permit for the resort’s expansion operations.
July 13, 2021
The DENR, through its counterpart in Tagbilaran City, conducts a projection and ground verification of Buton’s land which spans 10,068 square meters.
Buton receives the DENR certification for Land Classification Status. The land is classified as Alienable and Disposable, which means that private persons like Buton can legally claim possession over it.
Elena Suarez, the OIC of the City Environment & Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Tagbilaran, signs and approves the certification.
July 12, 2022
Representatives of the CHNM PAMB Committee on Biodiversity Conservation and Monitoring conducts an inspection of the Captain’s Peak Resort development areas.
July 13, 2022
The CHNM PAMB Committee on Biodiversity Conservation and Monitoring informs DENR in Central Visayas, through the Bohol Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), of the plan of the resort’s management to transfer the development of certain parts to different areas.
“The swimming pools were situated on the flatland while the four cottages were situated on the side of the hills surrounding the area,” the memorandum, attached with location map and geotagged photos, reads.
July 14, 2022
The CHNM-PAMB holds another meeting with Canmano officials and Captain’s Peak management regarding a proposal to transfer the development of amenities and facilities such as the swimming pool, cottages and function hall from its initial project sites near the Chocolate Hills protected zone to the resort’s parking area.
DENR Central Visayas Director Paquito Melicor Jr. signs Resolution No. 21, s. 2022, endorsing the development of Captain’s Peak Resort within the CHNM.
“Whereas, the project area is located at the flat portion and it is within the Multiple Use Zone of CHNM Protected Area per proposed zoning. The area is a titled property owned by Edgar Buton,” the document reads.
The resolution reiterates that the project proponents must secure necessary permits, clearance from the local government unit (LGU) and other government entities.
Another condition in the resolution reads: “No development in areas which the PAMB does not allow based on the plan of the CHNM Protected Area.”
February 3, 2023
The Sangguniang Barangay of Canmano passes Resolution No. 2, s. 2023, requesting Sagbayan Mayor Restituto Suarez III to repair the Canmano-Libertad Norte access road going to Captain’s Peak.
Some residents express their concern about the apparent “cutting” of the feet of two Chocolate Hills in the area for the road widening.
August 14, 2023
The Freeman, a member of the Philippine Star Media Group and the longest-running newspaper in Cebu, publishes the first part of an in-depth report by Caecent No-ot Magsumbol about projects that are “ruining Chocolate Hills.”
Bohol provincial board member Nathaniel Binlod finds out about Captain’s Peak through the report.
August 15, 2023
In the second part of The Freeman report, Sagbayan municipal engineer, Alan Dinoy, says that he was surprised to find out about the “excavation” between the two hills for the access road near Captain’s Peak.
“it did not pass through his office although he said, they had a site visit before in the area,” the report reads.
Binlod in a privilege speech during the session on Tuesday, August 15, urges the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to investigate the “defacement” of the Chocolate Hills.
August 18, 2023
The board members, through the committees on tourism and environmental protection, survey the resort and find the cottages and water slides built at the foot of three hills.
August 23, 2023
Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado orders the Bohol Environment and Management Office (BEMO), PENRO, and the Central Visayas regional office of DENR to investigate the alleged destruction of Chocolate Hills.
He and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan request the DENR to furnish them a copy of the results of the investigation.
September 6, 2023
The DENR issues a temporary closure order (TCO) against Captain’s Peak Resort. It is unclear if a copy of the TCO was given to local authorities, especially the governor.
The resort still operates while completing important documents like the ECC at this point.
January 9, 2024
Suarez signs and approves the renewal of the business permit of Captain’s Peak Resort. The Mayor’s Permit Number is BP-2024-00096-0. The amount paid for the permit is P13,932.40
January 22, 2024
DENR sends Captain’s Peak management a Notice of Violation for operating without an ECC. It is unclear if a copy of the notice was given to local authorities.
February 16 to 18, 2024
The Department of Education (DepEd) in Bohol holds the provincial athletic meet for the swimming category of boys and girls at Captain’s Peak Resort. The event is one of the DepEd’s main activities before the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) meet.
The Bohol Tourist Police Unit posts photos with student athletes during the event on their official Facebook page.
March 6, 2024
Vlogger Ren the Adventurer posts a drone shot video of Captain’s Peak Resort, catching the attention of numerous netizens who claim that the resort has “destroyed” the Chocolate Hills.
Media outlets pick up the story about the controversial Bohol resort.
March 13, 2024
The Bohol governor says that they already addressed the issue about Captain’s Peak Resort, contrary to claims by netizens about negligence on the part of the LGU.
He adds that the province will be elevating the issue to DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga for guidance and direction.
DENR Central Visayas issues a memorandum directing PENRO to create a team that will inspect the resort for compliance with the TCO.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) also says in their statement that the resort is not an accredited tourism establishment under the agency’s accreditation system. “There is no pending application for accreditation for the same,” the statement reads.
Under the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9593, “Primary Tourism Enterprises” (PTEs) such as hotels, resorts, inns, and other accommodation establishments are required to secure accreditation from the DOT.
Binay, who chairs the Senate tourism committee, files Senate Resolution No. 967 seeking a probe, in aid of legislation, into the construction of all structures within the vicinity of the Chocolate Hills.
In a social media post, Captain’s Peak announces its closure for maintenance and environmental preservation efforts.
March 14, 2024
The LGU of Sagbayan serves the revocation of the resort’s business permit.
“Unless they can provide us the ECC from the DENR in Central Visayas, then we cannot renew their permit. They can reapply, so to speak, but until then, we cannot renew,” Sagbayan executive secretary to the mayor Felito Pon says. Pon adds that it was only on March 15 that the Sagbayan LGU learned about the TCO and Notice of Violation.
In a social media post, Captain’s Peak Resort informs the public about the revocation of their permit and expresses disappointment about the situation.
– Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Last August 14-15, 2023, The Freeman, a member of the Philippine Star Media Group and the longest-running newspaper in Cebu, published the first and second parts of an in-depth report by Caecent No-ot Magsumbol about projects that are “ruining Chocolate Hills.” Yet only on March 13, 2024, and March 14, 2024, did the Provincial Government of Bohol and the Municipal Government of Sagbayan take action, respectively. The gap is around seven (7) months from such publication. But the gap between the controversial social media posting (March 6, 2024) to the March 13, 2024, Provincial Government action and the March 14, 2024, Sagbayan LGU action is five working days (for the Bohol LGU) and six working days (for the Sagbayan LGU). The speed in which these LGUs have acted should be based on the August 14-15, 2023 dates and not on the March 6, 2024 date.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/timeline-controversy-chocolate-hills-resort/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3LBqwmeX6Ynw3QGUrB8M8BmloyGCOF7wiP8pVA0vYPt_zG8PJ0lUnx3qo_aem_jDipHjdRM8_XjbEgmolECA |
Quiboloy in the US: More multi-million properties in Las Vegas, Hawaii | Jodesz Gavilan | 19/03/2024 9:00 | Graphic by Emil Mercado/Rappler
READ: Part 1 | Inside Apollo Quiboloy’s lavish world: Mansions, rich-and-famous lifestyle in North America
Apollo Quiboloy and his controversial Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) own a multi-million-peso mansion in Las Vegas, and disposed of their Hawaii property after his legal woes began in 2018.
A Rappler investigation found that these two residential houses alone are estimated to be worth $4.73 million (P262.52 million)* in 2024, based on official tax and real estate documents obtained on Friday, March 14.
The $2.97-million (P165 million) mansion in Las Vegas, Nevada is still owned by the KOJC.
The property in Hawaii – worth $1.76 million (P97.71 million) – was at the center of a ruse sale when it was sold in July 2018 to a company that bears the same address as a KOJC church, and whose listed owners are directly linked to Quiboloy and his group. This transaction happened a few months after Quiboloy was temporarily detained in Hawaii in February 2018.
These multi-million homes are on top of the three previously discovered by Rappler to be linked to Quiboloy and his associates at the KOJC. These homes – one in the US and two in Canada – are estimated to be worth a total of $6.10 million (P338 million).
This means that Rappler has so far discovered four big houses currently linked to Quiboloy and the KOJC, with a total estimated value of $9.07 million (P503 million). Including the Hawaii property already sold would bring the value to $10.83 million (P601 million).
These expensive properties in North America give the public not just a glimpse, but also a front-seat view of the rich and lavish lifestyle of Quiboloy, who has been in the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most-wanted list since early 2022 for sex trafficking of children and promotional money laundering, among others.
First built in 2005, the Las Vegas mansion has about 784 square meters of livable space, covering five bedrooms, one pool, and a spa. Photos on popular real estate website Zillow show an opulent residence with high ceilings and huge windows.
It is located along Trophy Hills Drive, surrounded by luxurious properties, and about 16 minutes away from the famous Las Vegas Strip. The nearest KOJC church is almost half an hour away by car.
The property is valued at $2.97 million (P165 million), according to 2024 records obtained by Rappler from the Clark County, Nevada Tax Treasurer Office.
Its land value is assessed at almost $291,900 (P16.21 million) while improvements are estimated to have reached almost $699,911 (P38.9 million).
The owners are expected to pay $24,031 (P1.33 million) in taxes for fiscal year 2024 to 2025.
The property was first bought by the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name Inc. in November 2016 for $2.1 million (P116 million), based on public records and the deed of sale obtained by Rappler. The buyer was tagged in the document as “a California Corporation.”
This transaction came six months after Quiboloy’s close ally Rodrigo Duterte was sworn into the presidency. Duterte ruled over Davao City where Quiboloy started his church. The former president even previously admitted to receiving valuable gifts from the pastor throughout the course of their “30-year” friendship.
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name Inc. first registered as a “stock corporation” in 2016 but its registration is currently suspended, according to records filed with the California Secretary of State. Business entities and companies are registered at the state level in the US. According to California’s Franchise Tax Board, an entity is “typically suspended…for failure to meet its tax requirements,” including failing to submit state tax returns, among others.
The company identified as the owner of the Las Vegas mansion shared the same address with another California-based entity: The Executive Pastor Of The Kingdom Of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc.
The two companies’ official mailing address is listed as “14424 Vanowen St, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California,” as indicated in official documents obtained by Rappler. Google Maps showed that the indicated address leads to a KOJC building, with its front bearing the all-too familiar sign present in all of its churches in North America.
The Executive Pastor Of The Kingdom Of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc., however, went through two name changes. It was first registered as “Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name Inc” in 1996, before becoming “The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name” in March 2002.
It obtained its current name in February 2017.
The 2002 document that made the name change official was signed by Apollo Quiboloy and Ingrid Canada. They identified themselves as “president and secretary respectively” of the “California nonprofit religious organization.”
Ingrid’s family is one of the first families to join the KOJC in Davao City, Rappler has learned. She remains one of Quiboloy’s trusted and loyal associates. Her website identifies her as the “Kingdom Nation’s Chief Administrator.”
Quiboloy and Canada are no longer officers of the registered company, at least based on a document just filed on March 13, 2024.
The current officers, however, are still linked to the KOJC.
The corporation’s chief executive officer is Fernando Taguiang Jr., according to business registration documents. A Facebook post by the KOJC in London, United Kingdom identified him in 2016 as a “New York minister.”
Ingrid Canada, in a 2023 Facebook post, called a certain Fernando Taguiang Sr. a “faithful kingdom citizen from Dumoy, Davao City, who was baptized in 1987.”
Hawaii, a five-hour plane ride from Las Vegas, is the site of another Quiboloy-linked property.
The six-bedroom house along Opuakii Place in the city of Kapolei was built in 2009 and is now valued at $1.76 million (P97.71 million). It’s within a gated residential community that has magnificent views of the mountains of Honolulu County on the island of Oʻahu.
But unlike the multi-million Las Vegas mansion, the Hawaii property is not currently owned by Quiboloy nor the KOJC. They, however, undeniably benefited from its sale as information shows that the house was first transferred to a Quiboloy-linked group for a minimal amount ($101) before it was sold for a higher price in 2021.
The property was first purchased by The Kingdom Of Jesus Christ The Name Above Every Name in November 2013 for $1.12 million (P62.16 million), according to documents obtained by Rappler. The Hawaii property stayed with the church for five years until it was turned over in July 2018 to a company named David’s Cafe LLC for only $101.
A warranty deed obtained by Rappler, however, also showed that the amount was actually just $10, which is what is “typically included in deeds to make the transfer enforceable,” according to real estate websites. The document was signed by Felina Salinas, a KOJC associate who was also indicted in the US.
The selling price was significantly lower than its assessed value of $1.36 million (P75.47 million) for that year, based on tax records from Honolulu’s Department of Budget and Fiscal Services.
KOJC sold the property to David’s Cafe LLC just five months after Quiboloy was temporarily detained in Hawaii in February 2018, after Customs and Border enforcement agencies found $350,000 in undeclared cash and rifle parts in the private plane he was sharing with five other people. One of them was Salinas.
David’s Cafe LLC owned the property for three years, before disposing of it in September 2021 for $1.6 million (P88.79 million).
Why did the KOJC sell the property for only a meager sum in 2018? Apparently because it was being transferred to an entity it had close ties with. Information related to David’s Cafe LLC showed that it was first registered as a company in 2014 and has strong links to the KOJC, as established by the following facts:
The registered mailing address of David’s Cafe LLC leads to a KOJC church on Google Maps.
Documents obtained by Rappler also show that the building on the indicated address is being leased by The Kingdom Of Jesus Christ The Name Above Every Name Inc.
Meanwhile, searching the address on Google will lead to a Yelp site for David’s Cafe. Yelp is a webpage where customers can leave reviews about restaurants and other establishments.
One customer wrote in a December 2022 review that “a young girl… just hung around the parking lot with a shopping cart full of products to sell & would come up to you after you park your car.” Another customer also claimed that the sellers said they are raising money for “Children’s Joy Foundation USA.”
Children’s Joy Foundation is the name of a non-profit organization that was “born out of the vision of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy,” according to its website.
There are three names registered as owners of David’s Cafe LLC, according to its business registration filed with the Hawaii state. Rappler was able to verify the links of two individuals to KOJC – Carlo Catiil and Reinalynn Tolentino.
Carlo Catiil’s LinkedIn profile identifies himself as a reporter at Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), the Quiboloy-owned media company. A tweet by SMNI on March 6 tagged him as spokesperson of Laban Kasama ang Bayan rally, the event that sought to support Quiboloy and Duterte.
His links to the KOJC are more obvious on Facebook. His pinned post is a photo of him with Quiboloy. His personal details, meanwhile, include working at the Kingdom Of Jesus Christ The Name Above Every Name. He also identified himself as “business owner at David’s Cafe.”
Catiil posted a photo in January 2018 that shows Quiboloy in front of the Hawaii property.
Catiil is also Facebook friends with Tolentino, whose profile also shows photos with Quiboloy and KOJC events.
These latest discoveries come as authorities both in the US and the Philippines zero in on Quiboloy and the KOJC.
California Judge Terry Hatter Jr. on March 1 unsealed the warrants and returns against Quiboloy and his associates “upon application of the [US] government and for good cause shown.”
There is no information on what the next move will be in the ongoing hunt for the doomsday preacher, but one previous case indicated that the warrant was unsealed so the government can file a formal request for extradition and share information with the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol.
An extradition request will, however, have to go through different layers in the Philippine government, including the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice.
Quiboloy, who enjoys close relations with Duterte, is also being hunted by the Philippine Senate after he failed to appear before congressional hearings on alleged human rights violations committed by his group. But Duterte’s allies among legislators are protecting him.
Vice President Sara Duterte herself defended Quiboloy. In a statement on March 11, the daughter of the former president said that he is being treated unfairly.
All eyes will be on what the Marcos administration’s next moves will be.
– with reports from Herbie Gomez/Rappler.com
*$1 = P55
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Thanks to Jodesz Gavilan and Herbie Gomez for this “front-seat view of the rich and lavish lifestyle of Quiboloy.” Indeed, Pastor Quiboloy has amassed multi-million (not yet a billion?) pesos worth of properties from the sweat, tears, and blood of the lowly exploited and abused KOJC members.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/apollo-quiboloy-more-united-states-properties-hawaii-las-vegas/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR10Y8UTuAtQOAfJObsZn48zR5ZM5Q49zsy2-Y410KbQUc4VcvcZhHyY0JY_aem_EES-SISJZfrnU9m22b0hzg |
‘Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme’ review: ‘Mukbang’ is all-consuming, the rest is bland | Marguerite de Leon | 19/03/2024 17:33 | When one traces how horror stories have been a constant presence in Filipino lives, one cannot look past Shake, Rattle & Roll, Regal Entertainment’s horror anthology film franchise, whose appeal might have declined over time chiefly due to its nine-year hiatus, but remains viable enough to come up with another installment, Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme, now available on Netflix. The film was initially submitted to last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), but failed to make the cut, prompting its production company to opt for a theatrical run.
And given the temporal distance since its last iteration, Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme understands that, in order for the franchise to make sweeping gestures amid a growing audience, it must bank on context as its main currency, without forgoing the madness and spectacle of violence that has been the marker of its existence. And what else speaks context far louder than the pandemic the world has endured and, in many ways, continues to endure, as well as the horrors of virtual space?
The attempts at social relevance factor into the film, especially when seen as a whole, albeit to varying outcomes. It captivates when it knows how to toy with its characters and expose them to riskier terrains, but not at the expense of meaning. Images linger, if not strike, more when they’re not forged out of mere necessity. It falters, however, when it begins to repeat plot points and rely on the display of violence altogether, in hopes of achieving its desired effects to the point of tedium, forcing the audience to notice the runtime.
Here is a close look at each episode.
Donna Carriaga is the best, if not the most exciting, part of Glitch. Considering the parts Carriaga has played prior to this (see Ten Little Mistresses, Third World Romance, and Rabid), it doesn’t sound preposterous to say that she can do no wrong. She elevates Glitch because she doesn’t merely understand the assignment but studies it. As the house help, she induces tension and dread when she figures out that something is not right. But she can only do so much because when she’s taken out of the picture, one begins to notice the film’s rickety design, one that disintegrates upon closer inspection. If anything, it loses its force because the details are rendered in ways that make it so crafty. The characters live in a mysterious house haunted by mysterious forces, conjured through a mysterious game, and director Richard Somes, rather than fleshing out the premise about lost media, is bent on harnessing this frame of mind to the extent that the mystery becomes so artificial. And the final sequence, clad in divine contrivance, is simply a comedy of errors.
Among all the episodes, Mukbang stands out because of its sense, and not semblance, of completeness, a moment of sturdiness in a shaky whole, as one might add. Director Jerrold Tarog, with co-writer Rona Lean Sales, pokes fun at the film’s equally funny premise: a group of content creators, of varying status and follower count, gather at a ritzy mansion to film a mukbang, a collaboration that exposes each character’s facade and hunger for virality. The film is filled with excitement and flavor because the cast is good at being annoying influencers, mastering that “personality” exactly how Twitter/X would describe it. Characters act like they’re really the Main Characters, whether behind or in front of the lens, whether in the face of danger or otherwise. And it’s loads of fun to see this very specific clique be trailed by hilarious but also terrifying shapeshifters. Contrary to the first segment, Mukbang, like a good prankster, knows that the artificiality in the way it captures the idiosyncrasies of influencer life is only part of the formula and not the formula in its entirety.
Rage, above anything, winds up like an episode of a longer piece, which is to say that it is so stretched out to the point of repetition. The metaphor obviously alludes to the pandemic, as its characters try to steer clear of a rage-borne disease that makes everybody go nuts. It is a trip, especially when the film leans on its own absurdity, but that’s about it, really. It takes a lot of suspension of disbelief for the film to hold water, and perhaps one can talk about it solely in terms of its effect, precisely because it forgoes character arcs and any sense of direction for this desired result. Everything in it is predictable, which can still work, if only director Joey de Guzman did not forget that predictability can also be exciting. At the minimum, it needs to be earned. The narrative goes to many places, but barely moves, as if forcing the viewer to concede to its stunted idea of progress. It is too reliant on tropes to even produce anything organic. More than the direction, the segment is marred by faulty acting, save for the work of Jane de Leon and Bryce Eusebio, who at least managed to be believable. By the time it reaches its final frame, Rage feels like it loses sight of the fact that it has a story to tell, that it needs to push itself and not devolve into something so flat and stale. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/movies/shake-rattle-roll-extreme-review-mukbang-all-consuming-rest-bland/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3LBqwmeX6Ynw3QGUrB8M8BmloyGCOF7wiP8pVA0vYPt_zG8PJ0lUnx3qo_aem_jDipHjdRM8_XjbEgmolECA |
Senate orders arrest of Apollo Quiboloy | Bonz Magsambol | 19/03/2024 14:22 | PREACHER. File photo of doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy.
Manman Dejeto
MANILA, Philippines – The Senate on Tuesday, March 19, ordered the arrest of doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy for “unduly refusing to appear” at the upper chamber’s inquiry into his alleged human rights abuses.
“The Chairperson, Senator Risa Hontiveros, found no merit in the explanation of Quiboloy and has ruled to deny the reliefs prayed for and issue the order of arrest,” Senate President Migz Zubiri said in a statement.
The Senate Sergeant-At-Arms was directed to carry out and implement the arrest order against the Kingdom of Jesus of Christ led by Quiboloy (KOJC) leader within 24 hours.
The Senate committee on women children, family relations, and gender equality led by Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros held hearings into allegations of “large-scale human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence, and child abuse” in the KOJC.
“Pursuant to our duly published Rules Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation and the Rules of the Senate, it is ministerial for me to sign the order of arrest. We are signing the order to protect our Committee system, to preserve the Senate’s power of inquiry with process to enforce it,” Zubiri said.
BREAKING. Senate President Migz Zubiri signs arrest warrant for doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy. The Senate Sgt At Arms is directed to implement the order. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/HaZKWW5uVk
Quiboloy had skipped the hearings and repeatedly cited security reasons as one of his concerns. On March 13, the Senate panel issued a show cause order to the controversial preacher, part of the due process followed by the Senate after it issued a contempt order against Quiboloy. This came after Senator Robin Padilla’s failed attempt to block the contempt order issued by the Senate panel. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
I look forward to Quiboloy’s reign of fraud and abuse to be brought before the court’s and the ensuing trial for justice.
Finally, no more delaying tactics. I appreciate Senate President Migz Zubiri’s action, which is based on the following: “We are signing the order to protect our Committee system, to preserve the Senate’s power of inquiry with process to enforce it.” We will also know the reaction of the “Appointed Son of God.”
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/senate-orders-arrest-apollo-quiboloy/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR02uGS5CGlcv_NWpvo_1j4TU51agaKIZ_wxzn045nzOraUYO8T9HvD0vz4_aem_y5I9ZYihZRlCkfRPpTQD1w |
[PODCAST] Teach Me, Senpai, E10: Writing and directing films with Rae Red | Julian Cirineo | 3/3/2024 19:01 | This National Women’s Month, we’re celebrating creative Filipinas who are changing the game in their respective fields.
We start with an up-and-coming filmmaker who in the past couple of years has bagged nominations and awards for works she has written, directed, or both. She is Rae Red.
Filipino films have yet to dominate slots and seats in local cinemas. Although there has been renewed interest in locally written and directed works, Filipino filmmakers still struggle with sales and distribution (READ: [ANALYSIS] Will there be a new golden age in Philippine cinema after record-breaking MMFF?).
This is a reality that Rae Red confirmed when we chatted with her in this episode of Teach Me, Senpai. She shares that making a living as a filmmaker isn’t as profitable as others might assume, but that many continue to do so out of passion for storytelling.
Direk Rae Red is an award-winning writer and director. Babae at Baril, a film she wrote and directed in 2019, was nominated for Best Screenplay and won Best Picture (Netizens’ Choice) at the FAMAS Awards. She was also nominated as Best Director for the season. The same film was included in the roster of nominations and winners for different categories in the 2019 QCinema International Film Festival, the 2020 Osaka Asian Film Festival, and many more.
Other works in her filmography either as a writer, director, or both include Birdshot, Cheddeng and Apple, and Tenement 66.
Her latest work is a series called Roadkillers, starring Nadine Lustre, now available through the Viva One mobile streaming service.
In Episode 10 of Teach Me, Senpai, we take a deep dive into some of Direk Rae Red’s works. We ask her how she processes her ideas as a writer and then as a director, and she says her works usually start with a strong visual. This strong visual is what she then germinates into a script, and then into a film.
We also talk about how she evokes certain emotions or feelings of unease in her thrillers, how she pulls in viewers’ attention and focus, and how she and her team of actors and filmmakers tackle sensitive topics like extrajudicial killings and sexual abuse.
Lastly, she gives pieces of advice to people who want to work in the film industry: where to start, how to flesh out an idea, what grants to watch out for, and working with other people.
Catch this episode on Sunday, March 3, at 7 pm! Bookmark this page so you don’t miss it, or follow us on Spotify at bit.ly/RapplerTeachMeSenpai.
Trigger warning! This episode contains discussions on violence and sexual abuse as portrayed in Direk Rae Red’s films. We’re also issuing a spoiler alert as we will talk in length about how Babae at Baril, Tenement 66, and Roadkillers were created. – Rappler.com
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/careers/teach-me-senpai-podcast-episode-writing-directing-films-rae-red/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2y1pLkbmoiteUI-WGeqejQB30A2qXKDTlCZ6Z5WMtMPJCBk-1JsP5Vb6U_aem_WVGzgcpSV_rcxH1mbb2LKQ |
[OPINION] What is the ‘endgame’ for BBM’s gas transition? | Glenda Gloria | 19/03/2024 11:53 | The development of the Philippine gas sector is one of the priorities of the Marcos government in the name of energy security. The past few weeks have seen efforts to achieve this goal gain steam.
In the Senate, a technical working group recently discussed Senate Bill 2247, which focuses on the development of the industry’s downstream phase, meaning the conversion of gas into products such as liquified natural gas.
Recent consultations held by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Climate Change Commission (CCC) have also included a heavier dependence on natural gas, presenting it as necessary for an energy transition that would apparently lower electricity costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Even conglomerates are getting onboard this plan, as Meralco PowerGen Corporation and Aboitiz Power announced their intent to invest in San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corporation’s gas-fired facilities in Batangas, which would be worth PHP185 billion. They claim that this would make energy in the country more “affordable to a broader base of Filipino consumers.”
This move was presented as a powerful alliance working together for a greater good, reminding us of the plot of countless superhero movies of the past two decades.
If that is the case, then it is more than fair to ask: how do we achieve the “endgame” here?
The promise of gas making energy affordable to more Filipino consumers, as claimed by proponents in the government and business sectors, is questionable at best. Several examples from other countries have shown the costs of a stronger dependence on this fossil fuel.
In Pakistan, where gas comprise almost one-third of its installed capacity, some residents recently experienced a gas price hike of up to 67%, while the competitiveness of its export industries are being threatened by its rising costs.
A similar case has been observed in Bangladesh, where its reliance on imported gas resulted in periods of rationing for industries and higher costs for gas and electricity on households, commercial consumers, and other users.
It is also well-established how gas prices in the global market can wildly fluctuate, as seen most recently with the Russia-Ukraine war that greatly affected supply for said fuel. A strong dependence on yet another imported fossil fuel is a storyline we have already seen with coal, which has contributed to numerous issues with our country’s energy sector, such as high electricity bills for Filipinos.
Notice that when government and business representatives state all the benefits of an expanded gas industry, they would mostly cite the following: energy security, lower electricity costs, and job creation. These are all important components of national development; there is no question about that. But what about environmental protection and the well-being of communities, especially in areas near the proposed sites for the exploration of indigenous gas sources?
There will also be mentions of how gas is cleaner than coal, and how RE technologies are not mature enough to meet the Philippines’s energy demands; these justify it, in their words, as the “transition fuel.” Assuming that is true, then when and how would we reach its inevitable “endgame?”
For the past few years, different sectors have been seeking answers to that question. So far, no specific answer has been provided.
Just energy transition is not an easy process to plan and implement. Yet it is necessary for all plans and strategies to properly execute this if our country is going to achieve energy security, climate change mitigation, poverty reduction, and other facets of sustainable development.
It is difficult to assess any potential gas phaseout strategy when the plans that are supposed to present this are still yet to be publicized. As of this writing, neither the updated Philippine Energy Plan or the NDC Implementation Plan, whose development is led by the DOE and CCC respectively, has been finalized.
The bills promoting the gas sector’s development also feature little to no strong consideration of the Philippines’s climate targets. The current version of SB2247, for instance, mentions nothing about how this would impact the attainment of the country’s self-imposed NDC targets on reducing GHG emissions.
If gas proponents truly mean their claims that it is a “transition fuel,” then there should be a clear plan with an exit strategy for this fossil fuel that should be reflected and harmonized across all plans and strategies. There should be strict restrictions on the lifespan, capacity, and GHG emissions of all gas-related facilities, coupled with other reforms in the energy sector to protect the well-being of consumers.
The harmonization does not just apply across gas-related plans; it must also be reflected in how they impact climate and environment-related plans at the national and local levels. Any just transition has to ensure the placement and enforcement of social and environmental safeguards that protect communities and ecosystems from any adverse impacts caused by energy-related projects.
These would allow the country to have more flexibility in its energy sector to allow it to adjust to emerging challenges, a lesson that should have been taught to us by the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from energy-related goals, this would also enable a true just transition into a renewables-dominant future, aligned with national sustainable development targets and global frameworks like the Paris Agreement.
Without proper restrictions, then this push for gas would result in a scenario similar to the current superhero movie genre: it goes on too long, the issues would repeat, and it would cost consumers more than just their money. – Rappler.com
John Leo Algo is the national coordinator of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas and the deputy executive director for programs and campaigns of Living Laudato Si’ Philippines. He is also a member of the Youth Advisory Group for Environmental and Climate Justice under the UNDP in Asia and the Pacific.
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/voices/imho/opinion-what-is-endgame-for-marcos-administration-gas-transition/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR31aA9FiGUSAn9QK7KeSdh2fqhc-wxySj4Vp8KbnNt3wFMYYFFZ1jCMJVE_aem_owZa9kR6S8IeRvmlAuDmAw |
In jail, drag artist Pura Luka Vega broke bread | Lian Buan | 15/03/2024 7:30 | DETAINED. Pura Luka Vega is seen inside the detention facility of the Manila Police District Station 3 in Sta. Cruz, Manila, on October 5, 2023, after being arrested.
Ben Nabong/Rappler
Matthew 26:26 says Jesus took bread, broke it, gave it to his disciples, which was the first thing that Amadeus Fernando Pagente (drag name: Pura Luka Vega) did in jail: to ask for bread and share it with the detainees. Ironically, it was dressing up as Jesus Christ in drag and performing the Catholic Church song, Ama Namin that got Pura behind bars.
Not that it was done on purpose. It was the least and most immediate thing Pura could do to help the other detainees. “They were asking. They were really hungry, you can see it, you can feel it,” that’s why “bumili ako ng maraming tinapay, kain tayo ng tinapay (I bought lots of bread and I said, let’s eat bread)!”
Pura has had three warrants of arrest, posted P1.2 million in bail for those warrants, all in all 11 counts across four venues over criminal charges of indecency and immorality. All because Pura performed Ama Namin in drag, which irked religious individuals, some of whom ended up taking the drag artist to court, and then to jail. The longest Pura spent behind bars was three days, before getting a release order.
“Food is the biggest problem for the inmates, to have food all the time. Because they rely on people who visit jails. It’s very scarce,” said Pura on Rappler Talk.
The Philippines’ 1987 Constitution guarantees freedom of expression. But the country’s pre-war revised penal code has a clause, Article 201, that prohibits “immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions and indecent shows.”
Pura has been charged with 11 counts of those, compounded by the Cybercrime Law – which has more severe penalties – because the complainants cite the TikTok videos as sources for the offense. There’s also Article 133 that criminalizes offending religious feelings, although an explicit element of this crime requires that the offense must be done at “a place devoted to religious worship, or during the celebration of any religious ceremony.” Pura performed Ama Namin during a drag show.
“For countless of times, as a queer person, I’ve had people use the bible as a weapon against us, and now we have laws that are used, same thing, as weapons against us,” said Pura.
In a key win last November, the Tacloban City Office of the Prosecutor dismissed one set of Article 201 complaints against Pura filed by a pastor because “taken as a whole, the performance in question has serious literary, artistic or scientific value.”
Philippine jurisprudence established only four kinds of speech that is not protected: 1.) Obscenity (thus the regulation against porn) 2.) False advertising 3.) Libelous statements and 4.) Fighting words (or words that incite to harm and danger).
In the resolution, the Tacloban prosecutor cited a 2006 Supreme Court case which says that to call something obscene, it must pass these legal tests:
The prosecutor believed that Pura’s performance had serious literary, artistic or scientific value, “in fine, the complaint must necessarily fail,” the short 3-page resolution read.
This decision does not bind any other prosecutors, and whatever court win Pura might get also would not bind any other judge. Ideally, human rights and free speech advocates would rather declare Article 201 unconstitutional. That there is now momentum to push for that, Pura said, makes the situation “less miserable.”
“If I always think about myself, then definitely I’ll think about how miserable the situation is. But I have to separate myself: what does this mean for other queer people, for expression, for people around me, what does this mean with accepting one’s differences?” said Pura.
“I’d rather go through that and really push for the unconstitutionality of all of these laws. They can use it if they had the chance, if not [against] me, then someone else in the future,” Pura added.
A post shared by My Name is…Luka (@puralukavega)
Pura has been able to pay bail, and afford all the other costs of facing 11 cases, now down to only four, because of “people who chipped in,” not least of whom are other drag queens who initiated crowdfunding efforts.
“Not everyone has access to being represented well, or getting the justice that they deserve, or just even to have a fair chance at justice or freedom,” said Pura, who is represented by lawyers who include the firm Leflegis, the team behind the win of urban poor residents who were charged by the police during the pandemic for protesting for food aid.
Philippine jails are the world’s second most crowded, next only to Congo and followed by Uganda and Cambodia, according to the world prison brief of the UK-based Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research. Pura saw that firsthand, saying “the conditions were a little sad, it shows that not every jail or prison is equipped with certain things.”
The 3-day imprisonment experienced by Pura was “short,” although the prospect of even staying in jail overnight is too daunting for some people. “Time is relative. People don’t know this, but I have an uncle who was in prison, so I used to visit him, so it’s not something very alien to me,” Pura said.
“You have to experience a lot of difficult situations for you to get a handle of how to approach it better,” said Pura, a public health worker whose prior work in mental health policy helped in coping with the stress brought by the charges.
The charges against Pura range from accusations of disrespect and insult against religion, and even mockery of Jesus Christ by “insinuating that Jesus Christ is gay.”
Pura told the different courts that the performance was an expression of Catholic faith; the belief that Jesus Christ embodies “inclusivity, whimsy, joy, and advocacy for the oppressed.”
“I do not intend to indoctrinate people, or tell them how they should worship. Faith is very personal, the way that you express is personal, no one can take that away from you, I can’t take that away from anyone,” said Pura.
“If your faith in a divine being is really firm and strong, whatever expressions other people have should not faze you. What I did should not bother you, I think, if your faith is strong,” Pura added.
Drag is attacked around the world. In the United States, several states have passed laws to ban it, although these have been challenged before courts. In Lebanon, a bar holding a drag show was attacked by an anti-LGBT group.
“People have always used this narrative that drag influences or corrupts children. How? I don’t think it does, it is just an art form,” said Pura. Despite the legal battles, Pura won’t “trade drag for the world.”
“I’ve had more faith, it didn’t waiver. God has been with me, my friends, my family, and the people who supported me. I have that belief in a divine being. I don’t take it against other people who don’t have that belief, you’re free to believe whatever you want. But for me, I think – thank you, Lord.” – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/pura-luka-vega-drag-legal-battles/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0wChy5937PpmM4hYv2oN6LDjF6pzhTrOMt0YkUHCaiVoQEDyVzL7CJZZY_aem_JnZMtavpSn54K1kLfc62hg |
FACT CHECK: Pictures of joint training of Philippine and US soldiers not all from Batanes | Lorenz Pasion | 19/03/2024 13:08 | Claim: Pictures show joint training of Philippine and US soldiers in Batanes.
Why we fact-checked this: The claim can be found in a March 15 post on the Facebook account of former broadcaster Jay Sonza, which has around 554 reactions, 123 comments, and 119 shares as of writing.
Along with five pictures of Philippine and US forces training, Sonza described them in the post as “War Footing Training in Batanes” and also said, “Mas marami pa ang mga sundalong Amerikano, Australian at Pilipino ngayon sa Batanes kaysa sa bilang ng naninirahan sa isla. Ang Batanes ay hindi EDCA [Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement] sites [sic] batay sa opisyal na talaan ng mga EDCA sites in the Philippines.”
(There are more American, Australian, and Filipino soldiers today in Batanes than the number of inhabitants in the island. Batanes is not an EDCA site based on the official list of EDCA sites in the Philippines.)
The facts: Only one out of the five pictures of Philippine and US forces training shown in Sonza’s post was from Batanes.
Here are the places where the pictures in Sonza’s post were taken, according to various sources found with reverse-image searches using Google Images:
There was only one photo in Sonza’s post that was taken in Batanes. According to the DVIDS website, the picture of a US Army soldier from the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment was from Basco Island, Batanes. It was taken during an amphibious air assault training exercise on Basco Island in Batanes on April 23, 2023.
Previous related fact-checks: Rappler has fact-checked several false claims from Sonza since 2018, with a recent one published on March 11, debunking a claim that said the Philippines has 19 EDCA sites instead of nine. – Percival Bueser/ Rappler.com
Percival Bueser is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at [email protected]. You may also report dubious claims to the #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/pictures-joint-training-philippine-united-states-soldiers-not-all-from-batanes/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3exR-uZtLG19TcUXInDj_yzQzJEDAnwBE_IOJ4Cv8fy_0LT3As6dON90Y_aem_azruyyzKpoGfya_-se2XgA |
BIFF warns of more attacks after Maguindanao del Sur ambush | Herbie G | 19/03/2024 9:54 | ILL-FATED. A soldier examines a vehicle that four soldiers were riding when they were killed in an ambush in Maguindanao del Sur on Sunday, March 17.
6th Infantry Division
KORONADAL, Philippines – A Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) breakaway group threatened on Monday, March 18, to launch more attacks against government forces as it owned the responsibility for last weekend’s attacks that included an ambush that killed four soldiers in Maguindanao del Sur.
A faction of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) said it went on offensive mode in response to relentless military operations even after the start of the Ramadan.
The BIFF is a militant group in Mindanao which broke off from the MILF in 2008. When its leader, Ameril Umbra Kato, died in 2015, it split into several factions.
Abu Sapyun, spokesperson of the BIFF-Karialan faction, said they launched the recent attacks against the military to retaliate.
Sapyun told local broadcaster Brigada News FM that the attacks included an ambush that killed four soldiers in Datu Hoffer town, Maguindanao del Sur, on Sunday, March 17.
The ambush killed four soldiers from the Army’s 40th Infantry Battalion identified as privates Marvin Dumaging, Jessie James Corpuz, Private 1st Class Carl Araña, and Corporal Creszaldy Espartero.
Sapyun said his group was also behind the raid on Saturday night, March 16, of a military patrol base in Pagatin, in Datu Salibo town, where an exchange of firepower wounded two soldiers.
He said the BIFF attacks were in retaliation to persistent military offensives such as a raid in Sitio Tatapan, Kitango village in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town, Maguindanao del Sur, that killed a sibling of BIFF leader Kagi Karialan. He identified the fatalities as Karialan’s brother Abdul Kader Animbang and his nephew, Hamidi Animbang.
“Kami naman ang mag-offensive ngayon (It’s our turn now to be on the offensive),” Sapyun said.
He said their leader, Karialan, ordered his followers to stop attacks on government troops a month ago as they prepared for Ramadan. Karialan, he said, subsequently took back that order after the military offensive in Saudi Ampatuan town.
“Magiingat na lang ang civilians upang huwag silang madamay (Civilians must take precautions and avoid being caught in crossfire),” said Sapyun.
Close to midnight on Sunday, an explosion rocked the compound of a police station in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in Maguindanao del Sur.
No one was hurt and there was no significant damage in the attack, said Bangsamoro police director Brigadier General Allan Nobleza.
Nobleza said investigators were still assessing the situation and trying to identify the group behind the attack in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town.
He said police have yet to determine if it was the handiwork of a terrorist group, given the series of attacks in the province the past days.
He also noted that a soldier from the Army’s 92nd Infantry Battalion, and a civilian companion were wounded when they were attacked in Pagalungan town, Maguindanao del Sur, on Thursday, March 14.
The soldier, identified as Private 1st Class Roberto Desierto Jr., was shot in the neck while he and his companion were on a motorcycle in the village of Galakit in Pagalungan.
The civilian, Eugenio Gurang, was injured when the motorcycle crashed.
Major General Alex Rillera, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, condemned the attacks, particularly Sunday’s ambush, describing it as “a cowardly and treacherous act committed during Ramadan against defenseless soldiers who wish to offer food to Muslim friends during Iftar.”
Iftar is the partaking of food to break fasting at sundown.
The soldiers went to buy Iftar food to be given to Muslim residents near their military post when they were ambushed on their return, Rillera said.
With the series of violence in Maguindanao del Sur, authorities have stepped up security protocols with more patrols and checkpoints in known critical areas.
In the neighboring province of Cotabato, authorities began enforcing a gun ban in preparation for the upcoming plebiscite in the 63 barangays covered by the Special Geographic Area (SGA). The gun ban started on March 14 and will last until April 20. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/mindanao/biff-warns-more-attacks-maguindanao-del-sur-march-18-2024/ |
Biden to host first trilateral summit with Marcos, Kishida at White House | Bea Cupin | 19/03/2024 9:25 | LEADERS. US President Joe Biden with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., walks through the colonnade of the White House in Washington DC, before the bilateral meeting, on May 1, 2023.
KJ Rosales/PPA Pool
MANILA, Philippines – US President Joe Biden will host Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Washington DC for the first trilateral leaders’ summit of the United States, the Philippines, and Japan in April, the White House announced on Monday, March 18 (Tuesday, March 19 in Manila).
“At the summit, the leaders will advance a trilateral partnership built on deep historical ties of friendship, robust and growing economic relations, a proud and resolute commitment to shared democratic values, and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
The summit will be held on April 11.
The White House said the US will “reaffirm ironclad alliances” with the Philippines and Japan, which are US treaty allies. Marcos, Biden, and Kishida are expected to discuss how the trilateral relationship could push forward economic growth, clean energy, climate cooperation, and “further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.”
Marcos and Biden will have a separate meeting to “review the historic momentum in US-Philippines relations and discuss efforts to expand cooperation on economic security, clean energy, people-to-people ties, and human rights and democracy.”
“The President will reaffirm the ironclad alliance between the United States and the Philippines and emphasize US commitment to upholding international law and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said the White House.
Biden will host Kishida on the eve of the summit for an official visit and a state dinner on April 10.
The first trilateral summit of the three countries comes amid the intensifying competition between superpowers the US and China. It also comes as China amps ups its claims and activities in the South China Sea, to the detriment of claimant states, including the Philippines which had won an arbitral award in 2016 invalidating China’s expansive claims in the area.
Marcos, Kishida, and US Vice President Kamala Harris had an informal meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Jakarta back in September 2023.
The foreign ministers of the three countries met the same month, laying down the foundation of a trilateral cooperation between the US and two of its Asian treaty-allies.
Marcos last met with Biden in the White House in May 2023, during an official working visit where the US and Philippines announced updated guidelines for its Mutual Defense Treaty, among others. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/trilateral-summit-marcos-biden-kishida-white-house-april-2024/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR33k7JlJXv9BmG8IpBHK9I51NWUK9e4nF9KJLh-mnn9W_DK6y5eRdNjOjo_aem_sy_a1dC8AtJy5a6XLCbBag |
New probe is Pampanga CLOA holders’ only hope against Clarkhills takeover | Joann Manabat - CMS | 19/03/2024 9:00 | DEMOLISHED. A portion of the 73-hectare disputed land in Barangay Anunas have been demolished following a re-implementation order in September 2023. Joann Manabat/Rappler
ANGELES CITY, Philippines – After four bloody demolitions in the last six months, the latest happening in March, more than 500 families were forced to flee the land where they had lived all their lives in Barangay Anunas here.
The 2,000 residents of Sitio Balubad have been fighting Clarkhills Properties Corporation, which had laid claim on the 73-hectare land whose parcels were awarded to the families by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Quezon City in 1998 and 1999 during the presidencies of Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. has been given authority by the city council to expropriate of 3.5 hectares of the disputed land, so the 535 families can own them through the local government’s socialized housing project. The remaining 70 hectares would go to Clarkhills.
The holders of Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) wouldn’t have any of this. The 73 hectares are theirs, they say, and they are calling for a reinvestigation into how Clarkhills gained a claim on the agricultural land awarded to the families.
“We are the legitimate owners of this property. We are not illegal settlers. We are fighting for our right as legal owners. We just want this to be reinvestigated. We are not illiterate. We know what’s going on. We know our rights,” said Joy (not her real name) days before the March 12 demolition.
Joy is one of the 74 CLOA holders of a five-hectare land within the area. She showed Rappler a copy of a certification from the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), which states that the disputed land is within an agricultural zone, per an ordinance issued in August 1978 – or 46 years ago.
The 535 families remain standing despite the series of violent demolitions that led to their exodus since September 2023, which stemmed from a re-implementation order from the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (DARAB).
The demolished properties included residential houses, a commercial laundry warehouse, and a furniture factory. Some of the structures were destroyed by the owners themselves for fear of what else the demolition team would do as they came closer to their homes.
Clarkhills’ former legal counsel Gener Endona said that one of the reasons for the cancellation of the CLOAs was the re-classification of the 73 hectare as “residential land.”
In August 2020, Endona submitted to the Registry of Deeds (RD) documents that would support the request to cancel the CLOAs: Certificate of Finality, Supreme Court order, DARAB order, and Entry of Judgment.
In a letter to Lazatin last February 9, Endona mentioned that occupants of the property had constructed commercial buildings in the area, rental staycations with swimming pools, and apartment units. Some of the tenants had sold the land to third persons.
Endona said they had been requesting the names of the indigent households and the original tenants and their children who occupy the lot and have not sold any portion of the land to third persons. They were going to submit these to the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) for its Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program.
The project would entail the construction of a four-story residential building, with 20 units per floor at 27-square meter per unit.
Amid the violent demolitions, Mayor Lazatin said the local government unit would cease negotiations with Clarkhills and proceed with the expropriation of 3.5 hectares for its housing project.
“We will ensure that we will acquire the concerned property in favor of our constituents,” Lazatin said in his letter to Oscar Torralba, president of Clarkhills Properties Corporation, cited in a press release.
“Considering the present circumstances and this impasse in the communication between the city government and Clarkhills, we believe that the best course of action for us is to proceed with the expropriation,” Lazatin added.
Although the decision to expropriate lies with the Angeles City trial court once the mayor files the case, Joy said it is still a step they will welcome towards reinvestigation.
“We are holding on to our right as the legal owners of this property. That is where we are drawing our strength, why we are not going anywhere, especially those who are just like me, who were born here, grew up here. Our ancestors, our parents, passed this down to us,” said Joy.
“For us, it is not just about the ownership but also the memories we have here that we can pass down to our kids. But even that is being taken away from us.”
Barangay Anunas is among the four remaining agricultural zones identified by the CPDO of Angeles. The other ones are in barangays Cuayan, Cutud, and Mining.
Based on the City Land Use Plan, highly urbanized cities such as Angeles are allowed to reclassify 15% of their remaining agricultural zones. The CLUP also states that the land requirements should not come from the remaining agricultural lands as there are still vacant or idle lands in the present built-up areas that can accommodate expansion.
Arnel San Pedro, head of the City Information Office, confirmed to Rappler on February 24, that there was never a permit that allowed the reclassification of the contested land in Sitio Balubad. No request was made to the city council to reclassify the land, he said.
San Pedro said the local government may no longer reclassify the remaining agricultural lands in Angeles City. He added that the reclassification of lands would require public hearings and approval by the city council.
“The land ceases to be economically feasible and sound for agricultural purposes. It should also have a greater economic value for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes,” San Pedro said.
“Under the spatial strategy of the CLUP, full urbanization does not happen overnight. Thus, the area’s existing agricultural lands will be protected from irrational conversion, land banking, and speculation, and the same will be devoted to food and high value crop production until such time that their highest and best uses are no longer agriculture,” he added.
Based on the 2010-2020 zoning map of Angeles City, the agricultural zone or tropical grass comprise 483 hectares out of 1,200 hectares of production areas.
The CLOA holders have paid their lots in full when they received a letter from LandBank of the Philippines to settle their due balance from 2017 to 2019.
LandBank’s agrarian services administrative unit head Rossano Cruz told Rappler in an interview on February 12 that even if the farmers had paid their lots in full, a refund would still be possible, depending on the situation of the agrarian reform beneficiaries.
Cruz said they would still follow the policies of the DAR whether the farmer is qualified for a refund. The amount, he said, would be the same as what they had paid.
Senator Risa Hontiveros on March 4 raised concerns about the “systemic patterns” of agrarian reform reversals and land consolidation that had affected farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries who were issued CLOAs by DAR.
Hontiveros urged the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council to revisit the many cases of agrarian reform beneficiaries, particularly the ways by which the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program is being “evaded.”
Citing several agrarian reform issues and land disputes in the country, she said she had received “alarming reports” from people’s organizations, and acknowledged the agrarian reform reversals and land reconsolidation that is looming in the country.
“There is a pattern. It is not just the one sitting in DAR today. This appears to be a systematic pattern that beleaguers our agrarian reform program,” said Hontiveros during her recent privilege speech.
“We are not blaming the one seated in DAR today because this is a systemic problem that crosses administrations – for how many years, decades of neglect. What is clear is that we owe a historical debt to our farmers,” she said.
Despite serious efforts by Rappler in seeking an official response to the issue, the agrarian reform department and its Adjudication Board have yet to make comments. We will update this report once the responses are available. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/luzon/new-probe-angeles-cloa-holders-hope-against-clarkhills-takeover/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR34e4XEEcW_enMLuL2r9eHNDkRcGcKnDLArspUVBCGGXKJq0IttoWCaDYo_aem_boSrhOxRxZND8ArqVaPZfg |
El Niño wreaks havoc in Western Visayas, losses hit P800 million | Herbie G | 19/03/2024 11:35 | BACOLOD, Philippines – The El Niño phenomenon has wreaked havoc on rice and corn crops in Western Visayas, causing losses of nearly P800 million, according to a report from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) in the region.
As many as 19,000 farmers and some 14,528.25 hectares of rice and corn fields have been adversely affected by the heat and lack of rainfall, according to the RDRRMC report on Monday, March 18.
The report showed that three out of the six provinces in Western Visayas have suffered heavy losses due to the prolonged dry weather conditions. These provinces include Iloilo with damages reaching P519.19 million, Antique with P139.7 million, and Negros Occidental with P87.4 million in losses.
Aklan reported damages to agriculture amounting to P30.1 million, while Capiz incurred losses of P2.9 million. Guimaras province has yet to submit a damage assessment.
But despite the urgent need for relief, cloud seeding operations in the region are seen to be unfeasible, said Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Monday.
Lacson cited a report from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region VI, which advised against cloud seeding at this time because it could potentially damage mango plantations in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, and nearby Guimaras province.
The DA in Western Visayas has yet to explain the technical aspects and the potential damage that cloud seedings can do.
A research study on www.earth.org, however, showed the possibilities of contamination and environmental pollution resulting from the mishandling of silver iodide and other chemicals used in cloud seeding. Such pollution, it said, could have far-reaching consequences on natural ecosystems and pose tangible risks to human health.
Meanwhile, the impact of the dry spell continues to worsen in 11 cities and towns in southern Negros. These include Kabankalan, Himamaylan, Sipalay, and several other areas.
In Himamaylan City, nine villages are already grappling with water shortages due to the dry spell.
Joefil Sombilon, head of the Himamaylan City Disaster Risk Reduction Office (HCDRRMO), identified the affected barangays as San Antonio, Carabalan, Cabadiangan, Mahalang, To-oy, Nabali-an, Su-ay, Cabanbanan, and Libacao.
The HCDRRMO has sought the help of the provincial government as the number of affected residents in these barangays has reached 15,000. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/el-nino-wreaks-havoc-western-visayas-damage-rice-corn-fields-march-18-2024-report/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0KQEPM15uOYoCq46qyU8iIXWy1jsD5hGag80L2b_q4FyEjT_Gmp_2fdFg_aem__K5WTeCvPLuWcZ8ApXNJyw |
Andy Gemao brings Basketball Without Borders learnings to NBTC | delfin.dioquino editor | 18/03/2024 20:22 | SIZE UP. Andy Gemao in action for Gilas Youth.
FIBA
MANIKA, Philippines – Prized high school prospect Andy Gemao quickly showcased his wares in his first game in the 2024 NBTC National Finals as his FilNation Select-USA trumped Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas, 106-51, on Monday, March 18.
Gemao dropped 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists following his stint in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders camp during the NBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis last February.
“I learned a lot in the [Basketball Without Borders camp], especially in adjusting quickly with my teammates,” said the former Letran Squire, who flew to the US in 2023 to continue his basketball journey at Veritas Academy National Prep in California.
With little practice for the weeklong tournament, Gemao made use of this wisdom in a team consisting of top Filipino-American prospects headlined by former Gilas Youth players Caelum Harris and Jacob Bayla.
“[Adjusting to my teammates] is what I’m striving for the team for the next one or two games,” Gemao added.
FilNation Select saw a balanced production in the blowout, with Bayla leading the way with 19 points, Terrence Hill adding 15 points, and Harris contributing 13 points.
Gemao, who led the Squires to the NCAA Season 98 juniors championship, was the lone Filipino player to participate in the Basketball Without Borders camp.
In Basketball Without Borders, Gemao recorded a 40.5-inch vertical jump, the highest among the participants. However, the 6-foot-1 guard lost in the camp’s championship game as his Pistons bowed to the Pacers, 39-31.
Viewers got a glimpse of Gemao’s verticality in the first half of the game against PCU-D, when he botched a dunk attempt off a fastbreak.
Nonetheless, Gemao’s Fil-Am Select picked PCU-D apart from start to finish as it moved to the Super 32 against St. Robert’s International College-Iloilo.
With FilNation featuring a stacked roster on paper, the former NCAA Juniors MVP has set lofty goals for the team in the NBTC tilt.
“Nothing else but the championship for us,” Gemao said. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/andy-gemao-brings-basketball-without-borders-learnings-nbtc-national-finals-march-2024/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0OhSY-xog2gcd3_nu_hgkA9P8Nx5A05eeulbxOyzATcmVbzeC-0Hktl60_aem_Ruyt8oV_mAtcZZk6Wv_fOQ |
Quiboloy in the US: More multi-million properties in Las Vegas, Hawaii | Jodesz Gavilan | 19/03/2024 9:00 | Graphic by Emil Mercado/Rappler
READ: Part 1 | Inside Apollo Quiboloy’s lavish world: Mansions, rich-and-famous lifestyle in North America
Apollo Quiboloy and his controversial Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) own a multi-million-peso mansion in Las Vegas, and disposed of their Hawaii property after his legal woes began in 2018.
A Rappler investigation found that these two residential houses alone are estimated to be worth $4.73 million (P262.52 million)* in 2024, based on official tax and real estate documents obtained on Friday, March 14.
The $2.97-million (P165 million) mansion in Las Vegas, Nevada is still owned by the KOJC.
The property in Hawaii – worth $1.76 million (P97.71 million) – was at the center of a ruse sale when it was sold in July 2018 to a company that bears the same address as a KOJC church, and whose listed owners are directly linked to Quiboloy and his group. This transaction happened a few months after Quiboloy was temporarily detained in Hawaii in February 2018.
These multi-million homes are on top of the three previously discovered by Rappler to be linked to Quiboloy and his associates at the KOJC. These homes – one in the US and two in Canada – are estimated to be worth a total of $6.10 million (P338 million).
This means that Rappler has so far discovered four big houses currently linked to Quiboloy and the KOJC, with a total estimated value of $9.07 million (P503 million). Including the Hawaii property already sold would bring the value to $10.83 million (P601 million).
These expensive properties in North America give the public not just a glimpse, but also a front-seat view of the rich and lavish lifestyle of Quiboloy, who has been in the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most-wanted list since early 2022 for sex trafficking of children and promotional money laundering, among others.
First built in 2005, the Las Vegas mansion has about 784 square meters of livable space, covering five bedrooms, one pool, and a spa. Photos on popular real estate website Zillow show an opulent residence with high ceilings and huge windows.
It is located along Trophy Hills Drive, surrounded by luxurious properties, and about 16 minutes away from the famous Las Vegas Strip. The nearest KOJC church is almost half an hour away by car.
The property is valued at $2.97 million (P165 million), according to 2024 records obtained by Rappler from the Clark County, Nevada Tax Treasurer Office.
Its land value is assessed at almost $291,900 (P16.21 million) while improvements are estimated to have reached almost $699,911 (P38.9 million).
The owners are expected to pay $24,031 (P1.33 million) in taxes for fiscal year 2024 to 2025.
The property was first bought by the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name Inc. in November 2016 for $2.1 million (P116 million), based on public records and the deed of sale obtained by Rappler. The buyer was tagged in the document as “a California Corporation.”
This transaction came six months after Quiboloy’s close ally Rodrigo Duterte was sworn into the presidency. Duterte ruled over Davao City where Quiboloy started his church. The former president even previously admitted to receiving valuable gifts from the pastor throughout the course of their “30-year” friendship.
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name Inc. first registered as a “stock corporation” in 2016 but its registration is currently suspended, according to records filed with the California Secretary of State. Business entities and companies are registered at the state level in the US. According to California’s Franchise Tax Board, an entity is “typically suspended…for failure to meet its tax requirements,” including failing to submit state tax returns, among others.
The company identified as the owner of the Las Vegas mansion shared the same address with another California-based entity: The Executive Pastor Of The Kingdom Of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc.
The two companies’ official mailing address is listed as “14424 Vanowen St, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California,” as indicated in official documents obtained by Rappler. Google Maps showed that the indicated address leads to a KOJC building, with its front bearing the all-too familiar sign present in all of its churches in North America.
The Executive Pastor Of The Kingdom Of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc., however, went through two name changes. It was first registered as “Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name Inc” in 1996, before becoming “The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name” in March 2002.
It obtained its current name in February 2017.
The 2002 document that made the name change official was signed by Apollo Quiboloy and Ingrid Canada. They identified themselves as “president and secretary respectively” of the “California nonprofit religious organization.”
Ingrid’s family is one of the first families to join the KOJC in Davao City, Rappler has learned. She remains one of Quiboloy’s trusted and loyal associates. Her website identifies her as the “Kingdom Nation’s Chief Administrator.”
Quiboloy and Canada are no longer officers of the registered company, at least based on a document just filed on March 13, 2024.
The current officers, however, are still linked to the KOJC.
The corporation’s chief executive officer is Fernando Taguiang Jr., according to business registration documents. A Facebook post by the KOJC in London, United Kingdom identified him in 2016 as a “New York minister.”
Ingrid Canada, in a 2023 Facebook post, called a certain Fernando Taguiang Sr. a “faithful kingdom citizen from Dumoy, Davao City, who was baptized in 1987.”
Hawaii, a five-hour plane ride from Las Vegas, is the site of another Quiboloy-linked property.
The six-bedroom house along Opuakii Place in the city of Kapolei was built in 2009 and is now valued at $1.76 million (P97.71 million). It’s within a gated residential community that has magnificent views of the mountains of Honolulu County on the island of Oʻahu.
But unlike the multi-million Las Vegas mansion, the Hawaii property is not currently owned by Quiboloy nor the KOJC. They, however, undeniably benefited from its sale as information shows that the house was first transferred to a Quiboloy-linked group for a minimal amount ($101) before it was sold for a higher price in 2021.
The property was first purchased by The Kingdom Of Jesus Christ The Name Above Every Name in November 2013 for $1.12 million (P62.16 million), according to documents obtained by Rappler. The Hawaii property stayed with the church for five years until it was turned over in July 2018 to a company named David’s Cafe LLC for only $101.
A warranty deed obtained by Rappler, however, also showed that the amount was actually just $10, which is what is “typically included in deeds to make the transfer enforceable,” according to real estate websites. The document was signed by Felina Salinas, a KOJC associate who was also indicted in the US.
The selling price was significantly lower than its assessed value of $1.36 million (P75.47 million) for that year, based on tax records from Honolulu’s Department of Budget and Fiscal Services.
KOJC sold the property to David’s Cafe LLC just five months after Quiboloy was temporarily detained in Hawaii in February 2018, after Customs and Border enforcement agencies found $350,000 in undeclared cash and rifle parts in the private plane he was sharing with five other people. One of them was Salinas.
David’s Cafe LLC owned the property for three years, before disposing of it in September 2021 for $1.6 million (P88.79 million).
Why did the KOJC sell the property for only a meager sum in 2018? Apparently because it was being transferred to an entity it had close ties with. Information related to David’s Cafe LLC showed that it was first registered as a company in 2014 and has strong links to the KOJC, as established by the following facts:
The registered mailing address of David’s Cafe LLC leads to a KOJC church on Google Maps.
Documents obtained by Rappler also show that the building on the indicated address is being leased by The Kingdom Of Jesus Christ The Name Above Every Name Inc.
Meanwhile, searching the address on Google will lead to a Yelp site for David’s Cafe. Yelp is a webpage where customers can leave reviews about restaurants and other establishments.
One customer wrote in a December 2022 review that “a young girl… just hung around the parking lot with a shopping cart full of products to sell & would come up to you after you park your car.” Another customer also claimed that the sellers said they are raising money for “Children’s Joy Foundation USA.”
Children’s Joy Foundation is the name of a non-profit organization that was “born out of the vision of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy,” according to its website.
There are three names registered as owners of David’s Cafe LLC, according to its business registration filed with the Hawaii state. Rappler was able to verify the links of two individuals to KOJC – Carlo Catiil and Reinalynn Tolentino.
Carlo Catiil’s LinkedIn profile identifies himself as a reporter at Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), the Quiboloy-owned media company. A tweet by SMNI on March 6 tagged him as spokesperson of Laban Kasama ang Bayan rally, the event that sought to support Quiboloy and Duterte.
His links to the KOJC are more obvious on Facebook. His pinned post is a photo of him with Quiboloy. His personal details, meanwhile, include working at the Kingdom Of Jesus Christ The Name Above Every Name. He also identified himself as “business owner at David’s Cafe.”
Catiil posted a photo in January 2018 that shows Quiboloy in front of the Hawaii property.
Catiil is also Facebook friends with Tolentino, whose profile also shows photos with Quiboloy and KOJC events.
These latest discoveries come as authorities both in the US and the Philippines zero in on Quiboloy and the KOJC.
California Judge Terry Hatter Jr. on March 1 unsealed the warrants and returns against Quiboloy and his associates “upon application of the [US] government and for good cause shown.”
There is no information on what the next move will be in the ongoing hunt for the doomsday preacher, but one previous case indicated that the warrant was unsealed so the government can file a formal request for extradition and share information with the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol.
An extradition request will, however, have to go through different layers in the Philippine government, including the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice.
Quiboloy, who enjoys close relations with Duterte, is also being hunted by the Philippine Senate after he failed to appear before congressional hearings on alleged human rights violations committed by his group. But Duterte’s allies among legislators are protecting him.
Vice President Sara Duterte herself defended Quiboloy. In a statement on March 11, the daughter of the former president said that he is being treated unfairly.
All eyes will be on what the Marcos administration’s next moves will be.
– with reports from Herbie Gomez/Rappler.com
*$1 = P55
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Thanks to Jodesz Gavilan and Herbie Gomez for this “front-seat view of the rich and lavish lifestyle of Quiboloy.” Indeed, Pastor Quiboloy has amassed multi-million (not yet a billion?) pesos worth of properties from the sweat, tears, and blood of the lowly exploited and abused KOJC members.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/apollo-quiboloy-more-united-states-properties-hawaii-las-vegas/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3CBpFbDFm0V5Re7V4AS9S3E2YvIRww0VEuN3HQ16zy0Rd5kxcXCt_Ta_8_aem_0ShIccn-lU_Fv199AXoKPw |
PAREX no longer pushing through — Ang | The wRap | Cara Angeline Oliver | 18/03/2024 22:21 | Today on Rappler – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
San Miguel Corporation president and CEO Ramon Ang says the planned P95-billion expressway along Pasig River is no longer pushing through.
The former superintendent of the Bureau of Corrections Ricardo Zulueta, tagged in the assassination of broadcaster Percy Lapid, died at the age of 42 due to heart failure.
Media organizations and lawyers in Cebu condemn the unethical conduct of Brigada News FM broadcasters Dennes Tabar and Juril Patiño for interviewing a 4-year-old rape survivor in their program.
President Vladimir Putin wins a record 87.8% votes, the highest ever result in Russia’s post-Soviet history, on Sunday, March 17 cementing his already tight grip on power and sending a message to the West that it will have to reckon with Russia for many more years to come.
Actress Heart Evangelista shares in an episode of Fast Talk with Boy Abunda that she had undergone a miscarriage in February. — Rappler.com
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/march-18-2024/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0HQN_XpnIF8w5eIahNdz35I50b7TQ-KlluhjMV6yrKSFy9DGOpN_s3RL4_aem_Up5ggjDS9czNmZJu6hkAFQ |
EU, Philippines resume stalled trade negotiations | Dwight de Leon | 18/03/2024 22:00 | PLEDGE. European Union flags fly outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on September 19, 2019.
Yves Herman/Reuters
BRUSSELS, Belgium – The European Union and the Philippines said on Monday, March 18, they would resume negotiations on a free trade agreement as the EU seeks to tap into Asia’s faster economic growth and gain access to critical raw materials.
Free trade negotiations stalled in 2017 over EU concerns about the human rights record of then-Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who was succeeded in June 2022 by Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said the bloc welcomed the “positive change of direction” taken by the Philippines’ new administration, while encouraging further progress on human and labor rights.
The European Union is the Philippines’ fourth largest trade partner. Trade in goods was worth 18.4 billion euros ($20 billion) in 2022 and 4.7 billion euros ($5.1 billion) in services in 2021. A trade deal could increase trade by 6 billion euros, Dombrovskis said.
The EU has targeted agreements with southeast Asian countries and has accords with Singapore and Vietnam and is in negotiations with Indonesia and Thailand.
The EU is eying Filipino raw materials such as nickel, copper and chromite that it needs for its green transition and for which it is currently heavily reliant on China.
Philippine Department of Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said his country wanted to secure capital and know-how from EU companies to engage in more domestic processing.
His country already benefits from the EU’s tariff-free GSP+ system for developing countries, but aims to rise to upper middle class income status, when GSP+ would no longer apply.
“We want to be able to lock in the benefits of GSP+, plus more,” Pascual said.
The Philippines currently benefits from tariff-free access to the EU for about two-thirds of products, including coconut oil, vacuum cleaners, tuna and pineapples.
A free trade deal could allow exports of seaweeds, tobacco, wood and ornamental plants, Pascual said. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/european-union-marcos-administration-resume-stalled-trade-negotiations-march-2024/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3Ngkn_P8Ur6L9YHBfelopZpd_Gic3Nl8esornL3vdZFPW8HwsNJ-oXmZM_aem_dTOl5y0C7LPotIYiEDjJRA |
Fuel to fire: First Creamline sweep loss in 5 years a blessing, says Alyssa Valdez | jisaga0269 | 16/03/2024 21:07 | PVL Images
SANTA ROSA, Philippines – Even the greatest teams in sports are not immune from the occasional off day or two, and the PVL’s Creamline Cool Smashers are no exception.
Riding a 19-game winning streak lasting eight months, the seven-time champions found themselves on the wrong end of a dominating display as the Chery Tiggo Crossovers cleaned house with a 25-18, 26-24, 25-23 sweep, marking the first time Creamline lost in three sets since May 2019.
Although rarely on the side of a beatdown, superstar Alyssa Valdez still unearthed the silver linings she and her teammates can take moving forward, as the Cool Smashers remain near the top of the standings at 4-1.
“Wow it’s been a while, and probably it’s really about time also for us to feel that way again, so that we can have renewed energy and strength to get motivation,” she said after the game.
“What can I say, the quality of gams now is really entertaining, interesting. Everyone’s really keeping up and every team is having great games.”
Sure enough, Chery Tiggo had itself a great one after having its own shocking sweep loss against young Farm Fresh, as Eya Laure, Jen Nierva, and Ara Galang all had standout outings to help end a two-game skid.
As for Creamline, a period of reflection is next on the schedule as it gears for an expected bounce-back against upstart Capital1 on Thursday, March 21, at the Araneta Coliseum.
“It was a very quiet dugout. That’s expected. But you know, knowing my teammates, it might be quiet, but in their heads they’re all like really thinking on what to do, on how to improve, on how to bounce back or be better the next game,” Valdez continued.
“So I really believe in them and I believe that we can get back our competitiveness and add more fire to fight this conference.” – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/volleyball/first-creamline-cool-smashers-sweep-loss-years-blessing-alyssa-valdez/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2bwdMrlEih85Y03QZgU7DscWq4izU4pcVWYGhvgmWnF9IhhgIr-ivubLQ_aem_34tlnB5xTDncO09wT7oSdA |
[DOCUMENTARY] Biking 120 kilometers in Metro Manila | Iya Gozum | 9/3/2024 20:01 | MANILA, Philippines – Commuting in Metro Manila is a daily struggle.
Since the pandemic, more people have turned to biking to get around. As a response, the government put up bike lanes across the metro. To find out how bike-friendly Metro Manila is, Rappler rode a loop of 120 kilometers around the capital in January for a documentary. Riding 100 kilometers or more is part of the bucket list of many bikers due to its sheer distance and the challenge it poses.
The loop covered Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Malabon, Caloocan, Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, and Taguig.
To assess bike-friendliness, Rappler drew up criteria evaluating the bike lanes using four factors: lane width, road conditions, obstructions, and segregation.
These are factors that affect a biker’s safety on the road, also take into account the infrastructure the government put in place, and gauge the attitude of other motorists with respect to the lane and the bike commuter.
Only portions of the major roads covered in the loop were measured in the scorecard.
But how safe is Metro Manila for bikers? Rappler’s Iya Gozum biked a 120-kilometer loop in Metro Manila to find out. – Rappler.com
Reporter/writer: Iya GozumProducer/field director: Nina LiuSupervising producer: Beth FrondosoVideo editor: JP San PedroEnvironment editor: Jee GeronimoAnimator: David CastucianoGraphic artists: Raffy de Guzman, Marian Hukom, Nico VillareteDirector of photography: Jeff DigmaSecond camera operator: Errol AlmarioAssistant cameramen: Danny Espina, Ramil Cedeno
Improving active transportation facilities and policies is part of the call of various groups to #MakeManilaLiveable. On Rappler, we have created a dedicated space for stories and reports about liveability in Philippine cities. Learn more about the movement here.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/podcasts-videos/biking-120-kilometers-metro-manila/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3LBqwmeX6Ynw3QGUrB8M8BmloyGCOF7wiP8pVA0vYPt_zG8PJ0lUnx3qo_aem_jDipHjdRM8_XjbEgmolECA |
Cagayan de Oro leaks cost water district over P700 million in 2022 alone | Herbie G | 18/03/2024 10:30 | WATER LOAD. A man carries a container of water he got from a water tanker sent by city hall during a recent supply interruption in Barangay Canitoan, Cagayan de Oro City.
Cagayan de Oro City Information Office
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Over half of the Cagayan de Oro Water District’s (COWD) water supply has been going to waste due to leaks, resulting in lost revenues that could have been more than enough for it to settle debt claims by its primary bulk water supplier.
In a March 13 letter sent by the Manny V. Pangilinan-controlled Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Incorporated (COBI) to the COWD, the supplier pointed out that the water district incurred over P700 million in losses due to its high percentage of non-revenue water (NRW) in 2022 alone.
The wastage included millions of liters of treated water supplied to the COWD by COBI.
The lost revenues, COBI said, could have been used to pay COWD’s outstanding payables.
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by Rappler, showed that COWD’s wasted water due to leaks and illegal connections had reached 55.39% in 2021, and 50.05% in 2022.
Citing audited financial statements, COBI said the COWD’s receivables in 2022 amounted to over P500 million, with available cash totaling over P147 million and cash equivalents of over P227 million.
These funds, according to COBI, could have been used to partially pay its balance and finance COWD’s programs to address its NRW problem.
“It appears that COWD’s ability to improve its operations and financial standing is solely within its control. It has no excuse to skirt its legal obligations, including those to COBI,” a part of the COBI letter reads.
COBI had given COWD until the end of March to settle a disputed debt of over P400 million, but a March 15 letter sent to the city council by COBI President Christopher Andrew Pangilinan showed that the supplier expressed willingness to extend the deadline to April 12.
COWD and COBI executives are scheduled to sit down for a potential settlement this Wednesday, March 20, to avert a supply disconnection, said Engineer Antonio Young, the general manager of the water district.
COWD has refused to acknowledge the nearly P430-million debt being claimed by COBI, pointing out that the amount represented a 2021 rate increase, which the water district objected to because it took effect during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
Young maintained that COWD invoked a force majeure provision in their 2017 contract to stop COBI from implementing the increase in 2021.
He said COWD has been reiterating that they have no legal basis to pay the accumulated price difference, but COBI insisted on it.
COBI, however, maintained that COWD has not given an unacceptable explanation for invoking the force majeure clause.
Speaking before the city council last week, Young said COWD incurred substantial net losses in their 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic’s impact.
COWD and COBI, however, could come to terms when its executives meet this Wednesday in an effort to avert a tap water supply crisis in Cagayan de Oro.
Local officials have sounded the alarm, but COBI assured the public that a water supply disconnection has not been decided with finality, but that scenario would be the bulk water supplier’s last resort.
Pangilinan, in his letter to the city council, said COBI was giving COWD until 12 more days after March 31, to settle things with the bulk water supplier or else it “will exercise all its legal and contractual remedies.”
The letter was sent in response to Councilor Edgar Cabanlas’ request to extend the deadline given to COWD by two months.
In the March letter, Pangilinan asked that the COWD also settle its January and February 2024 invoices by March 22 and April 1, respectively.
As to the disputed debt that accumulated since 2021, COBI said it was looking forward to “an agreement or an acceptable plan” on or before April 5.
COBI said it had reached out to COWD several times in the past to discuss and resolve the disputed debt, but water district executives “repeatedly cited their unavailability.”
The firm said they scheduled a meeting in Cagayan de Oro on January 30, but representatives from COWD were allegedly a no-show despite their confirmation of attendance.
It said the meeting was rescheduled in Davao City on February 27, but COWD representatives allegedly canceled it at the last minute.
Young, however, claimed that COWD had also made attempts to reach out to COBI to resolve the matter.
He told Rappler on Saturday, March 15, that all issues and concerns would be tackled during their upcoming meeting this week. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/mindanao/cagayan-de-oro-water-district-leaks-cost-substantial-losses/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0SqEU241nLC4JF-tgcy1etBK1sK6InByUBSrR1iVx27OxHquV5cZqi-hs_aem_wp25mNNNiGX4IwxIq8RnnA |
Dapitan mayor investigates digging of tunnels at historical Ilihan Hill | Dwight de Leon | 18/03/2024 8:00 | SLEEPY CITY. The Dapitan City plaza was originally designed by Jose Rizal. At the background is Ilihan Hill, where El Fuerte de Dapitan was built to protect the sleepy city.
Bert Laput
DAPITAN CITY, Philippines – Dapitan City Mayor Seth Frederick Jalosjos ordered the immediate creation of a multi-agency committee to investigate the diggings at the foot of Ilihan Hill, where the Spanish “El Fuerte de Dapitan (Fort of Dapitan)” once stood.
“Ilihan is one of our heritage sites. Remnants of the El Fuerte de Dapitan still remain on that hill and we have been preserving the old cannons used to defend it,” Mayor Seth Frederick Jalosjos told Rappler on Saturday, March 16.
“The diggings are a desecration of the sanctity of Ilihan and the identity of Dapitanons. I will send to jail whoever destroys our community,” he added.
Backlash against the diggings started last week when Elmer Carreon, a Dapitanon residing in the United States, posted on Facebook a video clip of a tunnel. Ilihan has an estimated elevation of 60 meters.
Carreon also asked how Geracleo Jatico Jr., owner of the lot where the diggings are conducted, was able to acquire a title of the land when Ilihan is supposed to be a heritage site and a military reservation.
Carreon said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has to answer why public lands, protected areas, and forest areas were converted into disposable and alienable lands and disposed of to private owners.
Cristina Ondac, a resident near the diggings, said Jatico already has nine tunnels.
She called on the local government to intervene, fearing that the hill may end up collapsing, and in effect compromise the safety of the hundreds of residents below.
In creating the investigation panel, Jalosjos plans to invite the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) so that it can look into the tunnels, and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), so it could shed light on why Jatico was able to get title of the land at the foot of Ilihan.
“Actually, the diggings seem to be the work of treasure hunters and the diggings may already have compromised the integrity of the hill,” Jalosjos said.
Chairman Clifford Hamoy of Barangay Potol – one of the two villages where Ilihan is located – doubts the diggings are merely for treasure hunting.
Hamoy told Rappler the depth of the biggest tunnel, which supposedly has electrical wirings and air hoses to pump oxygen into the tunnel, could reach 20 meters.
“I don’t think it is intended to look for buried ring or bracelet,” he said. “Maybe they are already on small-scale mining.”
But Jatico, who already has an existing house nearby, insisted he is just building a house where the tunnel is his bedroom.
Asked why he has to dig nine tunnels, Jatico said it is because his house has many rooms.
Jatico’s parents were known treasure hunters. In the 1970s, they were able to dig up a dozen of small “tibud” (ancient jars) at the opposite side of Ilihan, and sold it to buy a balloon tire bicycle.
The foot of Ilihan was used as a burial ground. It was a practice of early Dapitanons, either Subanens or Bol-anons, to bury “treasures” with their dead.
Hamoy said that the largest tunnel used to be a small cave, on which a Dapitan myth said treasures were hidden by Bol-anons led by Datu Pagbuaya in 1523.
According to Marianito Luspo, a historian at the Holy Name University in Tagbilaran City, Dapitan already existed as a flourishing “Kedatuan (Malayan for kingdom) of Dapitan” in Panglao, Bohol, in the 13th century.
Citing the chronicles of Jesuit missionary Francisco Combes in the 17th century, Luspo said what was then the Kedatuan of Dapitan led by brothers Pagbuaya and Dailisan got into a war with the Kingdom of Ternate in Indonesia.
“After Dailisan died in one of the initial battles, and seeing their kingdom difficult to defend, Pagbuaya and his followers of 80 families abandoned Panglao and transferred to where Dapitan is now and settled at the hill later named Ilihan, one of the Pagbuaya’s relatives, an made it their stronghold,” Luspo added.
Rex Hamoy, a historian at the Jose Rizal Memorial State University in Dapitan, said that when Spanish colonizers arrived in 1565, they fortified Ilihan, and built military structures and perhaps the first of the four churches built in Dapitan.
The entire Dapitan can be seen from the top of Ilihan, including the whole stretch of Dapitan Bay – from the Pulaoan point in the west, where the shipping port existed even before the Spanish colonizers came, to Tag-ulo point in the east, known by Spanish sailors as Cape of Mindanao (the heart of Mindanao).
Now Ilihan is promoted by the city government as a tourist attraction, although it still needs a lot of restoration and preservation effort. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/mindanao/dapitan-mayor-investigates-digging-tunnels-historical-ilihan-hill-march-2024/ |
San Miguel rookie Kyt Jimenez out after ice bath accident | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/03/2024 22:16 | ALL SMILES. Kyt Jimenez at a San Miguel Beermen victory party.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Kyt Jimenez will miss a huge chunk of the PBA Philippine Cup following a freak accident at his home last March 1 that left the San Miguel rookie with an injured right arm.
Jimenez slipped after an ice bath and suffered a deep cut as he tried to cushion his fall, cutting himself with broken window glass.
Beermen team manager Gee Abanilla said Jimenez – who wore a cast as he watched San Miguel open its Philippine Cup title defense with a dominant win on Friday, March 15 – is expected to be out for two months before he returns.
“I hope it is earlier, God willing,” said Abanilla through text on Saturday.
Jimenez, though, is just glad that he lives to tell the tale after losing a significant amount of blood before he underwent successful operation at a nearby hospital.
“For now, the important thing is I’m alive,” Jimenez said in a mix of Filipino and English in his YouTube vlog. “Just to be honest, with what happened to me, my chance of survival was 50-50.”
“If I did not live with someone who knows how to drive, I think I’d be gone by now.”
As Jimenez recovers, he is also expected to miss the Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors Game during the PBA All-Star festivities in Bacolod City later this March.
The 76th pick in the previous PBA Draft, Jimenez had hoped to see more playing time after suiting up in just two games last conference. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/pba/kyt-jimenez-out-ice-bath-accident-march-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1LMRpJtgivKFzuLXzgAOnlisr8jO_7-KureHVi-ty_I4bAukOFNhQMtlo_aem_A5fo_Empksn8uvAbyGwOjw |
The Duterte dynasty: Powered by guns | Lian Buan | 11/3/2024 15:38 | The Duterte dynasty: Powered by guns
(2nd UPDATE) Former President Rodrigo Duterte and his family have a combined total of 654 firearms in their possession, according to new information obtained by Rappler
REPUBLISHED MAR 11, 2024 3:38 PM PHTFIRST PUBLISHED MAR 1, 2024 2:30 PM PHTBY Lian Buan, Jairo Bolledo, Jodesz GavilanAll illustrations by Alejandro Edoria
There are already 654 guns in the combined vault of only five members of the powerful and ruling Duterte clan, made up of mostly the handy and easy-to-use pistols and a hundred rifles, documents obtained by Rappler show. (Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of this story, we counted 477, to include only four members of the Duterte family. New information gathered allowed us to update our count.)
The patriarch, former president Rodrigo Duterte, has the most number of firearms in his collection, or 363 assorted weapons, which is five more than we earlier reported which was at the time based on records from October 2023. After our reporting, we obtained the most recent records.
His eldest, Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte has about half the size of his father’s vault, or 172 newly-licensed firearms. His youngest son, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte has 61, his son-in-law Manases Carpio has 30, and his daughter, Carpio’s wife, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, has 28. We were unable to verify if other members of the family, including the former president’s partner and children in-law, have any firearms.
These documents are in the records of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO), and were verified to be authentic by Rappler. These documents mean that the firearms in these records were licensed.
Former president Duterte passed a law on May 6, 2022 that extended the validity of a firearm to 10 years, when before a license was valid for only four years before it had to be renewed again. The former president benefitted from his own law because his 358 firearms were renewed afterwards, just weeks before he stepped down as president, and obtained 10-year licenses.
The new law he passed, RA 11766, also made it easier for him to obtain a permit to carry outside residence. Part of the amendments made to the old version, RA 10591, listed professions such as lawyers, businessmen, journalists, accountants, as having an assumed threat to their safety and thereby giving them an easier time applying for a permit. In the new law, Duterte added two: an elected official, both former and current such as himself, and retired and active law enforcement personnel.
His children also benefitted from this law because Sara and Sebastian are elected officials too: Sara was Davao City mayor before the 2022 elections, and Sebastian was Davao City vice mayor at the time.
In Sebastian’s vault of 66, there are 24 firearms with 10-year licenses or until 2033 or 2034. Paolo also has 24 firearms with 10-year licenses, because most of the firearms in his vault of 144 are expiring either this year, 2025, or 2026 – which means he can renew them by then and get a fresh 10-year license if he wishes. Sara has six firearms with 10-year licenses, and husband Manases has seven firearms with 10-year licenses expiring in the same period.
The most expensive guns in the vault, according to publicly available market pricing, are the pistols. Paolo’s Wilson Combat EDC X9S is worth P342,500, and Sebastian’s Les Baer 572 Hemi pistol is worth P300,000. The Kriss Vector SDP Gen II, one of which Rodrigo and Sebastian each own, is priced at P261,000.
The Philippines has an enduring problem of gun violence, notoriously committed by the private armies of powerful clans. Past attempts at cracking down, and abolishing the private armies have failed because of watered down legislations, such as not putting a ceiling on the number of guns an individual can own.
The law says an individual possessing at least 15 guns is already a gun collector, and can obtain a Type 5 license, provided she or he passes the required drug and psychological tests, plus a vault inspection.
Although the law does not impose a limit on the number of guns per person, the common gun collector follows regulations as guidance and usually keeps his or her collection to around 15, according to our industry sources. The more avid shooter can have more – for example, former tax commissioner and known gun enthusiast Kim Henares has 40.
Henares believes the law is right not to impose a limit on the number of guns one person can possess, but the former Cabinet member – and the late former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s shooting buddy – said the regulators must be strict in the psychological test. Under FEO guidelines, the neuro-psychiatric examination and the drug test should be done by the PNP Health Service and the crime laboratory group, respectively.
“What you should regulate is making sure who holds those guns, right? Even if you allow one person to only have one gun, if he’s unstable, it’s the same thing,” said Henares in a mix of English and Filipino.
The Dutertes did not respond to Rappler’s requests for an interview or statement for this story. Separate requests were sent to the offices of Sara, Paolo, Sebastian, and Manases Carpio. We will update this story once they respond.
Rodrigo and Sara indirectly reacted to Rappler’s stories in separate statements. On March 7, the Vice President posted a video statement, saying the reporting about her guns is part of an “organized demolition job.” She said these allegations aim to tarnish her integrity and create an image that she is a “killer, corrupt, abusive, and a warlord.”
“Makikita natin ito sa pag-atake sa confidential funds, pagpapalaganap ng video sa Commonwealth traffic, paggawa ng issue sa pagtatag ng security para sa Opisina ng Bise Presidente, paglabas ng testigo na umano’y ako ay kaparte ng Davao Death Squad, sa malisyosong ulat tungkol sa aking mga baril, at ang pambabastos sa relasyon namin ng aking asawa,” the Vice President said.
(We can see this through the attack against confidential funds, the viral Commonwealth traffic video, making an issue of the creation of a security unit for the Office of the Vice President, a witness claiming that I am part of the Davao Death Squad, through a malicious report about my guns, and the disrespect for my relationship with my husband.)
On January 30 during a press conference in Davao City, Duterte took a swipe at Rappler’s earlier reporting on his gun collection and said that many of his guns were gifts when he was president, and that all of them are licensed anyway. According to Duterte, he knew that there were inquiries about his gun collection because a cop had tipped him off.
“Kinakalkal ‘yung firearms namin kung magkano, naririnig ko eh, tumawag ‘yung FEO…Lahat ng baril ko, pati maliit na baril, lisensiyado ‘yan. Kasi mahilig ako sa baril, pina-rehistro ko lahat sa Crame. Eh sila nagtanung-tanong, marami kang baril, eh putang-ina tanong mo sa Crame, regalo ‘yan,” said Duterte.
(They were looking into our firearms, how much they were, I heard because someone from the FEO called me…. All of my guns, even my small guns, are licensed. I am into guns, so I registered them all in Crame. But they were asking – you have so many guns, son of a bitch ask Crame, they are gifts.)
The PNP-FEO told Rappler in December 2023 that the rules are uniform for everyone and that a former president such as Duterte does not enjoy special privileges.
However, records bear out that each member of the Duterte clan owns Class-A light weapons, which under RA 10591 can be bought, owned, and licensed only by law enforcement personnel.
Class-A light weapons, under the law, include self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, submachine guns, assault rifles, and light machine guns not exceeding caliber 7.62 mm which have a fully automatic mode. Their FEO records explicitly say that Rodrigo Duterre has 38 Class-A light weapons, Paolo Duterte has 24, Sara Duterte has 3, Sebastian Duterte has 1, and Manases Carpio has 1.
How are they able to license Class-A light weapons, which should have been exclusive to the military, police, and other law enforcement agencies?
It could be because the law’s exception clause applied to them. Because RA 10591 was passed only in 2013, non-law enforcement individuals (like the Dutertes) who possessed Class-A light weapons before 2013 were allowed to continue ownership of such firearms and were only required to renew their licenses. We sought clarification from the FEO on February 20 and followed up on February 28, and again on March 5, but have not yet received a response as of March 11. We will update this story once we do.
We also asked on March 8 whether the PNP will retroactively apply its recently amended internal rules to include more types of firearms in the small arms group, but we got no clear response.
Based on estimates from market retail prices, the Duterte family’s weaponry is worth a total of P24 million. Former president Duterte’s collection is worth around P5.5 million, but his sons’ vaults, although much smaller collections, have more expensive firearms.
Paolo’s collection of 172 is worth P10.2 million – more expensive than his father’s P5.5 million – based on newer documents we obtained. Based on last year’s documents, Sebastian’s collection is worth P5.4 million, Manases Carpio’s collection is worth around P2 million, and Vice President Sara Duterte’s collection is worth around P1.04 million.
When speculations spread that an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was forthcoming, the former president said he would resist arrest and he threatened violence.
“Kapag puntahan nila ako, arestuhin nila ako dito, magkabarilan talaga ‘yan at uubusin ko ang mga putanginang ‘yan (If they come for me, if they arrest me here, there will be a shootout, I will finish all those sons of bitches),” said Duterte.
The ICC is investigating the six years of Duterte’s bloody drug war, and six years of his term as mayor and vice mayor of Davao City for the killings made by the alleged Davao Death Squad.
While the Philippine government still maintains that The Hague has lost jurisdiction over the Philippine case after Duterte withdrew membership from the Court, Prosecutor Karim Khan has successfully appealed to the ICC chamber to let him continue his investigation. The probe has reached a stage where Khan can request for summons or a warrant.
Duterte has also started pushing for a rehashed idea of a Mindanao secession, which he mentioned in a nasty public word war with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in January. Opposition leader and former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Duterte’s staunch enemy, said the PNP must cancel his gun licenses if he is threatening to secede.
“Ito ay nag-incite to sedition/secession na. Malamang na gagamitin pa ang mga baril na ‘yan laban sa gobyerno (He is already inciting to sedition/secession. It’s possible he will use those firearms against the government),” Trillanes said.
A witness against Duterte’s friend and spiritual adviser, the controversial doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy, said he had once witnessed Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte leave the preacher’s compound with bags of guns. The witness said this during a Senate investigation into the violations of Quiboloy and his religious group Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) which had been accused of sexual assault.
“Minsan po pumupunta doon si former president Rodrigo Duterte at former Davao mayor Sara Duterte. ‘Pag umalis na po sila sa Glory Mountain, dala na po nila ang mga bag na siya pong mga bag na nilalagyan po ng mga baril,” said the witness during a Senate hearing on February 19. (Sometimes former president Rodrigo Duterte and former Davao mayor Sara Duterte would visit. When they leave the Glory Mountain, they would carry with them bags of guns.)
Sara Duterte responded to this accusation by imputing political motivations. “Sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, naging kagawian na ang pag-atake at pagbato ng sari-saring isyu laban sa Bise Presidente. Marahil, sapagkat ang Bise Presidente ang tumatayong pangunahing hadlang sa mga nangangarap maging pangulo,” she said on February 21.
(In the history of the Philippines, it’s been a tradition to attack and throw issues against the vice president. Perhaps, because the Vice President is the primary obstacle to those who aspire to be president.)
Former president Duterte denied that Quiboloy gave him guns, telling journalists in Davao City on February 27 that: “Kami magtanggap ng baril kay Quiboloy? It is a very stupid proposition. Bakit naman si Pastor Quiboloy magbigay sa akin ng baril? Saan siya kukuha?” (We will get guns from Quiboloy? It is a very stupid proposition. Why would Pastor Quiboloy give me guns, where will he get them?)
INSPECTION. In 1997, then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte checks out an assault rifle after inspecting a crime scene in Davao city. Renato Lumawag/Reuters
SHOOTING RANGE. In the late 1980s, then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte inspects an assault rifle at a shooting range in Davao City. Renato Lumawag/Reuters
UZI. Former mayor Rodrigo Duterte poses with his Uzi submachine gun in the mid-1990s in the mountainous village of Carmen in the Baguio District of Davao City. Reuters
ANTI-TERRORISM. On June 28, 2018, then-president Rodrigo Duterte is seen with then-Chinese envoy Zhao Jianhua at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga. Rappler
TURNOVER. Former president Rodrigo Duterte hands over the marksman rifle from then-outgoing PNP director general Ronald dela Rosa to then-newly-installed PNP director general Oscar Albayalde during the PNP change of command ceremony on April 19, 2018. Malacañang photo
FROM CHINA. On June 28, 2018, then-president Rodrigo Duterte at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, during the turnover by China to the Philippine government of rifles and ammunition to help combat terrorism. Rappler
– with a report from Ferdinand Zuasola/Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Accordingly: “The PNP-FEO told Rappler that the rules are uniform for everyone and that a former president such as Duterte does not enjoy special privileges.” Of course, the PNP-FEO can say this because the new law, RA 11766, was passed by Former President Digong Duterte to have himself as the first beneficiary. Who needs so many firearms? Are they getting them for their private armies? That new law (RA 11766) should be amended based on social justice. But who would want to amend it? It is a law that benefits only a few Filipinos yet would remain unchanged because most of our politicians and businesspersons are its primary beneficiaries – so few yet so powerful.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/duterte-dynasty-powered-by-guns/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2L-UsafKQvSewponvmuE1s8TUblPnQ-pilsO7uxC5qhvQHrQzw1IeACJQ_aem_-YPLF7ndd50saIkGm7sQ4A |
Ruby Rodriguez chose family over celebrity life in the Philippines | Michelle Abad | 18/03/2024 9:34 | This story is published in partnership with SoJannelleTV, a magazine show about Filipinos in North America
Back home in the Philippines, Ruby Rodriguez had a life that many could only dream of. From 1991 to 2021, she appeared as one of the hosts for Eat Bulaga!, a variety show that put her in front of millions of eyes each weekday. It was a comfortable existence, but one she envisioned leaving behind. But why?
Rodriguez sat down to speak with Filipino-American media pioneer Jannelle So-Perkins in an interview with So Jannelle TV to discuss why she uprooted her life, family, and career for a more low profile one in Los Angeles.
“It was planned. It takes years to uproot yourself, you don’t just do that on a whim. I’m not single, if I was single I can do that… but if you’re carrying baggages and you have your family, you can’t do that in a snap. This has been planned for years,” said Rodriguez in a recent episode of So Jannelle TV, a Filipino-American lifestyle magazine show which airs US-wide on cable channels The Filipino Channel (TFC) and ANC; as well as on local Southern CA digital channel KNET 25.1; and is also available on social media platforms.
There were many factors to take into account. Her husband, Mark Aquino, wasn’t keen on the idea, but her daughter Toni was all for it. The plan would have to wait after Toni was accepted to University of the Philippines. But the main factor for her was her son AJ, a special education student who lives with chronic Henoch-Schönlein purpura, an autoimmune condition that can cause damage to the kidneys.
Ruby and her son would often fly to the United States for treatments, but even with her substantial income, the costs were exorbitant. After realizing that his medical costs would be covered by insurance in the United States, she decided it was time to permanently relocate abroad. But before she would leave, Rodriguez knew she’d need to find a new career. That’s when she inquired at Malacañang Palace about a job at the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles.
“I grew up being independent. I don’t like burdening others because I know how hard it is here. You don’t have your maids, I have to do the laundry. In the Philippines you just take off your clothes and somebody will get it. I know how hard it is. That’s why I looked for a job first. I said, since I know how to get in there and they have presence there already, let’s try. There’s no harm in trying,” said Rodriguez.
After submitting her requirements and taking a test, she received an email informing her that she had been accepted. She went to Los Angeles in December of 2019 for an interview with former Consul General Adelio Cruz, keeping her plans secret to all in her industry except for her best friend, Pauleen Luna.
The extent of her secrecy was made clear when Cruz asked if she could start on January 1.
“I said, ‘I didn’t let them know.’ Then he started laughing and I said, ‘Sir, I have to notify my producer formally, they don’t want to be put in a spot if I go AWOL,’” remembers Rodriguez.
Her flight was booked for April 5, 2020, allowing her son to complete his classes on March 31. And then the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, putting those plans on hold. The consulate didn’t pressure her to begin immediately, understanding the complicated situation involving international travel, and knowing that they had limited their days of operation and were working with a skeleton force.
The following year, they asked if she could begin in May of 2021. She traveled to Los Angeles with her daughter first, while her husband stayed back home with their son until he finished classes in June of 2021. After ten days of quarantining, Rodriguez began at the consulate.
Rodriguez says her job entails processing dual citizenships, a process which she says can be hectic because there are two oath takings planned per day. Still, she doesn’t look at her career shift as a form of turning her back on the life she lived for decades. She jokes that she’s just in “hibernation” from show business.
“I enjoy what I’m doing because finally whatever I learned I’m using. I’m learning everything new again. This I tell you, my job here, it’s like I’m still in showbiz. Because when I’m in front it’s like, ‘Hi Ruby!’ And then when I brief them on the important things it’s like I’m still entertaining people because that’s the way I speak. The people like it, they laugh. I don’t mean for them to laugh,” said Rodriguez, who also hosts events for the consulate.
Still, she says she can’t bring herself to watch her former show, because she has to be at peace with her choices.
“I don’t want to be envious like, that should have been me. Take jealousy out so I don’t watch because I don’t want to be jealous. If I stayed, would I be doing this? Like I said, trust yourself. Everybody has their own way to cope with it, so like me, I don’t watch,” said Rodriguez.
The immigration process brings many challenges for all Filipinos, even those who are celebrities. Many Filipinos, including Rodriguez, find that they have to adapt to new careers as part of their relocation, which is something she says that transplants should embrace.
“Whatever you’re doing, love it. So whatever your job is, maintenance, whatever, be proud of what you’re doing. Because they chose you so that means you’re the best for it,” said Rodriguez.
“For all us Filipinos, this is not where we were born. We all have struggles, whether it’s friendship, family, work, finances and housing, immigration. I always believe in this… laughter is the best medicine. But number one is your faith. Do not ever forget that everything is in His hands. It’s God’s will.” – Jannelle So Productions | Rappler.com
Rappler is partnering with Jannelle So Productions Inc (JSP), founded by Filipino-American pioneer and Los Angeles-based journalist Jannelle So, to publish video and written stories from SoJannelleTV about the journeys, successes, and challenges of Filipinos living in America.
Check out So Jannelle TV daily for stories that make you pause, reflect, and appreciate who we are and what we are as a people.
Sundays, 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET on The Filipino Channel (TFC)Mondays, 6:00pm on KNET Channel 25.1 Southern CaliforniaReplay on Saturdays, 7:30pm PT / 10:30pm ET on ANC North AmericaAny time on YouTube.com/SoJannelleTV
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/celebrities/ruby-rodriguez-chose-family-over-celebrity-life-philippines/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3Vs09m2sFZLGwBx4TAjf3zryLZKgJwdaWgaIq9StOTnSY69kK14R419zs_aem_fn8f-3eeNXEE4mR3sXhA5g |
Marcos, Ramon Ang’s San Miguel ink landmark $3-billion NAIA rehab deal | Ralf Rivas | 18/03/2024 8:53 | NAIA. The facade of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ main gateway is set to get its much needed facelift, fitted with better runways and free of bed bugs, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the consortium led by Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Corporation inked the landmark concession agreement for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) rehabilitation on Monday, March 18.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued the Notice of Award to SMC-SAP & Co. Consortium, which comprises San Miguel Holdings Corporation, RMM Asian Logistics Incorporated, RLW Aviation Development Incorporated, and Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) last February 16.
Marcos said the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project will ramp up adult passenger capacity from 35 million passengers per year to almost double – 62 million passengers annually.
On top of rehabilitating and expanding the capacity of NAIA, the private sector will pay the government approximately P1 trillion in the next 15 plus 10 years, which is more than 15 times the amount remitted by the Manila International Airport Authority to the national government since 2010.
The bidding was conducted within a record-breaking seven weeks, making it the fastest PPP proposal to be approved in history. The rehabilitation was over three decades in the making, with past administrations and private sector efforts failing due to financial concerns.
“It was fast, but it was also fastidiously examined at every step of the way. It was open, transparent, and competitive. In fact, the project was aligned with international best practices, structuring and tendering bankable and failed PPP projects. The result is this project in which everybody, the people, the government will enjoy the financial windfall,” Marcos said.
“We welcome this development for the NAIA PPP Project as this will not only generate revenue for the government but it will also create opportunities for Filipinos. With a modernized NAIA, we are elevating the airport’s facilities and services to international standards,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
With the signing of the Concession Agreement, the operations and maintenance of the airport will be handed over to the concessionaire on or before September 2024.
NAIA has the unwelcome distinction of being named among the worst airports in the world.
In a study by business finance and lending research and information provider BusinessFinancing.co.uk, NAIA ranked as the fourth worst airport in Asia for business travelers, with an average rating of 2.78 over 10. Only Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz International Airport (2.72/10), Kazakhstan’s Almaty International Airport (2.62/10), and Kuwait International Airport (1.69/10) ranked worse.
The study used passenger reviews from aviation customer review site Skytrax. Ratings from reviewers tagged as “business travelers” were then averaged to produce a ranked list of airports around the world and specific regions. – with reports from Lance Spencer Yu/Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/business/marcos-jr-ramon-ang-san-miguel-sign-naia-rehabilitation-deal/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3sIyZTzkI3pLJHzIF6xKn5mvNndf9wBgLtU3N6ZNhRzZynGPAGmy9X5HA_aem_pD4-Cdxi7ubXdDnqOVdCpg |
Kai Sotto, Jack Animam: Doubling their way to career resurgence | Jasmine Payo | 14/03/2024 18:39 | RISING. Gilas Pilipinas stalwarts Jack Animam (left) and Kai Sotto prove their worth in the international stage.
JACK ANIMAM INSTAGRAM PAGE, JAPAN B. LEAGUE
MANILA, Philippines – Two towers of Gilas Pilipinas – one each from the men’s and women’s national teams – have recently been sizzling with impressive performances in the international arena.
The 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto and 6-foot-4 Jack Animam both entered this season at the crossroads of their still relatively young basketball careers. The two needed to have something to show for this season to salvage what appeared to be floundering career trajectories.
For all the hype that came with being touted as potentially the first local talent to make it to the NBA, Sotto never really hit his stride ever since he decided to forego college and turn pro.
An aborted stint in the NBA G League redirected to a detour to Australia where he spent two uneventful seasons in the National Basketball League. Under a coach who publicly told the media he was committed to the Filipino giant’s development but in reality never truly trusted him, Sotto averaged just 7.1 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Sotto was also unable to display his full arsenal in the 2023 NBA Summer League as he played only two games and normed 3 points and 3 boards in 10 minutes of mostly insignificant play.
In the Japan B. League, 23 games with the Hiroshima Dragonflies saw him registering better but still unimpressive statistics of 8.9 points and 6 rebounds. These were not the numbers that would make any NBA scout take notice.
There were moments when he gave a glimpse of his skill set, but these were few and far between. For the most part, the Kai Sotto prior to 2024 could be described as underwhelming.
His harshest critics – Filipino keyboard warriors who have made it their habit to spew hate and pollute social media with nonsensical opinions – were quick to pounce on Sotto, all but declaring he would amount to no more than an average Asian big man who would not cut it in the NBA.
Animam, on the other hand, was skyrocketing to the basketball stratosphere after leading the National University to five UAAP championships.
She played another year of college ball for the Shin Hsin University in Taiwan, helping the team to a perfect 18-0 record en route to bagging the University Basketball Association championship.
Animam’s goal was similar to Sotto’s: put herself in a position to be knocking on the doors of the WNBA.
But she needed to prove she could hang with bigger and more athletic competition.
Becoming the first homegrown Filipino to be signed as an import by a European ballclub, Animam established herself as the best player of the ŽKK Radnički Kragujevac in the First Women’s Basketball League of Serbia in 2021.
In eight games with Radnički, Animam posted a double-double of 20 points and 14.3 rebounds.
Then tragedy struck. Animam suffered an injury that kept her out of action for 10 months.
The Animam who came back was not the same one who dominated in Serbia. The confidence and the improved agility appeared to have been usurped by tentativeness and second guessing.
There was a consensus belief that the Gilas Women’s would not have lost the gold in the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games had Animam been a 100%.
When Animam resumed her pro career in 2023 with Toulouse Metropole Basket in the Ligue Féminine de Basketball, the top women’s league in France, she found herself riding the bench.
Even a transfer to USO Mondeville in the lower division would not bring forth a resurgence in Animam’s production.
But Sotto and Animam have proven to be made from the same enduring fabric, like polyethylene – strong, resilient, long-lasting.
From being given up for dead, Sotto has resurrected his career to make even the bashers do a turnaround and start singing praises.
It all began when he moved to the Yokohama B-Corsairs at the end of December 2023.
Japanese coach Taketo Aoki allowed Sotto, who at just 21 years old was already playing for his third pro club, the space he needed to adjust to the B-Corsairs.
In his first 11 games for Yokohama, Sotto was on the floor an average of just 13 minutes.
Then on the weekend of February 10-11, Aoki finally unleashed the Kaiju.
Against recent East Asia Super League champion the Chiba Jets, Sotto came out swinging with 18 points and 10 boards in a 79-89 loss. He exploded the following day with 26 points and 11 rebounds to help Yokohama exact revenge on the Jets, 90-85.
Sotto has been scoring 20.4 points on an efficient 73.4% shooting clip and grabbing 10.2 rebounds in his last five games.
These numbers are even more impressive considering he posted these against teams with winning records – Chiba was last season’s B. League runner-up; the Kawasaki Brave Thunder are bannered by 6-foot-11 naturalized Japanese Nick Fazekas and 6-foot-10 imports Rosco Allen and Eric Murphy; while the San-En NeoPhoenix have been one of the top teams in the B League this season.
In his last six games in Japan, Sotto’s floor time increased to 26 minutes as Aoki fully integrated the Filipino import into the Yokohama rotation.
In between the tear he has been in Japan, Sotto showed up for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers and became the focal point of coach Tim Cone’s frontline production.
Sotto played his best two games in a Gilas men’s uniform and delivered 15.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.5 blocks in back-to-back victories over Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei.
Over in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA), Animam was a picture of consistency all season long for the Wuhan Sheng Fan.
The 25-year-old Bulacan native fired warning shots to the entire WCBA when in her very first game, she scored 17 points and grabbed 17 rebounds against the Fujian Zhongten.
Over the course of 35 games, Animam registered a double-double 19 times.
Her best game happened on February 22 in a 79-56 victory over the Henan Yichuan, Animam proved unstoppable, dropping 27 points while also collecting 19 rebounds and 4 steals.
Animam had two games where she dropped a 20-20 stat line.
In an encounter against Tianjin Guanlan last November 16, Animam had the chance to gauge herself against a legitimate WNBA All Star, and the Filipina center more than held her own.
Ranged against 6-foot-3 power forward Brionna Jones, a WNBA veteran for the Connecticut Sun, Animam punctured the hoop with 20 points to go with 20 rebounds.
Jones is a two-time WNBA All-Star and the 2022 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year. During the 2021 WNBA season, she was named the Most Improved Player and cracked the All Defensive Second Team.
Animam flexed her strength in Wuhan’s 62-56 upset over Shanxi Tianze last November 30. In that game, Animam had her imprint on almost every aspect of the game with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks, and 2 assists.
When told by Rappler that she is playing like the Jack Animam who slayed it in Serbia, she replied, “I don’t feel like the Jack who was in Serbia. The Jack now has grown so much from there. The Jack now is a lot better. Her mentality and mindset are now just different.”
Her numbers back up her contention.
At the end of the WCBA season, Animam put up 11.4 points per game. She ranked eighth in rebounding with her average of 11.9 boards. She was also among the league leaders in steals with 2.1 per game.
These fine showings from Sotto and Animam have brought them back in the game.
In the case of Sotto, it helps that he has a capable point guard in Yuki Kawamura who knows when and where to find him.
But more than that, Sotto simply needed the touches and coaches who believed in him and knew how to utilize his strengths. Aoki and Cone then coaxed the Kaiju out of its shell and into the hardwood where the potential is slowly becoming a reality.
For Animam, she too needed to reclaim the self-belief that she was capable of holding her own even against some of the top bigs in the international arena. With the renewed confidence, Animam rediscovered the double-double machine in her.
Perhaps, both Sotto and Animam simply needed a fair chance to show what they were capable of delivering.
Animam captured it perfectly when she shared, “I am just aggressive every time I step on the floor. I am taking every opportunity I get and making the most out of it while at the same time having fun.” – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/gilas-pilipinas/kai-sotto-jack-animam-doubling-their-way-career-resurgence/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2bAU_Eq2CVTtXxRS4tGIdEZN_Qb_qx94DlNaqAc2jzo60lSnrHJo9o1WE_aem_q1EiyfpgtB3CZHkyW-LCIw |
Marcos, Ramon Ang’s San Miguel ink landmark $3-billion NAIA rehab deal | Ralf Rivas | 18/03/2024 8:53 | NAIA. The facade of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ main gateway is set to get its much needed facelift, fitted with better runways and free of bed bugs, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the consortium led by Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Corporation inked the landmark concession agreement for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) rehabilitation on Monday, March 18.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued the Notice of Award to SMC-SAP & Co. Consortium, which comprises San Miguel Holdings Corporation, RMM Asian Logistics Incorporated, RLW Aviation Development Incorporated, and Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) last February 16.
Marcos said the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project will ramp up adult passenger capacity from 35 million passengers per year to almost double – 62 million passengers annually.
On top of rehabilitating and expanding the capacity of NAIA, the private sector will pay the government approximately P1 trillion in the next 15 plus 10 years, which is more than 15 times the amount remitted by the Manila International Airport Authority to the national government since 2010.
The bidding was conducted within a record-breaking seven weeks, making it the fastest PPP proposal to be approved in history. The rehabilitation was over three decades in the making, with past administrations and private sector efforts failing due to financial concerns.
“It was fast, but it was also fastidiously examined at every step of the way. It was open, transparent, and competitive. In fact, the project was aligned with international best practices, structuring and tendering bankable and failed PPP projects. The result is this project in which everybody, the people, the government will enjoy the financial windfall,” Marcos said.
“We welcome this development for the NAIA PPP Project as this will not only generate revenue for the government but it will also create opportunities for Filipinos. With a modernized NAIA, we are elevating the airport’s facilities and services to international standards,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
With the signing of the Concession Agreement, the operations and maintenance of the airport will be handed over to the concessionaire on or before September 2024.
NAIA has the unwelcome distinction of being named among the worst airports in the world.
In a study by business finance and lending research and information provider BusinessFinancing.co.uk, NAIA ranked as the fourth worst airport in Asia for business travelers, with an average rating of 2.78 over 10. Only Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz International Airport (2.72/10), Kazakhstan’s Almaty International Airport (2.62/10), and Kuwait International Airport (1.69/10) ranked worse.
The study used passenger reviews from aviation customer review site Skytrax. Ratings from reviewers tagged as “business travelers” were then averaged to produce a ranked list of airports around the world and specific regions. – with reports from Lance Spencer Yu/Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/business/marcos-jr-ramon-ang-san-miguel-sign-naia-rehabilitation-deal/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR09T8MgG6-kCEz1SdiyibNmnQYM4KmeHSc8guH-f_4SbKMQRtvZDwN6D0I_aem_Gmg9eDWN2vUzXbPp1Vf1mw |
No déjà vu as Rain or Shine avoids 0-5 hole with breakthrough over Phoenix | Jasmine Payo | 17/03/2024 19:36 | STEP UP. Rain or Shine’s Adrian Nocum goes for a layup against Phoenix.
PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines – After four straight losses to begin the PBA Philippine Cup, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao can finally breathe a huge sigh of relief.
This, after Rain or Shine finally barged into the win column following a convincing 100-85 win over the Phoenix Fuel Masters at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Sunday, March 17.
The Elasto Painters avoided falling into a 0-5 hole, which was exactly how they started the recent Commissioner’s Cup, before turning things around and finishing the conference on a fiery six-game winning streak.
“For a while, I was worried that what happened last conference would happen again, where we went 0-5,” said Guiao in a mix of English and Filipino.
“At least we’re only 1-4 now, there’s a small improvement,” he added with a smile.
Adrian Nocum, the 24th pick in the 2023 PBA Draft, continued his stellar play for Rain or Shine this conference as he went off for a game-high 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals.
The high-flying guard Nocum, who is known for his daredevil drives to the basket, showed he can also light it up from long distance as he connected on five of his nine three-point attempts.
“Adrian has been playing good games the past few games,” said Guiao of Nocum.
“His game really changes and he becomes a bigger threat if he’s making his three-point shots. Today, he made enough three-point shots for him to be able to also balance his offense, getting into the drives and the layups.”
With Phoenix threatening to pull away with a 38-29 lead early in the second quarter, Rain or Shine came alive and finished the first half on a huge 18-3 run for a 47-41 halftime advantage.
It was Nocum who spearheaded Rain or Shine’s furious rally as he scored 13 of those 18 points, including the go-ahead basket at the 2:44 mark of the second period.
With Rain or Shine already enjoying a 16-point lead midway through the third frame, Phoenix then managed to pull within just 6 points in the fourth quarter, 80-86, off a triple by Jjay Alejandro with 6:48 to play.
Unfortunately for Phoenix, Andrei Caracut and Jhonard Clarito immediately responded with back-to-back treys to shatter any hopes of a Fuel Masters comeback.
Aside from Nocum, Beau Belga also came up big for Rain or Shine with a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Ricci Rivero topscored for Phoenix – which fell to 1-3 – with 16 points.
Rain or Shine 100 – Nocum 28, Belga 21, Clarito 19, Santillan 8, Caracut 6, Belo 5, Mamuyac 4, Borboran 4, Norwood 3, Ildefonso 2, Asistio 0, Demusis 0.
Phoenix 85 – Rivero 16, Jazul 11, Tuffin 10, Verano 10, Manganti 7, Mocon 6, Alejandro 6, Muyang 5, Garcia 5, Daves 4, Salado 3, Lalata 0.
Quarters: 22-29, 47-41, 78-66, 100-85.
– Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/pba/philippine-cup-game-results-rain-or-shine-elasto-painters-phoenix-fuel-masters-march-17-2024/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR005QJT3sTiHz08y8b_8C9fxLhdBAWAqRU0FMXKos9-u72UZsOF4l0d51Q_aem_u9iQEk3Y6TlHO05MO7L3AA |
Results, team standings: UAAP Season 86 volleyball | Jasmine Payo | 5/5/2024 21:02 | ROARING. NU's Bella Belen (left) and Alyssa Solomon react in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments reach a tipping point with the men’s and women’s finals!
LOOK: UAAP volleyball championship schedule
Here are the results in the men’s and women’s divisions:
MAY 15
May 11
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
– Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/volleyball-game-results-team-standings-men-women-season-86-2024/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1wlDqP6mlhFrsBfyw4q6zmCuyVKYvFoHuCorx4Fzal49rox-lOzjumLH4_aem_8ryrk8WFeZ3qFUcXrmzfBw |
Dawlah Islamiya counterattack in Maguindanao del Sur kills 4 soldiers | Dwight de Leon | 17/03/2024 17:13 | Guia Abogado/Rappler
MAGUINDANAO DEL SUR, Philippines – Four army personnel from the 40th Infantry Battalion were killed in an ambush launched on Sunday morning, March 17, by members of the Dawlah Islamiyah terror group.
The fatalities are one corporal and three private ranks. Their names have not been disclosed until their families are informed.
Brigadier General Oriel Pangcog, commander of 601st Army Brigade, confirmed four of his men were killed, noting that “they were supposed to go back to their base when ambush was launched.”
The incident, which happened during Ramadan, took place along the national highway of Tuayan 1, Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur around 9 in the morning.
“The enemies launched also their counterattacks after our successful operations in the past days”, he said.
Major General Alex Rillera, Sixth Infantry Division chief, said the troops were just buying food in preparation for Iftar, the meal eaten by Muslims to break their fast during Ramadan.
Troops have monitored heavily-armed members of the Dawlah Islamiyah gathered in the nearby Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao Del Sur, which led to a ground military offensive against the terror group.
Rappler received intelligence reports on Saturday, March 16, that Dawlah Islamiyah will launch attacks at military detachments.
An hot pursuit operation was conducted by joint government forces on the ground after the ambush.
In a statement, Lieutenant General Roy Galido, Commanding General of the Philippine Army, denounced the “ruthless ambush.”
“We also stand in solidarity with the families of our four fallen heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Appropriate benefits and assistance will be provided to their families to help them during this trying time,” the statement read.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also condemned the “cowardly” counterattack, and promised immediate assistance to the families of the fallen soldiers.
“This despicable act only strengthens our resolve to eradicate terrorism from the region and our entire nation,” Marcos said on Monday, March 18. – with a report from Dwight de Leon/Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/mindanao/soldiers-killed-dawlah-islamiya-launches-counterattack-march-17-2024/ |
Marcos signs law seeking to revive Philippines’ salt industry | Dwight de Leon | 17/03/2024 18:44 | LIFELINE. A salt farm in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro in this undated photo from the Department of Science and Technology.
Department of Science and Technology
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed the measure essentially aimed at giving the Philippines’ salt industry a lifeline, Malacañang announced on Sunday, March 17.
Republic Act No. 11985, also known as the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act, mandates the designation of public lands as salt-production areas, in a bid to increase salt production in the country.
The law tasks the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) and attached agencies National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to identify priority areas for salt production across over a dozen provinces, namely:
Once the selected areas are mapped out, their administrative jurisdiction shall be transferred from DENR to BFAR, which shall then allocate the public lands to qualified salt farmers.
The Department of Agriculture shall provide technical and material assistance to salt farms.
Not all locally produced salt shall be iodized, according to the new law signed by President Marcos.
Only food-grade salt shall be ionized, but salt produced by local farmers shall not be automatically categorized as food-grade.
“Iodization of artisanal and non-food grade salt and salt intended for export is hereby rendered optional in the country. The use of artisanal salt by food manufacturers and food establishments shall be allowed,” the law reads.
Lawmakers have blamed the Ramos administration-era Republic Act No. 8172, or Salt Iodization Law, for killing the industry, as salt producers found it challenging to keep up with the the sophisticated technology and machinery that salt iodization requires.
Other key provisions of the law include:
The Philippines has among the longest shorelines in the world, yet it imports up to 93% of its salt.
Urbanization through the years has taken a tall on the industry, as venues for salt farming have been converted into residential and commercial areas. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/marcos-signs-salt-industry-development-law-march-2024/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2kf0O6Wkznem4iSUfm0VAOAXp_YFAEpt49k_dtu1Ka5jUc0wd_XQB3lAU_aem_Xf9eWdESNadF6jJJwDijkg |
GAME SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball | jisaga0269 | 8/5/2024 20:35 | It’s down to the last two teams standing as the University of Santo Tomas and National University battle for the UAAP volleyball championship in both the women’s and men’s divisions!
The league’s best separate themselves from the pack as the Final Four showdown kicks off! Here’s the schedule:
UAAP Season 86 volleyball action intensifies as the second round of the men’s and women’s divisions begins on Wednesday, March 20.
The contenders will separate themselves from the pack, with each game determining which teams will make the Final Four. Here’s the schedule:
Volleyball action is back in the UAAP!
Stars from both men’s and women’s divisions are set to ply their growing skill sets once again in front of thousands of fans, beginning on Saturday, February 17 and Sunday, February 18, both at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Here are the first-round schedules for both divisions:
*The March 13 games will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Notable matches include women’s champion La Salle’s debut against contending Adamson on Saturday, 4 pm, at MOA, while men’s three-time defending titlist NU rolls into an immediate finals rematch with UST on Sunday, 12 pm, also at the same venue.
La Salle and NU – finalists in the last two women’s tournaments with one title won each – will wrap up their first-round schedule on March 16, 2 pm at Araneta. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/men-women-volleyball-games-schedule-season-86-2024/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1MNyHC3JHzm5WNsWYTWoJKljrM1V7IZzmApmvbg7hHQpqWQIaqMy40e90_aem_fUnCd9zsbNaXZ05ox34glw |
Tbolis cut down thousands of firm’s banana plants in South Cotabato | Herbie G | 18/03/2024 18:09 | ANGRY. Irate Tboli landowners cut down banana plants on a 10-hectare portion of the Sumifru banana plantation in Tboli town, South Cotabato.
PNP Tboli
GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines – Angry owners of vast tracts of land leased by a fruit-exporting company cut down thousands of banana plants within the firm’s plantation in Tboli town, South Cotabato, on Saturday, March 16.
The incident, affecting 10 hectares, took place within the plantation of the fruit exporter Sumifru Philippines Corporation.
It was the most recent in a series of confrontations between the company and owners of the properties Sumifru leased for 25 years for their banana plantation in Tboli and Surallah towns, South Cotabato.
The cutting of banana plants was a retaliation by landowners after Sumifru guards dismantled barricades that were set up to protest and demand that the company make good on its promise to pay the taxes for the properties leased to Sumifru.
Sumifru, on its social media page, said it operates a 14,000-hectare banana plantation in Mindanao. Among these are leased farms in the villages of New Dumangas, Laconon, and Salakafe in Tboli.
Around 80% of the Sumifru banana plantation is rented by the company from Tboli landowners, while the rest are company-owned.
Gelina Dulan, a landowner, told authorities who arrived to intervene in the cutting of banana plants, said they would only stop cutting if the company also halts its operations and talks with them.
She said they were supposed to meet with the company’s executives on February 16, but it did not push through because of a confusion she blamed on Sumifru officials.
Dulan said this prompted organized landowners to set up barricades around the rented portions of the banana plantation, a move they have done several times in the past. Sumifru began operations in Tboli in 2003.
Dulan said Sumifru was remiss in its commitment to pay for the real property taxes for the pieces of land they rented, putting these properties at risk of being seized and auctioned off by the provincial government.
The landowners sought the intervention of South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., who had repeatedly warned that for Sumifru’s failure to pay the overdue taxes, the provincial government will ban the company from doing business in South Cotabato.
Based on the records of the South Cotabato Provincial Treasurer’s Office, Sumifru has a tax delinquency amounting to about P2.7 million for its own properties alone as of November 2023, while the landowners also owe the provincial government around P27 million.
Dulan said that in their lease agreement, Sumifru agreed to pay the annual real property taxes for the leased properties, but it failed to do so.
Another landowner, Ben Diyan, said the problem about the non-payment of taxes has hounded them for years, and they even sought the help of the then-president Rodrigo Duterte in prodding the fruit firm to abide by their agreement.
He said Sumifru has only been paying them meager rent, not even enough to compensate them for their difficulties.
“We cannot plant vegetables or raise animals with the toxic aerial spraying of Sumifru in the banana plantation,” he said.
He said their contract with Sumifru includes health services for the landowners, but this, too, did not materialize.
Diyan said they have been pleading with the company for years to abide by their contract and to comply with the tax requirements, but all these fell on deaf ears.
Provincial Treasury Officer Alvim Batol told local broadcaster Top Gun Radio Koronadal that they have already set for auction the properties with long overdue taxes, but Sumifru lodged before the courts a petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO).
Sumifru has yet to respond to the allegations hurled against it. This report will be updated once Sumifru responds. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
This should be a lesson to the affected landowners to refrain from renewing their contract with SUMIFRO only if they still own their lands after the contract expires. The Provincial Government “have already set for auction the properties with long overdue taxes.” This means it has not considered the auction’s adverse effect on the landowners. The Provincial Government and SUMIFRO are merely looking after their interest, a sad reality for the affected landowners.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/mindanao/tbolis-cut-down-sumifru-banana-plants-south-cotabato/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Kex5uxA0iCF94g1321BPb3upxMnA0QMMe-g7F7f7q4eIjpf9X3pQflkw_aem_3Wl7x6CSi4G0dWShnWo72w |
Cebu journalists, lawyers call for sanctions vs broadcasters who interviewed minor | jsitchon0312 | 18/03/2024 17:18 | UNETHICAL. Journalists slammed Brigada News FM broadcasters Dennes Tabar and lawyer Juril Patiño for their unethical behavior during the interview with the child rape survivor on Wednesday, March 13.
Screenshot from Brigada News FM CEBU
CEBU, Philippines – Media organizations and lawyers in Cebu condemned the unethical conduct of Brigada News FM broadcasters Dennes Tabar and Juril Patiño for interviewing in their program a 4-year-old rape survivor.
“During the interview on Wednesday, March 13, Patiño and Tabar made the child recount the most deplorable instances of cruelty and communicated in a language that can only be considered lacking in humanity,” the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines in Cebu said on Monday, March 18.
According to the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas (KBP) in Cebu, the on-air interview was facilitated by the station’s field reporter, Jonalyn Jumabis, who was at the police station where the child was under the protective custody.
In a video circulating on social media, Patiño and Tabar asked the child to vividly describe how she was abused.
Under the KBP Broadcast Code of 2007, child victims are protected from enduring further emotional stress or trauma. A violation to this code is considered a serious offense.
“No empathy was shown towards the young girl who was already going through a difficult time. The aggressive and insensitive line of questioning only added to her distress and may have hindered her healing process,” the Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists said in a statement on March 14.
The Stet, Cebu Women in Media, in a statement on March 16, urged the management of the Brigada Media Group, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), and the KBP to impose the appropriate disciplinary action on the broadcasters.
“We urge an investigation and corrective action for apparent violations of the Child Protection Act (Republic Act 7610), ethical standards of the KBP, and the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) for lawyers,” the women journalists said.
For its part, the IBP Cebu City Chapter said that it has taken notice of Patiño and Tabar’s offensive behavior and that any transgressions to the CPRA and pertinent laws will be dealt with accordingly.
On Sunday, March 17, the management of Brigada News FM, led by Visayas area manager Raul del Prado, said it was investigating the alleged misconduct of their two broadcasters.
“We recognize the gravity of the allegations regarding the mishandling of the interview. As such, Brigada has taken immediate internal action to implement administrative sanctions,” said Brigada News FM in a statement.
“Both Atty. Juril and Dennes Tabar have expressed profound regret for any inadvertent harm caused and have publicly expressed their sincere remorse as well as willingness to accept responsibility for any errors that may have been made,” it added.
The Cebu City Anti-Indecency Board said it would issuing a show-cause order to the management. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/cebu-journalists-lawyers-call-sanctions-broadcasters-interview-minor/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR18ZN1u7D-nrK9QI3cZ-WAuF_IasXu_W1uSxiD1TiqWoyIw3whlE3HRDZo_aem_IouWFvifW8lfC2qRo6jiUw |
NAIA Terminal 5? Ramon Ang bares plans for Philippines’ main airport | Ralf Rivas | 18/03/2024 20:11 | CONGESTED AIRPORT. Passengers queue at the immigration area of NAIA Terminal 1 on June 16, 2023.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and chief executive officer Ramon Ang unveiled some of his plans for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), including the construction of a new passenger terminal and a Skyway bypass to address congestion issues at the country’s main gateway.
Following the signing of a concession agreement on Monday, March 18, Ang said the SMC-led consortium will construct a new passenger terminal building in the abandoned Philippine Village Hotel compound to increase the airport capacity – currently at 35 million passengers per year – and provide parking for some 9,000 vehicles.
Offices at the existing NAIA terminals will also be relocated to the new passenger terminal building.
Asked if the new terminal would be called Terminal 5, Ang said he is still unsure what to call it. He noted that construction could take at least three years.
The government had regained control of the old Philippine Village Hotel in November 2023. It was once considered a security risk due to its decaying facade.
To ease traffic congestion, Ang said the consortium is planning to build a three-lane Skyway bypass from Magallanes going to NAIA Terminal 3. There will also be a two-way lane going to Pasay City, according to the tycoon.
Ang said the bypass will be completed by March 2025, which would be six months after the turnover of the airport’s operations and maintenance to the consortium.
It’s not just NAIA that Ang is developing.
SMC is currently laying the groundwork for the construction of a P740-billion airport in Bulacan. The company said it aims to begin major developments in 2025.
Ang said the Bulacan airport will be able to absorb the “spillover” passengers of NAIA.
Ramon Ang is now the airport tycoon, controlling NAIA and the Bulacan Airport which is currently under construction. Here’s a clip of Ang discussing how the 2 airports will work together:@rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/XCtAgMm2tL
He explained that NAIA would be limited by its intersecting runway. The airplanes that would be able to land on it would be narrow-bodied, carrying fewer passengers.
“Ultimately, it’s a good combination to have a NAIA and a Bulacan [airport],” Ang said.
Meanwhile, Ang shut down speculations that NAIA’s name would be changed under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
NAIA was named after former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who was assassinated at the airport on August 21, 1983. Aquino was a staunch critic of the dictatorship of Marcos’ father.
Ramon Ang not keen on changing the name of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. “Pulitika na ‘yan.”Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Jimmy Bautista details what happens to airport employees following the concession agreement. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/pYu7cTU0ZS
“[The name] was enacted by Congress. At the same time, ‘wag na natin pakialaman ang mga pangalan na ‘yan kasi pulitika ‘yan, maraming magagalit (let’s not touch the name because that’s political, many will get angry),” Ang said. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/business/ramon-ang-bares-plans-naia-philippines-main-airport/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1IV7g7yBpfz0RP05zYEX1AfLiFuaiXocn8IJ8YTubhPpIfyV36w58Kqls_aem_f-xV38E_574ujLpGk2PJ9w |
Curious cases of alleged lotto bettors winning multiple times explained | gdecastro0289 | 18/03/2024 19:10 | GAME OF CHANCE. Bettors wait for their turn at a lotto outlet in Paco, Manila, on October 2, 2022.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The curious cases of alleged lotto bettors winning multiple times in just a few months last year – an unlikely event given the low statistical probability of winning the lottery – has been clarified.
In a Senate games and amusement committee hearing on Monday, March 18, Senator Raffy Tulfo presented four questionable instances of supposed bettors winning the lottery multiple times in the second half of 2023.
The most unbelievable instance is the case of “Person B” – who supposedly won 36 times from July to December 2023 with total winnings of P8.325 million. In the months of August and November, the supposed bettor won P225,000 nine times each month. (Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story reported that “Person B” won 43 times. The correct number is 36 times.)
In the case of “Person A”, the supposed bettor won 14 times with total winnings of P1.026 million; “Person C” won 13 times and collected P378,000; and “Person D” won 17 times and collected P561,966.
What made these cases more questionable was the fact that the supposed winners did not give their tax identification number (TIN) when they claimed their prizes.
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) officials led by General Manager Mel Robles clarified during the hearing that all these multiple winnings involved “digit games,” such as 2D (2 digits) lotto and 3D (3 digits) lotto, where the chances of winning are higher than in jackpot games such as 6/42, 6/45, 6/49, and 6/58. They said that no winner has won more than once for jackpot games.
In 2D lotto, a bettor selects two numbers from 1 to 31. The player can bet from P10 to P500, and the numbers must match the winning combination in exact order. The PCSO has three draws of 2D lotto daily.
In 3D lotto, a bettor selects numbers from 0 to 9 from each column, and the numbers must be in the same order as the winning combination if playing straight. Bettors can choose lucky picks to get their numbers. A bet of P500 wins P225,000.
Lauro Patiag, PCSO assistant general manager for general services, said those involved in these so-called “multiple winnings” were “claimants” who collected the prizes on behalf of bettors.
In rural areas, he said it has become a practice for the winner of the lower-tier games to approach the lotto agent and ask the agent to claim the prize.
“We have a [PCSO] branch office in each province, but we have lotto agents in far-flung areas. For practical reason, nakiki-claim sila (they ask a favor to claim the prize) because they trust him,” Patiag said.
In the case of “Person B,” Missel Hamak, branch manager of the PCSO’s Agusan del Norte Branch, identified the claimant as a lotto agent – an owner of a lotto outlet – who lives in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte in Mindanao.
Hamak said the agent acted as the claimant for bettors who placed P500 bets on the 3D lotto game. He collected the winnings for these bettors, which is why the PCSO list submitted to Tulfo has one person supposedly winning a total of 36 times; in one other instance, a player placed a P1,000 bet and won P450,000, and the lotto agent had to collect the bet in Manila.
“The main means of transportation in Butuan City is tricycle, and his lotto outlet is located 15 kilometers, very far, not accessible,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Hamak said the 3D lotto game is very popular in Mindanao. The normal bet is only P10 for 3D lotto.
“Actually, sa Mindanao po, maraming sugarol, even at the time of jai-alai. Malakas po talaga [tumaya], maski may business, magtataya ng malaki-laki,” he said.
(Actually, in Mindanao, there are many gamblers, even during the time of jai-alai. Many people bet big, even though they already have a business, they bet big.)
Hamak said one reason why betting P500 on 3D lotto is preferred by gamblers is because winning this game means they can collect their prize in the province.
If a person bets P1,000 and wins, he said the winner would have to travel to Manila to claim his prize of P450,000, so the players prefer to bet P500 since the prize would not breach the P300,000 ceiling of big winnings that have to be collected in Manila.
“[In 3D lotto] pinaka-convenient na taya na makaka-claim ka below P300,000 na hindi ka na pupunta ng Manila,” Hamak said.
(It’s the most convenient where you can claim a prize below P300,000 and you don’t have to go to Manila to claim your prize.)
In a statement on Wednesday, March 13, the PCSO said “some winners would not want to go to their branch because of added expenses, so the lotto agents would act as Good Samaritans or do it for them.”
PCSO officials said during the over two-hour hearing that since the claimants only collected the winnings on behalf of bettors, they did not give their TIN.
Ralbert John Tibayan, representing the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s Legal and Legislative Division, said that after checking their records, the bettors in the “multiple winnings” cited by Tulfo all had TINs.
Tulfo raised the possibility, however, of the lotto agent conniving with bettors by giving them “tips.” He asked that the lotto agent who claimed winnings 36 times be summoned to the next hearing.
Meantime, Tulfo asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to investigate a bettor who invested P90 million in Super Lotto 6/49 last January 16 and won P640 million.
Tulfo disclosed during the hearing that the lotto player placed three P30-million bets in three lotto outlets in the “Binondo area” in Manila via system 12 play.
In system 12 play, he said the numbers generated by the system are not repeated.
Although it is not illegal to place big bets in lotto games, Tulfo said the bettor invested P90 million knowing that the PCSO had boosted the pot money using its prize fund.
PCSO General Manager Robles denied there was collusion with the bettor. He said the PCSO boosted the prize fund in December 2023, and the 6/49 lotto winner won on January 16, 2024.
Tulfo said no gambler in his right mind would bet P90 million if he did not know he would win.
He urged the AMLC to also check if the bettor used money from illegal activities and placed the P90-million bet in order to make it clean money.
“Walang illegal doon, maliban kung may problema sa pera. Pero nailaba niya ‘yung pera niya. Is this a red flag?” he asked AMLC officials.
(Nothing illegal there, except if there’s a problem with the money. But he was able to launder the money. Is this a red flag?)
Arnold Kabanlit, officer-in-charge of the AMLC Secretariat’s Detection and Prevention Department, said placing a P90-million bet was “quite out of the ordinary,” but added that they would “have to check if there is a link to an unlawful activity for it to qualify as a money laundering offense.”
“It’s possible nag-rediscount ‘yung winner (the winner was rediscounting). That is also a traditional money laundering typology, but we will have to check,” he said. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/business/cases-alleged-lotto-bettors-winning-multiple-times-explained-senate-hearing-march-2024/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0F7DjrPAvPv5s7joAysK-dLsmAXBRaQPyGAPy_LNxZvs5BktEy64hzo1M_aem_eert22aWkZVCA9CfHfxt4Q |
Why does Padilla want INC anniversary declared a non-working holiday? | Bonz Magsambol | 18/03/2024 18:24 | File photo of senator Robin Padilla
Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB
What comes to mind when you see the Senate’s weekly schedule indicating that Senator Robinhood Padilla is presiding a hearing on proposals to declare the founding anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) a holiday?
Is he trying to pay back the religious organization that instructed its flock to vote for him 2022? Is he trying to curry favor with the politically entrenched group? Well, those things are possible.
But how about he’s also just doing his job as chairperson of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes?
On Monday, March 18, Padilla presided over a public hearing on bills seeking to declare July 27 a holiday in the entire Philippines in commemoration of the founding anniversary of the religious group.
Padilla’s committee tackled two proposed laws: Senate Bill No. 1087, filed by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, seeking “special working holiday” for the INC anniversary; and Senate Bill No. 1546, filed by Senator Bong Revilla, seeking a “special non-working holiday.”
The committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes handles proposals on holiday declarations, as provided under the Administrative Code of the Philippines.
The two bills differ in the type of holiday they are proposing. If a holiday is “special working,” employees will report to work and get an additional 30% of their daily rate; if the holiday is “special non-working,” employees wouldn’t have to work and still get an additional 100% of their daily rate.
Padilla prefers the Revilla bill, which imposes on employers whether their workers are INC members or not.
During the hearing, Department of Labor and Employment Undersecretary Felipe Ecargo Jr. recommended observing just a “special working holiday.” It said, declaring holidays must consider a balance between workers’ benefits and the need to maintain the country’s attractiveness to investors. Which investors would come when there are too many holidays requiring them to pay extra to employees who need to work on those days?
“Ako po mismo ay witness sa mga ginawang magagandang bagay ng INC. Nakita ko ang kanilang lingap ‘di lang ito sa Pilipinas kundi sa buong mundo. Nasaksihan ko po ang para sa akin ay very godly na mga misyon ng INC. Hindi lang po sa Kristyano kundi sa mga Muslim,” Padilla said. (I personally witnessed the good deeds of INC. I saw their godly acts worldwide, not just for Christians but also for Muslims.)
Every elections, politicians woo the influential religious group for endorsement because they are known for “bloc voting.” The INC believes bloc voting reflects the Bible’s teachings.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority Report on Religious Affiliation in its 2020 Census of Population and Housing, the INC is the third largest religious affinity in the country with over 2.8 million membership.
In 2022, Senate topnotcher Padilla was among the candidates endorsed by the INC. In the 2019 midterm elections, the INC supported then-senatorial aspirants Revilla and Estrada, even if both had been accused of plunder. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
My answer to both questions: “Is he trying to pay back the religious organization that instructed its flock to vote for him in 2022? Is he trying to curry favor with the politically entrenched group?” is a confident and robust YES! Remember how he showed his gratitude to Pastor Quiboloy and the latter’s KOJC? Similarly, Senators Revilla and Estrada’s actions have the same purpose. I hope the Filipino people will not be surprised when the time comes for INC to be held accountable for its “abuses” (if any) – these Senators will do the same as those pro-Quiboloy Senators did.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/inside-track/robin-padilla-wants-non-working-holiday-iglesia-ni-cristo-anniversary/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3xLofHqMWqetPGDIqQRJpK8tPG64kg-PUNnfK2EmRqCYYs7r5rxWZeXFA_aem_244ClaazFt2oyPhRohgh7Q |
How Marcos’ Central Europe trip went, from human rights issues to investment deals | Dwight de Leon | 18/03/2024 19:02 | STATE VISIT. Czech Republic President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva Pavlova welcome Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos to the Prague Castle in the Czech Republic on March 14, 2024.
Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. returned to the Philippines on Saturday, March 16, after a nearly week-long stay in Central Europe.
Germany and the Czech Republic – his two stopovers during the trip – are the fourth and fifth countries he visited this year.
Rappler looks back at the visit and enumerates the most important aspects of the trip.
Malacañang made an effort to point out that this was the first time in a decade that a Philippine president set foot in Germany. The last Filipino chief executive to visit Berlin was the late Benigno Aquino III.
Marcos is also only the second Philippine president – after the late Fidel V. Ramos – to visit the Czech Republic.
His predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, spent six years in office avoiding Europe. This was not a surprise, since Duterte threatened European Union diplomats of expulsion from the Philippines due to their governments’ criticisms of his bloody drug war.
During the trip to Germany, Marcos was unable to escape the shadow of Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign.
In the meeting between Marcos and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the latter asked the Philippine president about his stance on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) ongoing probe of the previous administration’s human rights violations.
Marcos said the approach to the illegal drug problem in the Philippines “has changed significantly,” with his administration supposedly turning its back on violent methods. (Drug-related killings were no longer in the thousands, but there were still hundreds of fatalities recorded during the first year of the Marcos presidency, according to one watchdog.)
Marcos, however, insisted that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, signaling the country’s continued refusal to cooperate with the international tribunal. (READ | TIMELINE: What the Marcos administration says about the International Criminal Court)
Outside the Federal Chancellery, media groups Reporters without Borders and Committee to Protect Journalists saw Marcos’ Germany visit as an opportunity to highlight the unresolved murder case of Filipino environmentalist and broadcaster Gerry Ortega.
Ortega, who reported on corruption in Palawan province, was assassinated in 2011. Justice has remained elusive since, as the suspect, former governor Joel Reyes, managed to stall the investigation and trial. He remains at large.
Marcos, similar to past foreign trips, raised the issue of escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea in his meetings with European leaders.
He framed the maritime dispute as a matter close to Europe’s gut. He pointed out that the South China Sea handles 60% of the world’s trade, which makes it in the best interest of everyone to keep the vast waterway a safe passage for international commerce.
Malacañang said Marcos pitched to Germany a united front among like-minded countries “against any unilateral attempts to take territory from any other country.”
He thanked Scholz for Germany’s continued support, particularly on capacity-building of the Philippine Coast Guard. During Marcos’ stay, Germany affirmed its recognition of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as the 2016 arbitral ruling that essentially invalidated Beijing’s all-encompassing claims to the South China Sea.
Coinciding with Marcos’ Germany visit, the two countries’ transport department signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen maritime cooperation.
In the Czech Republic, Marcos also discussed the Philippine position on issues concerning the South China Sea.
President Petr Pavel said he supports rules-based order and the Philippine “entitlement to free movement of goods.”
Just like in past trips, Malacañang said the visit to Central Europe was an opportunity to beef up bilateral cooperation with the countries he visited.
Aside from the maritime cooperation agreement with Berlin, Manila also renewed a cooperation program between the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and its German counterpart on the upskilling of Filipino workers.
In Prague, the Philippines signed a joint communique with the Czech Republic on the establishment of labor consultation mechanism between the two countries’ labor departments.
There are around 7,000 Filipinos in the Czech Republic, and Prague wants to double the quota of Filipino workers in the country, from 5,000 to 10,000, beginning May.
The President also met with executives of numerous large businesses in Central Europe during his six-day trip, including:
He also attended the Czech-Philippines Business Forum in Prague, and urged Czech companies to “invest in the processing of the country’s critical minerals to mitigate the risks of global supply chain disruptions,” according to Malacañang.
In Germany, eight agreements were signed by the Philippines in numerous areas, such as health care, farming, solar energy, and digital insurance.
In the Czech Republic, Manila secured three memoranda of understanding, covering the semiconductor industry, information technology and business process management, and responsible artificial intelligence implementation.
The Palace said the deals had a “staggering amount of at least $4 billion.”
It is important to note that pledges secured during foreign trips are not guaranteed investments. They undergo various stages before they become realized investments. (READ | Gov’t says Marcos foreign trips attracted P4-T investments, but most yet to be realized)
On the day of his return to the Philippines from Central Europe, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority touted the approval of P2.8 billion in investments for March alone, almost half of which it attributed to Marcos’ foreign trips. (READ | Are the foreign trips really worth it?)
The President has often drawn flak over what critics describe as his jet-setting lifestyle. Even Duterte had taken a swipe at Marcos over this, accusing the incumbent leader of going abroad for leisure.
Marcos denied the allegations while in Germany, showing a copy of his itinerary to the traveling local media.
“Even in the places that I know where I’ve spent a lot of time with, I am not able to visit places used to frequent because we’re here to do [work],” he said. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/how-marcos-trip-germany-czech-republic-went-human-rights-investments-summary-recap/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0PQA4HnfbeuMJSKsa4xcJmkNltSC9Dro3c5IqZfow43dKzoglD0Bm_yHI_aem_dX_rd_g6kq40oMjIWM6VEQ |
At Home sa Abroad: Making space as Filipina lawyers in the United States | Michelle Abad | 18/03/2024 19:00 | MANILA, Philippines – Living as a woman requires a constant effort to make space for one’s self. When you’re a migrant, or a foreigner in a new country, gender can layer onto other factors that can make you fall behind typically more privileged groups.
Think of Taylor Swift’s “The Man.” Sometimes, even if you run as fast as possible, you can’t help but think if you’d get to where you were going quicker if you were a man instead.
For Pinay Powerhouse, a collective of Filipina lawyers in the United States, gender is no hurdle in making space in the American legal industry.
For Women’s Month 2024, At Home sa Abroad: Stories of Overseas Filipinos features Pinay Powerhouse, a women’s collective focused on empowering Filipina lawyers, future attorneys, and legal professionals as “leaders in the law.” Rappler reporter Michelle Abad sits down with Christine Start, Pinay Powerhouse co-founder, and Kelsey Jandoc, one of the collective’s junior members.
Start and Jandoc talk about navigating as ethnic and gender minorities in a white male-dominated industry, and the need for young Filipina lawyers, and lawyers-to-be, to see women just like them advancing in their careers.
According to the American Bar Association, almost all people of color are underrepresented in the legal profession, with 86% of all lawyers were non-Hispanic whites in 2020. The ABA also found that white male attorneys comprised 71% of lawyers who earned the highest pay that year.
Catch the episode on Monday, March 18, at 7 pm, Manila time. – Rappler.com
Watch other At Home sa Abroad episodes:
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/overseas-filipinos/at-home-sa-abroad-episode-making-space-filipina-lawyers-united-states/ |
British School Manila students are building a better PH with grassroots collaborations | gbarrientos0280 | 12/3/2024 17:01 | Many realities exist in the Philippines, from those of indigenous communities to PWD folks to the regular British School Manila (BSM) student. Although their stories differ, they share one country as a home – and that’s why genuine impact starts with each sector understanding each other for collective action.
This lesson stands out in BSM’s curriculum, particularly because the students go out and progressively immerse themselves in marginalized communities each year. Last January, the school held their second annual Make a Difference (MAD) Week, an on-ground trip where BSM students engage with different social sectors to holistically understand their stories and build lasting relationships.
The program is designed to progress for four years, so students can find the causes they resonate with and work with their chosen community long-term.
“We kind of flipped the model in school,” said Michael Guinness, BSM’s senior Service and Sustainability curriculum coordinator. “I think too often we make assumptions about communities and about people who are underprivileged, or even an ecosystem that’s underprivileged, and we don’t give them the space to tell us what’s going on.”
Instead of a one-and-done activity, the school focused on facilitating more authentic and collaborative experiences for both students and partner communities. This way, the students get a broader picture, seeing how larger factors like the environment or economy are entangled with these sectors’ narratives.
“It builds that long-term ability to truly understand these communities that we’re working with, and make sure that we’re working alongside them, not ‘to’ them or ‘at’ them. The heart of doing that is knowing that the people in these communities are the experts in their own problems.”
The students began to embody this perspective with something as simple as language. As the program went on, the students learned to talk about the activities in the context of listening instead of “serving.”
Dalisaï Costa, a Year 10 student, spent her MAD Week with the Dumagat tribe in Mount Purro Nature Reserve. There, she learned about the community’s deep-rooted challenges on cultural identity after facing displacement and marginalization since the Spanish colonial time. The ripples of that problem are felt up until now, as the elders are hard-pressed to get the youth to pick up their traditions and culture.
These stories struck a chord with Dalisaï and her personal experiences as a French-Filipino individual. “They have, I guess, an identity loss. I’ve faced, of course to a much lesser extent, the feeling sometimes that I do not fit certain prospects of being a French or Filipino individual. Trying to imagine what it feels like being part of a community which is so discriminated against in Filipino and Spanish culture; it’s just a striking thing.”
Another Year 10 student, Maximillian Holden, had his first encounter with the farming ecosystem during his Costales Nature Reserve visit. The experience allowed him to widen his viewpoint beyond just planting crops.
“The people at the farm, it’s a very low population. They’re only 30 to 50 people there, and they farm every day. They support loads of businesses and restaurants here in Manila. They do all of this every day and work 12 hours, which is very impressive. Nobody really sees it,” said Max.
The visit let him come face to face with the socioeconomic effects of climate change. “They are a farm, and they need a specific temperature for their plants to grow. With climate change increasing the temperature, lots of their plans had to be [changed] and they had to invest in new seeds and plants. They had to start from the beginning again.”
Climate change was a central theme during the week, but the students learned to see it with a lens of hope as they work with partner communities, instead of social-media-fueled gloom and doom. Here, they can take real steps to help make things better.
“I feel like a lot of problems institutions face with incorporating sustainability in their curriculum is that it tends to be seen as very hopeless and tedious,” said Dalisaï, who is a senior Service and Sustainability student representative herself. “[We’re] seeing sustainability in a much more positive light, in the theme of this year’s MAD Week, which is Hope. It’s much less dreary, and that engages students.”
The long-term program is an exercise on openness for the students, who were encouraged to dive into their partner communities’ worlds. They communicated with help from translators, participated in local activities, gathered scientific data, and culminated their education with documentaries.
“Being able to uplift the community and highlight their strengths, that’s what MAD Week’s about. It’s not about trying to change the community, but it’s trying to empower them to be independent,” said Dalisaï.
This has always been the program’s DNA, which was borne of an extensive collaboration between BSM and social enterprise group MAD Travel. “The current education system tends to take [topics] apart and keep them separate, but we all know that our environment is connected to the economy. It’s integrated,” said Rafael Dionisio, a co-founder of MAD Travel.
“We can’t separate them from one another, and so dissolving those separations is important. So we’re super happy about [the BSM collaboration]. They’re setting an example for other schools that, hey, it can be done.”
The program’s current run has two years to go, but the budding growth is already palpable in both students and their partner communities. The goal of MAD Week is for students to internalize these lessons beyond graduation, and as long as they do, the country has more sparks of hope that can lead the charge to change in the future. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/brandrap/british-school-manila-students-building-better-philippines-grassroots-collaborations/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR325aFMXxacHxyeSDzMYjddJbg-kLwPOJgWKg321aoeVLf4L-2omj66kVs_aem_PBRvl9cWt_iAR-ytcFmifA |
[EDITORIAL] Mga pinuno ng Bohol, kaunting malasakit naman sa kapaligiran | Lilibeth Frondoso | 18/03/2024 15:28 | Nico Villarete
Paano umabot sa puntong tatlong tourist establishments ang naipatayo sa Chocolate Hills?
Bakit kailangan pang social media netizens ang sumita sa kamalian na humantong sa pagpapasara ng isang resort matapos ang ilang buwang operasyon? Hindi ba common sense dapat sa burukrasya – mula sa local government, sa environment department, hanggang sa DepEd na nagpa-swim meet pa sa resort – na maling magpatayo ng istruktura doon?
Lahat ng pumupunta sa Bohol, nagpapa-picture sa photogenic na Chocolate Hills. Pero higit pa riyan ang halaga ng hills. Ito’y “conical marine limestone hills” na nabuo dalawang milyong taon na ang nakalilipas. Maliban sa hills, mayroon ding mga kuweba, springs, at mga tunnel sa Chocolate Hills.
Naging protected zone ang Chocolate Hills nang idineklara ito ni Fidel V. Ramos na National Geological Monument noong 1997. Nominated din itong maging UNESCO Heritage site.
Here are the facts:
Habang may tungkulin ang mga pamahalaang paigtingin ang pag-unlad sa pamamagitan ng turismo at pagpapalago ng mga negosyo – dapat hindi nakasisira ang mga negosyong ito sa likas na yaman ng bansa. Ang siste, kasama pa ang mga ahensiya ng gobyerno tulad ng Bohol DepEd sa naging parokyano ng Captain Peak’s Resort.
Sabi ng environment editor ng Rappler na si Jee Geronimo, “Kailangang maging proactive, hindi reactive ang gobyerno.”
At ‘yan ang nangyayari ngayon, puro react. Nagtuturuan. Meron namang hugas-kamay.
Sabi ni Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, “We will correct the cause of this mess.” Gagawin daw malinaw ang mga polisiya at guidelines. Pero hindi ba oversight din ng probinsiya ito? Maibabalik pa ba sa pristine condition ang mga lugar na ito? Sana’y hindi pa huli ang lahat.
Balancing act talaga ang progress at environmental preservation. Pero ipinapakita ng yugtong ito na salat sa malasakit sa kapaligiran ang mga ilang namumuno sa lokal na antas.
Madaling sisihin ang bureaucratic red tape sa ganitong mga pangyayari. Pero kung may nag-iisip ng long-term, dapat batid ng lahat ng pinuno mula sa local LGU, provincial government, at line agencies na mismong ang turismo na nagdadala ng P75.6 billion sa Bohol noong 2023 ang maaaring maapektuhan.
Sana lang, isapuso ang malasakit sa kapaligiran, dahil mismong mga negosyo rin ang magdurusa kapag na-degrade ang Chocolate Hills. Ayaw naman siguro nating magising isang umaga na mukha nang Makiling hot springs sa Pansol, Laguna – na pinutakti ng resort at swimming pool – ang Chocolate Hills. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/voices/editorials/where-environmental-concern-chocolate-hills-bohol/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0r6fDN0v_Yu-cHwZpsT-Ea5Djnfa3XQ_FpMtDa99m4uYUbkvfhb1RW7WQ_aem_VmKMj4ZxSggZOI9kG20Mhw |
Pope Francis names Philippines’ first Dominican bishop in decades | Miriam Grace Go | 28/01/2024 20:47 | NEW BISHOP. Father Napoleon Sipalay Jr is set to lead the Diocese of Alaminos, Pangasinan.
UST video screenshot
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis named the Philippines’ first Dominican bishop in nearly three decades, Father Napoleon Sipalay Jr., who fills a four-year vacancy in the Diocese of Alaminos, Pangasinan.
The Vatican announced the appointment at noon, Rome time, as the Pope was delivering his weekly Angelus speech at Saint Peter’s Square.
A 53-year-old native of Davao, Sipalay is the outgoing vice rector of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Central Seminary. He succeeds Ricardo Baccay, who was named archbishop of Tuguegarao in 2019.
He is also the former head of the influential Dominican order in the Philippines, which runs UST, the oldest existing university in Asia. He was the prior provincial of Filipino Dominicans from 2016 to 2021.
Sipalay is set to lead a nearly 40-year-old diocese composed of more than 584,000 Catholics from 14 municipalities in western Pangasinan.
Dominican priest Father Winston Cabading, superior of the Dominican house in Caleruega and a former UST secretary general, told Rappler on Sunday that Sipalay is the Philippines’ first Dominican bishop since the time of Pope John Paul II.
John Paul II appointed the late Dominican priest Jose Paala Salazar as bishop of Batanes in 1996. He also served as auxiliary bishop of Butuan and Lipa before he died in 2004.
“It is an honor certainly for the Dominican Province of the Philippines and UST. We pray for him as the new ministry he will assume is no easy matter. May the Holy Spirit guide him,” Cabading told Rappler.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas of the Ecclesiastial Province of Lingayen-Dagupan, where the Diocese of Alaminos belongs, also confirmed that Sipalay is the country’s first Dominican bishop since 1996.
Other Filipino bishops have taken vows to become “professed members” of the Dominican order, but are not “homegrown” members of the Order of Preachers who underwent Dominican formation from the beginning.
Villegas, who trained in Manila’s San Carlos Seminary, himself became a professed member of the Dominican order in 2015.
The appointment of Sipalay is significant because different religious orders possess their own identities and charisms. Sipalay is expected to bring the Dominican order’s focus on truth – and its brand of effective preaching – not only to his diocese but to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
Francis, the first Jesuit pope, has been known to appoint many of his fellow Jesuits or Jesuit-trained diocesan priests to key positions in the Catholic Church. The Jesuits are known for a spirituality that works for social justice. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/luzon/pope-francis-names-napoleon-sipalay-jr-philippines-first-dominican-bishop-decades/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0XeKG2n8bHlc6Xw2zkOfgliUow0G8oumd3VMQCqdTka9xttUj-xZSgN_g_aem_PIkbCE-QEDR3SGYREY9ucA |
How to fast safely during Ramadan – what the science shows | Victor Barreiro Jr. | 18/03/2024 13:00 | Muslims gather at the Blue Mosque in Taguig City for evening prayers and Iftar, or breaking of fast, on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, March 12, 2024.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
For 1.9 billion Muslims, Ramadan is the ninth and holiest Islamic month and this year starts on March 11. During the 30 days of Ramadan, many Muslims fast, refraining from food, drink, smoking and sex, between dawn and sunset each day.
Fasting is only compulsory for adult Muslims. There are exemptions for people who are sick, elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, menstruating or travelling.
As Ramadan slowly moves across seasons, the fasting days are getting cooler and shorter than last year, at least for those in the northern hemisphere and those close to the equator. Regardless of where you live, it is important to drink plenty of fluids when breaking your fast at sunset and before you start your fast at dawn.
Scientific research has shown that fasting is good for your health. Animal studies have shown fasting results in longer life and better health. In humans, research suggests body weight, blood glucose, blood cholesterol and blood pressure all improve with fasting.
In terms of mental health, Ramadan fasting improves mental health and lessens depression symptoms. Of course, there is an immense spiritual benefit too.
Many homes prepare traditional foods at the time of breaking the fast, often with fried food and sweets. A healthy alternative would be fresh fruit; dates have always been a common tradition.
One of the benefits of breaking fast with fruit is that it provides plenty of glucose for the organs, especially the brain.
Similarly, at dawn, a meal with protein, fat and complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains and beans, can be useful as fats can slow digestion, giving a fasting person a feeling of being full for longer. Complex carbohydrates also provide energy for longer.
Fluid intake is vital, especially if the weather is warmer and the fasting person is planning strenuous exercise.
Lifestyle choices are important for your health. Apart from diet, exercise is important, too. Most exercises can be performed in Ramadan, but don’t expect to keep to your pre-Ramadan levels.
If you feel dehydrated, too tired or weak, then stop. A good time to exercise is in the morning or later afternoon when the outdoor temperature could be lower. However, this would not affect indoor exercises.
People whose professions require them to be physically active need to be careful that they don’t get dehydrated or suffer heat exhaustion – or worse, heatstroke.
Workers in hot climates need to be careful during the hottest part of the day (12 noon to 3pm). If you do need to go out a lot, be sensible and try to stay in shaded areas, if possible. When opening your fast, drink cool fluids and add a pinch of salt too, as excess sweating makes us lose salt. And wear light clothes.
Smoking and vaping are not permitted when fasting, so if you smoke or vape, it might be a good time to try to quit.
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the world. Think of using nicotine gum to help you quit when you break your fast. Islamic scholars allow the use of nicotine patches while fasting.
If fasting would worsen a health condition, you should avoid fasting. However, many people with chronic diseases do fast without any problems.
If you have an illness and you want to fast, you should consult your doctor first, especially if you have a chronic health condition, such as diabetes, a heart condition or hypertension (high blood pressure).
If fasting makes you more ill, how is it beneficial if you can’t perform your normal acts of worship, or you need to be taken to the hospital? – Rappler.com
Feisal Subhan, Lecturer in Biomedical Science, University of Plymouth
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/science/life-health/how-fast-safely-during-ramadan-what-science-shows-the-conversation/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1953fxaVoZV52wsUE6M-EoSk7q2pbfrOUdVEps5nDmH6uk4Qk6Q1aaTIE_aem_CKiyAg1Q7hcf-kLkaxYzBg |
‘One meal a day’ diet popular with celebrities could do more harm than good – here’s why | Marguerite de Leon | 18/03/2024 12:38 | Singer Chris Martin performs with his band Coldplay on NBC's Today show in New York City, U.S., June 17, 2021. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
REUTERS
Celebrities have popularized all sorts of outlandish diet trends over the years. One of the latest trends among celebrities is the “one meal a day” diet (or “Omad”).
Fans of Omad include Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. Many proponents of Omad claim it helps them better manage their weight and keep fit.
Omad is essentially a more extreme version of other types of fasting diets, such as intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating. The main difference is that instead of only fasting certain days or only eating your meals during a specific time window, people following Omad eat all their day’s calories in one single, large meal.
But while supporters of Omad say that following the diet improves many aspects of health, we actually know very little about what effect eating just one meal a day has on the body – let alone if it’s safe.
Evidence supporting the use of Omad is limited. Very few studies have actually looked at Omad itself – and most of those that have were conducted in animals.
As such, most of the claims that Omad works are anecdotal. Or they are based on the assumption that if other forms of fasting can benefit health, then Omad will too.
Research into fasting diets is still emerging. Some evidence indicates that one form of intermittent fasting known as the “5:2 diet” (where a person eats normally five days a week, then 800 calories or less two days a week) may help people better manage their weight. However, it’s no better than other diet approaches.
Research has also found that time-restricted eating (where you eat all your day’s calories within a specific window of time) can help people better manage their weight. And it has other health benefits such as lowering blood pressure.
One review study also found that many different types of fasting (including intermittent fasting and fasting every other day) can improve several aspects of metabolism. These include improving blood sugar and cholesterol levels, reducing inflammation levels and helping people better regulate their appetite. This, in turn, may help reduce a person’s risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
One study so far has looked at the effect of Omad in humans. In this study, participants were given the same number of calories to eat each day for the study’s duration. For half of the study, participants ate these calories in a single meal, before switching and eating their daily calories split into three meals per day.
Each meal pattern was only followed for an 11-day period – not very long at all. The one meal was taken between 5 pm and 7 pm. Only 11 participants completed the study.
When participants ate just one meal per day, they saw a greater reduction in their body weight and fat mass. However, participants also had greater reductions in lean mass and bone density when eating just one meal a day. This could lead to reduced muscle function and greater risk of bone fractures if the diet was to be followed for a longer period.
Animal studies looking at the effects of Omad have shown conflicting results, with research showing mice who ate one large meal a day actually gained more weight compared to those who ate multiple meals.
While these results may indicate that Omad could have benefits for some aspects of health, there’s still a lot we don’t know about it. It will be important for future studies to investigate the effect of Omad in a larger number of participants and in other groups of people (as this study only included lean, young adults). It will also be important for studies to look at the effect of Omad over a longer period of time, and to conduct these trials in a real-life setting.
It will also be interesting to know whether the timing of the meal can further improve the results and if the nutritional profile of the meal makes a difference.
If someone is just having one meal a day then it’s going to be quite difficult for them to meet all their nutritional requirements, especially for energy, protein, fiber, and the key vitamins and minerals. Not getting enough of these important nutrients could lead to loss of muscle mass, risk of constipation, and poor gut health.
Someone following Omad will need to ensure they get a good serving of protein and plenty of vegetables, nuts, seeds, and some fruit and whole grains during their single daily meal to meet these nutritional requirements. They will also need a good serving of dairy to make sure that they meet their calcium and iodine requirements – or a supplement or alternative if they’re plant-based.
This is not a diet that we would recommend for children, anyone who is pregnant, hoping to become pregnant or breastfeeding, and definitely not for a person who may be at risk of an eating disorder.
It’s also important to note that while this diet might work for celebrities, they also have access to nutritionists, high-quality diets, and supplements where needed. For most of us, this kind of diet could be unsustainable – and potentially harmful in the long run. – The Conversation|Rappler.com
Amanda Avery is a Lecturer in Nutrition, University of Nottingham.
This piece was originally published in The Conversation.
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/health-and-wellness/one-meal-a-day-diet-popular-celebrities-more-harm-than-good-why/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Q8KGjPXHa7lQRbarldNXZtBKhcAljNcSTs70NAFhEzApugXAEuHqpC2k_aem_7gTAb88ZtCKHZA9E-wZJmg |
Los Cimborios de Panay: A reminder of Panay’s thriving sugar trail | Marguerite de Leon | 18/03/2024 11:52 | TOWER. One of the simboryos the author has spotted.
Christian George Acevedo
“Everything that you see here was once a sugarcane plantation,” says Monico Bebita, pointing out the expansive rice fields as we trace our steps amidst grass-covered pathwalks. I decided to explore the remaining simboryos of the town of Panay, famous for its Spanish-era church and the iconic church bell, dubbed the largest in all of Asia.
Randell of Panay’s Tourism Office told me that there were about 6–7 primitive simboryos spread in the different barangays of Panay. I asked if I could visit these simboryos. He then referred me to Monico, whom I met a long time ago during a cultural mapping workshop and who now works for the local government.
Simboryos, or smokestacks, are now symbols of a bygone era. They remind me of a time when sugar cane was gold. Simboryos were part of sugar mills that once dotted the landscape of this part of Capiz, functioning as chimneys or funnels where smoke emitted from burning wood or dried sugarcane bark while cooking molasses or muscovado was discharged.
It was a sweltering afternoon. It was already four o’clock, but March’s prolonged daytime meant challenging fieldwork. El Niño has already begun to cast its spell and Monico was complaining that in a matter of weeks, the rice fields, still green at the time, would turn gold and finally brown, until the earth would crack because of the drought. Taking a tricycle ride, Monico and I treaded the dirt road that traversed once we turned left from the highway and straight to a two-lane path that halved the rice fields. I imagine that a long time ago, no house stood along the road — just hectares upon hectares of sugarcane plantations.
Our first stop was the ruined simboryo of Bago Chiquito. It stands just inches away from a river and I fear that when the soil keeps eroding, the simboryo will eventually fall off. Monico told me that the river itself is now dead because water stopped flowing from the main source, Paslang, in the nearby town of Panitan. He recalled that the river used to be deep and provided water to the rice fields.
I took pictures and noticed that the simboryos were made of bricks and cement. Monico told me that the bricks came all the way from Capiz (in Roxas City) and some other parts, like Iloilo. One could easily identify them because the names of the manufacturer and the place where they were made were engraved on each brick. The brick-making industry in Capiz has also been around for a long time.
We visited three more sites, all of which presented the same scenario. While the smoke stacks are still standing, they have become useless over time. The other parts of the sugar mill, like the caua, where the sugar extract was cooked until turned into molasses, the gears, and the cauldrons, were either damaged or lost.
Until the 1980s, the land that stretches from just outside Panay’s Poblacion until Candual, Anhawon, Bago Chiquito, and Agbanban were all sugarcane plantations, hence the presence of simboryos, which meant that there were sugar mills in these places. Before the war, sugar figured in as among the top agricultural products of Capiz, next only to rice, which was then the rice granary of Western Visayas. The simboryos were strategically located near the rivulets and tributaries of the Panay River, where, I am told, sugarcane was loaded on a conduccion, a type of wooden vessel, and transported to Pilar or traded somewhere else. Unlike in the town of Dumalag, where the Panay Railway passes through the sugar central, there was no railway or highway in this area; hence, the waterways served their practical purpose.
In an unpublished report written in 1963 by Jesus Bermejo of Panay, he explained the tedious process of extracting juice from sugar cane and processing it to become molasses — all these were done in the sugar mills.
“The sugar canes are cut and placed in carts, which are drawn by the carabaos to the sugar mills. The sugarcanes are placed between rollers and pressed. The juice comes out and it is put through a strainer to take away the pulp. For the first boiling, a pipe directs the juice into the first cauldron.
“The boiled juice is transferred into an elevated tank that is capable of containing 75 petroleum cans of juice. The juice stays in this tank for about an hour to let the sediment settle at the bottom.
“The juice is distributed into three cauldrons and is again boiled. While the juice is boiling, the dirt floats on the surface. The dirt is taken away by means of big ladles made of half of the petroleum can.
“After one and a half hours of boiling, the chief cook, called maestro, tests the thickness of the syrup. When it is ready, the thick syrup is transferred into a wooden container measuring 10 feet by 6 feet. The syrup is allowed to cool and dry. When it is almost dry, two laborers with spades mix the sugar in the same way as mixing cement. Then they would use wooden rollers to press the big lumps of sugar. They do this until the sugar becomes fine in texture. The product is called muscovado or brown sugar. Muscovado is measured by cavans and put into bayons, ready for market.
“Another method of preparing sugar for market is called pinarak. The syrup is poured into parak, which are small round molds. These molds are as big as plates and saucers and are about two inches or one inch thick. As the syrup cools in the molds, it also hardens. After one-half hour, the sugar is hard enough. The men turn the molds upside down and the sugar comes off. The molded blocks of sugar are put one over the other and wrapped in dried sugarcane leaves. Then they are ready for the market.
At the peak of the sugar industry, farmers earned more in sugarcane farming and small-scale sugar manufacturing than in raising rice or corn. A farmer earned 60–80 cavans per hectare and would sell each cavan for P20. In fact, the sugar industry was then deemed a route towards improving the lives of farmers in Panay. Alas, with the decline of the sugar industry in the 1970s and 1980s, this industry in Panay also suffered. Eventually, landowners converted their sugarcane estates into rice fields. The sugar mills were left to rot, and the metal cauldrons were eventually sold.
One local told me to visit Maayon, a town nearby, where a collector once bought most of the cauldrons in the area. Today, the ruins of simboryo – now in dismal condition, are what remain to remind us of what a bustling place these sugarcane plantations were once upon a time. – Rappler.com
Christian George Acevedo is a librarian, writer, and heritage advocate from Roxas City, Capiz.
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/travel/los-cimborios-de-panay-reminder-panay-thriving-sugar-trail/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2c8CoQPPQwSp5i560xGNmSilRqgOd5perou2b7T0TKDd83rDTPRjBUHUo_aem_lTNRAM67_Jv1eHv9FVvfeA |
[Kitchen 143] Feta Mediterranean Rockwell | Cara Angeline Oliver | 19/03/2024 20:00 | Kitchen 143 now heads out of the home kitchen and visits old and new favorite restaurants in and out of Metro Manila.
In this episode, Kitchen 143 host Michelle Aventajado of Momma ‘N Manila heads to Makati for some delicious cuisine at Feta Mediterranean’s Rockwell branch. Joining her are Feta’s owner Deniz Keten-gi, area manager Jhomz Magallanes, and executive chef Beyto Koc.
Visit our Instagram page to get a chance to win one of five dinners for two including mezze, main courses, drinks and dessert! Don’t forget to download the Rappler Communities app and join the food and travel channel to have a chat with fellow foodies.
Bookmark this page to watch Kitchen 143 live on Tuesday, March 19, at 8 pm.
Download the Rappler Communities app available on web, iOS, and Android. – Rappler.com
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/food-drinks/kitchen-143-feta-mediterranean-cuisine-rockwell-makati/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR10Y8UTuAtQOAfJObsZn48zR5ZM5Q49zsy2-Y410KbQUc4VcvcZhHyY0JY_aem_EES-SISJZfrnU9m22b0hzg |
Ramon Ang says controversial Pasig River expressway not pushing through | Ralf Rivas | 18/03/2024 15:23 | TYCOON. San Miguel Corporation president and CEO Ramon Ang.
Ralf Rivas/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The planned P95-billion expressway along Pasig River which drew the ire of a number of environmental and heritage groups is no longer pushing through, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and CEO Ramon Ang said.
“Alam mo, ako ‘yung businessman na kapag nakita ko, ayaw ng kababayan natin ‘yung project, hindi ko itutuloy,” Ang said in a briefing on Monday, March 18.
(I’m the type of businessman that when I see that our countrymen don’t like the project, I won’t push through with it.)
The controversial six-lane, 19.4-kilometer Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) was supposed to traverse the entirety of Pasig River, connecting Manila, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasig, Taguig and Taytay, Rizal.
San Miguel president & CEO Ramon Ang says the controversial Pasig River Expressway or PAREX is no longer pushing through."Ako ‘yung businessman na kapag nakita ko, ayaw ng kababayan natin ‘yung project, hindi ko itutuloy." @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/dNapa6tAz1
“Sinasabi [ng] maraming tao na ayaw nila ‘yan…. hindi magandang tingnan or whatever. Narinig mo kung tinuloy ko? Hindi na. Kasi very sensitive din kami. Nakikinig kami sa pulso ng bayan.”
(People said they don’t like it… it doesn’t look good or whatever. Did you hear that I pushed through with it? I did not. We are very sensitive too. We listen to the pulse of the nation.)
Ang earlier said that PAREX would help ease Metro Manila traffic congestion, but various groups and individuals disagreed, saying that it would only negatively impact public mobility, heritage, environment, and public health.
Critics said creating expressways will make traffic congestion worse as it will only encourage people to drive private motor vehicles instead of taking public transportation. This phenomenon, which urban experts called induced demand, only fills newly built expressways with more cars, making it a poor option for mobility.
SMC has conducted several Pasig River clean-up activities as they prepared for the construction. Ang said some 1.2 million tons of waste have been taken out of Pasig River.
Ang announced the discontinuation of the project when he was asked about another matter, particularly the financial viability of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) rehabilitation project. Experts earlier expressed concern over the project funding and how the privatization could impact terminal fees, given that the consortium led by SMC committed to give the government 83% of revenues.
“Hindi naman masyadong importante ‘yung pera (money is not that important),” Ang said.
In a statement, environmental group Ilog Pasiglahin welcomed the cancellation of PAREX, but noted that permits need to be formally canceled.
To formally cancel the project, the group called on SMC and the government to do the following:
“We also call on the LGUs of Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Taguig, Pasig, and Taytay to reject the PAREX permit applications and listen to their constituents’ vision of a sustainable and inclusive Pasig River,” Ilog Pasiglahin said.
Beyond PAREX, the group urged SMC to cancel the portion of the Southeast Metro Manila Expressway (SEMME) that will be constructed on the easternmost part of the river from Buting, Pasig to Taytay, Rizal, as well as the portion of the Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEX) that will be built around the Manila Bay Port Area, Intramuros, and the Hospicio de San Jose in Manila near the Pasig River.
“The Pasig River is critical to the preservation of our environment and our culture. Whatever happens to the Pasig River also affects its connected bodies of water – Manila Bay, Laguna de Bay, Marikina River, San Juan River, Taguig River, and many others. And any destructive activity in those areas – reclamation, deforestation, and expressway construction – will also affect the Pasig River,” Ilog Pasiglahin said. –Rappler.com
How Pasig River is developed and maintained is a big concern of various groups who want to #MakeManilaLiveable. On Rappler, we have created a dedicated space for stories and reports about liveability in Philippine cities. Learn more about the movement here.
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/business/ramon-ang-says-pasig-river-expressway-not-pushing-through/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2y1pLkbmoiteUI-WGeqejQB30A2qXKDTlCZ6Z5WMtMPJCBk-1JsP5Vb6U_aem_WVGzgcpSV_rcxH1mbb2LKQ |
NAIA Terminal 5? Ramon Ang bares plans for Philippines’ main airport | Ralf Rivas | 18/03/2024 20:11 | CONGESTED AIRPORT. Passengers queue at the immigration area of NAIA Terminal 1 on June 16, 2023.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and chief executive officer Ramon Ang unveiled some of his plans for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), including the construction of a new passenger terminal and a Skyway bypass to address congestion issues at the country’s main gateway.
Following the signing of a concession agreement on Monday, March 18, Ang said the SMC-led consortium will construct a new passenger terminal building in the abandoned Philippine Village Hotel compound to increase the airport capacity – currently at 35 million passengers per year – and provide parking for some 9,000 vehicles.
Offices at the existing NAIA terminals will also be relocated to the new passenger terminal building.
Asked if the new terminal would be called Terminal 5, Ang said he is still unsure what to call it. He noted that construction could take at least three years.
The government had regained control of the old Philippine Village Hotel in November 2023. It was once considered a security risk due to its decaying facade.
To ease traffic congestion, Ang said the consortium is planning to build a three-lane Skyway bypass from Magallanes going to NAIA Terminal 3. There will also be a two-way lane going to Pasay City, according to the tycoon.
Ang said the bypass will be completed by March 2025, which would be six months after the turnover of the airport’s operations and maintenance to the consortium.
It’s not just NAIA that Ang is developing.
SMC is currently laying the groundwork for the construction of a P740-billion airport in Bulacan. The company said it aims to begin major developments in 2025.
Ang said the Bulacan airport will be able to absorb the “spillover” passengers of NAIA.
Ramon Ang is now the airport tycoon, controlling NAIA and the Bulacan Airport which is currently under construction. Here’s a clip of Ang discussing how the 2 airports will work together:@rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/XCtAgMm2tL
He explained that NAIA would be limited by its intersecting runway. The airplanes that would be able to land on it would be narrow-bodied, carrying fewer passengers.
“Ultimately, it’s a good combination to have a NAIA and a Bulacan [airport],” Ang said.
Meanwhile, Ang shut down speculations that NAIA’s name would be changed under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
NAIA was named after former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who was assassinated at the airport on August 21, 1983. Aquino was a staunch critic of the dictatorship of Marcos’ father.
Ramon Ang not keen on changing the name of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. “Pulitika na ‘yan.”Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Jimmy Bautista details what happens to airport employees following the concession agreement. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/pYu7cTU0ZS
“[The name] was enacted by Congress. At the same time, ‘wag na natin pakialaman ang mga pangalan na ‘yan kasi pulitika ‘yan, maraming magagalit (let’s not touch the name because that’s political, many will get angry),” Ang said. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/business/ramon-ang-bares-plans-naia-philippines-main-airport/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR147i_nfmg1sFQzrmNPDCJlNpCoUDIN51puEW8pvV-fhViRgc3lTuj4Fzc_aem_0WvM5pqadjEQeQIUKwrT3A |
The Duterte dynasty: Powered by guns | Lian Buan | 11/3/2024 15:38 | The Duterte dynasty: Powered by guns
(2nd UPDATE) Former President Rodrigo Duterte and his family have a combined total of 654 firearms in their possession, according to new information obtained by Rappler
REPUBLISHED MAR 11, 2024 3:38 PM PHTFIRST PUBLISHED MAR 1, 2024 2:30 PM PHTBY Lian Buan, Jairo Bolledo, Jodesz GavilanAll illustrations by Alejandro Edoria
There are already 654 guns in the combined vault of only five members of the powerful and ruling Duterte clan, made up of mostly the handy and easy-to-use pistols and a hundred rifles, documents obtained by Rappler show. (Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of this story, we counted 477, to include only four members of the Duterte family. New information gathered allowed us to update our count.)
The patriarch, former president Rodrigo Duterte, has the most number of firearms in his collection, or 363 assorted weapons, which is five more than we earlier reported which was at the time based on records from October 2023. After our reporting, we obtained the most recent records.
His eldest, Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte has about half the size of his father’s vault, or 172 newly-licensed firearms. His youngest son, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte has 61, his son-in-law Manases Carpio has 30, and his daughter, Carpio’s wife, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, has 28. We were unable to verify if other members of the family, including the former president’s partner and children in-law, have any firearms.
These documents are in the records of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO), and were verified to be authentic by Rappler. These documents mean that the firearms in these records were licensed.
Former president Duterte passed a law on May 6, 2022 that extended the validity of a firearm to 10 years, when before a license was valid for only four years before it had to be renewed again. The former president benefitted from his own law because his 358 firearms were renewed afterwards, just weeks before he stepped down as president, and obtained 10-year licenses.
The new law he passed, RA 11766, also made it easier for him to obtain a permit to carry outside residence. Part of the amendments made to the old version, RA 10591, listed professions such as lawyers, businessmen, journalists, accountants, as having an assumed threat to their safety and thereby giving them an easier time applying for a permit. In the new law, Duterte added two: an elected official, both former and current such as himself, and retired and active law enforcement personnel.
His children also benefitted from this law because Sara and Sebastian are elected officials too: Sara was Davao City mayor before the 2022 elections, and Sebastian was Davao City vice mayor at the time.
In Sebastian’s vault of 66, there are 24 firearms with 10-year licenses or until 2033 or 2034. Paolo also has 24 firearms with 10-year licenses, because most of the firearms in his vault of 144 are expiring either this year, 2025, or 2026 – which means he can renew them by then and get a fresh 10-year license if he wishes. Sara has six firearms with 10-year licenses, and husband Manases has seven firearms with 10-year licenses expiring in the same period.
The most expensive guns in the vault, according to publicly available market pricing, are the pistols. Paolo’s Wilson Combat EDC X9S is worth P342,500, and Sebastian’s Les Baer 572 Hemi pistol is worth P300,000. The Kriss Vector SDP Gen II, one of which Rodrigo and Sebastian each own, is priced at P261,000.
The Philippines has an enduring problem of gun violence, notoriously committed by the private armies of powerful clans. Past attempts at cracking down, and abolishing the private armies have failed because of watered down legislations, such as not putting a ceiling on the number of guns an individual can own.
The law says an individual possessing at least 15 guns is already a gun collector, and can obtain a Type 5 license, provided she or he passes the required drug and psychological tests, plus a vault inspection.
Although the law does not impose a limit on the number of guns per person, the common gun collector follows regulations as guidance and usually keeps his or her collection to around 15, according to our industry sources. The more avid shooter can have more – for example, former tax commissioner and known gun enthusiast Kim Henares has 40.
Henares believes the law is right not to impose a limit on the number of guns one person can possess, but the former Cabinet member – and the late former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s shooting buddy – said the regulators must be strict in the psychological test. Under FEO guidelines, the neuro-psychiatric examination and the drug test should be done by the PNP Health Service and the crime laboratory group, respectively.
“What you should regulate is making sure who holds those guns, right? Even if you allow one person to only have one gun, if he’s unstable, it’s the same thing,” said Henares in a mix of English and Filipino.
The Dutertes did not respond to Rappler’s requests for an interview or statement for this story. Separate requests were sent to the offices of Sara, Paolo, Sebastian, and Manases Carpio. We will update this story once they respond.
Rodrigo and Sara indirectly reacted to Rappler’s stories in separate statements. On March 7, the Vice President posted a video statement, saying the reporting about her guns is part of an “organized demolition job.” She said these allegations aim to tarnish her integrity and create an image that she is a “killer, corrupt, abusive, and a warlord.”
“Makikita natin ito sa pag-atake sa confidential funds, pagpapalaganap ng video sa Commonwealth traffic, paggawa ng issue sa pagtatag ng security para sa Opisina ng Bise Presidente, paglabas ng testigo na umano’y ako ay kaparte ng Davao Death Squad, sa malisyosong ulat tungkol sa aking mga baril, at ang pambabastos sa relasyon namin ng aking asawa,” the Vice President said.
(We can see this through the attack against confidential funds, the viral Commonwealth traffic video, making an issue of the creation of a security unit for the Office of the Vice President, a witness claiming that I am part of the Davao Death Squad, through a malicious report about my guns, and the disrespect for my relationship with my husband.)
On January 30 during a press conference in Davao City, Duterte took a swipe at Rappler’s earlier reporting on his gun collection and said that many of his guns were gifts when he was president, and that all of them are licensed anyway. According to Duterte, he knew that there were inquiries about his gun collection because a cop had tipped him off.
“Kinakalkal ‘yung firearms namin kung magkano, naririnig ko eh, tumawag ‘yung FEO…Lahat ng baril ko, pati maliit na baril, lisensiyado ‘yan. Kasi mahilig ako sa baril, pina-rehistro ko lahat sa Crame. Eh sila nagtanung-tanong, marami kang baril, eh putang-ina tanong mo sa Crame, regalo ‘yan,” said Duterte.
(They were looking into our firearms, how much they were, I heard because someone from the FEO called me…. All of my guns, even my small guns, are licensed. I am into guns, so I registered them all in Crame. But they were asking – you have so many guns, son of a bitch ask Crame, they are gifts.)
The PNP-FEO told Rappler in December 2023 that the rules are uniform for everyone and that a former president such as Duterte does not enjoy special privileges.
However, records bear out that each member of the Duterte clan owns Class-A light weapons, which under RA 10591 can be bought, owned, and licensed only by law enforcement personnel.
Class-A light weapons, under the law, include self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, submachine guns, assault rifles, and light machine guns not exceeding caliber 7.62 mm which have a fully automatic mode. Their FEO records explicitly say that Rodrigo Duterre has 38 Class-A light weapons, Paolo Duterte has 24, Sara Duterte has 3, Sebastian Duterte has 1, and Manases Carpio has 1.
How are they able to license Class-A light weapons, which should have been exclusive to the military, police, and other law enforcement agencies?
It could be because the law’s exception clause applied to them. Because RA 10591 was passed only in 2013, non-law enforcement individuals (like the Dutertes) who possessed Class-A light weapons before 2013 were allowed to continue ownership of such firearms and were only required to renew their licenses. We sought clarification from the FEO on February 20 and followed up on February 28, and again on March 5, but have not yet received a response as of March 11. We will update this story once we do.
We also asked on March 8 whether the PNP will retroactively apply its recently amended internal rules to include more types of firearms in the small arms group, but we got no clear response.
Based on estimates from market retail prices, the Duterte family’s weaponry is worth a total of P24 million. Former president Duterte’s collection is worth around P5.5 million, but his sons’ vaults, although much smaller collections, have more expensive firearms.
Paolo’s collection of 172 is worth P10.2 million – more expensive than his father’s P5.5 million – based on newer documents we obtained. Based on last year’s documents, Sebastian’s collection is worth P5.4 million, Manases Carpio’s collection is worth around P2 million, and Vice President Sara Duterte’s collection is worth around P1.04 million.
When speculations spread that an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was forthcoming, the former president said he would resist arrest and he threatened violence.
“Kapag puntahan nila ako, arestuhin nila ako dito, magkabarilan talaga ‘yan at uubusin ko ang mga putanginang ‘yan (If they come for me, if they arrest me here, there will be a shootout, I will finish all those sons of bitches),” said Duterte.
The ICC is investigating the six years of Duterte’s bloody drug war, and six years of his term as mayor and vice mayor of Davao City for the killings made by the alleged Davao Death Squad.
While the Philippine government still maintains that The Hague has lost jurisdiction over the Philippine case after Duterte withdrew membership from the Court, Prosecutor Karim Khan has successfully appealed to the ICC chamber to let him continue his investigation. The probe has reached a stage where Khan can request for summons or a warrant.
Duterte has also started pushing for a rehashed idea of a Mindanao secession, which he mentioned in a nasty public word war with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in January. Opposition leader and former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Duterte’s staunch enemy, said the PNP must cancel his gun licenses if he is threatening to secede.
“Ito ay nag-incite to sedition/secession na. Malamang na gagamitin pa ang mga baril na ‘yan laban sa gobyerno (He is already inciting to sedition/secession. It’s possible he will use those firearms against the government),” Trillanes said.
A witness against Duterte’s friend and spiritual adviser, the controversial doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy, said he had once witnessed Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte leave the preacher’s compound with bags of guns. The witness said this during a Senate investigation into the violations of Quiboloy and his religious group Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) which had been accused of sexual assault.
“Minsan po pumupunta doon si former president Rodrigo Duterte at former Davao mayor Sara Duterte. ‘Pag umalis na po sila sa Glory Mountain, dala na po nila ang mga bag na siya pong mga bag na nilalagyan po ng mga baril,” said the witness during a Senate hearing on February 19. (Sometimes former president Rodrigo Duterte and former Davao mayor Sara Duterte would visit. When they leave the Glory Mountain, they would carry with them bags of guns.)
Sara Duterte responded to this accusation by imputing political motivations. “Sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, naging kagawian na ang pag-atake at pagbato ng sari-saring isyu laban sa Bise Presidente. Marahil, sapagkat ang Bise Presidente ang tumatayong pangunahing hadlang sa mga nangangarap maging pangulo,” she said on February 21.
(In the history of the Philippines, it’s been a tradition to attack and throw issues against the vice president. Perhaps, because the Vice President is the primary obstacle to those who aspire to be president.)
Former president Duterte denied that Quiboloy gave him guns, telling journalists in Davao City on February 27 that: “Kami magtanggap ng baril kay Quiboloy? It is a very stupid proposition. Bakit naman si Pastor Quiboloy magbigay sa akin ng baril? Saan siya kukuha?” (We will get guns from Quiboloy? It is a very stupid proposition. Why would Pastor Quiboloy give me guns, where will he get them?)
INSPECTION. In 1997, then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte checks out an assault rifle after inspecting a crime scene in Davao city. Renato Lumawag/Reuters
SHOOTING RANGE. In the late 1980s, then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte inspects an assault rifle at a shooting range in Davao City. Renato Lumawag/Reuters
UZI. Former mayor Rodrigo Duterte poses with his Uzi submachine gun in the mid-1990s in the mountainous village of Carmen in the Baguio District of Davao City. Reuters
ANTI-TERRORISM. On June 28, 2018, then-president Rodrigo Duterte is seen with then-Chinese envoy Zhao Jianhua at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga. Rappler
TURNOVER. Former president Rodrigo Duterte hands over the marksman rifle from then-outgoing PNP director general Ronald dela Rosa to then-newly-installed PNP director general Oscar Albayalde during the PNP change of command ceremony on April 19, 2018. Malacañang photo
FROM CHINA. On June 28, 2018, then-president Rodrigo Duterte at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, during the turnover by China to the Philippine government of rifles and ammunition to help combat terrorism. Rappler
– with a report from Ferdinand Zuasola/Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Accordingly: “The PNP-FEO told Rappler that the rules are uniform for everyone and that a former president such as Duterte does not enjoy special privileges.” Of course, the PNP-FEO can say this because the new law, RA 11766, was passed by Former President Digong Duterte to have himself as the first beneficiary. Who needs so many firearms? Are they getting them for their private armies? That new law (RA 11766) should be amended based on social justice. But who would want to amend it? It is a law that benefits only a few Filipinos yet would remain unchanged because most of our politicians and businesspersons are its primary beneficiaries – so few yet so powerful.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/bhttps://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/duterte-dynasty-powered-by-guns/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3LBqwmeX6Ynw3QGUrB8M8BmloyGCOF7wiP8pVA0vYPt_zG8PJ0lUnx3qo_aem_jDipHjdRM8_XjbEgmolECAusiness/ramon-ang-bares-plans-naia-philippines-main-airport/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR147i_nfmg1sFQzrmNPDCJlNpCoUDIN51puEW8pvV-fhViRgc3lTuj4Fzc_aem_0WvM5pqadjEQeQIUKwrT3A |
The Duterte dynasty: Powered by guns | Lian Buan | 11/3/2024 15:38 | The Duterte dynasty: Powered by guns
(2nd UPDATE) Former President Rodrigo Duterte and his family have a combined total of 654 firearms in their possession, according to new information obtained by Rappler
REPUBLISHED MAR 11, 2024 3:38 PM PHTFIRST PUBLISHED MAR 1, 2024 2:30 PM PHTBY Lian Buan, Jairo Bolledo, Jodesz GavilanAll illustrations by Alejandro Edoria
There are already 654 guns in the combined vault of only five members of the powerful and ruling Duterte clan, made up of mostly the handy and easy-to-use pistols and a hundred rifles, documents obtained by Rappler show. (Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of this story, we counted 477, to include only four members of the Duterte family. New information gathered allowed us to update our count.)
The patriarch, former president Rodrigo Duterte, has the most number of firearms in his collection, or 363 assorted weapons, which is five more than we earlier reported which was at the time based on records from October 2023. After our reporting, we obtained the most recent records.
His eldest, Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte has about half the size of his father’s vault, or 172 newly-licensed firearms. His youngest son, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte has 61, his son-in-law Manases Carpio has 30, and his daughter, Carpio’s wife, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, has 28. We were unable to verify if other members of the family, including the former president’s partner and children in-law, have any firearms.
These documents are in the records of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO), and were verified to be authentic by Rappler. These documents mean that the firearms in these records were licensed.
Former president Duterte passed a law on May 6, 2022 that extended the validity of a firearm to 10 years, when before a license was valid for only four years before it had to be renewed again. The former president benefitted from his own law because his 358 firearms were renewed afterwards, just weeks before he stepped down as president, and obtained 10-year licenses.
The new law he passed, RA 11766, also made it easier for him to obtain a permit to carry outside residence. Part of the amendments made to the old version, RA 10591, listed professions such as lawyers, businessmen, journalists, accountants, as having an assumed threat to their safety and thereby giving them an easier time applying for a permit. In the new law, Duterte added two: an elected official, both former and current such as himself, and retired and active law enforcement personnel.
His children also benefitted from this law because Sara and Sebastian are elected officials too: Sara was Davao City mayor before the 2022 elections, and Sebastian was Davao City vice mayor at the time.
In Sebastian’s vault of 66, there are 24 firearms with 10-year licenses or until 2033 or 2034. Paolo also has 24 firearms with 10-year licenses, because most of the firearms in his vault of 144 are expiring either this year, 2025, or 2026 – which means he can renew them by then and get a fresh 10-year license if he wishes. Sara has six firearms with 10-year licenses, and husband Manases has seven firearms with 10-year licenses expiring in the same period.
The most expensive guns in the vault, according to publicly available market pricing, are the pistols. Paolo’s Wilson Combat EDC X9S is worth P342,500, and Sebastian’s Les Baer 572 Hemi pistol is worth P300,000. The Kriss Vector SDP Gen II, one of which Rodrigo and Sebastian each own, is priced at P261,000.
The Philippines has an enduring problem of gun violence, notoriously committed by the private armies of powerful clans. Past attempts at cracking down, and abolishing the private armies have failed because of watered down legislations, such as not putting a ceiling on the number of guns an individual can own.
The law says an individual possessing at least 15 guns is already a gun collector, and can obtain a Type 5 license, provided she or he passes the required drug and psychological tests, plus a vault inspection.
Although the law does not impose a limit on the number of guns per person, the common gun collector follows regulations as guidance and usually keeps his or her collection to around 15, according to our industry sources. The more avid shooter can have more – for example, former tax commissioner and known gun enthusiast Kim Henares has 40.
Henares believes the law is right not to impose a limit on the number of guns one person can possess, but the former Cabinet member – and the late former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s shooting buddy – said the regulators must be strict in the psychological test. Under FEO guidelines, the neuro-psychiatric examination and the drug test should be done by the PNP Health Service and the crime laboratory group, respectively.
“What you should regulate is making sure who holds those guns, right? Even if you allow one person to only have one gun, if he’s unstable, it’s the same thing,” said Henares in a mix of English and Filipino.
The Dutertes did not respond to Rappler’s requests for an interview or statement for this story. Separate requests were sent to the offices of Sara, Paolo, Sebastian, and Manases Carpio. We will update this story once they respond.
Rodrigo and Sara indirectly reacted to Rappler’s stories in separate statements. On March 7, the Vice President posted a video statement, saying the reporting about her guns is part of an “organized demolition job.” She said these allegations aim to tarnish her integrity and create an image that she is a “killer, corrupt, abusive, and a warlord.”
“Makikita natin ito sa pag-atake sa confidential funds, pagpapalaganap ng video sa Commonwealth traffic, paggawa ng issue sa pagtatag ng security para sa Opisina ng Bise Presidente, paglabas ng testigo na umano’y ako ay kaparte ng Davao Death Squad, sa malisyosong ulat tungkol sa aking mga baril, at ang pambabastos sa relasyon namin ng aking asawa,” the Vice President said.
(We can see this through the attack against confidential funds, the viral Commonwealth traffic video, making an issue of the creation of a security unit for the Office of the Vice President, a witness claiming that I am part of the Davao Death Squad, through a malicious report about my guns, and the disrespect for my relationship with my husband.)
On January 30 during a press conference in Davao City, Duterte took a swipe at Rappler’s earlier reporting on his gun collection and said that many of his guns were gifts when he was president, and that all of them are licensed anyway. According to Duterte, he knew that there were inquiries about his gun collection because a cop had tipped him off.
“Kinakalkal ‘yung firearms namin kung magkano, naririnig ko eh, tumawag ‘yung FEO…Lahat ng baril ko, pati maliit na baril, lisensiyado ‘yan. Kasi mahilig ako sa baril, pina-rehistro ko lahat sa Crame. Eh sila nagtanung-tanong, marami kang baril, eh putang-ina tanong mo sa Crame, regalo ‘yan,” said Duterte.
(They were looking into our firearms, how much they were, I heard because someone from the FEO called me…. All of my guns, even my small guns, are licensed. I am into guns, so I registered them all in Crame. But they were asking – you have so many guns, son of a bitch ask Crame, they are gifts.)
The PNP-FEO told Rappler in December 2023 that the rules are uniform for everyone and that a former president such as Duterte does not enjoy special privileges.
However, records bear out that each member of the Duterte clan owns Class-A light weapons, which under RA 10591 can be bought, owned, and licensed only by law enforcement personnel.
Class-A light weapons, under the law, include self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, submachine guns, assault rifles, and light machine guns not exceeding caliber 7.62 mm which have a fully automatic mode. Their FEO records explicitly say that Rodrigo Duterre has 38 Class-A light weapons, Paolo Duterte has 24, Sara Duterte has 3, Sebastian Duterte has 1, and Manases Carpio has 1.
How are they able to license Class-A light weapons, which should have been exclusive to the military, police, and other law enforcement agencies?
It could be because the law’s exception clause applied to them. Because RA 10591 was passed only in 2013, non-law enforcement individuals (like the Dutertes) who possessed Class-A light weapons before 2013 were allowed to continue ownership of such firearms and were only required to renew their licenses. We sought clarification from the FEO on February 20 and followed up on February 28, and again on March 5, but have not yet received a response as of March 11. We will update this story once we do.
We also asked on March 8 whether the PNP will retroactively apply its recently amended internal rules to include more types of firearms in the small arms group, but we got no clear response.
Based on estimates from market retail prices, the Duterte family’s weaponry is worth a total of P24 million. Former president Duterte’s collection is worth around P5.5 million, but his sons’ vaults, although much smaller collections, have more expensive firearms.
Paolo’s collection of 172 is worth P10.2 million – more expensive than his father’s P5.5 million – based on newer documents we obtained. Based on last year’s documents, Sebastian’s collection is worth P5.4 million, Manases Carpio’s collection is worth around P2 million, and Vice President Sara Duterte’s collection is worth around P1.04 million.
When speculations spread that an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was forthcoming, the former president said he would resist arrest and he threatened violence.
“Kapag puntahan nila ako, arestuhin nila ako dito, magkabarilan talaga ‘yan at uubusin ko ang mga putanginang ‘yan (If they come for me, if they arrest me here, there will be a shootout, I will finish all those sons of bitches),” said Duterte.
The ICC is investigating the six years of Duterte’s bloody drug war, and six years of his term as mayor and vice mayor of Davao City for the killings made by the alleged Davao Death Squad.
While the Philippine government still maintains that The Hague has lost jurisdiction over the Philippine case after Duterte withdrew membership from the Court, Prosecutor Karim Khan has successfully appealed to the ICC chamber to let him continue his investigation. The probe has reached a stage where Khan can request for summons or a warrant.
Duterte has also started pushing for a rehashed idea of a Mindanao secession, which he mentioned in a nasty public word war with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in January. Opposition leader and former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Duterte’s staunch enemy, said the PNP must cancel his gun licenses if he is threatening to secede.
“Ito ay nag-incite to sedition/secession na. Malamang na gagamitin pa ang mga baril na ‘yan laban sa gobyerno (He is already inciting to sedition/secession. It’s possible he will use those firearms against the government),” Trillanes said.
A witness against Duterte’s friend and spiritual adviser, the controversial doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy, said he had once witnessed Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte leave the preacher’s compound with bags of guns. The witness said this during a Senate investigation into the violations of Quiboloy and his religious group Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) which had been accused of sexual assault.
“Minsan po pumupunta doon si former president Rodrigo Duterte at former Davao mayor Sara Duterte. ‘Pag umalis na po sila sa Glory Mountain, dala na po nila ang mga bag na siya pong mga bag na nilalagyan po ng mga baril,” said the witness during a Senate hearing on February 19. (Sometimes former president Rodrigo Duterte and former Davao mayor Sara Duterte would visit. When they leave the Glory Mountain, they would carry with them bags of guns.)
Sara Duterte responded to this accusation by imputing political motivations. “Sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, naging kagawian na ang pag-atake at pagbato ng sari-saring isyu laban sa Bise Presidente. Marahil, sapagkat ang Bise Presidente ang tumatayong pangunahing hadlang sa mga nangangarap maging pangulo,” she said on February 21.
(In the history of the Philippines, it’s been a tradition to attack and throw issues against the vice president. Perhaps, because the Vice President is the primary obstacle to those who aspire to be president.)
Former president Duterte denied that Quiboloy gave him guns, telling journalists in Davao City on February 27 that: “Kami magtanggap ng baril kay Quiboloy? It is a very stupid proposition. Bakit naman si Pastor Quiboloy magbigay sa akin ng baril? Saan siya kukuha?” (We will get guns from Quiboloy? It is a very stupid proposition. Why would Pastor Quiboloy give me guns, where will he get them?)
INSPECTION. In 1997, then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte checks out an assault rifle after inspecting a crime scene in Davao city. Renato Lumawag/Reuters
SHOOTING RANGE. In the late 1980s, then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte inspects an assault rifle at a shooting range in Davao City. Renato Lumawag/Reuters
UZI. Former mayor Rodrigo Duterte poses with his Uzi submachine gun in the mid-1990s in the mountainous village of Carmen in the Baguio District of Davao City. Reuters
ANTI-TERRORISM. On June 28, 2018, then-president Rodrigo Duterte is seen with then-Chinese envoy Zhao Jianhua at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga. Rappler
TURNOVER. Former president Rodrigo Duterte hands over the marksman rifle from then-outgoing PNP director general Ronald dela Rosa to then-newly-installed PNP director general Oscar Albayalde during the PNP change of command ceremony on April 19, 2018. Malacañang photo
FROM CHINA. On June 28, 2018, then-president Rodrigo Duterte at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, during the turnover by China to the Philippine government of rifles and ammunition to help combat terrorism. Rappler
– with a report from Ferdinand Zuasola/Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Accordingly: “The PNP-FEO told Rappler that the rules are uniform for everyone and that a former president such as Duterte does not enjoy special privileges.” Of course, the PNP-FEO can say this because the new law, RA 11766, was passed by Former President Digong Duterte to have himself as the first beneficiary. Who needs so many firearms? Are they getting them for their private armies? That new law (RA 11766) should be amended based on social justice. But who would want to amend it? It is a law that benefits only a few Filipinos yet would remain unchanged because most of our politicians and businesspersons are its primary beneficiaries – so few yet so powerful.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/duterte-dynasty-powered-by-guns/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3LBqwmeX6Ynw3QGUrB8M8BmloyGCOF7wiP8pVA0vYPt_zG8PJ0lUnx3qo_aem_jDipHjdRM8_XjbEgmolECA |
Cebu teacher faces probe for provoking students to intentionally harm themselves | jsitchon0312 | 17/03/2024 18:37 | MENTAL HEALTH. The University of Cebu will be deploying guidance counselors to the Banilad Campus to provide mental health assistance to students and teachers who are affected by the incident.
Ucwebmaster/Wikimedia Commons
Trigger warning: This story contains references to self-harm
CEBU, Philippines – The University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMed) launched an investigation into an incident involving a teacher who provoked students to harm themselves, Candice Gotianuy, university president told Rappler on Sunday, March 17.
In a video recording posted on a Facebook page managed by students and alumni, the teacher told students that if they harmed themselves, it would be his “greatest pleasure.”
The university president, in a statement on Saturday, March 16, announced that the teacher has been served a preventive suspension and is banned from entering the campus.
“University of Cebu does not condone any act of self-harm or the encouragement of such. I am disgusted by the actions of this person. I cannot even call him a teacher,” the statement read.
Under Republic Act No. 11036 or the Mental Health Act, universities are mandated to develop policies and programs for students, educators, and other employees designed to raise awareness on mental health issues and provide support and services for individuals at risk, as well as give facility access, including referral mechanisms for individuals with mental health conditions to treatment and psychosocial support.
Gotianuy added that they will be meeting with the university’s nursing department to discuss the incident and deploy their counselors to provide assistance to affected students.
“In accordance with our policies and ethical guidelines, an investigation is currently being conducted to understand the context and circumstances of this incident fully,” the University of Cebu’s statement on Saturday read.
For Dinah Palmera Nadera, psychiatrist and adjunct faculty of the Center for Research and Innovation at the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, the teacher’s actions were against the very teachings of the medical profession.
“First of all, these are health professionals, nurses, who actually should be providing mental health services. At the professional level, it even goes against what is being taught in the curriculum,” Nadera told Rappler.
Under the Mental Health Act, psychiatry and neurology are required subjects in all medical and allied health courses, including post-graduate courses in health.
The psychiatrist explained that educators, especially those in health institutions, are mandated by law to promote mental health and help students who are at risk of mental health problems.
“What he did goes against the law. He increased the risk of developing mental health concerns,” Nadera said.
If you are experiencing mental health problems or know someone who may be at risk, check out this guide. – Rappler.com
The Department of Health, through the National Center for Mental Health, has a national crisis hotline to assist people with mental health concerns. The hotline can be reached at 1553, which is a Luzon-wide, toll-free landline number, 0917-899-8727 and 0966-351-4518 for Globe and TM subscribers, and 0908-639-2672 for Smart and Sun subscribers.
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/cebu-teacher-probe-provoking-students-self-harm/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0Ix2F4oo7rAraA6jHtFQoKukrsWbvkyTXU4R8YdVImuABmRwtA60KdQPI_aem_ajRVGDU22cthOk8-xRJ8PA |
Former cruise ship worker sets out to build his own coffee business in Iloilo | Victor Barreiro Jr. | 17/03/2024 16:30 | PARAMADE COFFEE. Paul Ramon Derla pours a native coffee into a cup at the Paramade Kiosk in Barotac Nuevo town in Iloilo.
Photo courtesy of Paul Ramon Derla
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Driven by goals and aspirations, many young individuals are starting businesses in order to succeed on their own terms. Entrepreneurship has been a popular choice for those who refuse to be confined by traditional career paths.
For 26-year-old Paul Ramon M. Derla, all the education and work he’s done prepared him for the challenges that might come his way. He used to work as a front desk officer of a hotel in Iloilo, a casual government employee, and a human resource associate at a logistics company, among others.
Derla earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Iloilo State College of Fisheries-Dumangas Campus in 2019, which honed his skills in hospitality and business.
After working in a logistics company, he tried his luck by applying to join a cruise ship, and it didn’t take long for him to get an assignment. In March of 2022, he was able to embark on a journey with one of the biggest cruise ships in the world – the Costa Deliziosa, a cruise ship under Carnival Cruise Line.
He told Rappler on Sunday, March 17, that his time working on a cruise ship for seven months was a pivotal experience, allowing him to learn more about himself and what he wanted to do.
“Embarking on my cruise ship journey was a game changer because it is where I gained clarity on what things I wanted to pursue in life,” he said.
“Working on the cruise ship as a junior waiter is a hefty obligation, especially with its demanding work schedules,” he said.
When Derla was cruising around Europe, he got to visit various countries, like Italy and Greece, which aided him in discovering more about himself by challenging his potential.
“The time when I used to visit Italy and Greece, I tried their coffee and it was the first time I was deeply in love with their taste, which is beyond compare,” he said.
Paul added, “From that day forward, I usually explore coffee shops every time our ships dock from one country to another to learn more about the taste of coffee.”
If you’re a coffee lover, you might want to take a leaf out of Paul’s book. He said he started consuming coffee in his early 20s, but his taste improved after trying different coffee blends from different countries.
After his contract, Derla has returned to the Philippines, along with his taste buds which inspired him to start a small coffee business. However, luck was not on his side at the time, as he had been unsuccessful in his attempt.
Following this, he applied to become a restaurant manager in Iloilo City. Derla got the job, but it was a factor behind why he got away from his plan of establishing his own business.
“The main reason I applied to become a manager was because I want to learn fresh business frameworks from successful people, where I can develop my skills and also could help me with my plan of starting my business,” he told Rappler.
Derla said he had a great time running the restaurant, mingling with his colleagues who came from different walks of life, and it allowed him to build networks and connections.
After 9 months of being a manager, Derla realized that he had been focused on being an employee rather than realizing his goal. By December of 2023, he decided to get back on track and resigned from his job, using his resources and experience towards his ultimate goal of having a coffee business.
Derla said that one thing that pushed him to realize his goal was because of his parents, who served as his inspirations as he wanted to give them a better way of life.
Derla never had to think twice about his decision to leave his job, and at that time, he had already a definite plan.
“I really wanted to own a business even though I was still an employee, and with all the experiences I got from different companies, I wanted to apply them now with my business,’ he said.
Derla said that if it is hard to be an employee, it is much harder to run a business, especially with limited resources.
In January 2024, Derla successfully launched his coffee business in Barotac Nuevo town in Iloilo province, using the name “Paramade,” which is a shortening of his full name.
“Even though I know that is difficult, I will continue to grind for this ultimate goal. I believe that success cannot be achieved overnight, and I will continue to stick to it,” he said.
Derla described the journey from employee to entrepreneur as a roller coaster ride, bouncing between jobs for four years before focusing on his goal.
“All things considered, transitioning from one job to the next – which involved establishing relationships with coworkers in addition to the hefty load of actual work – was truly a hurdle for me. Despite everything, it all made me more adaptable and able to deal with new situations, including establishing a connection with customers,” he said.
“The challenges I experienced will serve as my compass as I start my small business because starting a business is like building a relationship with a colleague – a strong rapport and connection is needed,” he added.
Derla said that currently, his business is doing great and once everything gets better, he plans to branch out to other towns in the province.
Meanwhile, he advised fellow youth his age that if they really wanted to pursue their dreams and aspirations in life, they should remain focused, be keen on details, and keep on adapting to new trends. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/former-cruise-ship-worker-sets-out-build-own-coffee-business-iloilo/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3B-w-BfOn1uvzqxv_OS9RDCwInfop0Xn20JrdJng8MrB7MdrXHtIueuoc_aem_3X9TJ4lgHBYgXd-GPqNpWw |
Don’t forget FEU: Defensive dark horse Lady Tamaraws put contenders on notice | jisaga0269 | 17/03/2024 18:58 | DEFENSE WINS. FEU libero Marga Encarnacion attempts a ball dig in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – With all the talk surrounding the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament’s top three teams UST, La Salle, and NU, it can be quite easy to overlook the last spot in the early goings of the Final Four race.
Holding a modest 4-3 record after the first round of eliminations, the FEU Lady Tamaraws were, up until Sunday, March 17, about two to three wins behind the intense tug-of-war at the top as they found their own pace amid alternating wins and losses.
That all changed, however, after the Morayta-based spikers seized full control of the fourth spot by hosting a block party over the struggling Ateneo Blue Eagles on Sunday afternoon, ending the four-set win with a season-high 15 rejections evenly scattered across their entire starting six.
As the second round beckons, the Lady Tamaraws are proud to have a statement win they can call their own, as they continue to embrace the dark horse title heading into more serious games on the schedule.
“Our goal is to get back to the Final Four,” said FEU top scorer Chenie Tagaod, a member of the Season 84 squad that lagged to an embarrassing 1-13 record.
“We need to work on everything – service to attack, blocking, defense, receptions. We keep on working on those aspects and today, we got to see the fruit of that labor, and we keep on progressing every day.”
With a vastly improved roster led by the likes of Tagaod, setter Tin Ubaldo, spiker Gerzel Petallo, and blocker Faida Bakanke, FEU is expected to keep a firm hold of the fourth spot and within grasp of higher ranks, unless lower-placed teams like Ateneo and Adamson see significant second-round rallies.
Regardless of what happens to those around them, the Lady Tamaraws are just focused on their own pace and growth, and will look to further earn the respect of their upcoming foes, title contenders or otherwise.
“We just need to be consistent in what we do,” said head coach Manolo Refugia in Filipino. “Our preparation in the second round will include catching up on skills so we can study those three [teams above us] better.”
“We’re confident, but not too confident,” Ubaldo added in Filipino. “We will all battle one another again and anything can happen.” – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/women-volleyball-game-results-feu-lady-tamaraws-ateneo-blue-eagles-march-17-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3GYsSG0AohCMhFu0NG1pyewKcAcI2QcJvF6jTbxeDt9OU0e6z3YLSlnmk_aem_dLcQ9kHp17heB4wM21xEUA |
Results, team standings: UAAP Season 86 volleyball | Jasmine Payo | 5/5/2024 21:02 | ROARING. NU's Bella Belen (left) and Alyssa Solomon react in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments reach a tipping point with the men’s and women’s finals!
LOOK: UAAP volleyball championship schedule
Here are the results in the men’s and women’s divisions:
MAY 15
May 11
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
– Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/volleyball-game-results-team-standings-men-women-season-86-2024/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3-IpumPcCTEpqBzsiv8fEUcDfdRlhzZpArQpFlTxM7i9YyRgljfDj9peA_aem_mCx439cQOEvIbiZJBj5kUQ |
PVL Player of the Week Nierva salutes Creamline system, praises Chery adapting to win | jisaga0269 | 17/03/2024 13:46 | CROSSOVERS CRUISE. Chery Tiggo libero Jen Nierva reacts in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference
PVL Images
MANILA, Philippines – It took 19 games across eight months, but PVL dynasty Creamline finally tasted defeat once again, this time at the hands of former finals rival Chery Tiggo.
Making the victory sweeter on one side and the bitter losing pill more difficult to swallow on the other, the Crossovers stunned the Cool Smashers with a tight, but clean 25-18, 26-24, 25-23 sweep – the first time the seven-time PVL champions got a 0-3 blanking in five long years.
Serving as the defensive catalyst in that masterclass win in Santa Rosa, Laguna was young libero Jen Nierva, who stuffed the stat sheet with 20 excellent sets and 10 excellent digs in limited time, perfectly complementing Eya Laure’s game-high 14 points.
For her standout efforts, the former UAAP Best Libero and NU star was awarded the fourth PVL Press Corps Player of the Week award for the 2024 All-Filipino Conference, marking the first time the beat reporters came together with a unanimous 19-0 vote.
Nierva understandably gushed about the win in the postgame presser last Saturday, March 16, as she recounted the time Chery Tiggo had front row seats to Creamline performing its best in the 2023 All-Filipino finals.
“In the championship [series] last conference, we were watching because we had to wait for the awarding ceremony with Eya as our Best Outside [Hitter]. So we watched the entire [Game 2 against Choco Mucho], and I was just so amazed with Creamline,” she said in Filipino.
“I asked around and I said, ‘How can we even beat Creamline?,’ because system-wise, they’re so solid. Attackers, defense, passing. Even as we were scouting, we couldn’t see how we could find a hole in them.”
Fast forward to the present in Santa Rosa, and it turned out Nierva’s game itself was the answer, as her restrictive floor defense made the offensive burden easier for attackers like Laure, Mylene Paat, and Ara Galang, who all focused on piercing the feared Creamline walls set after set.
“We’re just so happy we’ve come to a point where we jelled inside the court. Our familiarity helped while the coaches tweaked our system after our sweep loss to Farm Fresh,” continued Nierva, who beat out Laure, Petro Gazz’s Brooke Van Sickle, Choco Mucho’s Sisi Rondina, and Akari’s Fifi Sharma for the award.
“I really felt coach Kungfu (Reyes) and the other coaches, they didn’t want that kind of loss to happen again. As long as we have opponents to face, we always have a chance to win. It doesn’t mean that when they’re on top, they have to win. No, we always have a chance.”
With Nierva exuding much-needed confidence in her game, Chery Tiggo will need all the motivation it can get as it attempts to vastly improve from its shaky 3-2 record, even after the massive Creamline coup.
The Crossovers take next serve on Thursday, March 21, in another blockbuster battle against the Van Sickle-led Angels at the Araneta Coliseum. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/volleyball/premier-league-player-week-jen-nierva-march-12-16-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3Ks2RnXtfyYTTb2gNwv_L8X8A_bu1tOOBQyXkHq5iy0Eg9QNxzgwaT7f8_aem_47b8BARWXowv2psVeEVFVg |
‘Pinoy Aquaman’ sets record with Olotayan Island-Roxas swim | Herbie G | 17/03/2024 17:26 | RECORD. Bohol prosecutor and endurance swimmer Ingemar Macarine swims and sets a record, this time in Roxas City in Capiz.
Ingemar Macarine FB page
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – “Pinoy Aquaman” Ingemar Macarine swam from Olotayan Island to mainland Roxas City, setting another record as the first endurance swimmer to do so on Sunday morning, March 17.
The prosecutor from Bohol swam unassisted in open water for more than 10 kilometers. He started the swim from the island and reached the People’s Park in Barangay Baybay, Roxas City in Capiz province, after three hours and 15 minutes before midday.
Before the swim, Macarine read biblical passages from the 23rd chapter of the Book of Psalms while an assistant applied sunblock all over him.
His plan was to swim 10 kilometers but ended up swimming 10.8 km.
“So far, this is my fastest marathon swim. The current, tides, and wind were all in perfect condition. So, I took advantage of it by swimming faster, thinking the current might change anytime just like what happened during my Masbate swim last year,” he said.
It wasn’t the first time for the Surigao-born prosecutor to set a record. In mid-2023, he made history by becoming the first man to conquer a 10.5-kilometer swim route from Bugtong Island in Pio V. Corpus to Matayum village in Cataingan town, Masbate.
“During the Masbate swim, I was caught by a strong current two kilometers from the shoreline. I had to battle it out just to reach the shore. Today was an ideal day and condition for a long swim,” Macarine said.
He said he was very prepared for the swim, doing back-to-back trainings for several months, including 30-minute runs and floor exercises in the morning and two hours of swimming at night.
Macarine said he had to balance his work as a prosecutor under the Department of Justice.
He said his next target is a 10-kilometer swim from Canada to the United States this July. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/pinoy-aquaman-ingemar-macarine-sets-record-olotayan-island-roxas-swim/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR19SrdWyQsUBjspWcm0VjWURu6tpm8SwxP7pT-ZJAGM7YjoWb1p_obSLQA_aem_zG4lLLQG2GtCju5Dr0qFBw |
Ivorian Olympian Maxine Esteban ‘praying’ PH fencers make it to Paris | Jasmine Payo | 17/03/2024 14:34 | MILESTONE. Maxine Esteban celebrates after clinching an Olympic fencing berth.
Augusto Bizzi/FIE
MANILA, Philippines – Maxine Esteban made history as the first homegrown Filipino female fencer to clinch an Olympic berth. But this time, the glory of reaching the world’s biggest sporting stage belongs to Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
“This is for Cote d’Ivoire, the country that embraced me, believed in me, and supported me all the way, and this is for the Philippines, the country my heart will always beat proud,” said Esteban after clinching the lone African singles spot in the Olympic women’s foil.
Still, Esteban, who switched federations after being controversially dropped by the Philippine Fencing Association (PFA), hopes to see Filipino fencers compete in the Paris Games this July.
“I am praying that the Philippines will be able to qualify more fencers in April,” said Esteban.
Filipino fencers can still aim for Paris Olympics slots in a wild card tournament pitting Asian hopefuls next month.
The 23-year-old Esteban competed in the final Olympic qualifier in Washington DC in the United States on Saturday, March 16.
Although the naturalized Ivorian fell short in the second round, she still collected enough points from previous Olympic qualifier competitions to directly qualify for the Paris Games.
For now, Esteban braces for more hard work in her Olympic buildup with famed Italian fencing coach Andrea Magro, who has mentored several Olympic gold medalists.
“This is not the end. This is just part of the ongoing journey,” said Esteban.
“There will be more days of hard work ahead, all to make sure that I won’t be satisfied with just making an appearance at the Paris Olympics but use that grand stage as a chance to compete and test myself again.”
Esteban, an eight-time Philippine national champion and World Cup multi-medalist, also thanked her family and everyone “who helped to make sure the door would be always open” and pushed her to “continue chasing” her Olympic dream.
Last year, Esteban switched federations due to what she said was an “unfair and unjust” treatment by the PFA.
Despite the setback, Esteban soldiered on and now hopes her feat will inspire “those who dream and have at one point almost given up, to persist amidst storms and rough waters.”
The Philippines currently has six athletes who will see action in the Paris Olympics, with still more hoping to qualify in the coming months.
Boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas recently joined the roster that includes world No. 2 pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan, and boxer Eumir Marcial. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/maxine-esteban-fencing-2024-paris-olympics-ivory-coast-praying-filipinos-qualify/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3mQflOXtxOChDDWthDpcdFKLhBqc_hdRJzd1_4zdNDI4BCILOc2XpCu2E_aem_2hWZinqkp_saHFLzR8h-lw |
Meet Tor Sagud, the komikero champion of Cordillera culture | Marguerite de Leon | 17/03/2024 15:18 | TOR. Tor Sagud and some of his publications.
Arthur Tibaldo
MANILA, Philippines – According to Tor Sagud, there are still far too many misconceptions about life in the Cordilleras – the Northern Luzon region composed of provinces Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province.
“Today, Igorots are still perceived as primitive – non-humans or cannibals – and that they only wear breechcloths,” the 33-year-old Baguio local shared, referring to one of the region’s indigenous peoples. “Another misconception is that Igorots are the same as Aetas, which is another ethnic group. Some also believe Cordillerans don’t have their own functioning society.”
These misconceptions, among many others, were what his book Igorotak: An Illustrated Guide sought to debunk when it was first published in 2019. The book, filled with colorful drawings on the basics of Cordillera culture, has since been celebrated as a creative means of introducing local heritage, and has spawned spin-offs on Igorot tools, Igorot mythological creatures, and more.
Because of his efforts, Sagud was announced on March 12 by Junior Chamber International Philippines as one of the 10 recipients of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awards for 2023.
Rappler interviewed Sagud on his win, his origins as an artist, and his struggles as a creative worker in the Philippines. Some answers have been edited for brevity.
Rappler: How did you first get into visual art? What were your earliest memories of drawing?
Sagud: I’m a self-taught artist. I started drawing at the age of six. My family and I loved to watch cartoons at home, and even then, I’d already wondered if Filipinos were also making these kinds of shows. I started copying what I’d seen on TV, and also copied illustrations from textbooks and teks (game cards).
When I was 15, I realized copying images from printed materials was no longer enough. I wanted to make my own stories with illustrations. I chose comics since I figured it was the most effective format for delivering my stories, and I could just use cheap materials from generic bookstores.
Rappler: In the years leading up to your celebrated book, Igorotak, you struggled as a comic book artist: Could you tell us more about these earlier years?
Sagud: The comics industry seemed so out of reach since I saw that professional comics companies required expensive digital equipment, exclusive editors and officers, funders, and distributors. I was an eccentric guy by nature and had no idea how to pursue all these, so I was forced to surrender my dreams [of getting into the mainstream].
Rappler: You’re also co-chair of Gripo Comics, a local comic book artists’ group based in Baguio. How is Gripo Comics and its artists doing so far?
Sagud: When I was 22, I joined Gripo Comics, a local band of comic artists. At the same time, I was doing a scholarship program at the Cordillera School of Digital Arts. Balancing these things while working to survive was too hard. At the time I was also working at the Central Luzon School of Digital Arts (CLSDA) as an animation department head instructor in Cabanatuan City.
I returned to Baguio in 2016 and became one of the founders of the Pasa-Kalye Group of Artists, which played a major role in getting Baguio recognized as a UNESCO Creative City in 2018. At the same time, I was also taking teaching jobs from different schools. Basically, in order to continue to make comics, I needed to work non-stop and also teach artists to appreciate their own culture.
Right now, Gripo is on hiatus. I’m now focused on growing my own company, Studio Sagud, which serves as a creative outsourcing company that also does cultural research and creates art products and animated films.
Rappler: You came out with Igorotak – an educational illustrated book about Cordillera culture – in 2019. What inspired you to create Igorotak?
Sagud: Igorotak was inspired by several instances in my life. For one, when I was teaching animation in CLSDA, one of my students asked me about Whang-od. I was dumbfounded when I realized I couldn’t answer her question, despite me originating from the same region as the mambabatok.
Another instance was when I was already in Baguio trying out traditional painting. I made a series of paintings which showcased and differentiated the different ethnic groups in our region, but these paintings were ignored by buyers.
I also noticed that some of my young art students were ignorant of their own history and culture. Most of them were even vocal about using foreign elements in their concepts rather than local. Additionally, I’ve observed that a lot of children today don’t love reading anymore, especially if the books are text-heavy.
All these inspired me to come up with Igorotak.
Rappler: Were there any challenges in the publication of this book? If so, what were they?
Sagud: The book was a new challenge for me since I had to shift from visual artist to writer. I gathered information from past discussions with people, journals, and whatever other references I could use. When I finished the manuscript, I tried pitching for sponsorships from different government bodies and private establishments, and those days were like scenes from a movie – I’d be flat-out rejected or would not receive any response from them. I didn’t know who to approach. Fortunately, a friend of a friend – who chooses to remain anonymous – soon agreed to provide me with the kickstart budget.
Rappler: How has the reception been, especially now that it’s 2024?
Sagud: The reception to the book was more than what I’d expected. It garnered the attention of many cultural experts, educators, etc., and people saw the potential of employing the arts in educational materials. Experts also helped me by providing more precise information, which led to the second edition of Igorotak. Even foreigners sent me messages of appreciation.
We’ve hit the mark in that the book has paved the way for more local creative people to be employed. I’ve even released three more books since. In my honest opinion, however, a great number of Filipinos are still hesitant to appreciate their own culture. Maybe in a few more years, they would finally be more appreciative of their local culture and start buying their own local products.
Rappler: You just won the TOYM for heritage promotion. How does it feel to have gotten this distinction?
Sagud: I am deeply honored and very appreciative of the opportunity given to me. I would also like to clarify that this achievement is actually a collective effort, since many people have already supported my movement in the years since I launched the first book. I merely represent these good people.
We at Studio Sagud are adding more titles to the Igorotak book series, like the Igorot Creatures Collection, Volume 2-3 and Igorot Equipment Collection, Volume 2. We also continue to look for sponsors since research and book designing demands a lot of people.
We’re also working on Kadangyan Komiks, a pulp comics title that features alternate literature, with interesting stories and hero characters. We’re also creating the very first seasonal anime film that features Cordillera culture.
Studio Sagud also continues to provide training for aspiring artists, especially animators, helping them to upskill to actual industry standards. We also provide avenues for artists to land jobs with our partner companies. We also coordinate with schools in order to teach more young artists.
Finally, I’m trying to find a decent suit to wear at the TOYM awarding. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
BRAVO! BRAVO! Very inspiring by saving the richness of our cultural heritage. Sana suportahan ng pamahalaan. Mabuhay ka TOR SAGUD. Where can we buy the books?
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/arts-culture/meet-tor-sagud-komikero-champion-cordillera-culture-toym/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3LBqwmeX6Ynw3QGUrB8M8BmloyGCOF7wiP8pVA0vYPt_zG8PJ0lUnx3qo_aem_jDipHjdRM8_XjbEgmolECA |
‘We’ll try again this time’: Magnolia sets tone in Philippine Cup debut | Jasmine Payo | 16/03/2024 22:47 | ALL OUT. Magnolia's Ian Sangalang goes for a shot against Converge's Justin Arana.
PBA
MANILA, Philippines – A month removed from another bridesmaid finish in the last Commissioner’s Cup, the Magnolia Hotshots set a rousing tone to start the PBA Philippine Cup.
In a systematic beatdown, the Hotshots trounced the still winless Converge FiberXers, 106-75, in their first game back after losing to the San Miguel Beermen in Game 6 of last conference’s finals.
The Hotshots fielded the same lineup as last conference, hoping to replicate their Commissioner’s Cup campaign, where they topped the standings with 9 wins and 2 losses, and perhaps eclipse their runner-up finish.
However, for Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero, the start of their conference means a clean slate for their team.
“We need to move forward. We need to forget what happened and learn from that,” said Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero on starting the new conference after a finals loss. “We’re still blessed. At the right time, maybe we’ll have it (championship).”
“We’ll try again this time. It’s a good start for us.”
After an early four-point lead by Converge, the Hotshots stepped on the gas and never looked back, outscoring the FiberXers in every quarter as Magnolia’s lead ballooned to as big as 33 points.
Magnolia remained unrelenting even when the results were already set in stone as the Hotshots continued to dive for loose balls in garbage time of the final period.
This show of effort from his players left Victolero raving.
“All credit to my players. Even though we came out of a long break, they played here with the right approach and right mindset,” said the head tactician.
All but one Magnolia player who saw action scored, with Ian Sangalang leading the way with 17 points. Calvin Abueva, meanwhile, flirted with a double-double of 14 markers and 8 rebounds.
Jio Jalalon also contributed 14 points along with 7 assists and 5 steals, while Mark Barroca matched his steals output to come with 12 markers and 6 assists for the Hotshots.
“We prepare hard [every game]. We want to give ourselves a chance every conference, and we want to go to the finals and win the championship,” Victolero added. “It just comes down to proper mindset.”
Victolero hopes the game set the tone of their campaign for the rest of the conference.
“We want to sustain the momentum, but of course, it’s all about the players’ mindset,” he said. “These players love each other. That is why we are committed to each other.”
Magnolia 106 – Sangalang 17, Jalalon 14, Abueva 14, Barroca 12, Dela Rosa 8, Tartter 8, Lee 7, Laput 6, Ahanmisi 5, Escoto 4, Eriobu 3, Dionisio 2, Corpuz 2, Mendoza 0.
Converge 75 – Arana 17, Stockton 15, Santos 13, Caralipio 8, Winston 8, Delos Santos 6, Maagdenberg 3, Fornilos 2, Nieto 2, Balanza 1, Fleming 0, Andrade 0, Melecio 0, Ambohot 0, Zaldivar 0.
Quarters: 24-20, 53-39, 79-59, 106-75.
– Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/pba/philippine-cup-game-results-magnolia-hotshots-converge-fiberxers-march-16-2024/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3GSZFu7sn-PBsyMmw9EQsFhmKRv-QY-KDtyKUNIGp9Jxw5bYGSEFDzhmI_aem_IVXUj5wodPTuI-wmIdiysw |
[OPINION] Quiboloy’s beliefs and why they’re dangerous | Glenda Gloria | 17/03/2024 10:54 | They say that there are two things you can’t talk about without making enemies: politics and religion. Both can be divisive.
I think, however, that religion is more so if only because it tends to be deeply personal.
But that doesn’t make religious beliefs above criticism. We may call for respect for each other’s convictions, and rightly so. But respect should not mean evading difficult questions about faith.
So, while there may be a case that religion brings a lot of good in the world today, we must also admit that so much harm accompanies it. Even the philosopher Keith Ward, who defends the ‘goodness’ of religion, acknowledges this too.
It’s in this spirit that we need to talk about the man of the hour, Apollo Quiboloy, and the theology that he preaches. If a tree is to be known by its fruit, and we know that the fruit has been poisonous, then it must be our collective responsibility to identify the tree and decide what to do about it.
Quiboloy’s own website refers to the man as a giant of the faith: “A Revolutionary Preacher,” “The Modern Moses,” and of course “The Appointed Son of God.”
It enumerates his many accomplishments. A recipient of three honorary doctoral degrees, Quiboloy is apparently “a known philanthropist, a humanitarian, an environmentalist, a patriot, a mega-church leader, and an internationally known TV evangelist.” These are all extraordinary achievements, making him a truly admirable man for his followers.
But none of it beats his own elaborate biography, full of mystical encounters.
His first spiritual vision came, so the story goes, when he was 14 years old. It was an image of the world in chaos which he came to realize later on as the Second Coming of Christ. Over time he had a series of more visions until they ended one day, and he directly heard God’s voice: “Make a decision to follow me.”
When he made the decision to do so, no less than Satan came to tempt him – like he did Jesus – with fame and power. This happened in Tamayong in Davao City, where he has now built the scenic Covenant Mountain and Paradise Garden of Eden Restored.
Finally, Quiboloy, likening himself to St. Paul, claims to have been “brought up to the heavens many times.” These heavenly visits gave him access to the “Manna of Revelations” which his followers are very familiar with. Outsiders may make fun of his title, but he is called the Appointed Son of God for a reason. When he gave his life to the Father, that decision finally uprooted the “serpent seed” of disobedience from a human being.
He is the firstborn, so to speak.
He is not the Begotten Son, because that title belongs to Jesus Christ. Instead, he is the Appointed Son “because he came from the fallen Adamic race whose parents are both human beings.” As a result, he now “bears the exact DNA of the Almighty Father and the New Jerusalem whose spirit says, ‘Not my will but Yours be done,’ which is the seed of righteousness.”
Through his life, many others have discovered the same renewal. They are now the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the religion he leads and a community of sons and daughters from whom that serpent seed has been rooted out.
Quiboloy then has had many divine encounters. And they were of the sort that mirrored biblical figures: Moses on the mountain, Paul in heaven, Jesus in the presence of Satan.
I leave it up to Bible scholars and theologians to provide their critical assessments of Quiboloy’s theology. They have the tools to evaluate the soundness of the man’s biblical interpretations.
What concerns me as a sociologist is why he is what he is to his followers.
For sociologists of religion, divine encounters attest to the credibility of charismatic figures. In other words, it’s not their personality or behavior per se that makes them appealing, although that could be part of it. Instead, it’s the narrative that bestows upon them the power that commands respect and admiration.
To this could be added the religious belief about Quiboloy himself. The man “is not leading just any church organization,” as his biography puts it. “He is the residence of the Father Almighty, the bodily manifestation of the unseen God, as Adam should have been.”
And yet Quiboloy is not just the Appointed Son. He is also the world’s perfect ruler.
Many of us would recall that at one point Quiboloy claimed to be the “Owner of the Universe.” This may not make sense to us but to his followers it does: “Because the Almighty Father is now ruling His Kingdom through His Son, unrighteousness has no more place. The days of man in doing His own will is no longer tolerated and man will be judged.”
Religious beliefs are also consequential on public life.
First, obedience is central to Quiboloy’s theology. To follow the will of the Father is in effect to follow the man’s will. By the same token, disobeying the man is in effect disobeying God himself.
This worldview is one of the defining characteristics of a “high demand, high control” religion. It underpins much of the social control within the organization and the pervasive fear among followers. Out of fear that they might no longer please God, many of Quiboloy’s followers donate money to the church. Even if they don’t have the means they still need to do so.
And this fear – of God and for their lives – is also the reason it’s unimaginable for victims of religious abuses to come out in the open.
Second, what many of us outsiders may take as Quiboloy’s accountability is persecution for his followers. From a sociological perspective, this is because the attack on the leader is effectively an attack on the entire Kingdom. They are after all sons and daughters too.
No wonder then that his followers have come to his defense. They even led a Jericho March at Liwasang Bonifacio, in reference to the destruction of Jericho’s walls before Joshua and his people took over the city.
Third, Quiboloy, for his followers, is a divine figure. He is therefore above reproach.
Thus, for many of them, all the allegations about human trafficking, sexual abuse, money laundering, and his lavish lifestyle could not be possibly true. And if they were, there must be a godly reason for engaging in these acts.
This is why they’re calling for “Justice for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.”
Finally, the recent turn of events shows how Quiboloy has lost his countercultural potential.
His work began as a countercultural religious movement, presenting a different vision of what it meant to be a “true” Christian – obedient to the Father, free from sin, but also a showcase of God’s restored order. That’s why they built that Prayer Mountain, their own college, and their spectacular church.
They made a mistake though by seizing power beyond the church. They did so through their media empire, political alliances, and electoral endorsements. They fell into temptation and got blindsided that these alliances are prone to shifting loyalties. They may have been in power and protected in the time of Duterte, but this is clearly no longer the case.
Hard lesson for any religious group aspiring to seize political power.
Clearly the man has to be held accountable for his abuses. His excesses are exposed by the day, the latest of which concerns his mansions in North America. He may not realize it but hiding just makes him far more suspicious.
The last time I checked, the original Son of God faced Pilate, Herod, and ultimately the ones who executed him. If the Appointed Son of God would only heed his own words, then he knows that “when God decides to help you, He is going to be your strong refuge.”
Unless God was never on his side in the first place.
But I also wish to reiterate the need for the government to establish protective mechanisms for victims of religious abuse. (For those who are interested, I have written about these in my recent piece on religious abuses.)
These mechanisms are much needed because religious abuses are different from the ones that take place in secular settings. Power, patriarchy, and fear of God and his anointed one are some of the reasons why holding religious leaders accountable is an impossible feat, especially for followers.
These protections must cover a wide array of institutional measures to support victims, including whistleblowing, therapy, and legal action. For these to be successful, different entities in the government including social workers and law enforcers need to undergo proper training in handling religious abuse and trauma.
Quiboloy for the longest time has been a powerful religious leader. And he continues to wield his power, whatever is left of it. His political allies have come to his defense and his followers are literally marching for him.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that he will be the last of his kind. In the Bible, nothing angered Christ more than did the abusive religious leaders of his time. – Rappler.com
Jayeel Cornelio, PhD is a sociologist of religion at the Ateneo de Manila University. He is currently a visiting scholar at the University of Louisville’s Center for Asian Democracy. His latest book (co-authored with Jose Mario Francisco, SJ) is People’s Christianity: Theological Sense and Sociological Significance. Follow him on X @jayeel_cornelio.
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
I agree with Jayeel Cornelio about Quiboloy: “I don’t think that he will be the last of his kind.” But he must be held accountable for his abuses so that the Government will be ready for the next one.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/opinion-quiboloy-beliefs-and-why-they-are-dangerous/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0_C-pEJxw0LCP4YhC7avmbXkdkCwMTeD5UhMjzpL4mWoSG2IkhZBAq7AA_aem_O6Dde1BENQucB-MqdR-K0A |
Heart Evangelista reveals she had miscarriage in February | Marguerite de Leon | 17/03/2024 14:31 | HEART EVANGELISTA. The actress shares a photo from her Paris trip.
Heart Evangelista's Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – Actress Heart Evangelista, on the March 16 episode of Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, shared that she had undergone a miscarriage in February.
In the episode – which featured Evangelista and her husband, Senator Chiz Escudero – talk show host Abunda followed up on Evangelista about a statement she had made at an event the previous month: “If I should be blessed with a baby, it should be now.”
Evangelista replied that she had been pregnant with a baby girl at the time of the statement, but that the pregnancy had failed.
“I thought she was gonna make it, but she didn’t so that one was a bit hard for me,” she said, tearing up.
“Actually, I cry not because I wasn’t given what I wanted. I’m not a spoiled child. I cry because it took so hard for me to produce the egg.”
In September 2022, Evangelista shared that she had undergone in vitro fertilization (IVF), which she described as “one of the toughest, challenging” times of her life.
“I was very excited to have her,” she said on the latest Fast Talk. “But I’m so blessed in so many other ways. How can I complain?”
Evangelista also revealed that she and Escudero were supposed to name their child Sophia Heart.
“I’m predisposed to accept God’s will,” Escudero said on the matter. “If it’s not now, if it’s not this, may mas maganda pang naka-plano. Hihintayin lang namin ‘yun.”
(Something better’s in store. We’ll just wait for that.)
This was not Evangelista’s first miscarriage. In 2018, she announced that she was pregnant with her and Escudero’s first child, later revealing that they were twins and that she had lost them one after the other. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/celebrities/heart-evangelista-reveals-miscarriage-boy-abunda-fast-talk/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR018wix5Obl2blRSMsOrgfTNg9M6_Gifu2AANBDWYH_0wI_g7DOBczWJGQ_aem_dCDdEeRShp8Ew9BuWQVkWA |
Ugbo 24/7: A taste of Tondo in upscale BGC | gdecastro0289 | 17/03/2024 13:12 | TONDO FOOD. Former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno's business venture, Ugbo 24/7, offers Tondo food in upscale BGC in Taguig, Metro Manila, on March 10, 2024.
Isagani de Castro, Jr./Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – At the corner of Upper McKinley Hill in Megaworld’s One World Square in upscale Bonifacio Global City (BGC) is a restaurant that stands out in the whole area: Ugbo 24/7.
At night, Ugbo is hard to miss because of its bright red facade and colorful signs inside, and it’s one of a handful of food establishments that are open 24/7.
Ugbo is just a few meters away from coffee shops and food places such as Starbucks and Army Navy, and just a few blocks from Italian-inspired Venice Grand Canal Mall and high-end condominiums such as McKinley Hill Garden Villas.
Ugbo 24/7 is the latest business venture of actor and former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. It opened last February 17.
The name Ugbo is taken from a food strip in Velasquez Street, Tondo, Manila, a lower-income neighborbood where Moreno grew up in, and where he often went to eat when he became a Manila councilor starting in 1998.
The restaurant can fit from 30 to 40 people.
Ugbo’s menu is sparse. It has only four dishes: Lechon Kawali (crispy fried pork belly), Beef Camto (beef shank soup), Tumbong (pig’s intestines) Soup, and Pork Dila (Pork’s Tounge) Asado. All set meals called Solb come with a big serving of soy-flavored rice with free beef/pork soup. An extra serving of rice costs P20. Solb is Filipino slang for hunger satisfied.
Minus the rice, the Lechon Kawali costs P160; Camto, P150; Tumbong, P145; Dila Asado, P150.
Camto and Tumbong can be spiced with toyomansi (soy sauce with kalamansi) or chilimansi (soy sauce with chili and kalamansi).
The Solb Meal (with rice and soft drinks) Lechon Kawali costs P200; Solb Meal Camto is P190; Solb Meal Tumbong is P185; and Solb Meal Dila Asado is P190.
Ugbo 24/7 team captain Chi Magnubay told Rappler on Sunday, March 10, that their best seller is Lechon Kawali.
After 10 pm when most restaurants are already closed, Magnubay said Ugbo 24/7 offers Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) workers an alternative to the usual frozen meals that are sold in convenience stores, and to 24/7 fast-food chains such as McDonald’s.
Frozen meals in convenience stores are usually cheaper, from from P50 to P150, but Ugbo 24/7’s edge is their meals are freshly cooked, and they come with a big serving of the Filipino’s favorite staple, rice flavored with soy sauce, and free soup.
During the store’s opening, Moreno said he was happy to introduce Tondo food to other people in the capital.
“Masayang masaya ako, maipapakita natin na yung pagkaing Tondo ay pwedeng pagkain sa BGC,” he said.
(I’m very happy that we are able to show that Tondo food can also be food here in BGC.)
He added that Ugbo 24/7 is a “start of a journey for us to give opportunity to our fellow men to have jobs, to create jobs and oportunities for everyone.”
He said the dishes in Ugbo 24/7 are the same as what he used to have in small eateries such as Rado’s Lechon, located in a small alley in Simon Steet, Tondo, Manila.
Ugbo 24/7 has a television on a wall which plays a video on how its meals are cleanly prepared.
Moreno said in a press conference when he was mayor of Manila that Ugbo used to have only a few eateries. It’s now a night food street popular among the masses with a wide array of food offerings, including Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, American, Mexican, and Middle Eastern cuisine.
During the restaurant’s opening, Moreno cited one of the pioneers of Tondo food, the late Conrado “Rado” Bautista, who took over the eatery Rado’s Lechon from his sister in 1994 or 20 years ago. Like Ugbo 24/7, Rado’s Lechon also offers only four dishes: Lechon Kawali, Tumbong, Camto, and Dila Asado.
In an interview with food website Tikim TV before he died in November 2022, Bautista said he continued Rado’s Lechon after he lost his job in La Tondeña Distillers Incorporated, now Ginebra San Miguel. The website dubbed Bautista “Hari ng Tumbong” or King of Tumbong.
Life was difficult back then, he recalled, and he said he had to work hard in order to provide for his wife and three children who were still in school at the time.
Bautista said he studied how to clean a pig’s large intestines so that its bad odor would go away, and he was able to “perfect” the method.
“Naperfect yung paglinlins. Yung tumbong namin ay walang lasang dumi ng baboy. Nililinis lang mabuti, nilalamas lang ng asin, tatlong beses lamasin ng asin, tapos babanlawan mabuti, tapos pakukuluan. Unang kulo, tapon; pangalawang kulo, tapon. Pangatlo, pag inamoy at wala nang amoy, pwede nang palambutin mabuti. Tapos pakukuluan mo uli, pakukuluan uli, para mawala yung amoy ng dumi ng baboy,” he explained.
(I was able to perfect the cleaning. Our tumbong has no bad taste that comes from the pig. We clean it well, we knead it with salt three times, then we wash it well, then we boil it. First boiling, throw the water; second boiling, throw. Third boiling, when there’s no more smell, it can now be boiled again to make it soft. Then we boil it again.)
He also sought advice from someone who worked in a Chinese restaurant on how to improve his Dila Asado (pork’s tongue).
“Inimprove ko yung panlasa. Nagtanong ako kung papano timplahin, may nakausap akong nagtatrabaho sa Chinese restaurant, tinuro sa akin kung papaano maging lasang Intsik. Sumikat na yung Rado’s Lechon,” he said.
(I improved the taste. I asked about the mixture, I was able to talk to someone who worked in a Chinese restaurant who taught me how to make it taste like Chinese [pork asado]. And from there, Rado’s Lechon became popular.)
Pag ikaw po ay nagtitinda, ‘wag mong isipin yung kita mo. Isipin ‘nyo po na yung kumakain sa inyo ay nasisiyahan, sapagka’t kung ‘di po nasisiyahan, yun na lang po ang kakain sa’yo. Ang nangyayari po sa amin, kumain po yung dalawang tao, pag balik, may kasamang apat.”
Due to his perseverance, Rado’s Lechon became a successful eatery. From only 3 kilos of meat in the ’90s, it now handles at least 15 kilos of meat a day. Bautista said he was able to build a concrete house and buy a Toyota Fortuner from Rado’s Lechon’s earnings. He was also able to put his three children through college.
Asked for his advice to food entrepreneurs, Bautista said it is important to always have fresh ingredients, and to put customer satisfaction as a top priority, even over profit-making.
“Pag ikaw po ay nagtitinda, ‘wag mong isipin yung kita mo. Isipin ‘nyo po na yung kumakain sa inyo ay nasisiyahan, sapagka’t kung ‘di po nasisiyahan, yun na lang po ang kakain sa iyo,” he said.
(When you’re selling, don’t think about your profit. Think about the people who patronize your place and how to keep them happy, because if they’re not happy, your customer base won’t grow.)
“Ang nangyayari po sa amin, kumain po yung dalawang tao, pag balik, may kasamang apat. Ang sabi, dito masarap kumain. Ganun po.”
(What happen to us, when two people come, when they return, they bring along four others because they tell others that our food is good. That’s how it is.)
Bautista said he had urged his children to focus on their education, and to love what they do for a living.
“May kasabihan po tayo, nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa. E nanghihingi ka ng awa, e tamad ka naman, paano ka aasesnso? Kailangan magsumikap ka sa sarili mo, isipin mo kung papano ka kikita ng magandang paraan na hindi manggagaling sa masama ang ipapakain mo sa sarili mo,” he said.
(We have a saying, God gives mercy, but it’s up to us to do the work. Even if you ask mercy from God, if you’re lazy, you won’t progress. You have to persevere, think about how you can earn cleanly, where the money doesn’t come from something bad.)
His daughter-in-law, Jasmin Bautista, remembers this important advice: “Laging niya sinasabi sa amin, kailang alagaan at kailangan may love palagi.” (He always told us to take care of the business and love it always.)
Moreno, during the opening, said he hoped that Ugbo 24/7 will grow and branch out soon.
On Friday, March 15, Ugbo 24/7 partnered with Globe Business to “deliver a better connectivity experience for customers.”
Globe told Rappler they will help Ugbo 24/7 understand its customers better – such as what they like, their behaviour, among others – with the help of data and new marketing technologies.
“Makikita nyo kung gaano kalinis ang pagkain sa isang iskinita ng Velasquez Street na ngayon ay sikat na sikat na Ugbo sa Tondo, and we’re happy to share to the entire country hopefully not later, but soon,” Moreno said during the opening. “Malay mo.”
(You will see here the clean food from a small alley in Velasquez Street that is now famous in Ugbo in Tondo, and we’re happy to share this to the entire country hopefully not later, but soon. You’ll never know.) – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/food-drinks/ugbo-taste-tondo-food-upscale-bgc/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0H-KFUQfZWsOyWuDHdy5zMUcEX85HiB7NxGPdcJl3ZPejwV1lX_glwPEE_aem_m6QEGAAVCrlnHrq-rOCIcw |
British School Manila students are building a better PH with grassroots collaborations | gbarrientos0280 | 12/3/2024 17:01 | Many realities exist in the Philippines, from those of indigenous communities to PWD folks to the regular British School Manila (BSM) student. Although their stories differ, they share one country as a home – and that’s why genuine impact starts with each sector understanding each other for collective action.
This lesson stands out in BSM’s curriculum, particularly because the students go out and progressively immerse themselves in marginalized communities each year. Last January, the school held their second annual Make a Difference (MAD) Week, an on-ground trip where BSM students engage with different social sectors to holistically understand their stories and build lasting relationships.
The program is designed to progress for four years, so students can find the causes they resonate with and work with their chosen community long-term.
“We kind of flipped the model in school,” said Michael Guinness, BSM’s senior Service and Sustainability curriculum coordinator. “I think too often we make assumptions about communities and about people who are underprivileged, or even an ecosystem that’s underprivileged, and we don’t give them the space to tell us what’s going on.”
Instead of a one-and-done activity, the school focused on facilitating more authentic and collaborative experiences for both students and partner communities. This way, the students get a broader picture, seeing how larger factors like the environment or economy are entangled with these sectors’ narratives.
“It builds that long-term ability to truly understand these communities that we’re working with, and make sure that we’re working alongside them, not ‘to’ them or ‘at’ them. The heart of doing that is knowing that the people in these communities are the experts in their own problems.”
The students began to embody this perspective with something as simple as language. As the program went on, the students learned to talk about the activities in the context of listening instead of “serving.”
Dalisaï Costa, a Year 10 student, spent her MAD Week with the Dumagat tribe in Mount Purro Nature Reserve. There, she learned about the community’s deep-rooted challenges on cultural identity after facing displacement and marginalization since the Spanish colonial time. The ripples of that problem are felt up until now, as the elders are hard-pressed to get the youth to pick up their traditions and culture.
These stories struck a chord with Dalisaï and her personal experiences as a French-Filipino individual. “They have, I guess, an identity loss. I’ve faced, of course to a much lesser extent, the feeling sometimes that I do not fit certain prospects of being a French or Filipino individual. Trying to imagine what it feels like being part of a community which is so discriminated against in Filipino and Spanish culture; it’s just a striking thing.”
Another Year 10 student, Maximillian Holden, had his first encounter with the farming ecosystem during his Costales Nature Reserve visit. The experience allowed him to widen his viewpoint beyond just planting crops.
“The people at the farm, it’s a very low population. They’re only 30 to 50 people there, and they farm every day. They support loads of businesses and restaurants here in Manila. They do all of this every day and work 12 hours, which is very impressive. Nobody really sees it,” said Max.
The visit let him come face to face with the socioeconomic effects of climate change. “They are a farm, and they need a specific temperature for their plants to grow. With climate change increasing the temperature, lots of their plans had to be [changed] and they had to invest in new seeds and plants. They had to start from the beginning again.”
Climate change was a central theme during the week, but the students learned to see it with a lens of hope as they work with partner communities, instead of social-media-fueled gloom and doom. Here, they can take real steps to help make things better.
“I feel like a lot of problems institutions face with incorporating sustainability in their curriculum is that it tends to be seen as very hopeless and tedious,” said Dalisaï, who is a senior Service and Sustainability student representative herself. “[We’re] seeing sustainability in a much more positive light, in the theme of this year’s MAD Week, which is Hope. It’s much less dreary, and that engages students.”
The long-term program is an exercise on openness for the students, who were encouraged to dive into their partner communities’ worlds. They communicated with help from translators, participated in local activities, gathered scientific data, and culminated their education with documentaries.
“Being able to uplift the community and highlight their strengths, that’s what MAD Week’s about. It’s not about trying to change the community, but it’s trying to empower them to be independent,” said Dalisaï.
This has always been the program’s DNA, which was borne of an extensive collaboration between BSM and social enterprise group MAD Travel. “The current education system tends to take [topics] apart and keep them separate, but we all know that our environment is connected to the economy. It’s integrated,” said Rafael Dionisio, a co-founder of MAD Travel.
“We can’t separate them from one another, and so dissolving those separations is important. So we’re super happy about [the BSM collaboration]. They’re setting an example for other schools that, hey, it can be done.”
The program’s current run has two years to go, but the budding growth is already palpable in both students and their partner communities. The goal of MAD Week is for students to internalize these lessons beyond graduation, and as long as they do, the country has more sparks of hope that can lead the charge to change in the future. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/brandrap/british-school-manila-students-building-better-philippines-grassroots-collaborations/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR14r6VeJsPQoRdXVD7aChjiiCV5cgD016u7c7GhtOHKczSrGx__OlYk8qc_aem_5ec2PL0fpcTaYFB7-e6zBg |
Fuel to fire: First Creamline sweep loss in 5 years a blessing, says Alyssa Valdez | jisaga0269 | 16/03/2024 21:07 | PVL Images
SANTA ROSA, Philippines – Even the greatest teams in sports are not immune from the occasional off day or two, and the PVL’s Creamline Cool Smashers are no exception.
Riding a 19-game winning streak lasting eight months, the seven-time champions found themselves on the wrong end of a dominating display as the Chery Tiggo Crossovers cleaned house with a 25-18, 26-24, 25-23 sweep, marking the first time Creamline lost in three sets since May 2019.
Although rarely on the side of a beatdown, superstar Alyssa Valdez still unearthed the silver linings she and her teammates can take moving forward, as the Cool Smashers remain near the top of the standings at 4-1.
“Wow it’s been a while, and probably it’s really about time also for us to feel that way again, so that we can have renewed energy and strength to get motivation,” she said after the game.
“What can I say, the quality of gams now is really entertaining, interesting. Everyone’s really keeping up and every team is having great games.”
Sure enough, Chery Tiggo had itself a great one after having its own shocking sweep loss against young Farm Fresh, as Eya Laure, Jen Nierva, and Ara Galang all had standout outings to help end a two-game skid.
As for Creamline, a period of reflection is next on the schedule as it gears for an expected bounce-back against upstart Capital1 on Thursday, March 21, at the Araneta Coliseum.
“It was a very quiet dugout. That’s expected. But you know, knowing my teammates, it might be quiet, but in their heads they’re all like really thinking on what to do, on how to improve, on how to bounce back or be better the next game,” Valdez continued.
“So I really believe in them and I believe that we can get back our competitiveness and add more fire to fight this conference.” – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/volleyball/first-creamline-cool-smashers-sweep-loss-years-blessing-alyssa-valdez/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2EOkr-5U6SHbpClWeCKDTn4uILQHwGUGEXFxCP8cvrP_NedFJeH8A_kKY_aem_nUemORUT9bRs0M7EwzSjIw |
Juggling act: UST Tigresses survive prelims week, complete UAAP 1st-round sweep | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/03/2024 23:27 | LEADING SCORER. Angge Poyos in action for the UST Golden Tigresses in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament.
UAAP
MANILA, Philippines – The UST Golden Tigresses needed to overcome not just the Adamson Lady Falcons on their way to a splendid 7-0 sweep in the first round of the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.
Also surviving a grueling academic week of preliminary exams, the Tigresses notched their best start in the Final Four era as they nailed a 25-18, 22-25, 25-15, 28-26 win over the Lady Falcons at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, March 16.
“We were worried that the girls would not be able to perform because of sleepless nights left and right,” said UST head coach Kungfu Reyes in a mix of Filipino and English.
“But they banked on our system, which thrives on team effort, collective effort.”
The exhaustion from the balancing act of juggling sports and academics, plus the lack of sufficient rest, appeared to take their toll on the Tigresses as they struggled to put away an Adamson side that has won just two games.
A deciding fifth set seemed imminent when the Lady Falcons grabbed a 26-25 in the fourth frame.
UST, though, lived up to its billing as the only undefeated team in the league as it turned to super rookie Angge Poyos for the finishing touches.
Poyos, who churned out a game-high 18 points, fired three straight attacks to seal the win and the Tigresses’ first opening-round sweep since they went 6-0 in Season 69.
Jonna Perdido churned out 16 points (14 attacks and 2 blocks), while Regina Jurado chimed in 12 points as they delivered with the help of Cassie Carballo, who dished 22 excellent sets on top 5 points, including 2 blocks.
“We faced challenges these past few days because of the prelims. We were not able to get enough rest since most of us stayed up late to study and finish schoolworks,” said Carballo.
“But that is not a reason to take it easy in training because we can lose everything we’ve accomplished anytime.”
Setting its perfect run aside, UST still aims to raise its game to another level, knowing opposing teams are determined to tarnish its unblemished record.
Defending champion La Salle Lady Spikers (6-1) certainly want payback as their only loss of the season came at the hands of the Tigresses, while the NU Lady Bulldogs (5-2) also eye redemption.
“We cannot be complacent since a lot of teams are hungry to get back at us. We need to double or triple the effort that we put in training,” said UST libero Bernadett Pepito.
Ishie Lalongisip tallied 14 points to pace Adamson, which absorbed its third straight defeat and fell to 2-5 to end the first round. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/women-volleyball-game-results-ust-golden-tigresses-adamson-lady-falcons-march-16-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3nAdJYTj-YshRlGSDPuynxz54WMSOf_EeBywJy7ShAaywzKHozj_g3_ao_aem_x5p6hDKavZfknvJOpOkURQ |
Breaking barriers: How women are shaping the future of Philippine media | Herbie G | 17/03/2024 9:30 | WOMEN IN MEDIA. Journalists Pia Ranada, Victoria Tulad, and Athena Imperial assert that while misogyny persists in the field, newsrooms are increasingly championing women.
Charles Perez/Matanglawin
QUEZON CITY, Philippines – Amid the whirlwind of challenges and the changing media landscape in the Philippines, a silent revolution is underway. Women journalists, often overlooked and underestimated, are emerging as the driving force behind the industry’s evolution.
From Rappler’s community lead Pia Ranada to ABS-CBN News’ senior reporter Victoria Tulad, and GMA Integrated News’ senior news correspondent Athena Imperial, these trailblazers are not just reporting the news; they’re rewriting the narrative of what it means to be a journalist in a male-dominated field. Their stories are not just about breaking news; they’re about breaking barriers.
The journalists shared their experiences as women working in the industry with students at a forum organized by the Matanglawin Ateneo, the official student publication of Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), on Monday, March 11.
The journalists emphasized how newsrooms in the country are mostly led by women today, which has helped establish gender equality in the workplace when assigning beats and covering stories.
“Newsrooms are still female-dominated, which goes to show that women are truly capable of leading and being leaders in an environment that is super hectic and super stressful,” Tulad said.
For Ranada, who is now among Rappler’s leaders, the positions of power for women and among their employees have been maintained throughout the years, even amid organizational management transitions.
“The majority are still women, so that’s a good trajectory. Not only women but also LGBTQIA+. Actually, combined, we really overshadow the males in the newsroom,” she said.
Describing the beats they covered throughout the years regardless of gender roles, Imperial and Tulad said they were among the frontlines in covering the drug war, while Ranada said she had been Rappler’s “storm chaser,” covering the aftermath of typhoons and earthquakes.
While newsrooms have mostly established gender equality, the women journalists recounted that this has not been the case in their daily experiences when covering stories in the government and police, as these environments have been said to be filled with “DOM” (dirty old men).
Ranada, who was Rappler’s Palace reporter during the Duterte administration, recalled the stark difference in treatment between male and female reporters by politicians and government officials.
She said some officials tend to compliment her appearance before answering her questions during live press conferences. Yet, these compliments are not emphasized when the officials speak to male reporters.
Imperial, meanwhile, said she once fought back against a police chief for his inappropriate physical touches despite numerous attempts to deflect it.
“I really confronted [him], and then I made sure the crew heard, ‘Sir, you’ve been touching me as if I didn’t notice?’ ‘Hahaha,’ he laughed. ‘No, really, Sir, you’ve been doing it since earlier!” she said in Filipino.
The journalist said her fellow reporters had to ease the tension by moving her back to the crew cab, where she asked the desk to not assign her again to the police station involved because of that disturbing encounter.
According to Tulad, some sexist remarks posing as friendly banter can still slip through in the newsroom, which makes women uncomfortable. But she said she lets these instances pass because she knows they’re mostly not meant to harass them as female colleagues.
With women being newsroom leaders and the faces of mainstream media, they advised students that one’s potential to practice and thrive in journalism is seen based on their passion for their job, rather than one’s gender.
According to Imperial, aspiring journalists should consider how much their lives will be devoted to their line of work, as they are expected to work even during holidays.
“Think it through because I always say that your life is at stake, especially when you’re given a story. You shouldn’t refuse it because that’s what you were assigned,” she said.
Furthermore, Tulad told the students that it is up to themselves – especially women – to pave their respective paths, as long as they don’t let others limit their potential and capability.
“Don’t think that you’re just a woman. You are a woman. You can do whatever you want. Don’t let others limit you, no matter what industry you enter or the path you take. Just trust in yourself that you can reach your dreams. At the end of the day, you’re the one who will pave the way for yourself,” she added. – Rappler.com
Lance Arevada is a campus journalist at the Ateneo de Manila University. He is the managing editor of Matanglawin Ateneo, and also an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024.
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
I appreciate the contribution of women journalists in the Philippine media. Excellent work, and do keep it up.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/women-shaping-future-philippine-media/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0laoHhmj7KYzmIFmsIPcnkUu_wsESH7vt-k38DM-vq02zlhLKGPbP7xU8_aem_8wgDSjwe2BvicfD4-Ul45w |
Southern Negros Occidental city eyes to ‘benefit most’ from NIR bill push | Victor Barreiro Jr. | 17/03/2024 9:57 | SINULOG FESTIVAL. An individual belonging to a tribal group dances on the street while carrying a statue of Santo Niño during the 2024 Sinulog de Kabankalan Festival.
Photo courtesy of Binhi Production
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The Negros Island Region (NIR) bill, which passed the Senate’s third and final reading on Tuesday, March 12, is eyed to bring positive economic impact in Kabankalan City, dubbed as the “center city of the south” in Negros Occidental, once it becomes a law.
Sixth district board member Jeffrey Tubola said if the NIR bill will be signed into law, the city would be attractive to some local and foreign investors, which could improve the city’s local economy.
Tubola said people could converge easily and conduct business in the city because of its central location, which makes it accessible to those from the Oriental side of Negros and southernmost of the Occidental province.
Kabankalan City is located 100 kilometers south of Bacolod, the provincial capital of Negros Occidental; and approximately 116 kilometers northwest of Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental.
Tubola said the city is currently working on its tourism destinations and attractions that would also entice both local and international tourists to visit the southern Negros city.
Kabankalan City Tourism Officer-Designate Engineer Randy Siason told Rappler on March 14 that the Senate’s passage of the NIR bill was another significant moment for the city and the island, as it would save residents from having to travel offshore and visit regional offices of various government agencies just to process important documents, including the renewal of licenses.
With the current set-up, almost of the regional offices of various government agencies in Negros Occidental are located in Iloilo City, while the regional offices of Negros Oriental and Siquijor are primarily located in Cebu City. To go to these offices, people must take a ferry boat.
Siason said residents of the island would save time and money if regional offices will be located just right at the heart of the island, which brings Kabankalan to the picture.
Siason further seeks to enhance the city’s tourism development plan and stimulate its tourism circuit, which combines a variety of dining options, tourist sites, and destinations into one package for visitors who would like to explore the natural marvels of the city.
Some destinations that visitors can visit include, the Balicaocao Highland Resort, Mag-aso Leisure Camp, Tagukon Agricultural Tramline, Carol-an Valley, and Udlom Cave, Siason said.
Siason added that the city will also be venturing more into tourism as one of the city’s economic drivers, seeing the trend that thousands of tourists start visiting the city due to its attractions.
The city is also the home to the Sinulog festival, which annually attracts thousands residents from nearby towns and cities in the province.
Various business groups in the province have expressed their support for the passage of the bill at the Senate level. It’s projected to attract investments, projects, and other developments benefitting not just the Oriental and Occidental provinces of Negros, but also the island province of Siquijor.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri who was born in Kabankalan City, said the passage of the bill at the Senate level was “a promise fulfilled,” as it has been a long overdue plan of linking the three provinces into one region.
Negros Oriental Governor Chaco Sagabarria also showed support for the senate’s passage of the NIR bill, which for him advantageous to the provinces of Negros Island and said that the relationship would not affect their relationship with the provinces under the Central Visayas.
With 22 affirmative votes, and no objections or abstentions, the approved Senate Bill No. 2507, or the bill creating the Negros Island Region, will be transmitted next to the Office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for his approval. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/kabankalan-city-benefit-negros-island-region-bill-push/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0NATr9JUZ3jZ33G89mvi1-LYH2IiAmOnTNmlfdIp_zLnfYbnPiZGe_RQ0_aem_B3M7wSApWYZC2yO112RHug |
Employees got average salary raise of 10% in 2023, beating inflation – Jobstreet | lkyu0285 | 16/03/2024 15:27 | CAPITAL REGION. Metro Manila's skyline.
Alecs Ongcal/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Companies raised the salary of their employees by an average of 10.24% in 2023, higher than the 7.3% rate in 2022 and above the 5.82% average inflation rate in 2022.
Most companies or 89% handed out raises in 2023, which was higher than the 78% in 2022, according to the 2024 Compensation and Benefits study of Jobstreet by Seek. Among the 685 companies surveyed in 2023, 36% of companies gave a raise of between 6% to 10% while another 28% gave a raise of between 1% to 5%.
“It’s encouraging to note that this average increment surpasses the national annual inflation rate of 5.82% in 2022. This means that employees not only regained lost ground but also saw real wage growth,” the report said.
There were also greater career advancement opportunities in 2023, with 70% of companies handing out staff promotions – higher than the 60% of companies in 2022. In 2023, promotions come with an average salary increment of 12.54%.
Performance bonuses also grew in 2023, with the average bonus now being 2.3 months of salary, up from the 1.3 months average bonus in 2022. When it came to other benefits, medical insurance and health checks were by far the most popular financial benefits offered to employees.
Companies are also embracing flexible working arrangements. Already, 51% of companies have flexible working hours, while 18% more either recently implemented it or plan to do so in the next 12 months. Half of all companies also have flexible working locations that allow employees to be at other places beside their home and office, with 44% already implementing it and 6% adding the benefit in 2023.
Looking ahead, the report said that it seems “flexible workplaces are here to stay.” In 2023, only 57% of companies had all their employees fully at the workplace or office. The rest of the companies had some form of remote work, with 21% of companies having some employees fully at the workplace and some remote depending on the job function, 8% having all employees fully onsite for a few days and remote for the rest of the week, 8% allowing employee rotation between onsite and remote work, and 4% allowing all employees to work remotely.
“Filipinos are more interested in not going back to the office at all than global average (28% would like to work fully remotely, versus 11% globally),” the report noted.
When it came to preferred work location, 46% of Filipinos said they wanted a hybrid work model, 28% wanted a fully remote model, and 26% wanted a fully on-site model. In other Southeast Asian countries, the majority of employees preferred a hybrid model (62%), followed by fully on-site (27%), and then fully remote (11%). – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/business/employee-average-salary-raise-2023-study/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0XeKG2n8bHlc6Xw2zkOfgliUow0G8oumd3VMQCqdTka9xttUj-xZSgN_g_aem_PIkbCE-QEDR3SGYREY9ucA |
Cadiz’s 101-year-old Lola Tiling shares her 8 secrets to longevity | Herbie G | 16/03/2024 9:30 | LIFE STORY. Estelita Alimpolos, Cadiz City 's 101-year-old "manghihilot" shares her life story to Rappler. Erwin Delilan/Rappler
Erwin Delilan/Rappler
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Although blinded by cataracts, century-old Estelita Alimpolos, from Sitio Mijares, Barangay Sicaba, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, remains physically strong and has a sharp memory.
Her 101st birthday celebration was particularly joyful on February 17 because she just received another tranche of cash gifts from the local governments of Cadiz City and Negros Occidental province three days earlier. Her centenarian cash gifts since December 29, 2023, already totalled P200,000.
By April 15, Lola Tiling will become P100,000 richer, courtesy of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), according to Anadel Ramas, the president of the Federation of Senior Citizens’ Associations in Cadiz.
The cash gifts are mandated under the Centenarian Act of 2016. Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. said there is a local ordinance, too, which mandates city hall to recognize and gift centenarians with cash.
Lola Tiling, as everyone calls her in Cadiz, has been a prominent manghihilot (traditional Filipino healer who practices indigenous massage therapy) in Sicaba, some 18.5 kilometers from downtown Cadiz, for almost seven decades.
In an interview with Rappler on Wednesday, March 13, she recalled different turning points in her life, including her colorful love life with her late husband, Florentino Alimpolos.
She has a sharp memory. Lola Tiling, who only completed Grade 2 at the Sicaba Elementary School, still remembers the name of her last teacher, “Ma’am Lourdes de la Peña.”
Her life has been characterized by hardships, from being a poor girl during World War II to raising nine children, and being a grandmother to 15 grandchildren,
Lola Tiling said she never experienced a comfortable life until now.
Raising nine children was no easy task, and she took on numerous odd jobs to support her family amid poverty and other challenges. In her own words, she said she was a “Jack of all trades.”
Reaching 101 years, Lola Tiling, the fourth of six children, considers herself truly “beyond blessed.”
Longevity seems to run in Lola Tiling’s family. Lola Tiling’s three older siblings also lived to be more than 100 years old.
She recalls that her eldest brother, Sotero, lived to be 110, while her sisters Rebecca and Dinky lived to be 107 and 104, respectively.
Many wonder what keeps her strong and sharp-minded.
Lola Tiling shared with Rappler what she called her “secrets” to longevity:
Lola Tiling said bras are uncomfortable, and she believes wearing one is not good for a woman’s health.
All her life, she said, she has never been administered with vaccines and neither has she been hospitalized, a personal record she attributes to her longetivity secrets.
During the worst period of the COVID-19 pandemic, her daughter, 51-year-old Vangeline Alimpolos-Soledad, said Lola Tiling just refused to be jabbed.
One of Lola Tiling’s folk beliefs is that whenever she performs hilot on someone, she releases a healing force or positive energy, beneficial for both her body and her client’s well-being.
She said she never demands a specific payment for her hilot services, and only accepts pasanag or sanag (donations).
Mayor Escalante said many people, especially in Sicaba, have claimed to have been cured by the centenarian manghihilot.
He referred to her as a “legend, a heritage, and a treasure” a Cadiz who deserves utmost care.
Asked about her wish, Lola Tiling said she was praying to live for another 15 years. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Ladies take note:
“Wearing bra is not good for your health!🥰” – Lola Tiling .
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/cadiz-centenarian-shares-secrets-longevity/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1mhn76BhBjRA-KpPHtEoqitYq0me4hc5DWhs6uF7qk_7fQ6fC9sMQoSIs_aem_BfsgvUYUBaG8CUIK4kYUVQ |
Unaware of score, Juami Tiongson emerges as surprise Terrafirma hero | Jasmine Payo | 16/03/2024 18:58 | GAME HERO. Terrafirma’s Juami Tiongon looks to get past the Blackwater defense.
PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines – Bugged by cramps in the fourth quarter, Juami Tiongson displayed his clutch genes even when he mistakenly thought of the score.
Not knowing it was only a two-point game, Tiongson drilled a three in the dying seconds to complete a 92-91 Terrafirma comeback win over Blackwater in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, March 16.
“He saw a lot of time left. He thought they (Blackwater Bossing) lead by three. And then it (three-pointer) went in,” said Dyip coach Johnedel Cardel. “I said, it was a good shot.”
The thrilling triumph tied Terrafirma with Blackwater at 3-2 before heading to a two-week break.
Tiongson finished with 20 points and 6 rebounds to pull the rug from under Blackwater, which led by as many as 19 points in the game.
“When I made the shot, I was celebrating a bit and my teammates were running towards me. I was thinking there was still an overtime. Why are you celebrating?” said Tiongson. “I was surprised [the shot] won it for us. I didn’t know.”
Blackwater would have led by three in the waning moments, but Rey Nambatac split a pair of free throws, setting up Tiongson’s heroics.
Terrafirma first took the lead in the final two minutes through a Javi Gomez de Liaño layup, 89-88, before Blackwater regained the cushion after RK Ilagan’s freebies.
As Tiongson dealt with cramps, many expected prized rookie Stephen Holt to take over for the Dyip, but last year’s top pick botched a pass to the corner for a turnover.
From there, Tiongson carried the cudgels, pulling up from about two steps out the three-point line and draining the game-winner.
Terrafirma used a 35-23 third quarter to pull themselves closer going into the final period.
In his first game back after missing their last game versus the Phoenix Fuel Masters, Holt topscored for the Dyip with 21 points and 13 rebounds but was held scoreless by Blackwater’s defense in the fourth period.
Nevertheless, the Dyip saw solid contributions from their young core, most notably Isaac Go, who had 17 points on an efficient 8-of-13 shooting, including some timely baskets during the comeback.
“His offense was a big help,” said Cardel of Go’s performance. “I told him to take it easy. One basket at a time.”
Troy Rosario lifted the Bossing with 23 points and 8 rebounds, while Ilagan, who would have salvaged the win for Blackwater if not for his missed three-pointer at the buzzer, recorded 15 markers off the bench.
After the weeklong All-Star break, the Dyip will return to action on April 3 versus the Meralco Bolts at the Araneta Coliseum.
Blackwater, meanwhile, will face the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on April 6 in the league’s first game back at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium after 13 years.
Terrafirma 92 – Holt 21, Tiongson 20, Go 17, Sangalang 8, Sangalang 8, Alolino 6, Gomez de Liano 6, Carino 5, Camson 4, Cahilig 3, Ramos 2, Calvo 0.
Blackwater 91 – Rosario 23, Ilagan 15, Suerte 12, Guinto 10, David 9, Nambatac 8, Tungcab 6, Hill 4, Yap 3, Escoto 0Casio 0, Kwekuteye 0.
Quarters: 21-25, 38-54, 73-77, 92-91.
– Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/pba/philippine-cup-game-results-terrafirma-dyip-blackwater-bossing-march-16-2024/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1iGJ6TPSScOARA3YsVN2iVppPFaeQzSkUeSpg5U1FtcwoXAJsA0NhN3Pw_aem_dIkqv2ink7WiY6_qbnHEuA |
At least 2,000 residents in Angeles City flee after violent demolition | Joann Manabat - CMS | 16/03/2024 18:14 | CHECKPOINT. Clarkhills Properties Corporation installs check point at entry points in the disputed land. Residents were given until March 15 to flee their home.
Joann Manabat/Rappler
ANGELES, Philippines – At least 2,000 residents of Sitio Balubad in this city were forced to flee in the last four days following the violent demolition last March 12 at the 73-hectare disputed land being claimed by Clarkhills Properties Corporation.
Based on the tally of the Angeles City local government unit (LGU), at least 2,000 residents or 535 families were given until Friday, March 15, to pack their belongings and leave their homes.
“Pinapatay na nila kami. Tinatanggal na nila talaga ‘yung karapatan namin (They are killing us. They are taking away our rights),” Ester, not her real name, told Rappler on Friday.
Most of the residents, including their children, sought temporary shelter in a church and a covered court in Barangay Anunas. Some of the families still have nowhere else to go and live.
The Angeles LGU on Friday provided mattresses, sheets, and food to the displaced families.
Pampanga 1st District Representative Carmelo Lazatin II filed on Wednesday, March 13, House Resolution No. 1645, urging the House of Representatives to condemn and investigate, in aid of legislation, the violent demolition and reported shooting of residents of Sitio Balubad.
“Kinikilala natin ang karapatan ng Clarkhills pero kailangan din natin proteksyunan ang karapatang pantao ng ating kababayan sa Barangay Anunas sa maayos at hindi marahas na pamamaraan,” Lazatin told Rappler on Saturday, March 16.
(We recognize the rights of Clarkhills but we also need to protect the human rights of our constituents in Barangay Anunas, in an orderly and non-violent manner.)
Ester recalled how they had stood firm every time the demolition team arrived in their area.
The first demolition happened on November 9, 2022, she recalled. What followed were months of thousands of residents living in fear from a series of demolitions – of which some had turned violent – from September 11, 2023, to December 2, 2023.
Last February 8, an American resident was stabbed during a surprise demolition, Ester said.
Clarkhills Properties Corporation, through its demolition team, took over Sitio Balubad on Friday. Checkpoints were installed at every entry point to the disputed land.
Paul – his last name withheld for his safety – and his family were also forced to flee the area even though their property was not included in the demolition order and the disputed land. His house was located along the boundary of the disputed land.
“We are packing our things. We will bring what we can bring. We are not included in the demolition but we were also forced to leave. It has been terrifying and also traumatic to a point that we no longer feel safe in our own home,” Paul said.
“‘Di ko alam saan kami pupulutin. ‘Yung mga bata, hindi na pumapasok sa eskuwela simula noong nagkagulo dito. Natatakot rin sila. Kahit mga bata ‘yan, naiintindihan nila ang nangyayari kasi nararanasan nila. Naninindigan rin sila,” Ester said.
(I don’t know where we’d end up staying. Our children here don’t go to school anymore since the chaos here ensued. Even the children understand what is happening because they are experiencing it. They are also standing up.)
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. had offered P70 million to buy two hectares from Clarkhills for the relocation of the Sitio Balubad residents.
The mayor said the offer was an initial step toward expropriation. Lazatin had expressed his intention to expropriate 3 hectares of the 73-hectare contested land for the residents.
He also prompted utility companies to temporarily restore the residents’ electric and water supplies that were destroyed during the violent demolition in Barangay Anunas.
Lazatin also urged the Angeles Electric Corporation and Primewater to immediately restore the connections of affected residents. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Why did the Angeles City local government unit (LGU) fail to provide a relocation site before the violent demolition on March 12, 2024? The first demolition was on November 9, 2022, followed by a series of demolitions. At least the said LGU provided “mattresses, sheets, and food to the displaced families.” But such action is a mere palliative, for it could have been done better given that more than a year had passed since the first demolition. It looks like corporate interest and exclusive economic development have been given greater weight than displaced families’ welfare.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/luzon/residents-angeles-city-flee-after-violent-demolition-march-2024/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0P4bdmZrsPDjcL1FCxDddGoDF41l8jUyrkN0l9YfWsrGOjwUwnVmiBG0A_aem_YdqezKlS_wFtplb0gaVCeg#:~:text=ANGELES%2C%20Philippines%20%E2%80%93%20At%20least%202%2C000,claimed%20by%20Clarkhills%20Properties%20Corporation |
‘No Sweep,’ the sequel: Eya Laure channels Chery Tiggo ‘hunger’ to stunning Creamline rout | jisaga0269 | 16/03/2024 19:17 | SWEEPING SMILES. Eya Laure reacts with her Chery Tiggo teammates in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference
PVL Images
SANTA ROSA, Philippines – The City of Santa Rosa continues to be an unlucky place for perennial PVL powerhouse Creamline after Chery Tiggo stormed to a stunning 25-18, 26-24, 25-23 sweep in the league’s return to Laguna on Saturday, March 16.
The Cool Smashers, unbeaten in their last 19 games, lost for the first time since July 2023, and more notably, went down in a sweep for the first time since May 2019. This is also the second double-digit Creamline winning streak that ended in Santa Rosa since Cignal snapped a 10-game run in July 2022.
At the helm of the Crossovers’ much-needed rebound after they themselves fell in a sweep to upstart Farm Fresh is young star Eya Laure, who led with a game-high 14 points on 12 attacks and 2 aces.
Known in volleyball circles for being part of famous streak-busting teams like the UAAP’s UST and Chery Tiggo, the one-time PVL Best Outside Hitter hoped that this win rejuvenates the Crossovers’ confidence as they move far away from their last uncharacteristic defeat.
“We were hungry, that’s definitely the term. That’s what Tyang Aby (Maraño) always reminds us that we should always be hungry in the games,” Laure said in Filipino. “What happened to us against Farm Fresh was a wake-up call, and there, we really felt we woke up today.”
Performing well alongside her were all-around veteran Ara Galang (10 points, 6 excellent digs), young libero Jen Nierva (20 excellent digs, 10 excellent receptions), and former MVP Mylene Paat (9 points off bench), as Chery Tiggo evaded a three-game slide to rise to a 3-2 record.
Creamline, meanwhile, fell to a 4-1 slate, with Jema Galanza and Tots Carlos pacing the losing cause with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Although ecstatic in victory, Laure was not one to overlook the significance of the win against the undisputed best franchise in PVL history, especially at such a critical point of the new conference.
“Creamline is on top and we’re at the bottom right now. When you say Creamline, it’s like Barangay Ginebra in the PBA, right?,” she continued. “I looked at the arena, 90% of the fans were in pink (Creamline colors), and you dream that someday, those in red (Chery colors) would grow.”
“But we’ll take it one step at a time. We hope this win can make us believe we can also do it as a team. We’ll just stick to teamwork.”
Up next on the docket for Chery Tiggo is yet another tall task in the form of red-hot Petro Gazz next Thursday, March 21, as the Angels ride a three-game winning run after starting the conference with a loss.
Yet another streak ripe for ending. That’s all the motivation Laure needs. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/volleyball/premier-league-game-results-eya-laure-chery-tiggo-crossovers-creamline-cool-smashers-march-16-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0tDnR2UW6bRYcO-JD-R4pPsyiTD7NAGzTS6pvLpT6poiRcv5sPcaEjFt0_aem_T-1Dcm6i0YlqhlakztXcgA |
Ex-BuCor official, suspect in Percy Lapid killing, dies | Jairo Bolledo | 16/03/2024 17:31 | SUSPECT. Bureau of Corrections superintendent Ricardo Zulueta poses for a photo inside his legal counsel's office in Baguio City on December 13.
Lauro Gacayan
MANILA, Philippines – A former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) official tagged in the assassination of broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa had died, local police confirmed.
Former BuCor superintendent Ricardo Zulueta, 42, died due to heart failure at around 11 pm on Friday, March 15, according to a report by the Bataan provincial police. Zulueta died at the Bataan Peninsula Medical Center in Dinalupihan town, where he was brought by his brother.
His body was later brought to Barangay Mabiga in Hermosa town, the police added.
Journalist Roy Mabasa, Lapid’s brother, urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to determine the facts surrounding the suspect’s death.
“As much as possible, we would like the PNP to ascertain the real cause of his death since he was originally tagged as one of the masterminds in the killing of Percy Lapid. Getting an independent autopsy report would assuage the public that we are indeed after the truth,” Mabasa said.
Zulueta, who was once part of the BuCor’s directorate for security and operations, was implicated in the killing of Lapid in late 2022, along with his former boss, former BuCor chief Gerald Bantag, and a couple of persons deprived of liberty (PDL). Lapid was killed in Las Piñas City in October 2022 – the second journalist to be killed under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The broadcaster’s killing renewed scrutiny of the Philippine jail system, particularly on how and why PDLs are being implicated in crimes.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, in a statement on Saturday, March 16, said he had directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe the authenticity of Zulueta’s death.
“We are still looking into the veracity of these reports and will update the public as soon as we receive word from the NBI,” Remulla said, adding that his department had yet to receive a report from the NBI regarding the recent development in the Lapid case.
Zulueta was an important figure in the Lapid case because he was the second highest official implicated in the killing after Bantag. Although some PDLs pleaded guilty to lower offenses in the Lapid killing, the victim’s family has yet to attain full justice because Bantag and Zulueta were never detained over their alleged involvement in the case.
Along with Bantag, the late BuCor official was tagged as principals in the killings of Lapid and PDL Jun Villamor. Villamor, the alleged middleman who contacted people to kill Lapid, was slain inside the country’s national penitentiary, the New Bilibid Prison.
When authorities filed murder complaints against the suspects, the DOJ said Zulueta was, in fact, the one who gave the killing order. Later, Muntinlupa and Las Piñas regional trial courts issued arrest warrants against the suspects.
By the end of 2022, Zulueta’s lawyer, Lauro Gacayan, posted a photo of his client and told Rappler that Zulueta was not in hiding, adding that he was ready to answer the charges against him. Days later, in January 2023, Zulueta was still a no-show in the preliminary investigation of their cases.
Zulueta and Bantag remained at large in the last years, so the DOJ released a wanted poster against them in 2023 and offered a P3-million reward for their capture.
Aside from the Lapid and Villamor cases, Zulueta was also indicted by prosecutors, along with Bantag, for the alleged torture of some PDLs inside Bilibid.
The Lapid family’s and the DOJ’s reservations about Zulueta’s death were not surprising. There were instances in the past when suspects in high-profile cases had also died.
For instance, the NBI revealed in 2022 that murder, and not COVID-19, was the reason behind the mysterious deaths of some Bilibid PDLs linked to former senator Leila de Lima’s case. Drug convict Jaybee Sebastian, a witness in De Lima’s case, also died while her case was still on trial.
Sebastian and other high-profile PDL’s deaths triggered a Senate inquiry to probe the “speculations as to whether…these NBP inmates actually died due to [the] COVID-19 disease,” or if the alleged deaths were a ruse to let the prisoners escape. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Another one of those “heart attack” deaths? He was “originally tagged as one of the masterminds.” Perhaps the chief mastermind has finally decided to get rid of him. The “Percy Lapid” case will always be a stain in our Justice System unless completely and justifiably resolved.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/former-bucor-official-ricardo-zulueta-suspect-percy-lapid-killing-dead/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR09T8MgG6-kCEz1SdiyibNmnQYM4KmeHSc8guH-f_4SbKMQRtvZDwN6D0I_aem_Gmg9eDWN2vUzXbPp1Vf1mw |
Bohol local gov’t, DepEd held swim meet at viral Chocolate Hills resort | jsitchon0312 | 16/03/2024 11:26 | ATHLETIC MEET. As of March 14, Carmen Mayor Conchita 'Che' Toribio Delos Reyes’ face and the town’s seal could still be seen on the 'swimming meet' poster set up beside the resort’s pool.
John Sitchon/Rappler
The cart before the horse, one of our editors called it – Captain’s Peak Resort, that is.
The whole world saw how an entire government went haywire over a small resort situated at the bottom of three Chocolate Hills in Carmen town, Bohol. Many concerned citizens have pointed out how the resort had “defaced” the hills as slides and cottages were built on the protected mound’s foot.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shocked the public even more when it announced that the resort had operated for months without an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
On July 1, 1997, then-president Fidel V. Ramos declared the Chocolate Hills Natural Monument a protected area, designating it a National Geological Monument and a Protected Landscape for its unique geological formations. (READ: What you need to know about Chocolate Hills)
Officials at both the municipal and provincial levels were the most shocked, however, when the DENR said that a temporary closure order (TCO) was issued way back in September 2023. They only learned about the order after DENR’s announcement on Wednesday, March 13.
Almost like a chorus to a long-running ballad, the officials said, “We didn’t know about it.”
While it may seem like they’re off the hook for being blindsided by the DENR, some locals and Captain’s Peak Resort administrator Julieta Sablas told Rappler that the provincial government still held a swimming competition between February 16 and 18 even though they led a probe on it as early as August 2023.
So what’s the truth? Did the provincial government just forget about the controversy or did it just give in and say “to heck with it” for the sports event?
Let’s establish the basic facts. For one, the resort got a business permit in 2019. They didn’t have an ECC back then and at present…yet Sagbayan Mayor Restituto Suarez III still signed on the permit’s renewal.
The mayor’s executive secretary, Felito Pon, told Rappler that it happened because there was a “regular presumption” that the concerned government agencies had already reviewed all the attachments to the renewal.
This may explain the “cart without the horse” – a resort built without a completely valid permit that justifies its construction. But it won’t explain why the town’s mayor just assumed the necessary papers were okay without first checking if everything was in order. Never assume, is the rule, right?
Sablas told Rappler on Thursday, March 14, that they began development in 2019.
After reports of the resort’s access road allegedly defaced two Chocolate hills and slides were built on the hills surfaced in August 2023, the province began its investigation into the resort.
Rappler visited the site in Sagbayan town and found an access road that seemingly cuts through the foot of two hills. At the resort’s swimming pool, there are two slides set up at least seven feet at the foot of another set of hills.
“I wrote a letter to the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO)…They provided us with the same story from (officials) of Sagbayan – that they have the title, the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) resolution and the approval of DENR,” Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado told Rappler on Friday, March 15.
The governor added that he instructed the committee on natural resources and environmental protection, led by Bohol Provincial Board Member Jamie Villamor, to investigate further.
Villamor told Rappler on Friday afternoon that they asked for findings from the investigation but never received any copy.
“After follow-ups through phone calls, the answers were consistent that (Captain’s Peak) was still in the process of complying, still revising, and we were just waiting until what happened in the viral video,” Villamor said.
Metodio Maraguinot Jr., head of the provincial government’s education development center, revealed on Friday that the province became aware that the provincial swim meet was going to be held at the controversial resort through concerned parents in late 2023.
“The provincial meet that was done at Captain’s Peak was actually organized by the local division office, which is the division of Bohol Department of Education (DepEd). The only role that the provincial government extended is specifically for the assistance under the Special Education Fund,” Maraguinot said.
The sports event is one of the DepEd’s highlights leading up to the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) meet.
Maraguinot clarified that the provincial government gave P2 million for the event but intended the fund to be used for the venue that was supposed to be in Carmen town. He added that the town government was the recipient of the P2 million.
But why did the venue change from Carmen town to Sagbayan town?
Rappler visited the office of Carmen Mayor Conchita “Che” Toribio Delos Reyes to ask why they moved the event that was supposed to be staged in the town to Sagbayan – around 17 kilometers away from each other.
The mayor was not around but the municipal administrator, lawyer Eliezer Cagol Jr., told Rappler on Friday afternoon that they did not have any facilities for the swimming competition.
The lawyer refused to give any further information, deferring to the mayor who will release a statement on the issue at a later date.
Pon told reporters on Thursday that the conveners of the provincial meet requested Sagbayan to allow them to move their venue to Captain’s Peak.
“For humanitarian consideration, meron naman tayong ganyan so pinahintulutan natin ‘yon (we had something like that so we allowed it),” the Sagbayan mayor’s executive secretary said.
As of Thursday, the mayor’s face and the town’s seal could still be seen on the poster set up beside the resort’s pool.
Going back, DepEd still had the discretion to decide where the event would take place, but did it know about the controversy? Apparently.
Maraguinot told Rappler that the DepEd Bohol Division Office pushed through with the swimming competition at the viral resort despite efforts to relay the parents’ concerns and a proposal to hold the event instead at the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex in Tagbilaran City.
“In fairness to DepEd, they did have a consultation with us, we had a dialogue about it, but still their decision was to hold the swimming competition at the Captain’s Peak because apparently they have already planned, already organized, already made the necessary arrangements,” Maraguinot said.
Rappler reached out to DepEd Bohol Schools Division Superintendent Casiana Caberte for comment on the issue but we have yet to receive a reply.
With all the puzzle pieces in place, we now know that DepEd pushed through with the sports event at the controversial resort, with the cooperation of the local governments of Sagbayan and Carmen, despite the concerns raised by the province and parents.
In the end, the resort closed its doors on Thursday, not knowing when it would be able to operate again. At least 16 employees, mostly mothers supporting their children, lost their jobs overnight, and their families will have to live with that. A cart without a horse that has resulted in a painful crash.
As the Sagbayan mayor’s executive secretary put it, “Nangyari na kasi, hindi na natin mababago.” (It has already happened and we can’t change it.) – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/inside-track/local-government-deped-held-swim-meet-chocolate-hills-resort/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1nGzLR0SJY7LEVsGjnaA-2MU6Y8nTiiBCe1u7Tk4MCPzUhmd7b_ypzz6Y_aem_noMmGhsdd7IdU_FH77jOCg |
‘Embarrassing’: Cone lost for words after Ginebra blowout loss | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/03/2024 13:04 | COMMAND. Head coach Tim Cone in action for Barangay Ginebra in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Tim Cone is rarely a man of few words.
But the way Barangay Ginebra lost to Meralco in the PBA Philippine Cup on Friday, March 15, left the usually articulate coach scrambling for what to say.
Off to a 2-0 start in the All-Filipino tiff, the Gin Kings were sent crashing back to earth as they absorbed a 91-73 beating from the Bolts – a defeat that saw the powerhouse team limited to its lowest scoring output of the season.
The only other time Ginebra was held under 80 points in a game this season was its 77-82 loss to Phoenix in the elimination round of the Commissioner’s Cup.
“Embarrassing. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Cone told reporters on his way to the exit of the Araneta Coliseum. “We’re just absolutely embarrassed from moment 1 to moment 10 – 48 minutes.”
Ginebra trailed 14-23 after the first quarter and never recovered as its deficit gradually grew, even reaching 31 points.
While Allein Maliksi and Chris Newsome dropped 25 and 19 points, respectively, for Meralco, no Gin Kings player breached 15 points.
Maverick Ahanmisi (14), Christian Standhardinger (13), and Japeth Aguilar (13) paced Ginebra, which missed the production of Jamie Malonzo as he turned in a season-low 4 points after averaging 24.5 points in the first two games.
A whopping 19 turnovers certainly did not help the Gin Kings’ cause.
“I don’t have answers to any questions. I don’t know what the hell happened,” said Cone. “It’s an embarrassing night.”
“We just hope this doesn’t define us.”
Still without injured star guard Scottie Thompson, Ginebra goes on a two-week break before it returns to action against Magnolia in another edition of the Clasico on March 31. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/pba/tim-cone-lost-for-words-barangay-ginebra-meralco-bolts-march-2024/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3k2x2U2itju5NtbDuWhGRXWBMNLVVSRuk1trm2FgYpILirU7ThAkT8H-g_aem_JXToVGTIl5jwpjJaC50RPw |
Marcos signs ‘New Philippine Passport Act’ allowing online applications | lkyu0285 | 16/03/2024 13:36 | MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed a new passport law that aims to digitalize passport applications and streamline applications for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, overseas Filipino workers, among others.
Under Republic Act 11983, which Marcos signed on March 11, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is tasked to set up an online application portal and one-stop shop that is “readily accessible on its official website to facilitate convenience of application and ease in gathering and submission of the requirements.”
The New Philippine Passport Act, which repeals RA 8239, also allows the DFA to set up offsite and mobile passport services outside of its consular offices and foreign service posts.
Section 20 of the law also mandates the DFA to set up special lanes for the application of regular passports for the following:
The DFA must also arrange accommodations for the regular passport applications of Muslim Filipinos who will be participating in the annual Hajj pilgrimage. This will be for a period of four months, starting from the date listed in the official request by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
Regular passports are issued to Filipino citizens who are not qualified to hold diplomatic or official passports. This includes government officials and employees traveling abroad in a personal capacity. (READ: 10-year passport validity begins January 2018)
Government officials and employees, along with their family members, may hold two passports at once while they are in office.
The new law also sets penalties for those who confiscate, retain, or withhold DFA-issued passports without authority, with violators facing imprisonment of not less than 12 years and a fine between P1 million and P2 million. Passport forgery carries a punishment of 6 to 15 years of imprisonment and fines between P100,000 to P250,000.
“For offenses relating to improper passport use and other travel documents, offenders will face six to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of not less than P100,000, but not more than P250,000. On offenses relating to passport issuances, violators will face six-year imprisonment but not more than 12-year incarceration and a fine of not less than P100,000 but not more than P250,000,” the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement.
Unfair and discriminatory practices in the issuance of passports can result in suspension and dismissal from service, along with a fine of up to P250,000 and a maximum imprisonment of six years. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/marcos-signs-new-philippine-passport-act-allowing-online-applications/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR09T8MgG6-kCEz1SdiyibNmnQYM4KmeHSc8guH-f_4SbKMQRtvZDwN6D0I_aem_Gmg9eDWN2vUzXbPp1Vf1mw |
More people should have been excited about Janet Jackson’s concert in Manila. Here’s why. | jcgotinga0208 | 15/03/2024 8:47 | Elliza Dawn Aurelio
MANILA, Philippines – “If ‘Nipplegate’ didn’t happen, this stadium would have been full,” I thought to myself as I waited for the lights to dim.
At 8:50 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, Janet Jackson’s “Together Again” concert at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City still hadn’t started, though it seemed everything was already in place. The technical crew were at their consoles and monitors. I could hear the band warming up behind the curtain. Janet posted a photo on her social media hours earlier – she was already backstage.
The ticket said “8:00 pm” but, nearly an hour later, the seats were only starting to fill. Metro Manila traffic, obviously. Janet – Miss Jackson if you’re nasty – adjusted to Filipino time.
But it was apparent that not all seats would be taken. Ushers were upgrading gallery seats and scrunching the crowd closer to the stage. To me, a die-hard fan, it was saddening.
The Janet Jackson – pop culture icon, entertainment royalty, superstar of the highest order – was performing one show in Manila, and it wasn’t sold out. Coldplay and The Corrs each did two nights recently and the venues were filled to the rafters. Taylor Swift just did what I’d call a mini residency in Singapore and my younger brother went, ditching Janet.
She is, according to one of my Rappler colleagues, a “nostalgia act.” An artist past her prime. A has-been. At the office the day before the concert, I showed a couple of curious twenty-something researchers the music videos to “That’s the Way Love Goes,” which featured pre-fame Jennifer Lopez dancing in the background, and “All For You,” which featured Janet’s abs flexing front and center. One of them said, “Oh! She’s just like K-pop.”
In my head: “Excuse you, young one. K-pop was built on the rock of Janet Jackson.” I told her this in more compassionate terms.
Since the 1990s, the debate among music fans was whether Janet Jackson, not Madonna, should be called the Queen of Pop. At the start of the next decade, in March 2001, MTV named Janet its first-ever MTV Icon. In the top-rated telecast, the younger superstars of the day – Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Usher, Pink, N’Sync (including Justin Timberlake), and Destiny’s Child (including Beyoncé) among them – hailed Janet, not even 35 at the time, as the pioneer of hip-hop-influenced song-and-dance in pop music. She was their blueprint.
She was the “it girl” of the late ’80s, the ’90s, and the early aughts. She embodied the day’s definition of cool. She grooved, she cooed, she sang about sex, she had her husband hold her naked breasts for a Rolling Stone cover. Her shows were full-on theatrical productions. Her albums spoke to the zeitgeist. Her hit songs formed the bases (a practice called “sampling”) of other hit songs.
Sure, she was a nepo baby – Michael Jackson and the rest of the Jackson Five are her older brothers – but her success, by certain indicators, outdid theirs. In 2018, Billboard ranked her a notch above Michael (she was no. 7, he was no. 8) on its list of top-performing artists in the history of its Hot 100 chart. She’s her own star, no question.
So why did Janet Jackson get lost in the pile of superstars? Why does she need reintroduction to the new generation of music fans, when many of her contemporaries remain household names?
The answer: ‘Nipplegate’ – that SuperBowl halftime show in 2004 in which Justin Timberlake was, according to both artists, supposed to rip off only a part of Janet’s bustier but ended up exposing her breast. They both apologized for the incident and denied it was intentional, but Janet – not Justin, just Janet – was severely chastised by the US public. TV and radio stations blacklisted her, award shows dropped her from their rosters, TV hosts constantly harangued her over it, even joked about it to her face. She lost a lot of corporate backing, and her career tanked.
For a long time, when anyone talked about Janet in public, it was almost always about her exposed breast. The incident minted the term “wardrobe malfunction”. It triggered the creation of YouTube.
From a perverse angle, we can say the magnitude of the scandal spoke of the magnitude of her celebrity. The height from which Janet fell was stratospheric.
Maybe Beyoncé’s chops were just better. Maybe Jennifer Lopez was better at marketing herself. Maybe Mariah Carey’s songs were more memorable. But in any case, Janet’s career lost its momentum after ‘Nipplegate’ and by the 2010s, she had begun to fade into the background.
And so, in 2024, a full 20 years after the scandal, Janet Jackson couldn’t sell out Araneta Coliseum. But the turnout was decent. When the show started at around 9 pm, there already was a solid crowd, I’d say about four-fifths of capacity.
And it was the Janet crowd – party-going types who dug her music even when it was, at times, risqué. They were on their feet by the third song (“Feedback”), and no one threw water bottles from behind to complain they couldn’t see (as happens in concerts where the audience prefers to stay seated).
With their energy, Janet’s Filipino fans more than compensated for the empty seats. In that pulsating darkness, it felt like a full house. Onstage, Janet and her four dancers – towering, muscular males who moved as one – kept a tight grip on the audience. The quintet didn’t look and feel like the small cast that they were. The staging, blocking, choreography, and lighting made them appear larger than life.
Forty songs in one hour and 50 minutes felt like an exhilarating MTV blitz. The show was seamless.
The setlist spanned her music career’s four decades, touching in full or in part all of her hits except “Doesn’t Really Matter” – conspicuously absent from the Hawaii and Manila setlists (she performed it on the tour’s Mainland US leg). Otherwise, she evenly covered her catalog, from the funky “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” from her 1986 breakout album “Control”, to the sultry “No Sleeep” (yes, three e’s) from 2015’s “Unbreakable”, her latest full-length release.
Some songs got more time than others. “All For You,” particularly popular among Filipino fans, was mashed up with “Come on Get Up.” She also only sang half of “Escapade”, and of the ballads “Come Back to Me” and “Let’s Wait Awhile”. But she sang crowd favorites “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “Love Would Never Do (Without You)” entirely. She performed three versions of “Together Again”.
You’d regret her not singing some songs in full, until you realize the show would take all night if she did. She has so many hits.
The crowd went extra wild when the music video to “Scream” came on, with big bro Michael opening the song. Janet saunters in on her verse and sings with a rasp that matches Michael’s growls. It’s Jackson-and-Jackson – likely the most epic sibling duet in music history.
But it wouldn’t be Manila without the audience stealing the show with their singing. Janet usually lets the crowd sing most of her 1993 ballad “Again”, but she takes over at the climax for the sustained high note on the word “again”. But this is the Philippines. The audience sounded like it could keep going even as the song neared that high note, and Janet felt it. She kept holding her mic out to the crowd, and the crowd obliged: “Don’t you stand there and then tell me you love me then leave again…”
Janet was visibly moved. It looked like she wiped a tear. “You sound so beautiful. I love you so much,” she said at the end of the song.
Not that there was any doubt about her pipes. Critics and even fans have long accused her of undersinging and downright lip syncing to service her dancing. Take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt because I’m a fan, but then I also spent seven years as a professional musical theater artist. That is to say, I can tell when someone is lip syncing, and of all the Janet performances I’ve watched online or on DVD, only a very few were lipped, usually the penultimate song of a concert or numbers with really intricate choreography. Most of the time, she nails the song despite the strenuous dancing, and it’s just hard to believe she sang live.
She was 100 percent live on this show, at least as far as I could tell. You hear it in the plosives, in the inhalations and exhalations often edited out of recordings, the alternate notes here and there, the timbre that projecting to a microphone elicits, the nuances that fall short of digital perfection.
Am I a Janet apologist? Maybe. But she sounded great here – her tone was fuller and brighter than in her albums, which typically happens during live performances in large venues.
That’s also likely partly because of the milder dancing. The choreography to some songs were scaled down. I’d say generally she was giving 90 percent of the energy we used to see in her performances. It freed her body to better support her singing. She belted out pretty high runs on “If” like they were nothing. She hit higher notes on “Love Would Never Do (Without You)” than were on the album track.
At age 57, Janet Jackson is in excellent form. That she delivered an absolute tour-de-force in Manila after having done three successive shows in Hawaii is remarkable, but then you remember, this is Janet Jackson we’re talking about.
A lot has happened since “Nipplegate”. When it was announced that Justin Timberlake was doing the SuperBowl halftime show in 2017, #JusticeforJanet trended worldwide. Documentary films looked back to analyze and reflect on the incident. People asked why only Janet, a black woman, was punished for it. Justin, a white man, even saw his career take off after and despite the scandal. It triggered discussions about public perceptions of women’s bodies, the inequality and injustices they face; how even Janet Jackson, at the height of fame and success, wasn’t spared.
The times have changed, and the industry has tried to make it up to Janet: she received the Billboard Icon Award in 2018, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. The first leg of the “Together Again” tour grossed $50.9 million – her career’s best. That’s not counting this next leg that includes Hawaii, the Philippines – the only Southeast Asian stop – and Japan, where she’s also set to do three shows. She has further stops all over the US slated until July.
But none of these will bring about the alternate reality of how Janet’s career would have been sans “Nipplegate”, or if the world had been chill about it. If she hadn’t been disadvantaged by the scandal, could she have remained as big as she was in the ‘90s and early aughts? Would more people have appreciated her? Would more young Filipinos be thrilled when she’s in town?
We will never know. Fact is, we are in a world where many people don’t know that Janet Jackson is the matriarch of the musical genre that spawned K-pop, P-pop, J-pop, and other expressions of hip-hop-influenced culture across the world today. That she and her brother invented the athletic, ultra-choreographed song-and-dance act we see in concerts and music videos everywhere.
And that they also set the standard. Still very few do it as well as Michael did and as Janet does.
In a 2010 Essence magazine article, writer Joan Morgan said of Janet’s legacy: “Jackson’s ‘Control,’ ‘Rhythm Nation 1814’ and ‘janet.’ established the singer-dancer imprimatur standard in pop culture we now take for granted. So when you’re thinking of asking Miss Jackson, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ remember that Britney, Ciara and Beyoncé live in the house that Janet built.”
I think this inarguably applies to the current crop of pop music superstars. A viewing of Janet’s March 13 show at the Araneta Coliseum will clear any doubts. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/celebrities/review-janet-jackson-together-again-tour-live-concert-manila-philippines-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3LBqwmeX6Ynw3QGUrB8M8BmloyGCOF7wiP8pVA0vYPt_zG8PJ0lUnx3qo_aem_jDipHjdRM8_XjbEgmolECA#:~:text=Here's%20why.,-Mar%2015%2C%202024&text=MANILA%2C%20Philippines%20%E2%80%93%20%E2%80%9CIf%20',for%20the%20lights%20to%20dim |
Kurt Barbosa, Filipino jins fall short of Olympic berths in Asian taekwondo qualifier | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/03/2024 18:17 | KICK. Kurt Barbosa in action for National University in the UAAP.
UAAP
MANILA, Philippines – Tokyo Olympian Kurt Barbosa and three other Filipino taekwondo jins fell short of prized Paris Games berths in the World Taekwondo Asian Qualification Tournament in Tai’an, China.
Hoping to extend the Philippines’ streak of sending a taekwondo athlete to the Olympics, Barbosa, Tachiana Mangin, Baby Jessica Canabal, and Arven Alcantara all suffered heartbreaks in their respective weight categories.
A win away from a second straight Olympic appearance, Barbosa absorbed a 2-0 loss to Kazakhstan’s Samirkhon Ababakirov in the men’s -58kg semifinals on Saturday, March 16.
Barbosa struggled to score against the taller Kazakh, who utilized his length to keep the Filipino at bay and win convincingly by scores of 7-4, 16-5.
Only the top two athletes from each of the eight weight divisions – four for men and four for women – qualified for Paris.
Mangin and Canabal also reached the semifinals but both ended up unsuccessful in their bids to make their Olympic debuts.
Canabal fell prey to Lebanon’s Laetitia Aoun, 2-0, in the women’s -57kg class on Saturday, while Mangin bowed to Saudi Arabia’s Dunya Abutaleb, 2-0, in the women’s -49 category on Friday.
Mangin sustained arguably the closest loss among the three Filipino semifinalists as she fell to Abutaleb in a match that could have gone either way.
A head kick gave Mangin a 3-0 lead in the opening round, but Abutaleb answered with a head kick of her own to forge a tie. Two of the three officials then voted in favor of the Saudi Arabian in the tiebreaker.
Seeking to force a decider, Mangin kept in step with Abutaleb in the second round that went scoreless in the first 1:40 minutes until the Filipina incurred a gam-jeom (one-point penalty) with under 20 seconds remaining.
Barbosa and Canabal, though, ended their campaigns on a high note as they won their bronze-medal matches against Saudi Arabia’s Riad Hamdi and Cambodia’s Julie Mam, respectively.
Meanwhile, Alcantara exited the tournament following a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Ali Reza Abbasi of the Refugee Olympic Team in the men’s -68kg quarterfinals.
It will be the first time since the 2012 London Games that the Philippines will not be represented in Olympic taekwondo.
Barbosa donned the national colors in Tokyo in 2021, while retired Kirstie Alora saw action in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/results-kurt-barbosa-philippine-team-world-taekwondo-asian-qualification-tournament-paris-olympics-march-2024/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1aBkVzWg-vSQoRjTMU7Kb9SQu0ZhN-tZpkZMqLUqo77nyZN7NE5P6Y-j0_aem_VUXyw_Jm2rwGxLxxAfa9Yw |
8 foreigners, 1 Filipino face criminal charges after Tarlac POGO raid | Joann Manabat - CMS | 16/03/2024 21:48 | Foreign POGO workers of the raided Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated await the procedures to finish at the ground floor in one of the buildings of the POGO compound.
Joann Manabat/Rappler
TARLAC, Philippines – Eight foreigners and one Filipino were charged with cases after the midnight raid on a Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO) compound in Bamban, Tarlac, early this week.
These individuals will face charges for alleged violations of Republic Act (RA) No. 9208, as amended by 11862, or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022, and articles 266 (physical injuries) and 267 (serious illegal detention) of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), after undergoing inquest proceeding held by a panel of prosecutors from the Department of Justice:
Inquest proceeding is a special preliminary investigation done if the alleged suspects were arrested without an arrest warrant. Under the RPC, a person arrested without a warrant should be brought to court within a maximum of 36 hours, and that is already for grave violations.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said the arrested Filipina was identified through a complaint from a fellow Filipina. Millo allegedly recruited individuals who were forced to become scammers, PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said.
“There are others who were charged as well because the Vietnamese here are being held against their will,” Casio added.
At least 658 foreign and Filipino workers were found in the internet gaming licensed (IGL) hub Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated during the raid on Wednesday, March 13. The number is composed of 383 Filipinos, 202 Chinese, 54 Vietnamese, 13 Malaysians, two Indonesians, two Rwandans, a Taiwanese, and a Kyrgyz. The PAOCC said at least 280 foreigners from the said list have no documents to legally stay in the country, adding that all foreign employees will be deported back to their countries.
The foreigners were transferred to the Nasdake building of the previously raided Smart Web Technology Corporation in Pasay City. The facility serves as the temporary detention facility for all foreigners rescued from raided POGOs in the country as they await deportation orders.
In addition, the PAOCC spokesperson also revealed that the POGO company has no offshore gaming employment license (OGEL) for its foreign employees, which made their employment illegal.
“For you to be able to work in a POGO or IGL, employees must have an OGEL. But they have nothing to show. There is not a single foreigner here who has an OGEL. So, they are all working here illegally,” Casio added in a mix of English and Filipino. “The POGO is legal, but this POGO does not have a single foreigner carrying an OGEL.”
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) issues OGELs. According to Pagcor’s implementing guidelines for POGOs, an OGEL gives a person the privilege to be employed in the offshore gaming industry.
Meanwhile, the PAOCC said they were still looking for other foreigners, particularly Vietnamese women, who “possibly” left the POGO facility before the raid. PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz said the foreigners are essential to the probe because they can help strengthen the case against the suspects.
“Because this could further implicate them in the case of serious illegal detention and human trafficking. So, if they don’t surface, our case would be affected. Although our case is already strong, we want to strengthen it further,” Cruz said in a mix of English and Filipino. “So, we are still looking for the foreign nationals that we’re supposed to rescue.”
Authorities also seized alleged scamming paraphernalia like mobile phones, sim cards, and scripts from the raided POGO facility.
Cruz said they are also investigating the 34 vehicles found in the compound, noting that the vehicles do not match their attached license plates.
“They are changing their license plates. So, obviously, there are some inappropriate things being done. So the investigation intensified because of these findings,” Cruz said in a mix of English and Filipino.
He also said they will file additional search warrants to further check other paraphernalia inside the POGO facility. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/luzon/foreigners-filipino-face-criminal-charges-tarlac-pogo-raid-march-2024/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR05L8wND8wAXfS9Keq3wh1GxIAuHCtxyWeAzQPp2SX_lHrltr2ym4rUQ1s_aem_g9jNgCbgEJo8V9kCKuPxeg |
Marcos eyes stronger PH-US-Japan ties as Beijing decries Manila’s ‘provocations’ | Bea Cupin | 16/03/2024 16:11 | CHIEF DIPLOMAT. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks at the Philippine-German Business Forum in Berlin, Germany on March 12, 2024.
Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hopes to “strengthen the cooperation” between the Philippines, United States, and Japan as China amps up its rhetoric against Manila over the South China Sea.
“We hope the intention is to continue to plan, to strengthen the cooperation between the three countries—the United States, Japan, and the Philippines. And we will perhaps formalize it but we, at this point, we are still…that’s part of the discussion that we will be having to exactly what will be put in any agreement,” Marcos told Philippine media in response to questions in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday, March 13 (early March 14 in Manila).
The Philippine President might be visiting Washington DC in April, to joint a trilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. The US-Japan Summit is expected to happen in April 2024, too.
“It is probably just formalizing what we are already doing, which will put a bit more structure to what we will do as a – interoperability and the actual joint cruises that we are having. So, that is still in flux so we have to talk about it some more. Let’s wait for the developments that will come from DC, from Tokyo, and here in Manila,” added Marcos.
This would be the first time for the three leaders to meet with each other at the same time. Marcos had first met Kishida and Biden separately back in September 2022, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City.
A trilateral meeting between the US, Japan, and the Philippines has happened before – although it was US Vice President Kamala Harris who represented the US. Marcos, Kishida, and Harris had met informally on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Jakarta in September 2022. The foreign ministers of the three countries had also met in September 2023, on the sidelines of the UNGA.
The trilateral relationship of the three countries is something observers, diplomats, and interlocutors – including those in Beijing – are keeping close tabs on.
Both Japan and the Philippines are US treaty-allies. The Philippines, independent of the growing trilateral relationship with two countries, has existing deep ties with Japan. Manila and Tokyo hope to sign by the end of March 2024 a Reciprocal Access Agreement, a deal similar to the Philippines’ Visiting Forces Agreement with the US. The agreement would allow Japanese defense forces on Philippine soil.
Signing the RAA would make it easier for Japan to participate in military training exercises in the Philippines, whether it’s bilateral or multilateral.
The Marcos administration has given particular attention to strengthening and developing defense and security ties with both old and new allies or partners.
In contrast to his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos has brought Manila back closer to Washington DC – much to China’s chagrin.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Manila from March 18 to 19, which is expected to focus on trade and investment relations.
On Friday, March 15, China’s Defense Spokesperson Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang berated the Philippines, urging its Asian neighbor “not to further walk down the wrong path, and immediately stop any provocative actions that may escalate the disputes or complicate the situation,” referring to incidents in the South China Sea.
“At the same time, we suggest that some non-regional countries stop their rhetoric and actions that embolden and support the provocative and risky acts of the Philippines and refrain from being a disruptor in the South China Sea,” said the Chinese spokesperson.
Zhang’s assertions – including three points summarized by China’s military in a news release on March 15, are nothing new.
Beijing has accused Manila of infringing on its rights in the South China Sea, even in features that are within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, where it is entitled sovereign rights.
China has also repeatedly accused the Philippines of breaking so-called promises, amplified most recently through claims made by an anonymous Chinese officials to Philippine media.
The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in turn, fumed over China’s disclosure of “sensitive” bilateral discussions.
“Under the guise of supplying daily necessities, the Philippine side not only delivered construction materials to the grounded vessel, but also arranged journalists on board the supply boats to stage photos,” said Zhang.
Journalists joining supply missions – on board Philippine Coast Guard ships, and not the supply boats themselves – is part of the government’s “transparency initiative” aimed at exposing China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea.
Both independent and state-funded media routinely join missions to document China’s harassment out at sea. Beijing has bristled over embedded media during these missions.
“Recently a few Philippine military officials even made shows and played victim, trying to deceive both themselves as well as others. But no matter how they perform, nobody will buy their story,” added Zhang.
He was, most likely, referring to a December 2023 mission that Philippines military chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. and Western Command chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos joined. Carlos was also on board the Unaizah May 4, a supply ship damaged by the China Coast Guard’s water cannoning during a March resupply mission.
Participation of top military generals in these missions are not announced publicly until after the mission is completed.
While the long-term effects of the Philippines’ transparency initiative are yet unclear, experts and even diplomats themselves will point to its immediate gains: allies of the Philippines are quick to express support if incidents happen.
The list of countries who support the 2016 arbitral award, which deemed China’s sweeping claim of the South China Sea, invalid, has also slowly been growing since the Marcos administration took a stronger stance on the West Philippine Sea. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/marcos-stronger-ties-united-states-japan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3eITvb-_ZoRBRiuXrE1a7k2i2JrsRFykUuH6LXIplQqR53MscrQJ5Nsvw_aem_7Kqr0B4opcHAZ9KMWDWMuw |
Marcos, Ramon Ang’s San Miguel ink landmark $3-billion NAIA rehab deal | Ralf Rivas | 18/03/2024 8:53 | NAIA. The facade of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ main gateway is set to get its much needed facelift, fitted with better runways and free of bed bugs, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the consortium led by Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Corporation inked the landmark concession agreement for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) rehabilitation on Monday, March 18.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued the Notice of Award to SMC-SAP & Co. Consortium, which comprises San Miguel Holdings Corporation, RMM Asian Logistics Incorporated, RLW Aviation Development Incorporated, and Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) last February 16.
Marcos said the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project will ramp up adult passenger capacity from 35 million passengers per year to almost double – 62 million passengers annually.
On top of rehabilitating and expanding the capacity of NAIA, the private sector will pay the government approximately P1 trillion in the next 15 plus 10 years, which is more than 15 times the amount remitted by the Manila International Airport Authority to the national government since 2010.
The bidding was conducted within a record-breaking seven weeks, making it the fastest PPP proposal to be approved in history. The rehabilitation was over three decades in the making, with past administrations and private sector efforts failing due to financial concerns.
“It was fast, but it was also fastidiously examined at every step of the way. It was open, transparent, and competitive. In fact, the project was aligned with international best practices, structuring and tendering bankable and failed PPP projects. The result is this project in which everybody, the people, the government will enjoy the financial windfall,” Marcos said.
“We welcome this development for the NAIA PPP Project as this will not only generate revenue for the government but it will also create opportunities for Filipinos. With a modernized NAIA, we are elevating the airport’s facilities and services to international standards,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
With the signing of the Concession Agreement, the operations and maintenance of the airport will be handed over to the concessionaire on or before September 2024.
NAIA has the unwelcome distinction of being named among the worst airports in the world.
In a study by business finance and lending research and information provider BusinessFinancing.co.uk, NAIA ranked as the fourth worst airport in Asia for business travelers, with an average rating of 2.78 over 10. Only Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz International Airport (2.72/10), Kazakhstan’s Almaty International Airport (2.62/10), and Kuwait International Airport (1.69/10) ranked worse.
The study used passenger reviews from aviation customer review site Skytrax. Ratings from reviewers tagged as “business travelers” were then averaged to produce a ranked list of airports around the world and specific regions. – with reports from Lance Spencer Yu/Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/business/marcos-jr-ramon-ang-san-miguel-sign-naia-rehabilitation-deal/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3LBqwmeX6Ynw3QGUrB8M8BmloyGCOF7wiP8pVA0vYPt_zG8PJ0lUnx3qo_aem_jDipHjdRM8_XjbEgmolECA |
Results, team standings: UAAP Season 86 volleyball | Jasmine Payo | 5/5/2024 21:02 | ROARING. NU's Bella Belen (left) and Alyssa Solomon react in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments reach a tipping point with the men’s and women’s finals!
LOOK: UAAP volleyball championship schedule
Here are the results in the men’s and women’s divisions:
MAY 15
May 11
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
– Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/volleyball-game-results-team-standings-men-women-season-86-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0QWo8BrEgDoFtnj9t-RIcVZiGSAYcAZpOQ0SaW8brN6eLSBLA8n8O8Tjc_aem_QQSl39YdRPzady_z7zoBqQ |
Lesson learned from UST loss, La Salle outlasts NU in 5-set thriller | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/03/2024 21:23 | CELEBRATE. The La Salle Lady Spikers in action in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament.
UAAP
MANILA, Philippines – A five-set heartbreaker at the hands of the UST Golden Tigresses left a bad taste in the La Salle Lady Spikers’ mouths.
And that is an experience La Salle does not want to go through again.
Displaying steely nerves, the Lady Spikers hacked out a 15-25, 25-19, 18-25, 25-19, 15-12 win over the NU Lady Bulldogs in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, March 16.
Shevana Laput, Angel Canino, Amie Provido, and Alleiah Malaluan all scored in double figures as La Salle closed out the first round at second place with a 6-1 record, with its only loss coming from the league-leading Tigresses.
“We cannot just rely on our lead. Just like what happened against UST, we were up but we still lost. That is the biggest lesson for us,” said Canino in Filipino.
Trailing 0-2 against the Tigresses, the Lady Spikers almost pulled off a stunning comeback as they won the third and fourth sets and grabbed a commanding 12-9 lead in the deciding salvo.
But instead of getting the job done, La Salle fell apart and allowed UST to steal the victory on the back of an unprecedented 6-0 run.
The Lady Spikers faced the same scenario against NU as they overcame a 2-1 set deficit and built a sizable 13-9 lead in the fifth.
Having learned its lesson the hard way, La Salle held its nerve and banked on big hits by Canino and Laput to clinch its fourth consecutive triumph.
Laput starred for the Lady Spikers in the rematch of the Season 85 finale as she unloaded 20 points off 18 attacks, while Canino – the reigning MVP – churned out 17 points (14 attacks, 2 aces, and 1 block).
“We learned that we cannot be complacent. We have to keep working harder than the other team. It is also about who wants it more. We want it more,” said Laput.
Provido shone on the defensive end as 5 of her 14 points came off blocks, while Malaluan chimed in 12 points, with La Salle benefitting from the improved playmaking of Julia Coronel, who delivered 22 excellent sets.
Coronel also tallied 4 blocks to help the Lady Spikers’ snap the Lady Bulldogs’ five-game winning streak.
Alyssa Solomon and Bella Belen carried the scoring load for NU with 21 and 20 points, respectively, but the Season 84 champions simply ran out of gas in the deciding set.
NU ended the first round at third place with a 5-2 card. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/women-volleyball-game-results-la-salle-lady-spikers-nu-lady-bulldogs-march-16-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3wYh659TzvYfOo2DDMOB7q12dH6xglBDs8R1WsTbcOyl-wT91x_XJpDRs_aem_tpInc26Ggjt60duUeJjYoA |
Employees got average salary raise of 10% in 2023, beating inflation – Jobstreet | lkyu0285 | 16/03/2024 15:27 | CAPITAL REGION. Metro Manila's skyline.
Alecs Ongcal/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Companies raised the salary of their employees by an average of 10.24% in 2023, higher than the 7.3% rate in 2022 and above the 5.82% average inflation rate in 2022.
Most companies or 89% handed out raises in 2023, which was higher than the 78% in 2022, according to the 2024 Compensation and Benefits study of Jobstreet by Seek. Among the 685 companies surveyed in 2023, 36% of companies gave a raise of between 6% to 10% while another 28% gave a raise of between 1% to 5%.
“It’s encouraging to note that this average increment surpasses the national annual inflation rate of 5.82% in 2022. This means that employees not only regained lost ground but also saw real wage growth,” the report said.
There were also greater career advancement opportunities in 2023, with 70% of companies handing out staff promotions – higher than the 60% of companies in 2022. In 2023, promotions come with an average salary increment of 12.54%.
Performance bonuses also grew in 2023, with the average bonus now being 2.3 months of salary, up from the 1.3 months average bonus in 2022. When it came to other benefits, medical insurance and health checks were by far the most popular financial benefits offered to employees.
Companies are also embracing flexible working arrangements. Already, 51% of companies have flexible working hours, while 18% more either recently implemented it or plan to do so in the next 12 months. Half of all companies also have flexible working locations that allow employees to be at other places beside their home and office, with 44% already implementing it and 6% adding the benefit in 2023.
Looking ahead, the report said that it seems “flexible workplaces are here to stay.” In 2023, only 57% of companies had all their employees fully at the workplace or office. The rest of the companies had some form of remote work, with 21% of companies having some employees fully at the workplace and some remote depending on the job function, 8% having all employees fully onsite for a few days and remote for the rest of the week, 8% allowing employee rotation between onsite and remote work, and 4% allowing all employees to work remotely.
“Filipinos are more interested in not going back to the office at all than global average (28% would like to work fully remotely, versus 11% globally),” the report noted.
When it came to preferred work location, 46% of Filipinos said they wanted a hybrid work model, 28% wanted a fully remote model, and 26% wanted a fully on-site model. In other Southeast Asian countries, the majority of employees preferred a hybrid model (62%), followed by fully on-site (27%), and then fully remote (11%). – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/business/employee-average-salary-raise-2023-study/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2-wynJKTahkSijHm4bOJfwls_oBCf7ifNgMm60JSvY31tOLhv3jHVjS2o_aem_XD22pUDBhBXk4UWx-qnp5Q |
Can AI-assisted X-rays help with the Philippines’ radiologist shortage? | lkyu0285 | 16/03/2024 12:30 | X-RAY. Advanced Abilities chief technology officer Christer Cruz demonstrates the technology.
Gelo Gonzales/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines, like many other countries around the world, is struggling with a shortage of radiologists. But innovations in medical artificial intelligence might help with that.
The Philippines has more than 110 million people spread out over thousands of islands. But that population is served by about 2,500 radiologists, Dr. James delos Santos, president of the Philippine College of Radiology, told Rappler.
That means the Philippines only has about 2 radiologists per 100,000 Filipinos. To put that in perspective, developed countries like the United Kingdom and Singapore have 8.5 per 100,000 and 7.6 per 100,000, respectively, and they’re already grappling with their own radiologist shortages.
In light of the shortage, an all-Filipino company hopes to use AI-assisted equipment to help the country’s few radiologists do more. Advanced Abilities is bringing what it calls a “portable AI-driven X-ray system” that has the ability to detect diseases in minutes and serve more patients with shorter waiting times.
Partnering with Indian AI medical imaging firm DeepTek, the X-ray system distributed by Advanced Abilities can detect 32 pathologies and conditions, including tuberculosis. The system can conduct 200 scans in eight hours, with each scan showing an AI-powered percentage prediction of possible conditions.
“These technologies are not here to replace, but to aid. It’s a tool. It makes our productivity and outputs more efficient,” Advanced Abilities chief executive officer and president Angelo Antonio Buendia said.
Even with the new technology, a radiologist would still be required to verify, approve, and sign the generated report. What the AI helps with is speeding up the process and allowing a single radiologist to do more scans than they could before.
“This solution is already being used in Chennai City, India, where 500 in every 100,000 patients are getting a diagnosis, demonstrating a 25 times increased yield of detecting tuberculosis. This kind of result can now be replicated here in the Philippines with the help of AI Smart Scan,” Buendia said, adding that it is already being deployed in some Maxicare clinics.
The AI also has a triaging feature which lets radiologists know which scans to prioritize. For instance, if a radiologist has dozens of scans lined up, the AI system can bump up certain scans in the queue based on the suspected morbidity of the cases.
Like many AI solutions, DeepTek’s AI works by aggregating data from the scans of many patients, but the system promises to follow ethical and responsible AI guidelines. It is designed so that a radiologist can see whether a person’s age, group, ethnicity, weight, or gender could affect the accuracy of the scan’s result – transparency that can help avoid bias in the AI’s model.
“AI is still in its early stage, and AI accuracy might change from location to location,” said DeepTek CEO Ajit Patil. “This responsibly gives you full transparency into what is the real world accuracy of your AI on a day-to-day basis.”
The AI system has secured regulatory approval in the United States, Thailand, India, and Kenya. In the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology’s Health Technology Assessment Council is also examining the system
“The AI already has US [Food and Drug Administration] approval. We are currently in the application process for Philippine FDA. For the X-ray machine, we are fully compliant with all necessary permits and certifications, including Philippine FDA and [Bureau of Customs] requirements for important,” Buendia told Rappler.
Before we rush to embrace AI as the solution to the country’s problems, there are some important considerations.
For instance, while it’s true that the Philippines lacks radiologists, Philippine College of Radiology president Delos Santos emphasizes that it’s a “relative sort of shortage.” The country’s radiologists and the expensive equipment that they need are mostly based in the cities, which means the challenge is getting both the doctors and the tools to the provinces.
“In the peripheries, yes, you would expect that there will be less radiologists because as you see the practice of radiology is not just like an internist nor a family medicine physician that you see patients, you get consultations, you do physical examination and give medications,” Delos Santos told Rappler.
“We are technologically based. So if you lack machines in a certain outskirt, it’s also difficult for you to have a radiologist because the radiologist cannot work on anything,” he added.
This gap of equipment and radiologists is where AI X-ray systems like Advanced Abilities’ hope to come in, but even then, a radiologist would still be needed to double-check results. Since radiologists would still be needed to check the scans, Delos Santos said that we should see what improvements AI could offer over existing practices.
For instance, it’s worth checking whether the portable X-ray and AI system is really more cost-effective than setting up a mobile clinic with an X-ray. By using the mobile clinic and tele-radiology, a digital copy of the X-ray scan could also be sent to a radiologist based elsewhere – such as the city – to be read. Mobile clinics also have the advantage of being able to accommodate machines for other tests like mammography and ultrasound.
“AI can aid in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, but I think what’s more important is actually to tap your radiologists, and at the same time using another old technology, which is tele-radiology. Basically it’s just a simple way of sending the image to the radiologist for it to be read, and it can be transported back agad (immediately),” Delos Santos told Rappler.
There’s also the question of the effectivity of the AI system. While DeepTek said that it’s AI performs above global standards with “90% specificity and 90% sensitivity,” Delos Santos cautioned that AI always has a learning curve. For instance, he said that when trying to diagnose tuberculosis, one has to be wary of “an entire gamut of diseases” that can similarly present itself in the upper lobes of certain patients.
“If it will be based on AI alone, then there can be some fault in the diagnostic process. That’s why you need a radiologist on top of the AI to be able to really check and verify if this is really [tuberculosis] or not,” he said. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/business/artificial-intelligence-x-ray-philippines-radiologist-shortage/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0ymFLHN618T3i8ndclnmDz4fpRXhh_NDlkKkREJNMBHdFrFv1spz0duAs_aem_zubCNoClxefVj_3bc7wV8w |
Marcos signs law allowing students with unpaid tuition fees to take exams | lkyu0285 | 16/03/2024 12:14 | IN PERSON. Students of EMBO schools attend the opening day of classes for SY 2023-24 amid the dispute between Makati and Taguig local government, on August 29, 2023.
Alecs Ongcal/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Students with unpaid tuition and other school fees should now be allowed to take their scheduled periodic and final exams without requiring a permit.
Republic Act 11984 or the No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act will cover “disadvantaged students” of all public and private basic institutions from K to 12, higher education institutions, and technical vocational institutions. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the law on March 11, Malacañang said in a statement on Saturday, March 16.
“All public and private educational institutions covered by this Act are hereby mandated to accommodate and allow Disadvantaged Students unable to pay tuition and other fees to take the periodic and final examinations without requiring a permit,” the law read. “Provided, however, that in the case of K to 12 students, the mandate shall be for the entire school year.”
A social welfare and development officer of the municipality, city, or province, or the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) must issue a “necessary certificate on the disadvantaged status of the student,” which may be due to calamities, emergencies, force majeure, or other reasons provided in the implementing rules and regulations.
Schools may choose to forego this certification method and voluntarily let the disadvantaged student with outstanding school fees take their exams or receive their relevant records and credentials.
Although students with outstanding fees can’t be barred from taking their exams, educational institutions still retain the right and power to require students to submit a promissory note, withhold their records and credentials, or resort to other legal and administrative remedies for them to collect the unpaid fees.
The DSWD will release the implementing rules and regulations to define the term “disadvantaged student” as well as list the criteria, requirements, and effectivity of the certification mentioned in the law.
Public and private educational institutions that violate the “No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act” will face administrative sanctions from either the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, or Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
The Senate passed the “No Permit, No Exam Prohibition” bill in March 2023, and the House approved its version in May of the same year.
Private school organizations have lobbied against the measure, warning that it may force some of their members to shut down as it risked their sustainable operations.
In an open letter in July 2023, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines; Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities; Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges, and Universities; Association of Christian Schools, Colleges, and Universities; and Unified Technical Vocational Education and Training of the Philippines, Incorporated urged the Senate to reconsider the measure which, they said will affect schools’ “steady cash flow because the incentive to pay on time is removed, and parents and students will have the option to delay payment.” – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/marcos-signs-no-permit-no-exam-prohibition-act-unpaid-tuition-fees/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR12W9QFLvbg29lZ6TvPUk1tykb19-aRzsgvOKMarturY-vXDLOzvMNVCNk_aem_uDvxIl0ClJJVwXVGnPQq2A |
Beat the heat! Visit 4 hidden paradises in Occidental Mindoro this summer | Steph Arnaldo | 16/03/2024 20:37 | WATER. Clear waters of Calawagan River in Paluan, Occidental Mindoro.
Experience OksMin's Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines — Mindoro island is more than Puerto Galera.
As a province facing the entirety of the West Philippine Sea, Occidental Mindoro is undoubtedly a hub of the country’s finest under-the-radar beaches, scenic underwater spots, and sustainable marine life.
Besides indulging in a delectable halo-halo or booking your next outing in a local resort in the city, why not make your summer special this year by experiencing some of the country’s hidden water paradises yourself? Here are some of the best summer destinations in OksiMin!
Twice awarded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government as the cleanest inland body of water in the Philippines, the Calawagan River in the municipality of Paluan will greet you with the calming sounds of its refreshing water and breathtaking giant rock formations.
Located at the very foot of the Mount Calavite Wildlife Sanctuary, one can splash around the river’s cold, free-flowing water and dive into the natural swimming pool, surrounded by the beauty of the area’s towering trees and bordering forest.
Before reaching the other side of the river where cottages are situated, you have to cross a hanging bridge that will welcome you to the resort, managed by the local government of Paluan.
Calawagan is described by locals as a stress reliever. It offers tourists the peaceful, relaxing experience they deserve this summer.
Also known as the Apo Reef Natural Park, this magnificent wonder of Occidental Mindoro is the largest contiguous coral reef in Asia and the second in the world. It lies around 15 miles to the west of the municipality of Sablayan.
Spanning over 34 kilometers, it is also considered the country’s largest atoll-like reef.
Among the most heavenly havens for scuba divers globally, the Apo Reef is divided by a narrow lagoon home to some 285 marine species and around 500 coral species. You can island-hop its three beautiful pristine islets: Apo, Apo Menor, and Cayos del Bajo.
On Apo Island alone, you can camp, picnic, go on a nature walk, and do bird-watching or stargazing. With its century-old mangrove forest surrounding the shallow lagoon, tourists can experience snorkeling under its crystalline blue water and see various marine life up close.
Locals call its waters a “tropical aquarium” because of the colorful fish, marine mammals, fine corals, and other emblematic species that thrive there. Apo Reef is the perfect destination to get away this summer and appreciate marine life’s unbelievable beauty.
If you are looking for a calm, turquoise sea and a laid-back atmosphere, then Pandan Island is perfect for you!
Also located in Sablayan, this scenic summer spot is just a 15- to 20-minute boat ride from the municipality’s mainland.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can go to the island via the world’s longest island-to-island zipline, the 1.7-kilometer Sablayan Zipline Adventure in Parola Park.
Besides snorkeling and kayaking, the island is also famous for being a sanctuary of sea turtles and for the coral reefs living beneath its waters.
If you want to avoid going to beaches full of crowds of tourists, some shores are gorgeously untouched, like Inasakan.
With its ivory-white sand and serene atmosphere, Inasakan White Beach on the island of Ilin in San Jose provides a soothing hideaway where you can make the most of your summer. The relaxing sounds of waves will greet you in the morning, and its beautiful sunset is the perfect bookend for your day.
Inasakan is considered the best point for divers and snorkelers among all the beaches on Ilin, which you can go to via a boat ride from the San Jose mainland.
How to get there? Tourists can enter Occidental Mindoro via plane or ferry. You can book a plane to San Jose Airport, located in the southern part of the province, or take a ferry ride (via commute or door-to-door bus trip) from Batangas port in Batangas City, to the port of Abra de Ilog, the northern gateway of the province. – Rappler.com
Chris Burnet Ramos is a campus journalist from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). Managing editor of TW!NKLE, the 26th volume of iCommunicate magazine, he is also an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024.
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/travel/occidental-mindoro-hidden-paradises-summer/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2UOkB45QnQgXNIjlbQxOhmuPL9HmzWAzUSzSFUPod9AmxQcJ62sw9YOj8_aem_Rod3c2Tjjn-GPF2qFESHLg |
2 of 3 suspects in killing of Misamis Occidental broadcaster arrested | Jairo Bolledo | 16/03/2024 22:42 | ARRESTED. Police, on March 15, 2024, arrest two suspects behind the brutal killing of radio broadcaster Juan Jumalon in Misamis Occidental in 2023.
Presidential Task Force on Media Security
MANILA, Philippines – Two of three suspects in the killing of a radio broadcaster in Misamis Occidental had been arrested, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) said on Saturday, March 16.
The PTFOMS said in a statement that the suspects behind the killing of broadcaster Juan “DJ Johnny Walker” Jumalon in November 2023 were arrested during police operations on Friday, March 15, in the Northern Mindanao province. The suspects were identified as cousins Boboy Sagaray Bongcawel, alias “Boboy,” 39, and Renante Saja Bongcawel, alias “Inteng,” 39.
The Bongcawel cousins were arrested by the police through an arrest warrant for murder and theft issued by Calamba Executive Judge Michael Lotao Ajoc of Regional Trial Court Branch 36, 10th Judicial Region. The court did not recommend bail for the suspects.
According to the PTFOMS, Boboy was the one who allegedly pointed a gun at Jumalon’s radio station helper, while Renate was identified as the alleged driver of the getaway motorcycle.
PTFOMS chief Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez said the Misamis Occidental police were currently following up on several leads that would point to the whereabouts of Julito Mangumpit, the only suspect who remained at large.
The PTFOMS said they had already shipped 50,000 wanted flyers to the local police containing the computer sketch of Mangumpit’s face. At least 20,000 of the said flyers were given to the Philippine Ports Authority, which promised to distribute the papers in all PPA ports in Mindanao.
The government is still offering a P3.7-million reward to those who can help in the arrest of the remaining suspect.
Jumalon’s tragic killing in 2023 sent shockwaves across the country as the radioman was gunned down while on air on November 5, 2023. The 57-year-old broadcaster from Gold FM 94.7 Calamba was killed inside his radio booth located in his residence.
A Cebu Daily News report said one of the suspects asked permission to enter Jumalon’s radio booth to announce “something important.” The local police said the gunman shot Jumalon twice, hitting his lower lip and the back portion of his head. Afterwards, the assailant grabbed Jumalon’s necklace and then fled.
Jumalon’s killing proved that media killings persist and that the Philippines remains a dangerous country for journalists.
The country ranked 132nd out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index for 2023. Based on the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines’ (NUJP) tally, at least 199 Filipino journalists have been killed since 1986, including Jumalon. This number includes all journalists slain in relation to their job.
The radio broadcaster was the fourth journalist to be killed under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration, following Rey Blanco, Percy Lapid, and Cresenciano Bundoquin.
Meanwhile, the suggestion to arm journalists was raised anew after Jumalon’s killing. The proposal was not new, as former government officials had already made similar suggestions before amid journalist killings.
Several media groups in the Philippines have been condemning the idea for years, noting that it deflects the responsibility of protecting journalists.
The NUJP holds the same position. In the early 2000s, former NUJP chair and veteran journalist Inday Espina-Varona said journalists were not asking for special privileges, but the demand was for law enforcers to do their job: protect journalists and hold the killers of journalists accountable.
Another media rights group, the Community to Protect Journalists, noted in a 2005 report that there were cases where journalists armed themselves but still ended up getting killed. The report cited the case of slain Mindanao journalist Klein Cantoneros, who fired back at his attackers but was still killed in the process.
“Carrying a gun is no assurance of protection,” the CPJ added. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
I appreciate the work done by the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS). May it help resolve the case of the killing of radio broadcaster Juan “DJ Johnny Walker” Jumalon. I agree with the CPJ that “Carrying a gun is no assurance of protection.” But it is better than nothing because journalists cannot have police officers as bodyguards. They have to learn how to kill at least one of their assailants for the latter to at least think twice before killing the former. Lastly, keep up the excellent work, PTFOMS.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/mindanao/suspects-killing-misamis-occidental-broadcaster-juan-jumalon-arrested/ |
Results, team standings: UAAP Season 86 volleyball | Jasmine Payo | 5/5/2024 21:02 | ROARING. NU's Bella Belen (left) and Alyssa Solomon react in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments reach a tipping point with the men’s and women’s finals!
LOOK: UAAP volleyball championship schedule
Here are the results in the men’s and women’s divisions:
MAY 15
May 11
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
– Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/volleyball-game-results-team-standings-men-women-season-86-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3zSx-y_u5BsfSESaNGgz4F-33ZLp0i9nhgSe9HKr_YDifN5NnZfmhbgdA_aem_hVBG3OjyQR3fzSMgl6Im0w |
‘No Sweep,’ the sequel: Eya Laure channels Chery Tiggo ‘hunger’ to stunning Creamline rout | jisaga0269 | 16/03/2024 19:17 | SWEEPING SMILES. Eya Laure reacts with her Chery Tiggo teammates in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference
PVL Images
SANTA ROSA, Philippines – The City of Santa Rosa continues to be an unlucky place for perennial PVL powerhouse Creamline after Chery Tiggo stormed to a stunning 25-18, 26-24, 25-23 sweep in the league’s return to Laguna on Saturday, March 16.
The Cool Smashers, unbeaten in their last 19 games, lost for the first time since July 2023, and more notably, went down in a sweep for the first time since May 2019. This is also the second double-digit Creamline winning streak that ended in Santa Rosa since Cignal snapped a 10-game run in July 2022.
At the helm of the Crossovers’ much-needed rebound after they themselves fell in a sweep to upstart Farm Fresh is young star Eya Laure, who led with a game-high 14 points on 12 attacks and 2 aces.
Known in volleyball circles for being part of famous streak-busting teams like the UAAP’s UST and Chery Tiggo, the one-time PVL Best Outside Hitter hoped that this win rejuvenates the Crossovers’ confidence as they move far away from their last uncharacteristic defeat.
“We were hungry, that’s definitely the term. That’s what Tyang Aby (Maraño) always reminds us that we should always be hungry in the games,” Laure said in Filipino. “What happened to us against Farm Fresh was a wake-up call, and there, we really felt we woke up today.”
Performing well alongside her were all-around veteran Ara Galang (10 points, 6 excellent digs), young libero Jen Nierva (20 excellent digs, 10 excellent receptions), and former MVP Mylene Paat (9 points off bench), as Chery Tiggo evaded a three-game slide to rise to a 3-2 record.
Creamline, meanwhile, fell to a 4-1 slate, with Jema Galanza and Tots Carlos pacing the losing cause with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Although ecstatic in victory, Laure was not one to overlook the significance of the win against the undisputed best franchise in PVL history, especially at such a critical point of the new conference.
“Creamline is on top and we’re at the bottom right now. When you say Creamline, it’s like Barangay Ginebra in the PBA, right?,” she continued. “I looked at the arena, 90% of the fans were in pink (Creamline colors), and you dream that someday, those in red (Chery colors) would grow.”
“But we’ll take it one step at a time. We hope this win can make us believe we can also do it as a team. We’ll just stick to teamwork.”
Up next on the docket for Chery Tiggo is yet another tall task in the form of red-hot Petro Gazz next Thursday, March 21, as the Angels ride a three-game winning run after starting the conference with a loss.
Yet another streak ripe for ending. That’s all the motivation Laure needs. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/volleyball/premier-league-game-results-eya-laure-chery-tiggo-crossovers-creamline-cool-smashers-march-16-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2Ul4kJ8Yx3DkleC8_nEJ_WZuLXjUy4SKRO8tHG5wYdlp_CnKHXqTTux2c_aem_B4OF8cH2vu7y0MiWfRCRQg |
Marcos eyes stronger PH-US-Japan ties as Beijing decries Manila’s ‘provocations’ | Bea Cupin | 16/03/2024 16:11 | CHIEF DIPLOMAT. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks at the Philippine-German Business Forum in Berlin, Germany on March 12, 2024.
Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hopes to “strengthen the cooperation” between the Philippines, United States, and Japan as China amps up its rhetoric against Manila over the South China Sea.
“We hope the intention is to continue to plan, to strengthen the cooperation between the three countries—the United States, Japan, and the Philippines. And we will perhaps formalize it but we, at this point, we are still…that’s part of the discussion that we will be having to exactly what will be put in any agreement,” Marcos told Philippine media in response to questions in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday, March 13 (early March 14 in Manila).
The Philippine President might be visiting Washington DC in April, to joint a trilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. The US-Japan Summit is expected to happen in April 2024, too.
“It is probably just formalizing what we are already doing, which will put a bit more structure to what we will do as a – interoperability and the actual joint cruises that we are having. So, that is still in flux so we have to talk about it some more. Let’s wait for the developments that will come from DC, from Tokyo, and here in Manila,” added Marcos.
This would be the first time for the three leaders to meet with each other at the same time. Marcos had first met Kishida and Biden separately back in September 2022, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City.
A trilateral meeting between the US, Japan, and the Philippines has happened before – although it was US Vice President Kamala Harris who represented the US. Marcos, Kishida, and Harris had met informally on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Jakarta in September 2022. The foreign ministers of the three countries had also met in September 2023, on the sidelines of the UNGA.
The trilateral relationship of the three countries is something observers, diplomats, and interlocutors – including those in Beijing – are keeping close tabs on.
Both Japan and the Philippines are US treaty-allies. The Philippines, independent of the growing trilateral relationship with two countries, has existing deep ties with Japan. Manila and Tokyo hope to sign by the end of March 2024 a Reciprocal Access Agreement, a deal similar to the Philippines’ Visiting Forces Agreement with the US. The agreement would allow Japanese defense forces on Philippine soil.
Signing the RAA would make it easier for Japan to participate in military training exercises in the Philippines, whether it’s bilateral or multilateral.
The Marcos administration has given particular attention to strengthening and developing defense and security ties with both old and new allies or partners.
In contrast to his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos has brought Manila back closer to Washington DC – much to China’s chagrin.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Manila from March 18 to 19, which is expected to focus on trade and investment relations.
On Friday, March 15, China’s Defense Spokesperson Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang berated the Philippines, urging its Asian neighbor “not to further walk down the wrong path, and immediately stop any provocative actions that may escalate the disputes or complicate the situation,” referring to incidents in the South China Sea.
“At the same time, we suggest that some non-regional countries stop their rhetoric and actions that embolden and support the provocative and risky acts of the Philippines and refrain from being a disruptor in the South China Sea,” said the Chinese spokesperson.
Zhang’s assertions – including three points summarized by China’s military in a news release on March 15, are nothing new.
Beijing has accused Manila of infringing on its rights in the South China Sea, even in features that are within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, where it is entitled sovereign rights.
China has also repeatedly accused the Philippines of breaking so-called promises, amplified most recently through claims made by an anonymous Chinese officials to Philippine media.
The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in turn, fumed over China’s disclosure of “sensitive” bilateral discussions.
“Under the guise of supplying daily necessities, the Philippine side not only delivered construction materials to the grounded vessel, but also arranged journalists on board the supply boats to stage photos,” said Zhang.
Journalists joining supply missions – on board Philippine Coast Guard ships, and not the supply boats themselves – is part of the government’s “transparency initiative” aimed at exposing China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea.
Both independent and state-funded media routinely join missions to document China’s harassment out at sea. Beijing has bristled over embedded media during these missions.
“Recently a few Philippine military officials even made shows and played victim, trying to deceive both themselves as well as others. But no matter how they perform, nobody will buy their story,” added Zhang.
He was, most likely, referring to a December 2023 mission that Philippines military chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. and Western Command chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos joined. Carlos was also on board the Unaizah May 4, a supply ship damaged by the China Coast Guard’s water cannoning during a March resupply mission.
Participation of top military generals in these missions are not announced publicly until after the mission is completed.
While the long-term effects of the Philippines’ transparency initiative are yet unclear, experts and even diplomats themselves will point to its immediate gains: allies of the Philippines are quick to express support if incidents happen.
The list of countries who support the 2016 arbitral award, which deemed China’s sweeping claim of the South China Sea, invalid, has also slowly been growing since the Marcos administration took a stronger stance on the West Philippine Sea. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/marcos-stronger-ties-united-states-japan/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0bN90qwPPt0nHI1QrRsY-waNBeDegUCeerEL8HjMltS9zRfvAmQOBgWqw_aem_wMeEzlk3PZ15c5MDHYq5ew |
‘Pinoy Aquaman’ sets eyes on Capiz open water swim record | Herbie G | 16/03/2024 17:40 | ENDURANCE SWIM. Surigao-born Prosecutor Ingemar Macarine swims across the Macajalar Bay from Camiguin to Balingoan in Misamis Oriental in this 2017 photo.
Roel Catoto/Rappler
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Endurance swimmer Ingemar Macarine, dubbed as the “Pinoy Aquaman,” will attempt to set a record as the first to swim unassisted in open water from Olotayan Island to mainland Roxas City, this Sunday, March 17.
The Surigao-born Macarine, who swam against the strong current and across the Masbate Channel in June 2023, will attempt to swim from Olotayan Island to the People’s Park in Barangay Baybay, Roxas City in Capiz, a distance of 10 kilometers.
The Bohol-based prosecutor holds the record, set in mid-2023, as the first person to swim a 10.5-kilometer stretch from Bugtong Island in the town of Pio V. Corpus to the village Matayum in Cataingan town, Masbate.
If he succeeds this Sunday, he will set another record as the first one to swim in open water for about 10 kilometers from Olotayan Island to mainland Roxas City.
Macarine told Rappler that Sunday’s endurance swim, supported by Roxas City Mayor Ronnie Dadivas, will be part of his advocacy for clean seas and coastal conservation efforts, local tourism, and a healthy lifestyle.
Macarine said he was expecting challenges during the open water swim mainly because of the anticipated eight-knot amihan (northeast monsoon) winds, and the constant threat of jellyfish.
“This will be unprecedented in the area. It will be the first swim to the city from Olotayan Island,” Macarine said. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/pinoy-aquaman-ingemar-macarine-sets-eyes-open-water-swim-record-roxas-capiz/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2KLiLXgxfJyH3QHIb-gbp790MLRw6tqAWB_-4VEawyQMH8pvUpW5wVVG8_aem_77eG-B6RaXTF3A1sNav4AA |
[WATCH] A tour of Sagbayan Peak amid Chocolate Hills resort controversy | jsitchon0312 | 16/03/2024 16:45 | BOHOL, Philippines – Rappler Visayas reporter John Sitchon takes a quick tour of Sagbayan Peak in Sagbayan town, Bohol – a tourist attraction only 10 minutes away from the controversial Captain’s Peak Resort that’s built within the protected areas of the Chocolate Hills.
Unlike the Captain’s Peak, the Sagbayan Peak has its own business permit supported by an environmental compliance certificate (ECC). However, locals and concerned netizens have pointed out that the Sagbayan Peak is built on top of a mound that can be considered a Chocolate Hill.
Officials from the Bohol Provincial Board, especially its committee on natural resources and environment protection, are now looking into the possibility of violations made by Sagbayan Peak and another tourist attraction, Bud Agta, in Carmen town, against environmental laws such as the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992.
Under the NIPAS Act, mutilating, defacing, or destroying objects of natural beauty or objects of interest to cultural communities (of scenic value) can be penalized with a fine of not less than P5,000 nor more than P500,000 and imprisonment for not less than one year but not more than six years.
“If the area requires rehabilitation or restoration as determined by the court, the offender shall be required to restore or compensate for the restoration to the damages,” Section 21 of the law read.
Watch the tour of the Sagbayan Peak here. – Rappler.com
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/video-sagbayan-peak-tour-chocolate-hills-resort-controversy/ |
Results, team standings: UAAP Season 86 volleyball | Jasmine Payo | 5/5/2024 21:02 | ROARING. NU's Bella Belen (left) and Alyssa Solomon react in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments reach a tipping point with the men’s and women’s finals!
LOOK: UAAP volleyball championship schedule
Here are the results in the men’s and women’s divisions:
MAY 15
May 11
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
– Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/volleyball-game-results-team-standings-men-women-season-86-2024/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3JvVlXumTXnEjoaBOZaHtrLvkCtdTSM5060wYzJ0xLA1oXfUjzORSs0kg_aem_Z1XPkYbqtNorMdb9cVEyjg |
Jade Castro on warrantless arrest: ‘It’s been happening, it will happen again’ | Jairo Bolledo | 15/03/2024 15:30 | FREE. After his release, flm director Jade Castro sits down with Rappler in an interview on March 12, 2024.
Rappler
As an acclaimed film director, Jade Castro is familiar with bizarre things that usually happen in a movie plot. Little did he know that his life would be as shocking as some of the films he had directed.
Castro and his friends – Ernesto Orcine, Noel Mariano, and Dominic Ramos – were detained for over a month and adjusted to life inside a detention facility. Inside their small space, they could only do a few things: eat, play board games, and dance the zumba.
The four were arrested without a warrant in Catanauan, Quezon province on February 1 for allegedly burning down a modern jeepney.
Fast forward to the afternoon of March 11, Castro thought of cleaning his fingernails. He had yet to finish cleaning his hands when one of the jail officers handed them four pages. Castro had a feeling it was something related to their release, he told Rappler, so he immediately read the document.
When one of his friends shouted for joy, Castro knew at that moment that his gut feel was right. The document was their release order, following the court’s decision dismissing the destructive arson charge against them.
Castro said the four of them hugged as finally, they would be freed after 40 days. They left the detention facility on March 11 and immediately traveled back to Metro Manila to meet their family, except for Orcine, who chose to stay with his family in the province.
The alleged crime was committed on January 31 in Catanauan town, less than an hour away from Mulanay town, where Castro and his friends were staying for a vacation. A closed circuit television (CCTV) footage showed Castro and his friend’s car passing through a Mulanay road at around 7 pm on January 31, around the same time the crime was committed in Catanauan.
Another CCTV footage showed that at around 7:25 pm of the same night, Castro was filming the rehearsal of a local pageant in Mulanay town plaza. Two Mulanay town officials said that they were with Castro and his friends when the alleged crime happened in the other town.
Castro’s arrest did not just ignite the spirit of unity in the entertainment and film industry, but also brought renewed criticisms about how the police handle warrantless arrests and hot pursuit operations.
When they were being arrested, Castro said it did not occur to him then that it wasn’t because of his work as a cultural worker, but because he was an ordinary person.
“Ang tingin po namin, hindi kami tinarget…Kung hindi dahil nandoon kami at naisip nilang ituro kami… Hindi dahil kami ay mga professional o kami ay kilala, kung hindi dahil ordinaryo kami (We believe we were not targeted. We were arrested because we were there so they thought of pinning us. Not because we were professionals or prominent, but because we were ordinary citizens),” Castro said in a separate press conference.
“It says several things. Ito’ng nangyari sa amin (What happened to us) says several things. One is that it happens, it has been happening, and it will probably happen again,” he told Rappler.
Castro expounded on the reason why he thinks they were arrested. Inside the detention facility, Castro and his friends met people who, like them, were victims of illegal and unlawful arrests. The persons deprived of liberty (PDL) were ordinary citizens – among them a tricycle driver and a factory worker, he added.
Castro said his experience and conversations with fellow PDLs made him realize how the justice system works, and how the police operate in far-flung areas. He saw how some PDLs suffer and remain detained even though the cases against them were not strong or should not have prospered in the first place. These were on top of unlawful arrests.
“There’s a lot of systemic flaws. Our enforcers rely too much on testimony, even with the absence of physical evidence. Probing a case, like in other countries, should be evidence-based. This means the probe should be backed by science. The case will not prosper if there’s no really strong evidence,” human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, who is also part of Castro’s legal team, said.
Diokno reiterated that a warrantless arrest should be done as a last resort. Unfortunately, this has become the “default option” of the country’s law enforcers, which has led to abuses, he said.
Under the Rules of Court, a person may only be arrested without a warrant if he or she is caught in the act, if there’s probable cause to believe that a crime was committed, or if the person is a fugitive. Hot pursuit – the justification behind Castro’s arrest – is done under the second category, or when there is probable cause.
Calabarzon regional police director Police Brigadier General Paul Kenneth Lucas earlier told Rappler that there was probable cause because witnesses – the driver and the conductor of the burned vehicle – had identified Castro and his friends.
During the trial, it turned out that the witnesses did not actually point to Castro and his friends. They gave police descriptions of the individuals who burned their vehicle. A “dragnet operation” followed, which entailed police going to Micasa resort where the four were staying, photographing them, and bringing back the photos to the witnesses who then said they were the perpetrators.
For Catanauan Regional Trial Court Branch 96 Presiding Judge Julius Francis Galvez, that was not a valid hot pursuit, because in the first place, police had “no probable cause or reasonable suspicion to go to the Micasa resort to conduct a follow-up operation, and then, to take pictures of the four accused.”
Photographing Castro and his friends and showing those photos to the witnesses were “contrary to the constitutional rights of the four accused against reasonable arrest,” said Galvez.
“The validity of the arrest of the four accused cannot be sustained outright on mere witnesses’ actual identification of them at the police station, in view of the foregoing explanations,” the 16-page decision read.
As a result, the court said it cannot acquire jurisdiction or hold the four on trial, so it granted the accused’s motion to quash that dismissed the case.
The four’s arrest also surfaced another legal concern – the problem with waivers during inquest. Warrantless arrests go through inquest proceedings, an expedited type of preliminary investigation, as the detainees are held without a warrant. Under the Revised Penal Code, a person arrested without a warrant should be brought to court within a maximum of 36 hours – and this is already for grave violations.
DOJ spokesperson Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano earlier said that the film director and his friends waived their rights to undergo inquest proceedings under Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code “in order to submit a counter-affidavit where the prosecutor will evaluate their defenses.”
Castro, however, said they were not properly informed about the implications of signing the waiver. They were only told that if they sign the waiver, they would have a chance to explain themselves through the submission of their counter-affidavit.
Lawyer Carmela Peña, one of Castro’s legal counsels, earlier told Rappler that although their clients signed the waiver, it was not informed consent. The counsels were not yet involved in the preliminary investigation, and they got on board only on February 5.
“By without ‘informed consent’ it means these tourists may not have been fully informed of the consequences or effects, or they may not have fully comprehended what the waiver of Article 125 is,” Peña said.
If someone who is arrested without a warrant waived his or her right to undergo inquest proceedings, as Castro did, the case undergoes regular preliminary investigation. This means the 36-hour rule will no longer be applicable, and the prosecutor will decide on the complaint without a strict deadline. In the case of the four, this would delay their freedom because they will have to wait for the prosecutor’s resolution.
“I think, this problem could be easily resolved if the Secretary of Justice will give a directive that during inquest, prosecutors should explain that when a person signed the waiver, it’s an acceptance that it’s okay for them to be detained while the preliminary investigation is ongoing,” Diokno said.
The judge’s decision, however, left a small window for the police to still pursue the case. As Galvez wrote: “This ruling does not foreclose the build-up of [Catanauan police] to determine the involvement of the four accused. This ruling cannot be interpreted as a resolution of this case on the merits which can be further strengthened by the [Catanauan police] and the prosecution thru a regular preliminary investigation.”
The PNP Calabarzon has made it clear that it will still pursue the case against the four.
In the event that the case is refiled, it will not constitute double jeopardy since their case did not reach arraignment. Arraignment is when “the judge reads the charges filed against the defendant in the complaint and the defendant chooses to plead ‘guilty,’ ‘not guilty’ or ‘no contest’ to those charges.”
Castro told Rappler that he has yet to process this announcement by the regional police. But regardless, he said he is not afraid because he has the support of his family, friends, and legal counsels.
“Ang hope ko na lang is, maliwanagan sana sila at makita nila na hindi naman kami ‘yong gumawa. At tuwing ipu-push nila na kami ‘yong gumawa, mayroong totoong gumawa no’ng krimen na nando’n lang sa labas somewhere na dapat sila ‘yong iniimbestigahan. Hangga’t dinidiin nila kami, hindi ito magkakaroon ng totoong hustisya kasi hindi talaga kami ‘yong gumawa,” he said.
(My hope is the police will be enlightened and will see that we are innocent. Every time they push us as suspects, the true suspects will continue to evade the probe. As long as they pin us, this case will not lead to justice because we are really innocent.)
On the possibility of filing counter complaints against the police who unlawfully arrested them, Castro said that they have yet to discuss this.
The cops tagged in the arrest – Police Captain Daniel dela Cruz, Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonjon Pordan, and Police Corporal Christian Abenilla – already face a less grave misconduct case over the director’s unlawful arrest. The PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS), mandated to go after erring cops, filed this administrative case motu proprio, or on its own.
However, even if the cops are found guilty in this administrative case, it usually takes months or even years before they are sanctioned. In case an adverse ruling is issued by the IAS, the cops can stall by filing an appeal. – Rappler.com
Some quotes were translated into English for brevity
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/jade-castro-response-warrantless-arrest-will-happen-again/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0XeKG2n8bHlc6Xw2zkOfgliUow0G8oumd3VMQCqdTka9xttUj-xZSgN_g_aem_PIkbCE-QEDR3SGYREY9ucA |
[Bodymind] Rising above adverse country experiences under Duterte | Mia Gonzalez | 16/03/2024 13:00 | Marian Hukom
They say that “the personal is political,” which I wholeheartedly agree with.
Its converse – the political is also personal – is just as true, even if we may be less aware of it, sometimes tragically so, like during the time Rodrigo Duterte (PPRD) was our president.
I refer specifically to the seemingly little things PPRD said and did which changed us, making cowering citizens of many, frightened of the PNP and whatever PPRD pronounced, much like a brutal father changes the trajectory of his children’s lives for the worst.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are trauma-laden experiences children have that can have lasting impacts on their health (both physical and emotional) and general well-being. These negative experiences affect a child’s brain and nervous system as they grow into adults and often lead to mental disorders and/or chronic health conditions. As the number of ACEs increases, so does the risk for negative outcomes.
There is a cumulative effect when it comes to toxic stress, and the more ACEs a child experiences, the greater impact it can have on their mental and physical health.
Many citizens were also traumatized during PPRD’s time, experiencing their own kind of ACEs (adverse country experiences), including (but not limited to) trolls paid to subject concerned citizens to even more trauma with predictions of their rapes and torture. Our very own brave, beautiful, and beloved Jover Laurio was even doxed, resulting in threats and leaving her in danger of retaliation.
In the same way some populations are more vulnerable to experiencing ACEs because of the social and economic conditions in which they live and work, so also were some communities here targeted, specifically the urban poor, with murder, mayhem, intimidation and terror.
ACEs have also been associated with higher rates of suicide, diminished neuropsychological performance, and an increased prevalence of stroke, diabetes, alcoholism, depression, autoimmune disease, and many other disorders.
Who knows what sort of problems children, with their own particular ACEs growing up during PPRD’s time, will have when they become adults?
Why do ACEs (be they childhood or country) have such a big impact on health?
Because they literally change our brain development and can exacerbate difficulties when the body responds to stress. Too much of the stress hormone cortisol coursing through our bodies suppresses our reproductive and digestive systems, changes our immune system responses, and even holds back growth processes.
Example: A young boy innocently asks his father, “What time are you coming home tonight?” Instead of answering in equal measure, the father, without warning, excoriates his son and tears a strip off him. Not only will his son hesitate to ask him questions again, but his siblings who witnessed this event might also hesitate, and the more timid among them probably never dare to.
His children would say to themselves: “If Tatay (father) can react that violently to innocent questions, how much more savage would he be to more hard-hitting ones? Better lie low for now.”
This tactic – picking on one person so that others learn not to behave similarly for fear of being treated the same – is exactly what Canadian psychologist Dr. Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory predicts.
Social Learning suggests that learning can occur even when people only observe (and not necessarily directly experience) the consequences of other people’s behaviors. Actions that are rewarded are more likely to be imitated, while those that are punished are avoided.
This is often the reason violent men harm their partners’ pets. The message is clear: “If I can torture your pet, thus traumatizing you, you will no longer dare upset me. I can torture you too.”
Despite a reporter’s having every right to ask any Philippine president about his health, when PDI correspondent Dennis Jay Santos asked PPRD about his health, he replied viciously, and even speculated about Mr. Santos’s wife possibly having vaginitis.
I don’t think the other reporters ever really recovered from the shock of Duterte’s kabastusan involving the reporter’s poor, unsuspecting wife who had no idea about the probability of her having a smelly vagina being brought up at a news conference.
Thus, future questions became softer, with some reporters and especially columnists becoming downright sycophantic.
How many of us are familiar with a vindictive, authoritarian father figure, even if not our own? We know only too well how unfortunate these children are; they flinch when spoken to, never daring to put their heads above the parapet. And yet, strangely enough, such parents also want to be loved and found credible. (For PPRD, might it have been because he hoped you would vote for his anointed ones?)
Even parents brutal enough not to care can realize when they have gone too far, apologize, say they were drunk, forgot themselves “because they love you too much,” and other excuses that would never fly unless the children were too damaged to think straight.
PPRD backtracked and used the excuse “I was only joking” when he realized he had gone too far, even for a people already cowered by his drug war. He did this again just recently, when he said he was only “joking” about wanting Mindanao to secede from the rest of the Philippines when his original remark wasn’t well received.
There are other examples. Addressing soldiers in 2017 following his declaration of martial law in Mindanao, he said that he “alone would be responsible” for the consequences of his decision and joked that if any soldier would be convicted of rape, he would go to prison for them instead.
In 2018, he said in an event in Malacañang that he used marijuana to stay awake. PPRD’s response when his “joking” remarks cause outrage? “Ka ugok mo…mga buang (If you believe me, you’re a fool).”
A father is expected to love, protect and care for your children. Instead you shame them, making them feel it was their fault, that they were too ugok and buang for taking your word for it. This is emotional abuse and definitely an ACE. How can any loving father cause his children to doubt their own perceptions, distrust themselves and even to believe they have a mental illness?
Why am I writing about this now, when PPRD is no longer president? Because albeit out of office, he still wields tremendous power and seems to have no compunction using it.
These attempts include his constant sniping at President Marcos, his “prayer rallies,” and his hints at anointing people for higher office. At the moment, the most likely seems to be the publicly-punching-mayor-in-the-face and Davao’s answer to Manny Pacquiao, Sara Duterte.
I am hoping that as we become more aware of the possible reasons we did not fight back more during his term, we can loosen the hold such power has over us. We will no longer be as powerless as when we were children and experienced the trauma for the first time. So that we can fight the same sort of battles more effectively in the future.
Also, if treatment and the management of ACEs can help people lead fulfilling lives, think what the same can do for a people who have proven themselves sturdy enough to withstand all the misfortunes our country’s corrupt and unfeeling politicians have given us. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Thanks to Dr. Margie Holmes for another inspiring article. The question now is whether the Filipino People are sturdy enough to withstand all the misfortunes their country’s corrupt and unfeeling politicians have dealt them with. Unfortunately, most people do not even think their politicians are corrupt and unfeeling. This is the effect of the Political Patronage System, repression, and disinformation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/bodymind-overcoming-adverse-country-experiences-under-rodrigo-duterte/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1sletE3GAyuQcc0pTSU4Gbzat38CMgcyrRfqgWKjfyQuklPBaaKa0CRrI_aem_GpwaOnuqD-pwxGzU_oJ20Q |
Jade Castro on warrantless arrest: ‘It’s been happening, it will happen again’ | Jairo Bolledo | 15/03/2024 15:30 | FREE. After his release, flm director Jade Castro sits down with Rappler in an interview on March 12, 2024.
Rappler
As an acclaimed film director, Jade Castro is familiar with bizarre things that usually happen in a movie plot. Little did he know that his life would be as shocking as some of the films he had directed.
Castro and his friends – Ernesto Orcine, Noel Mariano, and Dominic Ramos – were detained for over a month and adjusted to life inside a detention facility. Inside their small space, they could only do a few things: eat, play board games, and dance the zumba.
The four were arrested without a warrant in Catanauan, Quezon province on February 1 for allegedly burning down a modern jeepney.
Fast forward to the afternoon of March 11, Castro thought of cleaning his fingernails. He had yet to finish cleaning his hands when one of the jail officers handed them four pages. Castro had a feeling it was something related to their release, he told Rappler, so he immediately read the document.
When one of his friends shouted for joy, Castro knew at that moment that his gut feel was right. The document was their release order, following the court’s decision dismissing the destructive arson charge against them.
Castro said the four of them hugged as finally, they would be freed after 40 days. They left the detention facility on March 11 and immediately traveled back to Metro Manila to meet their family, except for Orcine, who chose to stay with his family in the province.
The alleged crime was committed on January 31 in Catanauan town, less than an hour away from Mulanay town, where Castro and his friends were staying for a vacation. A closed circuit television (CCTV) footage showed Castro and his friend’s car passing through a Mulanay road at around 7 pm on January 31, around the same time the crime was committed in Catanauan.
Another CCTV footage showed that at around 7:25 pm of the same night, Castro was filming the rehearsal of a local pageant in Mulanay town plaza. Two Mulanay town officials said that they were with Castro and his friends when the alleged crime happened in the other town.
Castro’s arrest did not just ignite the spirit of unity in the entertainment and film industry, but also brought renewed criticisms about how the police handle warrantless arrests and hot pursuit operations.
When they were being arrested, Castro said it did not occur to him then that it wasn’t because of his work as a cultural worker, but because he was an ordinary person.
“Ang tingin po namin, hindi kami tinarget…Kung hindi dahil nandoon kami at naisip nilang ituro kami… Hindi dahil kami ay mga professional o kami ay kilala, kung hindi dahil ordinaryo kami (We believe we were not targeted. We were arrested because we were there so they thought of pinning us. Not because we were professionals or prominent, but because we were ordinary citizens),” Castro said in a separate press conference.
“It says several things. Ito’ng nangyari sa amin (What happened to us) says several things. One is that it happens, it has been happening, and it will probably happen again,” he told Rappler.
Castro expounded on the reason why he thinks they were arrested. Inside the detention facility, Castro and his friends met people who, like them, were victims of illegal and unlawful arrests. The persons deprived of liberty (PDL) were ordinary citizens – among them a tricycle driver and a factory worker, he added.
Castro said his experience and conversations with fellow PDLs made him realize how the justice system works, and how the police operate in far-flung areas. He saw how some PDLs suffer and remain detained even though the cases against them were not strong or should not have prospered in the first place. These were on top of unlawful arrests.
“There’s a lot of systemic flaws. Our enforcers rely too much on testimony, even with the absence of physical evidence. Probing a case, like in other countries, should be evidence-based. This means the probe should be backed by science. The case will not prosper if there’s no really strong evidence,” human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, who is also part of Castro’s legal team, said.
Diokno reiterated that a warrantless arrest should be done as a last resort. Unfortunately, this has become the “default option” of the country’s law enforcers, which has led to abuses, he said.
Under the Rules of Court, a person may only be arrested without a warrant if he or she is caught in the act, if there’s probable cause to believe that a crime was committed, or if the person is a fugitive. Hot pursuit – the justification behind Castro’s arrest – is done under the second category, or when there is probable cause.
Calabarzon regional police director Police Brigadier General Paul Kenneth Lucas earlier told Rappler that there was probable cause because witnesses – the driver and the conductor of the burned vehicle – had identified Castro and his friends.
During the trial, it turned out that the witnesses did not actually point to Castro and his friends. They gave police descriptions of the individuals who burned their vehicle. A “dragnet operation” followed, which entailed police going to Micasa resort where the four were staying, photographing them, and bringing back the photos to the witnesses who then said they were the perpetrators.
For Catanauan Regional Trial Court Branch 96 Presiding Judge Julius Francis Galvez, that was not a valid hot pursuit, because in the first place, police had “no probable cause or reasonable suspicion to go to the Micasa resort to conduct a follow-up operation, and then, to take pictures of the four accused.”
Photographing Castro and his friends and showing those photos to the witnesses were “contrary to the constitutional rights of the four accused against reasonable arrest,” said Galvez.
“The validity of the arrest of the four accused cannot be sustained outright on mere witnesses’ actual identification of them at the police station, in view of the foregoing explanations,” the 16-page decision read.
As a result, the court said it cannot acquire jurisdiction or hold the four on trial, so it granted the accused’s motion to quash that dismissed the case.
The four’s arrest also surfaced another legal concern – the problem with waivers during inquest. Warrantless arrests go through inquest proceedings, an expedited type of preliminary investigation, as the detainees are held without a warrant. Under the Revised Penal Code, a person arrested without a warrant should be brought to court within a maximum of 36 hours – and this is already for grave violations.
DOJ spokesperson Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano earlier said that the film director and his friends waived their rights to undergo inquest proceedings under Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code “in order to submit a counter-affidavit where the prosecutor will evaluate their defenses.”
Castro, however, said they were not properly informed about the implications of signing the waiver. They were only told that if they sign the waiver, they would have a chance to explain themselves through the submission of their counter-affidavit.
Lawyer Carmela Peña, one of Castro’s legal counsels, earlier told Rappler that although their clients signed the waiver, it was not informed consent. The counsels were not yet involved in the preliminary investigation, and they got on board only on February 5.
“By without ‘informed consent’ it means these tourists may not have been fully informed of the consequences or effects, or they may not have fully comprehended what the waiver of Article 125 is,” Peña said.
If someone who is arrested without a warrant waived his or her right to undergo inquest proceedings, as Castro did, the case undergoes regular preliminary investigation. This means the 36-hour rule will no longer be applicable, and the prosecutor will decide on the complaint without a strict deadline. In the case of the four, this would delay their freedom because they will have to wait for the prosecutor’s resolution.
“I think, this problem could be easily resolved if the Secretary of Justice will give a directive that during inquest, prosecutors should explain that when a person signed the waiver, it’s an acceptance that it’s okay for them to be detained while the preliminary investigation is ongoing,” Diokno said.
The judge’s decision, however, left a small window for the police to still pursue the case. As Galvez wrote: “This ruling does not foreclose the build-up of [Catanauan police] to determine the involvement of the four accused. This ruling cannot be interpreted as a resolution of this case on the merits which can be further strengthened by the [Catanauan police] and the prosecution thru a regular preliminary investigation.”
The PNP Calabarzon has made it clear that it will still pursue the case against the four.
In the event that the case is refiled, it will not constitute double jeopardy since their case did not reach arraignment. Arraignment is when “the judge reads the charges filed against the defendant in the complaint and the defendant chooses to plead ‘guilty,’ ‘not guilty’ or ‘no contest’ to those charges.”
Castro told Rappler that he has yet to process this announcement by the regional police. But regardless, he said he is not afraid because he has the support of his family, friends, and legal counsels.
“Ang hope ko na lang is, maliwanagan sana sila at makita nila na hindi naman kami ‘yong gumawa. At tuwing ipu-push nila na kami ‘yong gumawa, mayroong totoong gumawa no’ng krimen na nando’n lang sa labas somewhere na dapat sila ‘yong iniimbestigahan. Hangga’t dinidiin nila kami, hindi ito magkakaroon ng totoong hustisya kasi hindi talaga kami ‘yong gumawa,” he said.
(My hope is the police will be enlightened and will see that we are innocent. Every time they push us as suspects, the true suspects will continue to evade the probe. As long as they pin us, this case will not lead to justice because we are really innocent.)
On the possibility of filing counter complaints against the police who unlawfully arrested them, Castro said that they have yet to discuss this.
The cops tagged in the arrest – Police Captain Daniel dela Cruz, Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonjon Pordan, and Police Corporal Christian Abenilla – already face a less grave misconduct case over the director’s unlawful arrest. The PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS), mandated to go after erring cops, filed this administrative case motu proprio, or on its own.
However, even if the cops are found guilty in this administrative case, it usually takes months or even years before they are sanctioned. In case an adverse ruling is issued by the IAS, the cops can stall by filing an appeal. – Rappler.com
Some quotes were translated into English for brevity
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/jade-castro-response-warrantless-arrest-will-happen-again/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2BOILZgvJM1gYaffuvuzUYSJfo8sxAV_epqWUej8nfRxlXznsXm_JpKUk_aem_1QnIzAhUDvMF5jsNMevIQQ |
The Duterte dynasty: Powered by guns | Lian Buan | 11/3/2024 15:38 | The Duterte dynasty: Powered by guns
(2nd UPDATE) Former President Rodrigo Duterte and his family have a combined total of 654 firearms in their possession, according to new information obtained by Rappler
REPUBLISHED MAR 11, 2024 3:38 PM PHTFIRST PUBLISHED MAR 1, 2024 2:30 PM PHTBY Lian Buan, Jairo Bolledo, Jodesz GavilanAll illustrations by Alejandro Edoria
There are already 654 guns in the combined vault of only five members of the powerful and ruling Duterte clan, made up of mostly the handy and easy-to-use pistols and a hundred rifles, documents obtained by Rappler show. (Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of this story, we counted 477, to include only four members of the Duterte family. New information gathered allowed us to update our count.)
The patriarch, former president Rodrigo Duterte, has the most number of firearms in his collection, or 363 assorted weapons, which is five more than we earlier reported which was at the time based on records from October 2023. After our reporting, we obtained the most recent records.
His eldest, Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte has about half the size of his father’s vault, or 172 newly-licensed firearms. His youngest son, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte has 61, his son-in-law Manases Carpio has 30, and his daughter, Carpio’s wife, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, has 28. We were unable to verify if other members of the family, including the former president’s partner and children in-law, have any firearms.
These documents are in the records of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO), and were verified to be authentic by Rappler. These documents mean that the firearms in these records were licensed.
Former president Duterte passed a law on May 6, 2022 that extended the validity of a firearm to 10 years, when before a license was valid for only four years before it had to be renewed again. The former president benefitted from his own law because his 358 firearms were renewed afterwards, just weeks before he stepped down as president, and obtained 10-year licenses.
The new law he passed, RA 11766, also made it easier for him to obtain a permit to carry outside residence. Part of the amendments made to the old version, RA 10591, listed professions such as lawyers, businessmen, journalists, accountants, as having an assumed threat to their safety and thereby giving them an easier time applying for a permit. In the new law, Duterte added two: an elected official, both former and current such as himself, and retired and active law enforcement personnel.
His children also benefitted from this law because Sara and Sebastian are elected officials too: Sara was Davao City mayor before the 2022 elections, and Sebastian was Davao City vice mayor at the time.
In Sebastian’s vault of 66, there are 24 firearms with 10-year licenses or until 2033 or 2034. Paolo also has 24 firearms with 10-year licenses, because most of the firearms in his vault of 144 are expiring either this year, 2025, or 2026 – which means he can renew them by then and get a fresh 10-year license if he wishes. Sara has six firearms with 10-year licenses, and husband Manases has seven firearms with 10-year licenses expiring in the same period.
The most expensive guns in the vault, according to publicly available market pricing, are the pistols. Paolo’s Wilson Combat EDC X9S is worth P342,500, and Sebastian’s Les Baer 572 Hemi pistol is worth P300,000. The Kriss Vector SDP Gen II, one of which Rodrigo and Sebastian each own, is priced at P261,000.
The Philippines has an enduring problem of gun violence, notoriously committed by the private armies of powerful clans. Past attempts at cracking down, and abolishing the private armies have failed because of watered down legislations, such as not putting a ceiling on the number of guns an individual can own.
The law says an individual possessing at least 15 guns is already a gun collector, and can obtain a Type 5 license, provided she or he passes the required drug and psychological tests, plus a vault inspection.
Although the law does not impose a limit on the number of guns per person, the common gun collector follows regulations as guidance and usually keeps his or her collection to around 15, according to our industry sources. The more avid shooter can have more – for example, former tax commissioner and known gun enthusiast Kim Henares has 40.
Henares believes the law is right not to impose a limit on the number of guns one person can possess, but the former Cabinet member – and the late former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s shooting buddy – said the regulators must be strict in the psychological test. Under FEO guidelines, the neuro-psychiatric examination and the drug test should be done by the PNP Health Service and the crime laboratory group, respectively.
“What you should regulate is making sure who holds those guns, right? Even if you allow one person to only have one gun, if he’s unstable, it’s the same thing,” said Henares in a mix of English and Filipino.
The Dutertes did not respond to Rappler’s requests for an interview or statement for this story. Separate requests were sent to the offices of Sara, Paolo, Sebastian, and Manases Carpio. We will update this story once they respond.
Rodrigo and Sara indirectly reacted to Rappler’s stories in separate statements. On March 7, the Vice President posted a video statement, saying the reporting about her guns is part of an “organized demolition job.” She said these allegations aim to tarnish her integrity and create an image that she is a “killer, corrupt, abusive, and a warlord.”
“Makikita natin ito sa pag-atake sa confidential funds, pagpapalaganap ng video sa Commonwealth traffic, paggawa ng issue sa pagtatag ng security para sa Opisina ng Bise Presidente, paglabas ng testigo na umano’y ako ay kaparte ng Davao Death Squad, sa malisyosong ulat tungkol sa aking mga baril, at ang pambabastos sa relasyon namin ng aking asawa,” the Vice President said.
(We can see this through the attack against confidential funds, the viral Commonwealth traffic video, making an issue of the creation of a security unit for the Office of the Vice President, a witness claiming that I am part of the Davao Death Squad, through a malicious report about my guns, and the disrespect for my relationship with my husband.)
On January 30 during a press conference in Davao City, Duterte took a swipe at Rappler’s earlier reporting on his gun collection and said that many of his guns were gifts when he was president, and that all of them are licensed anyway. According to Duterte, he knew that there were inquiries about his gun collection because a cop had tipped him off.
“Kinakalkal ‘yung firearms namin kung magkano, naririnig ko eh, tumawag ‘yung FEO…Lahat ng baril ko, pati maliit na baril, lisensiyado ‘yan. Kasi mahilig ako sa baril, pina-rehistro ko lahat sa Crame. Eh sila nagtanung-tanong, marami kang baril, eh putang-ina tanong mo sa Crame, regalo ‘yan,” said Duterte.
(They were looking into our firearms, how much they were, I heard because someone from the FEO called me…. All of my guns, even my small guns, are licensed. I am into guns, so I registered them all in Crame. But they were asking – you have so many guns, son of a bitch ask Crame, they are gifts.)
The PNP-FEO told Rappler in December 2023 that the rules are uniform for everyone and that a former president such as Duterte does not enjoy special privileges.
However, records bear out that each member of the Duterte clan owns Class-A light weapons, which under RA 10591 can be bought, owned, and licensed only by law enforcement personnel.
Class-A light weapons, under the law, include self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, submachine guns, assault rifles, and light machine guns not exceeding caliber 7.62 mm which have a fully automatic mode. Their FEO records explicitly say that Rodrigo Duterre has 38 Class-A light weapons, Paolo Duterte has 24, Sara Duterte has 3, Sebastian Duterte has 1, and Manases Carpio has 1.
How are they able to license Class-A light weapons, which should have been exclusive to the military, police, and other law enforcement agencies?
It could be because the law’s exception clause applied to them. Because RA 10591 was passed only in 2013, non-law enforcement individuals (like the Dutertes) who possessed Class-A light weapons before 2013 were allowed to continue ownership of such firearms and were only required to renew their licenses. We sought clarification from the FEO on February 20 and followed up on February 28, and again on March 5, but have not yet received a response as of March 11. We will update this story once we do.
We also asked on March 8 whether the PNP will retroactively apply its recently amended internal rules to include more types of firearms in the small arms group, but we got no clear response.
Based on estimates from market retail prices, the Duterte family’s weaponry is worth a total of P24 million. Former president Duterte’s collection is worth around P5.5 million, but his sons’ vaults, although much smaller collections, have more expensive firearms.
Paolo’s collection of 172 is worth P10.2 million – more expensive than his father’s P5.5 million – based on newer documents we obtained. Based on last year’s documents, Sebastian’s collection is worth P5.4 million, Manases Carpio’s collection is worth around P2 million, and Vice President Sara Duterte’s collection is worth around P1.04 million.
When speculations spread that an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was forthcoming, the former president said he would resist arrest and he threatened violence.
“Kapag puntahan nila ako, arestuhin nila ako dito, magkabarilan talaga ‘yan at uubusin ko ang mga putanginang ‘yan (If they come for me, if they arrest me here, there will be a shootout, I will finish all those sons of bitches),” said Duterte.
The ICC is investigating the six years of Duterte’s bloody drug war, and six years of his term as mayor and vice mayor of Davao City for the killings made by the alleged Davao Death Squad.
While the Philippine government still maintains that The Hague has lost jurisdiction over the Philippine case after Duterte withdrew membership from the Court, Prosecutor Karim Khan has successfully appealed to the ICC chamber to let him continue his investigation. The probe has reached a stage where Khan can request for summons or a warrant.
Duterte has also started pushing for a rehashed idea of a Mindanao secession, which he mentioned in a nasty public word war with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in January. Opposition leader and former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Duterte’s staunch enemy, said the PNP must cancel his gun licenses if he is threatening to secede.
“Ito ay nag-incite to sedition/secession na. Malamang na gagamitin pa ang mga baril na ‘yan laban sa gobyerno (He is already inciting to sedition/secession. It’s possible he will use those firearms against the government),” Trillanes said.
A witness against Duterte’s friend and spiritual adviser, the controversial doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy, said he had once witnessed Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte leave the preacher’s compound with bags of guns. The witness said this during a Senate investigation into the violations of Quiboloy and his religious group Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) which had been accused of sexual assault.
“Minsan po pumupunta doon si former president Rodrigo Duterte at former Davao mayor Sara Duterte. ‘Pag umalis na po sila sa Glory Mountain, dala na po nila ang mga bag na siya pong mga bag na nilalagyan po ng mga baril,” said the witness during a Senate hearing on February 19. (Sometimes former president Rodrigo Duterte and former Davao mayor Sara Duterte would visit. When they leave the Glory Mountain, they would carry with them bags of guns.)
Sara Duterte responded to this accusation by imputing political motivations. “Sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, naging kagawian na ang pag-atake at pagbato ng sari-saring isyu laban sa Bise Presidente. Marahil, sapagkat ang Bise Presidente ang tumatayong pangunahing hadlang sa mga nangangarap maging pangulo,” she said on February 21.
(In the history of the Philippines, it’s been a tradition to attack and throw issues against the vice president. Perhaps, because the Vice President is the primary obstacle to those who aspire to be president.)
Former president Duterte denied that Quiboloy gave him guns, telling journalists in Davao City on February 27 that: “Kami magtanggap ng baril kay Quiboloy? It is a very stupid proposition. Bakit naman si Pastor Quiboloy magbigay sa akin ng baril? Saan siya kukuha?” (We will get guns from Quiboloy? It is a very stupid proposition. Why would Pastor Quiboloy give me guns, where will he get them?)
INSPECTION. In 1997, then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte checks out an assault rifle after inspecting a crime scene in Davao city. Renato Lumawag/Reuters
SHOOTING RANGE. In the late 1980s, then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte inspects an assault rifle at a shooting range in Davao City. Renato Lumawag/Reuters
UZI. Former mayor Rodrigo Duterte poses with his Uzi submachine gun in the mid-1990s in the mountainous village of Carmen in the Baguio District of Davao City. Reuters
ANTI-TERRORISM. On June 28, 2018, then-president Rodrigo Duterte is seen with then-Chinese envoy Zhao Jianhua at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga. Rappler
TURNOVER. Former president Rodrigo Duterte hands over the marksman rifle from then-outgoing PNP director general Ronald dela Rosa to then-newly-installed PNP director general Oscar Albayalde during the PNP change of command ceremony on April 19, 2018. Malacañang photo
FROM CHINA. On June 28, 2018, then-president Rodrigo Duterte at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, during the turnover by China to the Philippine government of rifles and ammunition to help combat terrorism. Rappler
– with a report from Ferdinand Zuasola/Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Accordingly: “The PNP-FEO told Rappler that the rules are uniform for everyone and that a former president such as Duterte does not enjoy special privileges.” Of course, the PNP-FEO can say this because the new law, RA 11766, was passed by Former President Digong Duterte to have himself as the first beneficiary. Who needs so many firearms? Are they getting them for their private armies? That new law (RA 11766) should be amended based on social justice. But who would want to amend it? It is a law that benefits only a few Filipinos yet would remain unchanged because most of our politicians and businesspersons are its primary beneficiaries – so few yet so powerful.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/duterte-dynasty-powered-by-guns/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2y1pLkbmoiteUI-WGeqejQB30A2qXKDTlCZ6Z5WMtMPJCBk-1JsP5Vb6U_aem_WVGzgcpSV_rcxH1mbb2LKQ |
West Visayas State University invalidates admissions exams over leak | Herbie G | 16/03/2024 12:06 | TEST. Students take the admission test at the Wedtern Visayas State University in La Paz District, Iloilo City on March 10, 2024.
Western Visayas State University
BACOLOD, Philippines – The state-run West Visayas State University (WVSU) has invalidated its March 10 college admission tests based on investigation results that showed that questionnaires have been leaked to several examinees.
The decision was announced on Friday, March 15, just five days after the admissions tests were given to 11,600 examinees at its main campus in Iloilo alone.
The WVSU also invalidated the exams given in other testing centers. All in all, around 20,000 examinees were affected by the decision.
In press statement, the WVSU said, “The administration and the Board of Regents have agreed to invalidate the WVSUCAT 2024 conducted on March 10, 2024, based on the committee’s preliminary reports. There is reason to believe that the integrity of the examination has been compromised.”
The investigation came in response to a viral Facebook post on March 13 by the social media marketing director of a consultancy firm, CJ Gania Barnezo Arellano, who called out the WVSU about the leakage.
The post showed his younger sister, who took the exams, claiming that several examinees had copies of the WVSU questionaires before the exams were given.
The WVSU said it would schedule another round of admission tests, which students would need to take again in the main campus and various testing centers. No date has been set as of this posting.
“We empathize with the student examinees and their families for the inconvenience this has created. With that, we express our sincerest apologies,” read part of the WVSU statement.
It also said, “While the administration has moved forward through this difficult decision, we assure the public that the ongoing investigation will continue to proceed to identify accountable individuals for this breach.”
Members of the WVSU alumni hailed the university’s decision.
WVSU alumnus and Iloilo historian Nereo Lujan said the move showed the importance of keeping honesty and integrity in the educational institution.
“The act of dishonesty, if not corrected, may breed incompetent and dishonest professionals in various fields in the future,” said Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) program director Novie Guazo, another WVSU alumnus. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/west-visayas-state-university-invalidates-admissions-tests-leak/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR01p3S58zuGyvhhMtj0mnxfg9-Ri3bqM8Y0115se_G8-JKVy5KMt3HHgHI_aem__OT-JZSNuHpsnEIe4PUxpA |
Grassfire hits 35 hectares of Mount Kanlaon Natural Park in Negros Occidental | Mia Gonzalez | 16/03/2024 10:59 | GRASSFIRE. Fire hits part of the Mount Kanlaon Natural Park on March 14, 2024, in La Castella town in Negros Occidental.
PhoCourtesy of Rose Campus
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – A grassfire affected 35 hectares of trees and grassland in Mount Kanlaon Natural Park (MKNP) in La Castellana town in Negros Occidental on Thursday, March 14.
According to the report of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) of La Castellana town, the fire first broke out in Purok Pastuhan and spread over portions of Mananawin and Masulog villages. It was declared fire out on Friday afternoon, March 15.
La Castellana Mayor Rhummyla Mangalimutan said that the fire did not affect the major tree line of the natural park on the town’s side, and that town officials had been in close contact with the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) for an aerial inspection of the affected area.
Mangalimutan said that the fire may have been due to unlawful tree-cutting and exacerbated by the excessive heat in the area.
Digicast Negros quoted Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya as saying that it was difficult for the volunteers and firefighters to stop the fire from spreading because it was a two-hour climb from the natural park’s administration center. Instead, they drew a fire line to stop the fire from spreading.
The MKNK was established in 1934 for the protection and preservation of the natural resources surrounding Mount Kanlaon, an active volcano and the highest mountain in Negros Occidental. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/fire-mount-kanlaon-natural-park-negros-occidental-march-2024/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0uTbiqxMj07OUhpMH53dDZQwqJiE4McggfOVq-RN4BEWpH9zCp7QCoPa4_aem_lJWMYUdF5aC18ZrG1DXQSw |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.