Windows26: August 2024

Friday 30 August 2024

Weekend Roundup: Sara Duterte’s budget grilled, Alice Guo’s whereabouts, and more

Hello, reader!

This week's biggest stories include the heated House deliberations on Vice President Sara Duterte's budget, Shiela Guo's revelations about her sister Alice, and the ongoing hunt for Apollo Quiboloy.

This is your Weekend Roundup, your weekly fix for everything you need to catch up.

'BAD PRECEDENT'

On Sara's budget

Pun intended or not, they all agreed that Vice President Sara Duterte may have just set a "bad precedent." Tuesday's House deliberations on the proposed 2025 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) broke the mold when it came to parliamentary procedure and simple decorum, according to lawmakers who expressed disappointment at Duterte's combative behavior during the five-hour hearing.

Tensions at the house committee on appropriations hearing on the OVP proposed 2025 budget started to flare after VP Duterte refused to answer several questions, especially regarding confidential funds (CF).

She also brought up the impeachment case against herself, claiming that a House member has a recording of lawmakers discussing a possible complaint. Duterte mentioned she has the recording but would refrain from releasing it.

In the hearing, Duterte is faulting the "political climate surrounding her office" for the possible discontinuation or non-fulfillment of some projects of the institution. She also blamed politics over how financial aid is being distributed among government agencies.

Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo has also disputed VP Duterte's claims about a "script" where the CF issue was weaponized, saying answering queries about the OVP budget was the hardest point in her career as a lawmaker.

According to Senate President Francis Escudero's observation, Vice President Duterte's behavior during the hearing on the proposed budget of her office next year shows that she is not used to not getting things her way.

INQFOCUS

Mpox explainer

Earlier this month, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the first mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) case in the Philippines, bringing the total laboratory-confirmed cases in the country to 10 since the global outbreak began in 2022. Learn more about what it is, how it spreads, and how to care for patients.

INQFOCUS

OVP budget

In deliberations on the budget of the OVP, Congress has always heeded what many politicians described as "parliamentary courtesy," or the practice of letting the budget sail smoothly. But it seemed to be absent in the case of VP Duterte, who is being questioned on how they spent their confidential funds in just 11 days. Learn more about OVP's budget through the years.

ON MY RADAR

Ten must-reads

Freeze on Quiboloy assets extended to February 2025
Shiela Guo confirms escaping PH with siblings Alice, Wesley via boat
60 cops hurt as hunt for Quiboloy continues
Alice Guo to be slapped with perjury, disobedience charges – Gatchalian
Recto bats for Maharlika investment in NGCP
How Jericho helped Janine understand her role in 'Lavender Fields'
Why Rufa Mae Quinto didn't mind losing in 'LOL': The game got really dirty
From kapwa to hiya: What our language reveals about being Filipino
Decoding Gen Z and Alpha slang
Column of the Week: Politicizing the VP's budget?

Thanks for reading our Weekend Roundup, reader!

Apologies for missing last week's update due to a technical issue with our email service provider. We're back now and will see you again next week! For suggestions and feedback, please reach out to me at newsletter@inquirer.net.

Sincerely,

Samuel Yap

Digital Content Distribution

August 31, 2024

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Thursday 29 August 2024

Freeze on Quiboloy assets extended to February 2025

UPDATE PREFERENCES

August 30, 2024

Hi, reader! Today, we're covering the freezing of Quiboloy assets until February 2025, dengue spike in Iloilo City, and the brother of an NDFP consultant reported missing.

Freeze on Quiboloy assets extended to February 2025

The Court of Appeals (CA) has extended the freeze order on the bank accounts, real estate properties and other assets registered in the name of fugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy and his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) sect.

Read the full story

Zambales resort cries foul over 'unlawful' search for Guo

The management of Emon Pulo Beach Resort at Silanguin Cove in this town has denied allegations that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo used their resort as an escape route, fleeing with her group via two speedboats.

Read more

Dengue spike puts Iloilo City under state of calamity

The city of Iloilo has been placed under a state of calamity to boost the local government's response to the increasing number of dengue cases here.

Read more

Brother of NDFP consultant reported missing

A younger brother of a former consultant for the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) during the failed peace talks with the Duterte administration has gone missing and the human rights group Karapatan on Thursday strongly suspected that he may have been abducted by state forces.

Read more

AFP thanks US offer of aid on WPS but will exhaust all options first

Though thankful for the US offer to join rotation and resupply missions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner said the military would exhaust all options first before seeking help.

Read more

EDITORIAL: Stronger response to China's bullying

Clearly, stronger moves are in order to deter China's bullying tactics. Continuing a beefed up patrol of disputed areas, and holding regular war games with allied countries are a good start, while Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro's suggestion for us to look into a wider interpretation of the country's defense pact with the US bears serious study.

Read more

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