Windows26: Weekend Roundup: Sara Duterte ‘not friends’ with Bongbong Marcos; visits Leni Robredo in Naga

Hello there, reader!

More firms are being linked to Alice Guo, and a former Iloilo City mayor was forced to tag Mar Roxas as a "drug lord." Additionally, Sara Duterte visited Leni Robredo in Naga City.

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

FURTHER BREAKUP

'We're not friends'

In what could be seen as another intensifying rift between two major political forces, Vice President Sara Duterte said that she and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are "not friends" despite being running mates in the 2022 elections. Duterte said it in response to questions about whether she and the President had met or talked about the issues thrown against her.

Duterte did not reveal her future political plans when asked by reporters, but she has made one thing clear: she's never teaming up with the Marcoses again. On the sidelines of a House of Representatives hearing, she was asked about her plans, particularly for 2028 — or when the next presidential elections would be held.

During the said House hearing, Duterte defiantly refused to take the oath to be truthful in the probe, claiming that it was a "well-funded and coordinated political attack" against her supposed plans to run for president. She pointed to politics as the motivation for the House inquiry into her alleged irregular use of funds.

The vice president also told House lawmakers that they may try to "destroy" her, but they will find her "unbowed." In her speech during the House committee on good government and public accountability hearing, Duterte said she would continue to serve the Filipino people "no matter the personal cost or political intrigue."

NEXT MONTH

Cheaper plane tickets

Plane fares will continue to go down next month with the implementation of the year-low fuel surcharge, a welcome development that is seen to further boost travel during the holiday season. Learn more here about what awaits passengers this October.

INQFOCUS

Chinese espionage

With the Senate finding out that Alice Guo, who was elected mayor in 2022, is not a Filipino but a Chinese, concerns over the likelihood of Chinese espionage in the Philippines intensified. Read more about how it "comes in many forms" in this special report by Kurt dela Peña.

INQFOCUS

Middle class by 2040?

Philippine officials have set an ambitious target to turn the country into a predominantly middle society by 2040, where poverty is a thing of the past. The goal, however, faces significant challenges. Learn more about these setbacks in this in-depth story by Cristina Eloisa Baclig.

ON MY RADAR

Must-reads