Windows26: Weekend Roundup: Marcos-Duterte’s widening rift, KathDen’s historic box office record, and more

Hello, reader!

This week, we covered President Marcos' response to VP Duterte's controversial remarks and heightened security following her alleged "kill order." Plus, KathDen's historic box office hit.

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

UNITEAM NO MORE

Widening rift

After letting past tirades of Vice President Sara Duterte pass, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lashed back at his constitutional successor's latest rant, which he described as a diversionary tactic to stifle Congress' search for truth on her office's use of confidential funds.

Duterte's statement that she hired a person to kill Marcos is an "active threat," Malacañang said. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin has referred the matter to the Presidential Security Command (PSC) "for immediate proper action."

The PSC has "heightened and strengthened" its security measures following the vice president's assassination remark targeting the president, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

According to Sara, however, her statement was "not a threat" as she backtracked on her remarks. She clarified that it was just a warning about her planned "revenge from the grave" should she end up dead amid a threat to her life.

NBI SUBPOENA

Duterte no-show

No one is above the law, the Department of Justice (DOJ) stressed amid questions raised over the filing of cases against VP Duterte. DOJ Undersecretary Jesse Andres explained that holding high positions in government does not exempt public officials from accountability.

With the DOJ's directive, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) issued a subpoena to the vice president regarding her alleged assassination threat against the president. She was commanded to appear before the NBI Main Office on Friday, November 29.

In particular, the subpoena was meant "to shed light on the investigation for alleged grave threats" under Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Section 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act and for a possible violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

But Duterte was a no-show at the NBI on Friday, citing a scheduling mix-up. Instead, she sent her lawyer to the bureau's headquarters in Manila to request a rescheduling of her appearance to address her inflammatory remarks.

INQFOCUS

Nuisance, Bio-N

Our in-depth stories this week include Kurt Dela Peña's report on landless farmers getting a taste of owning land, cheaper PH-made fertilizer in chains, as well as Cristina Eloisa Baclig's explainer on what constitutes a nuisance candidate.