Claim: A message on Facebook Messenger warned Facebook users against receiving vaccinations from health centers.

The message claimed that there might be members of the Islamic State (ISIS) group pretending to administer vaccinations at health centers, but are actually spreading the AIDS virus instead. They were supposedly doing this to retaliate against the government.

The message advised readers not to let themselves be vaccinated lest they be victims of this scam.

The full message read:

"te Paki inform mga friends nyo na my nag iikot daw sa Pinas taga medical center cla kunyari anti tetanus o anupaman wag daw magpabakuna kc mdami daw nagkakalat member ng muslim isis [Islamic State] group iinject daw aids virus pampatay sa mga tao para mkaganti sa gobyerno wag kamo cla mag entertain ng mga ganon at dlikado post u na now k,ipinasa lng sa akin ito, bka totoo e mabuti na ring alm nyo ng makapag-ingat. Pls.pass as many as you can..

(Please inform your friends that there are people in the Philippines who are pretending to be members of medical centers and are pretending to give out anti-tetanus [shots] or something similar. Don’t let yourself be vaccinated because there are many members the Muslim ISIS [Islamic State] group who will inject the AIDS virus to kill people in order to retaliate against the government. Don’t entertain those, they’re dangerous. This was just passed on to me, it might be true, so it’s better that you know and be careful. Please pass this on to as many as you can.)

Rating: FALSE

Facts: The Department of Health (DOH) denied that there were any official reports about ISIS members moving within their health centers to spread AIDS.

The agency told Rappler in a text message: “We don’t have any report of such activities. This kind of rumor does nothing but erode public trust in vaccines.”

In a previous interview with Rappler, Health Undersecretary Enrique Domingo said the department was still recovering from the Dengvaxia dengue vaccine scare that erupted in November 2017.

At the time, pharmaceutical company Sanofi announced that Dengvaxia was effective for individuals who had been previously infected with the dengue virus, but posed more risks to those who had never been infected before. This news came after a school-based immunization program was launched in 2016. (READ: Dengvaxia sale approved for dengue-endemic areas in Europe)

Domingo said that many parents were still wary of any kind of intervention from the DOH, be it an injection or a pill. As a result, parents did not want their children to even be dewormed, and participants of certain studies begged off. – Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

MANILA, Philippines – House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr bared a list showing that legislators’ requests for projects under the road users’ tax funds managed by the graft-riddled Road Board has reached P1.958 billion as of 2018.

At least 6 lawmakers – two senators and 4 district and party-list representatives – confirmed Andaya’s statement that while the budget requests were approved by the Road Board, no funds have been released yet. 

Also included in Andaya’s list are requests made by 32 district engineerings and two regional directors. Together with the requests of lawmakers, the unreleased funds from the Road Board are equal to P5,345,450,237.7.

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin Diokno – a member of the Road Board – explained that he had been withholding the release of the funds because lawmakers are allegedly interested in using the money for the 2019 elections. 

But Andaya – who has been accusing Diokno of being the mastermind behind alleged insertions in the 2018 and the proposed 2019 budgets – said the DBM chief is reserving the funds for the campaign of administration allies.

“Puwede talaga. Kasi, as of today, pirma na lang niya kulang to release. Ma-abolish [man] ang Road Board, siya pa rin ang mag-release. Win-win ’yan sa kanya. Nillito niya kayo,” Andaya said in a text message on Thursday, December 20.

(It’s really possible. Because, as of today, only his signature is missing for the release to happen. Even if the Road Board is abolished, he will still be the one to release the funds. It’s a win-win for him. He’s confusing you.)

Malacañang, however, already tagged Andaya’s claim as “nonsense.”

But just how much in taxpayers’ money is involved here? At least P1,958,280,983.78, based on Andaya’s list. 

The list: The list Andaya presented to reporters this week involves a total of two senators and 42 representatives who allegedly made various road maintenance budget requests in different provinces through the Road Board.

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How does the Road Board work? The Road Board was established by Republic Act 8794 in 2000 under then-president and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The board is meant to manage and use the funds from motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC) or road users’ tax, as the agency does not get allocation from the national budget. 

The Road Board is a collegial body composed of the secretaries of the DBM, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Transportation, and Department of Finance as ex-officio members, and 3 representatives of private transportation organizations.

The road users’ tax is meant to be used for road maintenance and air pollution control projects only. 

The tax collections from the MVUC go to 4 special trust accounts created by the National Treasury:

• 80% to the special Road Support Fund
• 5% to the Special Local Road Fund
• 7.5% to the Special Road Safety fund
• 7.5% to the Special Vehicle Pollution Control Fund

Road Board officials have long been accused of graft, with a Commission on Audit finding that the agency misappropriated P90.7 billion in road users' tax.

This was the reason President Rodrigo Duterte and senators sought to pass a bill that would abolish the Road Board. The House of Representatives had passed the same measure on 3rd and final reading during the term of bill author and ousted speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

But after Alvarez was ousted by Arroyo as Speaker, the House plenary withdrew its support for the Road Board abolition bill. (READ: Senate leaders ask Duterte to intervene as House voids Road Board abolition)

Andaya said he had a “private conversation” with Duterte himself, where the President “said categorically [to] resume releases of MVUC.” This is contrary to what Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo and senators are saying about Duterte's support for the Road Board abolition.

Senators’ requested before decision to abolish Road Board: Both senators Franklin Drilon and Juan Edgardo Angara confirmed to Rappler that they indeed requested for the projects listed beside their names in the table above.

But Angara clarified their requests were made before Duterte and Congress agreed that a bill must be passed to abolish the Road Board.

“We voted with the rest of the Senate for the Board’s abolition. Any requests for projects were made before the President and Congress worked for abolition,” he said.

Drilon told Rappler he made the request to release P16 million for the lighting program for the Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr Avenue, saying funding for projects like this can be sourced only through the road users’ tax. 

“I made the request during PNoy’s (ex-president Benigno Aquino) term, only because funding of national road lighting can be sourced only from road users’ tax, not from GAA (General Appropriations Act). I had no knowledge of Road Board action, but project was not implemented and no funds were released,” Drilon told Rappler.

Angara also confirmed requesting 3 projects in the Aurora with a total worth of P86 million together with his aunt, Aurora Representative Bellaflor Angara Castillo, sometime in 2016.  

Like Drilon’s request, no funds were disbursed for the guardrails along A. Castañeda-Ma. Aurora-San Luisa Road and the Baler-Casiguran Road, as well as the asphalt overlay project along Baler-Casiguran Road.

More unreleased funds by Diokno?

Surigao del Sur 2nd District Representative Johnny Pimentel also confirmed the non-release of the P40 million he requested for an asphalt overlay project along Surigao-Davao Coastal Road and another P19.36 million for road signs along the same area. 

He shared Andaya’s belief that the reason the funds were not released was because Diokno supposedly is reserving the money for administration bets in 2019.

Pimentel even alleged that Diokno did not release a total of P4.2 billion worth of road users’ tax funds. 

“Actually, I did my own investigation and I found out a total of P4.2 billion of projects, which were duly approved by the Road Board and were submitted to DBM for the release of funds, but for unknown reasons, Secretary Diokno has withheld the release…. I should know this because I constantly followed it up with DBM but to no avail,” said Pimentel.

Cibac Representative Sherwin Tugna confirmed he had requested sometime in 2017 for a P10 million worth of drainage improvement project along the Baliwag-Candaba Road in Central Luzon.

But he countered Diokno’s accusation that he allegedly wanted to use the money to fund his 2019 campaign. Tugna pointed that he is ending his 3rd term as congressman next year, and he is not seeking an elected office in the polls. 

He added that Cibac has won for 3 consecutive elections in Baliwag, Bulacan, where residents had told him they needed an improvement in their drainage system.

“Pati legislator naman na nag-request talaga sa discretionary fund na lehitimo ay ’dinadamay niya, ina-associate niya na korap. [That’s] unfair,” said Tugna. (He is implicating us legislators who requested through a legitimate discretionary fund, linking us to corruption. That’s unfair.)

Mistakes in the list, Andaya's theory wrong: One glaring mistake in Andaya’s list, however, involves the 9 road maintenance projects that Pampanga 3rd District Representative Aurelio Gonzales Jr supposedly requested for, amounting to P52.054 million. 

Gonzales told Rappler he had not made any budget requests through the Road Board, citing the corruption allegations thrown at the agency. He believes his name was being used for someone else’s benefit. 

“’Di ko alam bakit nandiyan ’yan. Ginamit ’yong pangalan ko. Ginagamit lang tayo. Nakakagalit din eh.... Maganda [sana] kung ibigay na lang sa bagong kalsada [’yong pera],” said Gonzales. (I don’t know why my name is there. They are using my name. This makes me angry…. It would have been better if the money will just be used to fund new roads.)

Akbayan Representative Tom Villarin also refused to believe the fund requests were withheld by Diokno for the benefit of administration allies. 

Villarin explained the release of funds ultimately rests on the DBM. He then hit Andaya, whom he  accused of using the road users’ tax funds as a way to get back at opposition legislators during the presidency of Arroyo. Andaya was Arroyo’s budget chief. 

“It’s really discretionary on the part of DBM and the administration whom to give these funds. Congressman Andaya’s suspicion is also based on his experience during the presidency of Speaker GMA as budget secretary when opposition legislators projects’ funding were not released. So the shoe is on the other foot,” said Villarin.

Villarin admitted that he had asked for P12.599 million for an asphalt overlay project along Butuan City-CDO, but he wanted the line item to be included in the 2018 General Appropriations Act. He ultimately did not get the funds, as then-speaker Pantaleon Alvarez gave zero infrastructure allocations for opposition lawmakers in 2018.

llocos Norte 1st District Representative Rodolfo Fariñas, who was majority leader under Alvarez, also said his district did not receive any Road Board funds. 

But he slammed Andaya for saying the non-release of Road Board funds is detrimental to Congress. He criticized the current House leadership for standing firm on its withdrawal of support for the Road Board abolition bill. 

“What he (Andaya) ‘believes’ cannot be ‘proof’ but pure opinion or conjecture. Secretary Diokno categorically stated that the executive department believes that the Road Board is usurping the power of the legislature to appropriate public funds. Hence, it shares our approved bill calling for the abolition of the Road Board,” said Fariñas. 

“The law creating and empowering it to decide on the use of such public funds is an undue delegation of legislative powers. Anyway, since the HOR has approved its abolition, with the Senate giving its concurrence, and the President saying he will approve such bill, why is the present House leadership so desirous to keep it alive?” asked Fariñas. 

Unreleased road users’ tax funds must be returned to the National Treasury. As lawmakers and Diokno continue to point fingers at each other, Filipino taxpayers can only wonder what services could have been funded instead by a discretionary fund of such dizzying amount. – Rappler.com

AT A GLANCE

• The '60s and '70s saw the Filipinos' growing fascination with beauty pageants, thanks to wins in the Miss Universe and Miss International pageants
• Pageant camps were established and adopted modules and techniques from Venezuela to train candidates
• Feminists believe that beauty pageants simply put importance on looks, while others like beauty queen candidates say these have helped them promote their advocacies

PART 1

MANILA, Philippines – The Miss Universe crown is back in the Philippines. On Monday, December 17, Manila time, the country won its 4^th crown courtesy of Filipino-Australian beauty queen Catriona Gray, who bested 93 other candidates for the top plum.

Cheers all over the country erupted as Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa placed the Mikimoto crown on her head. Catriona's win came 7 days before Christmas, leaving Filipinos with something to celebrate. (IN PHOTOS: Catriona Gray wins Miss Universe 2018)

Her much-talked-about “lava” walk made headlines, as it went viral after the preliminary competition. Pageant fans (and some candidates) even tried to imitate the twirl during the competition.

Fashion bloggers and magazines raved about her evening gowns by designer Mak Tumang as they depicted stories from Filipino literature. (READ: What you need to know about Catriona Gray's 'Ibong Adarna'-inspired evening gown)

Three days later, she returned to Manila where she was met by screaming fans and the media who tried to ambush her for interviews as she made her way to a press conference sponsored by former Ilocos Sur governor Luis “Chavit” Singson’s group.

She was in town for a charity event, which she graced on Thursday, December 20, as she went to an orphanage to donate toys for kids and a check on behalf of the Miss Universe Organization. (READ: Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray on the importance of giving this Christmas)

Clearly, the nation was bursting with happiness with her win. But it was not all merry as some netizens frowned on her answer during the final Q&A, pointing out that she "romanticized" poverty. (READ: ‘Problematic, romanticized:' Netizens hit Catriona Gray’s winning answer)

Filipino pageant enthusiasts believe that Catriona's win shows that women joining beauty contests today is not just about having beautiful faces but also about having the brains. However, some still believe that the purpose of pageants is outdated and that they still objectify women who show of their toned bodies in swimsuits.

So the debate and purpose of beauty pageants in the Philippines continues. Does it empower women or does it objectify them?

History of pageantry 

History shows that Filipinos' love for pageantry can be traced back to the Santacruzan which was a celebration in honor of the search for the Holy Cross by Helena of Constantinople.

During the American occupation, the concept of the carnival queen was introduced. The carnival queen was part of a project to strengthen the friendship between the Philippines and the US.

After World War II, a contest was held for an airline company. This contest would lead to a chapter on the Filipinos' growing fascination with pageants.

In 1964, Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc (BPCI) was established. The group is headed by the first Miss International, Stella Marquez of Colombia (she later married Jorge Araneta of the Philippines). BPCI is responsible for picking the ladies to be sent to Miss Universe and Miss International beauty pageants. It also does charity work.

The love for pageantry started to grow with the establishment of the Miss Universe pageant in 1952. Finland's Armi Kauusela, became the first Miss Universe. She would later on have ties with the Philippines, marrying Filipino businessman Virgilio Hilario after her reign.

But in 1969, the Filipinos' fascination with Miss Universe changed forever. Aside from the first man landing on the moon and the advancement of television, the country produced its first winner – Gloria Diaz, who later went on to become an actress.

Prior to Gloria, Gemma Cruz won Miss International in 1964. Their respective wins would be replicated in the '70s courtesy of Aurora Pijuan (1970) and Melanie Marquez (1979) for Miss International. 

Four years after Gloria, Margarita "Margie" Moran won Miss Universe in 1973. Their wins would cement the country's love for the pageant.

Filipinos continued to be glued to television as Filipino representative after representative went abroad to compete in various pageants. Precious Lara Quigaman gave hope to the country once more in 2005 when she won Miss International.

In 2010, Venus Raj ushered in what everyone calls another "golden era" for Philippine pageantry. She went on to bag the 4th runner-up position in Miss Universe. Her placements would be replicated by the likes of Shamcey Supsup (Miss Universe 2011 3rd runner-up), Janine Tugonon (Miss Universe 2012 1st runner-up), and Ariella Arida (Miss Universe 2013 3rd runner-up). Mary Jean Lastimosa, Maxine Medina, and Rachel Peters would end up as either part of the Top 10 or Top 6.

After 42 years, the Philippines was in the spotlight once more when Pia Wurtzbach took home the country's 3rd Miss Universe crown in 2015. Despite a mistake by host Steve Harvey, Filipino fans saw Pia's reign as something unforgettable.

She was taken in a motorcade around Manila and became a topic everywhere she went. Her stints as an advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness and showbiz duties were monitored and scrutinized by the public.

Other queens were not forgotten. The year 2013 saw the country's first Miss World courtesy of Megan Young. A 5th Miss International title was won by Bea Rose Santiago and Mutya Datul got the first Miss Supranational crown. In 2014, Jamie Herrell won Miss Earth and a back-to-back win happened in 2015, thanks to Angelia Ong.

The year 2016 also saw a 6th title in the Miss International pageant courtesy of Kylie Verzosa, while in 2017, Karen Ibasco grabbed the 4th Miss Earth crown.

The Philippines was no doubt Asia's powerhouse in pageantry, thanks to the wins of these ladies. The country would win crowns one after the other, either as a main winner or a runner-up.

Pageant training

Credit goes to the changes that have been made. Ladies competing used to be sent abroad for training in Colombia or Venezuela. But with the establishment of the beauty pageant camps, this has changed.

Rodgil Flores – the man behind Kagandahang Flores and the one who trained the likes of Bea Rose Santiago, Jamie Herrell, Angelia Ong, and Karen Ibasco – said that they adopted the rules they got from watching the ladies of Venezuela. That country has produced many titleholders under pageant coach and mentor Osmel Sousa.

"It’s always like that right? You get the best practices from those who have succeeded. That was the inspiration for it. It’s not in a way copying it, but what I mean is, when you are passionate about your craft, you’re passionate about fielding girls in national pageants, eventually international pageants. Of course, you research, you study. The successful story was Venezuela at that time. You see that they have the proper training. And we kind of adopted that,” Flores said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Flores would coach his wards in the evenings. He is known for training the ladies in the "duck" walk, which is part swaying their hips as part of the exercise.

Adam Genato, writer and correspondent for Sash Factor, a website dedicated to beauty pageants, also pointed out the importance of pageant camps. He said that Filipinas have become fighters when competing for a crown.

“Because before, if you compared it to the last decade… I’m basing it from Miss Universe, most of our delegates this decade wanted to up their notch when it came to their A game in Miss Universe,” Genato said.

“Credit goes to the camps of these girls as to why they’ve been performing well in the international stage. Because like 20 years ago, I don’t know who is training the girls in their international competitions. Was it just sir Pitoy Moreno, or the handlers only? They were not as aggressive, not as tedious, or the training was not hard enough,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

But Filipinos are not the only ones getting trained. With the country's winning streak, more and more ladies from other countries have come to be coached in beauty camps such as Aces and Queens and Kagandahang Flores.

Miss International 2017 Kevin Lilliana of Indonesia trained under Flores. The 2018 Puteri Indonesia titleholders led by Sonia Citra, who competed alongside Catriona, were spotted watching a beauty pageant. They also underwent training under Flores last September.

Francesca Mifsud, Miss Universe Malta 2018, underwent pageant training in the Philippines in September, where she took pasarela (pageant catwalk) training under the guidance of Mharvz Napoles.

Ecuador's representative, Virginia Limongi, reportedly trained under Aces and Queens. The same Aces and Queens produced the likes of Pia Wurtzbach, Megan Young, and Kylie Verzosa.

Empowerment or objectification of women?

Despite the wins and the training that Filipino candidates experienced, the debate on Filipinos' love for pageants continues. Some believe that there are more important things than holding pageants in the country. (READ: The Philippines' beauty pageant obsession: Who benefits?)

Aurora de Dios, executive director of the Women and Gender Institute of Miriam College, and former chairperson of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (now known as Philippine Commission for Women), said that she has nothing against women joining competitions but there are other ways to empower oneself.

De Dios recalled that at one point after Gemma Cruz won, it was Gemma herself who led a protest against pageantry in the country.

“She (Gemma Cruz) led the group of women – Gabriela at the time, to protest the pageant…well because you're paraded around [in] your bathing suit and you are measured by your physical attributes,” De Dios said.

“To me, that is kind of exploitative…because they are measured like a cow – for your beauty, for your hips, for your butt, etc. , with the idea that there's a perfect norm about beauty. And then of course the measure of your beauty, whether you are tisay (mestiza or white) and definitely are not supposed to be colored.

“So the idea of beauty that has been projected in this pageant is not only physically, you know, very physical in terms of its indicator of beauty, but also very racial even in the Philippines. So for that reason, I think, if you project beauty, it can be defined by any other indicator, but this one is very physical and they come. It's also a contest where women compete for the title.”

As to whether it empowers, De Dios said: “Is it empowering to me? It has always been exploitative. That’s what I think about it…and who are the judges? [They] are mostly dirty old men. Some are women, of course. The other is whether it is empowering or not. I think in the Philippines, with abject poverty, such that almost 60%, 70% of our people are poor, I've always believed that what makes us happy and what saves us [are] two things. People are just hopeful that their situation will get better."

Nathalie Verceles, director for the Center of Women’s and Gender Studies of the University of the Philippines, said that she has noticed that many of the candidates in the contests have been projected by the organizations behind the competitions as empowered women. While she has nothing against women competing, she said she would like to see more.

"For us, empowerment is…having control over your life, in your choices, having control over your body. If we look at it from that perspective, you have to talk to the individual candidates in terms of how they see themselves with respect to these notions of empowerment. Do they really feel free when they're winners? Because when you're a reigning titleholder, I think the parameters are different as opposed to after you finish your reign."

She said she's interested in knowing whether the women joined pageants not to win, but because there were opportunities provided after their reign.

But others like the beauty queens themselves see that joining contests can be of help.

Pauline Amelinckx, Mutya ng Pilipinas 2018 Global Beauty Queen, said: “Pageantry actually provides a very nice platform for girls of my age, even men of our age for their advocacy – to be part of something great, part of projects, and that like. And also, it’s not just only about us, but also about people that we bring together that support us. We fill stadiums and I think that’s something beautiful. That’s something I like about pageantry, especially here in the Philippines, because it’s such a big celebration here."

Peter Sereno, a former Filipino-Australian beauty pageant coach and commentator, who helped train Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins, said that women are smart about getting into these types of contests.

"I think there are certain women out there who recognize, and are in touch with, their femininity, knowing that in this industry, sex sells. The smart woman recognizes this and uses her God-given powers to influence and advance her causes as well as her own interests. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s about playing the game and not being hypocritical about it," he said.

Clearly the modern Filipino women know how to win and play the game of pageantry. – Rappler.com

To be concluded 

AT A GLANCE

• Some international competitions have removed the swimsuit portion to keep up with the  times
• Asia is the next market of beauty pageant organizations after South America
• Pageants attach importance to the candidate's advocacies and back story as part of the contest 

PART 1: Beauty pageants in the Philippines | Empowerment or objectification of women?

PART 2 | CONCLUSION

MANILA, Philippines – Beauty pageants are part of Philippine culture. From the smallest barangays to the national titles, it's clear that many ladies dream of representing the Philippines in the international pageant scene.

With the training provided by pageant camps such as Aces and Queens and Kagandahang Flores, ladies aspiring to be the next Pia Wurtzbach or Catriona Gray go through a lot. From hair, makeup, clothes, and posture, these camps lend their services to make the dreams of these women come true.

But where do pageants fit in the current scene? How do they evolve themselves to keep up with the current times – the advent of the #MeToo movement and women criticizing pageants as being outdated and sexist?

The changes in pageantry

Aurora de Dios, executive director of the Women and Gender Institute of Miriam College, and former chairperson of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, said despite the criticism of beauty contests, they will be around for as long as people continue to watch or support them. She also said that women now joining contests don't rely on their looks alone.

"They have to be something else. They must be more than just a body. They have to have brains. And they have to have a sense of service. So it's changing in that way – now it's no longer just physical...if you're just very beautiful but you don't have anything to say about anything, then you're not within the standards. It is improving but I still have to see a beauty contest that does not exploit the body of women,” she said.

Some international contests like Miss America, Miss Teen USA, and Miss World have also removed the swimsuit competition. 

In an interview, Gretchen Carlson, who chairs Miss America, said of their decision to axe the swimsuit portion: "We are no longer a pageant, we are a competition. We will no longer judge our candidates on their outward physical appearance. That’s huge.”

Miss Teen USA, for its part, got rid of the swimsuits and replaced them with sportswear back in 2016.

Miss World, which coincidentally started as a bikini contest, announced it was removing the swimsuit competition in 2014. 

While some praised the move, some queens said they hope not all contests will do the same.

Miss World Philippines 2017 Laura Lehmann said she commends the emphasis beyond looks, but admitted it's not the same if the swimsuit portion is taken out.

“As a beauty queen, you’ll feel people judging you, but what’s important is you know what you want and you know why you’re there. And for me, swimsuits empower women because [for] you [to] look good, you must work for it,” she said.

No national pageant in the Philippines has removed the swimsuit competition. Even Miss World Philippines continues with the tradition.

Jonas Gaffud, one of the 3 people behind Aces and Queens (the others being Arnold Mercado and lawyer Nad Bronce), told Rappler in an interview that while a beautiful face and fit body are still needed, pageants are now looking for an all-around lady who can represent them. As a trainer, he also picks women who can be of good influence.

“At the end of the day, we talk to the [girls] one on one and we tell them that when they win, they should use that crown to do something for humanity. That’s cliché for some people. But it’s real. We do that.”

Advocacies

Beauty pageants are slowly making changes in their setup as they realize that pretty faces aren't enough. A full package is a must – looks, eloquence, charisma, and more. Advocacies are now emphasized.

Binibining Pilipinas, the organization that chooses representatives to Miss Universe and Miss International, has focused for many years now on outreaches involving children and wounded soldiers.

Titleholders spend time with kids in orphanages and do reading sessions. Others have their own specific passions. Newly-crowned Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, for example, is a spokesperson for Young Focus, an organization dedicated to providing education opportunities in Tondo, Manila. She's also supporting Love Yourself, which educates people on HIV and AIDS awareness.

International organizations such as Miss Universe and Miss World have been doing charity work as well. The past years saw these pageants invest in projects such as HIV/AIDS awareness and cleft palate operations, or education for children.

In a speech during a program for Love Yourself early this year, Catriona, who has been involved in charity work prior to joining pageants, shared why she got involved in HIV/AIDS education. (WATCH: Catriona Gray, JC Santos share journey as HIV/AIDS awareness spokespersons)

"It took losing a good friend of mine at the age of 26. It didn't just seem fair that at that age, that you haven't been given that chance to go about your life, to pursue your dream, to pursue your career, that your life is just snatched away from you from something that can be easily prevented," she said.

Her answer during the final Q&A also showed her passion for the children of Tondo. (WATCH: Catriona Gray inspires in 'We're In This Together' music video)

"I work a lot in the slums of Tondo, Manila, and the life there is very poor and very sad. I’ve always taught myself to look for the beauty in it, to look for the beauty in the faces of the children, and to be grateful. I would bring this aspect as a Miss Universe to see situations with a silver lining, and to assess where I could give something, where I could provide something as a spokesperson. If I could teach also people to be grateful, we could have an amazing world where negativity could not grow and foster, and children would have a smile on their face," she said.

On the subject of advocacies, Peter Sereno, former beauty pageant coach and commentator, said that while charity work and walking on stage are opposites, there's some advantage.

"If you think about it, strutting around in a swimsuit on stage has nothing to do with feeding starving children. But if it makes rich men [and women] take notice and put their hands in their very deep pockets to fund a chosen charity, then I say go for it."

Back stories of the candidates have also played a major role in the competitions in the past years. In the Miss Universe 2018 pageant, for example, many were touched by the story of Vietnam's H’hen Nie, who worked her way to the top by taking a job as a domestic helper just to go to school and study economics.

She went on to become a model and win Miss Vietnam to represent the country in the Miss Universe pageant. She placed in the Top 5, the highest placement the country has ever gotten.

And if that was not enough, she donated the prize money she got from winning Miss Vietnam to build a library in the countryside where she comes from. The Miss Universe Vietnam organization also said in a post that H'hen will be donating the money she got from her Miss Universe earnings to support causes close to her heart.

 Asia is the market for pageants

Clearly pageants will be around for a while. Proof is the mushrooming of pageants every year, particularly in Asia – there are now female, male, gay, or even transwomen competitions.

The continent, without a doubt, is the next place for pageants. In 2017, 3 out of the top 4 pageants – Miss Earth (Philippines), Miss World (India), and Miss International (Indonesia) were won by Asian countries.

In 2018, two out of 4 pageants were won by women from Asian countries – Vietnam (Miss Earth) and the Philippines (Miss Universe).

It's also interesting that the year 2018 saw Asian countries hosting the big 4 pageants – Miss Earth, which has been held in the Philippines for many years, Miss International, which counts Japan as its home base, Miss World, which returned to Sanya, China, and Miss Universe in Bangkok, Thailand.

Aside from the Philippines, Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the likes of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Nepal are also getting into the pageant scene. Indonesia has already won Miss International in 2017 courtesy of Kevin Lilliana, the first big crown for the country.

Some of them have even hired Filipino trainers, fashion designers, and makeup artists to prepare their respective candidates. (READ: Miss Vietnam's Pinoy trainer talks about teaching the fan favorite)

Beauty pageants are admittedly a business, too. While organizers have not disclosed the earnings they get or spend, one of the ways they are able to mount pageants is through sponsorships.

In an article by pageant blogger Jesson Capuchino, he said that Bb Pilipinas, which is under former beauty queen Stella Araneta, has been earning from the sponsors to sustain the pageant itself. The money is also used for the training of the queens, their wardrobes, and various preparations for their competition.

Bessie Besana, fashion designer and one of those behind Miss World Philippines said: “It has always been a business…the reason why there’s a Miss Universe pageant is because it was a swimwear competition. And the reason it became Miss Universe is because it needed to show women in swimsuits.

“At the forefront, it was a business that started a beauty pageant. So it’s still that and it is a business. And I don’t think it will ever be a different way."

Besana was referring to Catalina swimsuits, the company that used to sponsor Miss America. It later left the pageant and founded Miss Universe and its sister pageant Miss USA.

A 2013 article by Asian Fortune enumerated some of the causes candidates spend for in their dream to be a beauty queen in the US. Evening gowns at that time would run up to US$2,000 while pageant coaching and interviews would cost from $450-$1,000.

While the Miss Universe 2019 edition is still a year away, former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson, in an interview said that he will be helping stage the pageant in South Korea. Singson was the one who brought the pageant to Manila for the 2016 edition, which happened in January 2017.

Although pageants have brought a lot of benefits to some women, there have also been horror stories associated with them – accusations of pimping women and stories of sexual harassment are rampant.

Recently, the Miss Earth pageant got embroiled in controversy after candidates came forward and accused a sponsor of harassing them during the contest.

Nathalie Verceles, director for the Center of Women’s and Gender Studies of the University of the Philippines said of the issue: “I would be interested in protecting the safety, the dignity, the security of all the pageant contestants, given that these pageants are going to be around and multiply.”

CJ Hirro, Miss Global 2016 1st runner-up, posted on Instagram in November, that pageant organizers should get yearly reviews to earn the right to conduct competitions.

"I really hope someday, that there will be a body that will govern all national male and female pageants – from payment of promises of winnings, conduct of pre- and post-pageant activities, and contracts, among many others," she said.

"Pageant directors and organizers should be subjected to yearly reviews for clearance to conduct another pageant and should be penalized for wrongdoings."

Hirro, a rape survivor, also encouraged candidates to speak up if they find themselves in uncomfortable situations.

"In all my Q and A training sessions with beauty queens, I warn them about this and tell them not to be scared to call people out and speak up if it happens to them."

Keeping up with the changes

Pageantry in the Philippines is evolving, as seen in the changes recently adopted by the organizers. International pageants are also adapting to the times, with Miss Universe always reminding the ladies to be "Confidently Beautiful" and Miss World emphasizing its "Beauty with a Purpose" project.

Questions in the Q and A have also gotten tough to test the candidate's knowledge of current events. In Binibining Pilipinas this year, topics on the rehabilitation of Marawi and "Build, Build, Build" program were asked, while issues pertaining to the #MeToo movement, press freedom, and legalization of marijuana were asked in Miss Universe. (READ: TRANSCRIPT: Miss Universe 2018 opening statements, Q&A, final word)

One cannot simply say that beauty contests empower or objectify women – they do both in different situations. Looks are still scrutinized in competitions, and with the addition of social media, candidates are subjected to more criticism and bashing – from head to toe, and even for their acts. 

But contests have also given them a voice to push for the causes they believe in. Many of them make use of moments to attend talks, reach out to big business companies, and share their experiences in various activities.

Whatever side one takes on the issue of beauty pageants, it's probably safe to say that with the Philippines enjoying its position as a powerhouse in the pageant industry, Filipino fans will continue to show support for the candidates in any way they can – from power-voting to cheering for them live.

In beauty pageants, the reality is that, looks will always matter. After all, pageants are fundamentally still beauty contests.

But given the accomplishments of the Filipino queens of late, their act and performance will be tough to follow for the next batch of ladies.– Rappler.com

Claim: A post on Facebook by former UNTV station manager and talk show host Jay Sonza alleges that an address in Cainta, Rizal, belongs to the Ateneo Junior High School student* who has since been dismissed for bullying other students. (READ: Ateneo Junior High School probes bullying caught on video)

The post, published on Friday, December 21, includes the bully’s alleged address that has been making the rounds on social media. Sonza asks in his post, “Dito po ba nakatira si kid bonsai? (Is this where kid bonsai lives?)” 

It has been shared more than 1,000 times since its posting.

Rating: FALSE

Facts: The address that has been circulating on social media as the bully’s belongs to a school, chapel, and home of a senior pastor and his family. (READ: Ateneo bully's alleged address? It belongs to pastor's family)

The family has been receiving food deliveries in the bully’s name and is being made to pay for them. As of December 21, fast-food deliveries worth P7,000 had been sent to them.

Pending orders from the online shopping site Lazada worth P37,000 and P17,000 were also sent to the family’s address. According to Jewel Taculod, the daughter of the senior pastor, these orders were not approved for delivery since calls for confirmation went unanswered.

Taculod added that more people have been passing by their home, prompting them to post a piece of paper outside, stating that it is not the address of the bully from Ateneo.

Taculod is asking the public to stop sharing her and her family’s address because they are not connected with the former Ateneo student and because they feel unsafe. – Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

*Specific names not mentioned to protect the identity of a minor.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

MANILA, Philippines – When newsroom fact checkers and wary netizens check for the authenticity of a claim online, they look for primary sources to verify facts. There have been cases when claims are attributed to “experts” to lend these posts credibility and legitimacy.

But are these claims always true?

To look into how disinformation can spread through the misuse, and abuse, of the label “expert,” Rappler took a look at the 2018 headlines of The Daily Sentry, a website known for publishing false or misleading claims. We identified 66 mentions of 13 so-called experts.

Below is a table that shows these mentions, along with the headline of the articles published, the bylines attached to them, the dates they were published, and what they were about. 

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Out of the 66 mentions, the name Adam Garrie was repeated the most at 27 times, with different titles to his name: geopolitical expert, Eurasia expert, UK geopolitical expert, international political expert, foreign political expert, foreign expert, UK political expert, foreign expert and writer, Asian geopolitical expert, trade expert, political analyst expert, political analyst, UK political commentator, and just plain "expert."

Rounding out the top 5 “experts” cited by The Daily Sentry were Jun Avelino (11 times) who was labeled an “international relations” or “foreign relations expert;” Sass Sasot (8 times) who was tagged an “international relations expert;” MJ Quiambao Reyes (7 times) who was labeled an “international trade” or “trade expert;” and Paula Defensor-Knack (5 times) who was called an “international criminal law expert.”

A Google search of Garrie showed that he is the director a website called Eurasia Future and that he has been a guest on many TV and internet shows. A closer look showed that most of his published work are opinion pieces, while others were written for websites that post misleading articles like The Duran.

Eurasia Future is a website "offering the latest policy and analysis on the most important events shaping our world today," according to its Facebook page. The website itself does not have an "About" page nor a list of editorial board members.

Garrie has also been a guest on "CrossTalk,” a segment on RT (formerly Russia Today) and on "The Debate,” a segment on Press TV.

Despite his many contributions to publications and shows, Garrie’s academic background is not available on the biographies that are written about him in these publications.

In the academe, Garrie does not have published research, too. Teresa Encarnacion Tadem, who is executive director of the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies and a professor in the UP Diliman Department of Political Science, said she has not heard of him. 

RT

RT, according to its website, is an international news network that "covers stories overlooked by the mainstream media, provides alternative perspectives on current affairs, and acquaints international audiences with a Russian viewpoint on major global events." RT is financed by the Russian government. 

The controversial Russian network was identified by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence in January 2017 as the primary source of propaganda that the Russians used to further their interests in the 2016 US elections. (READ: PCOO warned vs getting info dissemination training from China, Russia)

Early in December, the United Kingdom's communications regulator Office of Communications (Ofcom) ruled that RT had broken TV impartiality rules in 7 of their programs. Out of the 7, three of the segments that broke impartiality rules were from the CrossTalk program.

Press TV and IRIB

Press TV is an Iranian international news channel affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). IRIB is independent of the Iranian government but its head is appointed directly by the supreme leader Ali Khamenei. 

IRIB also has a history of spreading disinformation. The US Department of the Treasury in 2013 identified IRIB as a network that broadcast false reports and forced confessions of political detainees.

In August, Google deleted 58 accounts on YouTube, Google+, and Blogger that were involved in “politically motivated phishing." The accounts had ties to IRIB.

Why mislabel experts?

As the with the example of Garrie, the concepts of “expert” and “expertise” are a lot more nuanced than many would think.

The label of "expert" has long been debated by neuroscientists, philosophers, and sociologists, since it's been so contested, being wrongly labeled as one could be accidental. 

However, using the label wrongly could also have darker motives.

Finnish researcher Tuukka Ylä-Anttila published a study in January that said that right-wing populists use “counter-knowledge” as a tool to further their agenda.

De La Salle University (DLSU) communication associate professor Cheryll Soriano also said that citing so-called experts could also be used to strengthen people’s biases – the result is an echo chamber: “It’s very hard to convince people when they are already hardcore and all they want is to look for people to validate their own biases already. And so these [claims] exist, I feel, to feed those biases.”

Their purpose, she explained further, is not to convince a new audience of the veracity of their claim, but to maintain the support of those who already believe them.

Can 'experts' be trusted?

When it comes to Garrie and the other "experts" mentioned in other news reports and blog posts, it's up to individuals to decide for themselves if they are to believe in them. 

What's important, said Soriano, is to be wary of, and to question what, you’re reading on the internet.

“[To avoid being deceived by false labels of expertise, one important thing is] strengthening people’s capacity to question. When something or an article is labeled as written by an expert, we have to contest how that label of expertise came about and whether that labeling of someone being an expert or an authority on something is perhaps politically motivated,” Soriano said.

Soriano also noted that according to University of Liverpool Cognitive Psychology professor Fernand Gobet’s definition of expertise, there are a lot of definitions of the term “expert” that had been proposed before – like experience, diplomas, measures of expertise (like wealth, number of citations, or number of books published), rank (as in sports), and presence of talent – that do not necessarily fit the dictionary definition.

These measures might be used when citing experts in blog posts or news reports, but are not always reliable.

As a member of the academe, Soriano finds it helpful to look at where "experts" are published and what other people in their field of study think of them.

“The vetting process [before being published] is, I guess, trusted as a standard in academia, and we trust that…your ideas and your thinking improve [with] the process of peer review,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.

The number of times a person was cited as a source and to know who trusts them enough to cite them is also something to look into. Soriano added: “Whether they are experts in the field who sow their trust [in you], or even if they do not completely agree with your knowledge claims, they may add to your claim, but they will recognize your expertise.” – with reports from Michael Bueza/Rappler.com

Claim: Ateneo Junior High School (AJHS) plans to delete all the videos of one of their former students bullying other kids.

This claim was made on a blog post on the site dutertenews4network.com on Friday, December 21.

The blog post does not have any explanatory text. It only contains a video, published on December 20, from the YouTube channel Tokhang TV.

Rating: FALSE

Facts: The content of the video is an excerpt of a CNN Philippines live report. It begins by explaining the viral videos of the AJHS boy who was bullying other kids, then goes into the school vice principal’s statement about the incident.

There is no mention of Ateneo wanting the viral videos of the bully to be taken down.

A look through CNN Philippines’ videos on Facebook shows that the Tokhang TV’s 10-minute video was taken from their Thursday, December 20 reports.

Since the bullying videos went viral, Ateneo has investigated the incident and dismissed the bully in question.

Many false news reports about the incident have also spread. One claimed that Senator Risa Hontiveros defended the bully, saying he was “just practicing taekwondo.” Another claimed that a certain address was his.

The YouTube channel Tokhang TV is known for taking existing news reports and misleading the public with false video titles. Rappler has fact checked the following false claims from the channel:

• FACT CHECK: No results yet in ongoing 2016 VP election recount
• MISLEADING: 186 mayors and governors lose police escort
• FACT CHECK: Sereno not suing journalist Stephen Sackur
• HOAX: Mislatel 'already installed' a submarine cable in November 2018
• MISLEADING: Philippines now ‘number one fastest growing economy’
• Misleading: Senators 'block' approval of federalism budget
• FACT CHECK: No quo warranto petition against Duterte Cabinet

– Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

If you suspect a Facebook page, group, account, a website, or an article is spreading false information, let Rappler know by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

Claim: The father of an Ateneo Junior High School student in the bullying incident caught on a now-viral video is a policeman who was assigned at one point in Mindanao for being a scalawag.

On Saturday, December 22, the Facebook page Raffy Tulfo Supporters uploaded a video from Radyo Pilipinas, which featured an interview with former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Rafael Alunan III.

The video was posted with the following caption:

Tatay ng Bully ay Police Scalawag. Kaya naman pala. Panoorin ang rebelasyon ni dating DILG secretary Raffy Alunan tungkol sa tatay ng basagulerong atenista. Pakikalat po para mapakinggan ng mga kababayan natin ang sinabi ng dating kalihim.

(The father of the bully is a police scalawag. So that is why. Watch this revelation by former Secretary Raffy Alunan about the father of the troublesome Atenean. Spread the word so that our countrymen can listen to what the former secretary said.)

In the interview, Alunan, citing unnamed "sources" within the Philippine National Police (PNP), said this:

Nagtanong-tanong ako kung bakit ganon itong mga batang ito. They feel that they are untouchable and entitled to hurt others. Ang balita sa akin, at tsinek ko ito sa PNP, ay scalawag pala itong tatay, eh. Saka 'tinapon 'ata sa Mindanao for being a scalawag, and I am looking into his background kung bakit scalawag itong lokong ito. Because the PNP should not tolerate that. If this guy is a scalawag, they should file cases against him and kick him out of the force.

(I asked around about why these boys are like this. They feel that they are untouchable and entitled to hurt others. I was told, and I checked this with the PNP, that the father of these kids is a scalawag. And he got assigned to Mindanao for being a scalawag. I am looking into his background to find out why this person is a scalawag. Vecause the PNP should not tolerate that. If this guy is a scalawag, they should file cases against him and kick him out of the force.)

Alunan further speculated that the 14-year-old boy, a taekwondo practitioner, "appeared drunk or into drugs."

"Maybe this family is into drugs. That is why it should be looked into. There should be a formal investigation because if this bullying does not stop, these guys will be tomorrow's crime stories," Alunan further said.

Rating: FALSE

The Facts: Queries into databases listing PNP personnel – including their Personnel Accounting System, Records Management Division, and the Directorate for Personnel Records Management – show that there is no PNP member bearing the reported name of the father of the alleged bully.* Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Chief Superintendent Benigno Durana Jr told Rappler this in a phone interview.

The listings checked included former and current personnel, and even those tagged as absent without leave (AWOL), according to Durana. “With due respect to former Secretary Alunan, our database is more reliable than his sources.”

Ateneo de Manila University has not named the student. Durana said they based the name to query on reports online which indicated that the alleged bully is a “Jr.”

“There are 71 Facebook accounts with that name at the moment,” Durana pointed out.

Following a probe, Ateneo has since announced that it dismissed the student caught bullying.

This is not the only unverified information, however, which was circulated on Facebook related to the bullying case.

An unsuspecting family found themselves in the middle of the mess when a number of posts circulated their home address as the supposed address of the alleged bully. Thousands of pesos worth of fastfood and shopping sites deliveries wrongly ended up at their home.

Senator Risa Hontiveros also found her face plastered on memes that made it appear she said the Ateneo student who was caught being violent to his classmate was not bullying, but was merely “practicing taekwondo."– Gemma B. Mendoza/Rappler.com

*Specific names not mentioned to protect the identity of a minor.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

Claim: Posts circulating online claim that 16 countries have filed a petition to ban Filipino delegates of mixed ethnicity from representing the Philippines in Miss Universe.

The same text was posted on the blog yeheeybizfriendsofficials.blogspot.com on December 22, and on viralpro.net and on the Facebook PhilippineViewsDotCom on December 23.

PhilippineViewsDotCom’s post has garnered more than 27,000 shares since it was posted.

The claim that is circulating on the yeheeybizfriendsofficials.blogspot.com is headlined “Half Blood Pinay Bawal na Sumali sa Miss Universe, Vietnam at Thailand Filed a Petitions Including 14 Countries.” (Half-blood Filipinos are not allowed to join Miss Universe anymore, Vietnam and Thailand filed a petition including 14 other countries)

It named 16 countries that allegedly signed the petition to ban Filipino candidates of mixed ethnicity, such as Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, and Indonesia, among others.

A quote from Indonesia’s petition supposedly read: “We really think this is an insult not only to the organization but to the whole Asian region. The Philippines is the only Asian country to use half-Filipina contestant in the last five years. There is no law that has been violated but it is ethically unacceptable.”

Miss Universe Organization president Paula Shugart suposedly said the following to German media: “We are looking into this kind of possibilities and we respect all country-members. If there are multiple complains then we have to take action. No final decision has been made so far.”

Rating: FALSE

Facts: The Miss Universe Organization has not issued any ban. The rules on the Miss Universe website even do not specify any requirements on race or citizenship for applicants.

Binibining Pilipinas has also not announced any rule banning half-Filipinos from joining the Miss Universe Philippines competition. Bb Pilipinas is the organization that holds the annual national competition that decides the Philippines’ delegate to Miss Universe.

Their rules, as stated on their website, require proofs of citizenship and residency.

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray moved to the Philippines when she was 18 years old, while Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach was born in Germany but was raised in the Philippines.

Miss Universe contestants from the Philippines were not the only ones from Asia in the last 5 years who were of mixed ethnicity. For example, Ariana Miyamoto, who represented Japan in the 2015 competition and placed in the Top 10, was of Japanese and African American descent. Miss Universe Malaysia 2017 Samantha Katie James is also of mixed ethnicity.

The blog yeheeybizfriendsofficials.blogspot.com does not have an "about" page or a list of editorial board members who can be contacted. – Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – This is how the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) commemorates its 50th year anniversary on Wednesday, December 26: no holiday truce with the military and no hope for resumed talks with the government it once supported.

What has changed?

In 2016, the hawks in the military weren’t too happy when President Rodrigo Duterte set up his Cabinet and entrusted a few of posts to leftists.

The former mayor who kept his city safe by befriending communist guerrillas managed to get their full backing when he campaigned for the presidency, and in the early years of his administration. In exchange, Duterte promised land reform and an independent foreign policy. He freed detained high-ranking rebel leaders even as he visited military camps to persuade generals and soldiers to support the peace process he had initiated with the movement.

“I am the president belonging to the Left,” Duterte said on December 13, 2016, on the 5th month of an unprecedented long ceasefire between the military and the communist armed group New People’s Army (NPA). 

“The Reds would never demand my ouster. They will die for me, believe me. That’s the reason why I was able to convince them for a [peace] talk,” Duterte said back then.

In 2018, Duterte started singing a different tune, acting like he'd been deceived by a friend.

He cancelled peace talks with finality, declared the CPP a terrorist organization, purged his Cabinet of leftists, launched an all-out war against them, and installed one general after another in the bureaucracy.

“Itong komunista (These communists), I’m no longer ready to talk to you. I’ve done it before. Magmukha lang tayong gago (We will only end up looking stupid),” Duterte said early this month.

Series of blows

Localized peace efforts. Talks with the CPP-led National Democratic Front collapsed in February 2017, but in that year, Duterte was still torn between pursuing the negotiations and abandoning them altogether. (READ: The end of the affair? Duterte's romance with the Reds)

In 2018, he made up his mind. 

The communists suffered a series of blows that culminated in the issuance of Executive Order 70  on December 4, shifting government strategy to the so-called “whole-of-nation” approach that envisions to provide livelihood and development in known communist areas while demanding the mass surrender of rebels and their supporters. It is almost akin to the “localized peace talks” that the CPP had rejected. 

A National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, led by Duterte and Esperon, was created to seek the active involvement of local government units to craft livelihood and development projects in their areas even as they entice rebels to surrender. 

Terror list. In March, the military got the justice department to declare as “terrorists” up to 600 names and aliases it listed as alleged CPP members. In September, then Armed Forces chief General Carlito Galvez Jr went to town accusing Sison and the CPP of masterminding the supposed Red October plot against Duterte, naming universities said to be fertile ground for recruitment. (READ: 2018 blockbuster: Red October plot vs Duterte)

Military-led DSWD. In October, former Army chief retired general Rolando Bautista took the helm of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), a position previously occupied by CPP nominee and longtime activist Judy Taguiwalo.

Troop deployment. In November, Duterte ordered the deployment of more troops to the Bicol region and the provinces of Samar, Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental – areas outside Mindanao with known communist presence – following the collapse of another attempt at backchannel talks. 

“Our localized peace efforts have achieved far more success in less than a year than the numerous formal talks abroad since the 80’s,” said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in a statement on November 14.

Joma: Duterte led us on

CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison said the military prevailed upon Duterte. 

He named the triumvirate of Lorenzana, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr, and Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año – all retired generals – as the most influential in Duterte's major decisions regarding the Left.

Indeed, the commander in chief has come to depend more on the military for his key decisions and firefighting moves. By the end of 2018, a third of Duterte’s Cabinet are now retired military men. (READ: List: Duterte's military and police appointees)

Ultimately, Sison puts the blame squarely on his former student. “Pero si Duterte pa rin ang No. 1 anti-peace. Walang magagawa ang mga asungot kung ano na ang desisyon ng commander-in-chief (But Duterte is No. 1 anti-peace. The followers shouldn’t have a choice but to follow the commander-in-chief). If he likes it, then he submits it for approval to his generals,” Sison told Rappler in an online interview on December 10.

Sison said Duterte lied to them.

“Sinungaling siya. Nangako siya na i-amnesty at palayain ang mga political prisoners. Nang presidente na siya, agad ayaw na niya (He’s a liar. He promised to grant amnesty to political prisoners. When he became president, he didn’t want to do it anymore),” Sison said. 

But the rebels were also accused of bad faith during the process, such as collecting taxes and mounting attacks on government forces.

Generals question sincerity of Reds, too

It is true it’s hard to find an all-out supporter of the peace talks with Reds within the military. Many officers hesitate to believe that the communist rebels would give up ambition to take over government.

A general cited speeches of communist leaders supposedly admitting that the talks were merely a tactical move to advance a "democratic revolution," a revolutionary change without violence. 

What would make the military believe the CPP’s sincerity? The general said the top rebel leaders can start by denouncing the armed struggle in public, which, to many, is wishful thinking.

While the countryside enjoyed 6 months of ceasefire at the start of the peace talks – from August 2016 to February 2017 – it did little to build confidence between the military and the NPA.

In the middle of the ceasefire in 2016, the CPP held its first plenum in a long time to elect a new set of leaders that includes young members. In a statement, the CPP said the new leaders "reaffirm[ed] the necessity of waging armed revolution" and presented strategy and tactics "to advance the protracted people's war towards complete victory."

Both camps accused each other of abusing the ceasefire. The military was accused of entering “NPA areas” as if to bait the rebels to break the ceasefire. The NPA allegedly took advantage of the lull in fighting to boost recruitment. 

Francisco Lara, government consultant to the talks, said blame goes to both sides for the collapse of the talks, citing failure to get their respective constituencies behind the process.

Impossible demands?

Both sides also asked for conditions that could not be met by the other, said Lara. 

In the on-and-off peace talks, there was an impression that Duterte was only interested in a ceasefire while Sison and the communists were perceived to be wanting only the immediate release of about 400 political prisoners. 

The word war laden with curses and abuse drowned promises to address the root causes of Asia's longest insurgency. Concerns about ceasefire and prisoner release dominated the public conversation instead of the implementation of true land reform in the Philippines – the core of the talks – and how to realistically proceed with the endeavor that will cost the government P98 billion to acquire up to one million hectares of “contentious” properties for distribution to the poor. 

Duterte did promise to grant amnesty to political prisoners, but Lara said it is reasonable to expect the release of all prisoners only after a political settlement. “He didn’t give a timeframe,” Lara said. 

Daily reports from Año

While talks on the table heated up over allegations of failed promises, the situation on the ground grew increasingly untenable until a clash in January 2017 broke the ceasefire while talks were ongoing in Rome. It was a portent of things to come.

Año, a veteran intelligence officer, also began sending Duterte daily incident reports. Each and every firefight, alleged burning of equipment, and collection of revolutionary taxes was reported to Duterte. 

When the military accused the NPA of overkill when it emptied guns on a supposedly unarmed soldier, Duterte defended his troops. “Anong tingin mo sa sundalo? Aso?(What do you think of soldiers? Dogs?),” an angry Duterte said.

As he received one military report after another, Duterte's resolve and commitment to his longtime allies began to crumble.

To top it all, the President recently named a general as his peace adviser.

Retired AFP chief Galvez, who was behind “Red October” bogey, will be replacing Jesus Dureza as head of the Office of Presidential Adviser for Peace Process.

Galvez immediately thumbed down the possibility of resuming talks with Sison and the NDF. “EO 70 is very clear. It is a nationally orchestrated local engagement. It’s been years talking with them and nothing happens. We will look at other possibilities,” said Galvez. 

It’s the perfect coup against a stubborn enemy. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – In 2018, the Philippines lost a number of icons and newsmakers in various fields, from politics to sports, and from business to showbiz.

Some of them made headlines, some inspired the nation, while some left a lasting legacy. One way or another, they made their mark in their respective industries and communities.

A few of the names in the list are politicians and priests killed under the Duterte administration this year. (GALLERY: Who are the mayors, vice mayors killed under Duterte?)

In the gallery below, surnames are arranged in alphabetical order. Click on a photo to read more.

Then, in the pop-up window that appears, click the arrow on either side of the newsmaker's photo to navigate through the gallery. Click on a newsmaker's name to read the article about him or her.

{source}

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<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding">
<a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/DA234BFBD5D241C096795E6694A6DD40/fortunato-abat_DA234BFBD5D241C096795E6694A6DD40.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="March 7, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/197676-former-defense-secretary-fortunato-abat-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Fortunato Abat, 92&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Former secretary, Department of National Defense&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Abat was the defense secretary from 1997 to 1998 under President Fidel Ramos. He headed the government peace panel during its negotiations with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). In 2005, Abat and some members of his Coalition for National Solidarity were arrested in 2005 after he proclaimed himself president under a revolutionary government, in protest against the Arroyo administration. Photo by Joel Nito/AFP">
<div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/DA234BFBD5D241C096795E6694A6DD40/fortunato-abat_DA234BFBD5D241C096795E6694A6DD40.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a>
<span style="font-size: small;">Abat</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/E823D3589DD94403B2128C6EFF92B184/jon-ramon-aboitiz-november-30-2018-02_E823D3589DD94403B2128C6EFF92B184.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="November 30, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/business/217886-businessman-jon-ramon-aboitiz-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Jon Ramon Aboitiz, 70&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Businessman&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Aboitiz is the chairman of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, one of the country’s most valuable family conglomerates. He died due to a &quot;lingering illness.&quot; In 2018, he and his brother Mikel were 33rd richest in the Philippines, according to Forbes Magazine. Photo from Aboitiz Group's website"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/E823D3589DD94403B2128C6EFF92B184/jon-ramon-aboitiz-november-30-2018-02_E823D3589DD94403B2128C6EFF92B184.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Aboitiz</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/086FEE2FC979488E9D3A9C6A35A6B135/img/C6BC01B8E88543F289D85D7F58445478/nap-abueva-february-16-2018_C6BC01B8E88543F289D85D7F58445478.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="February 16, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/196186-national-artist-sculpture-napoleon-abueva-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Napoleon Abueva, 88&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Sculptor, National Artist&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Abueva is the father of Philippine modern sculpture. He was the youngest National Artist awardee at age 46. Photo by Melvyn Calderon"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/086FEE2FC979488E9D3A9C6A35A6B135/img/C6BC01B8E88543F289D85D7F58445478/nap-abueva-february-16-2018_C6BC01B8E88543F289D85D7F58445478.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Abueva</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/AD893F5C998B4DE2A10B434F4523B983/angara-edgardo.jpeg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="May 13, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/202410-former-senate-president-edgardo-angara-death' target='_blank'&gt;Edgardo Angara, 83&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Former senator&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Angara began his political career when he was elected in 1971 as Quezon province's delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He soon became the longest-serving senator in the post-EDSA Senate, from 1987 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2013. He also served as Senate President from 1993 to 1995. Angara died from an apparent heart attack, said his son and Senator Juan Edgardo Angara. Photo by Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/AD893F5C998B4DE2A10B434F4523B983/angara-edgardo.jpeg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Angara</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/4ACB916E5A1249EB9CB3D98C3B8013ED/img/A192CF41849B41F6985B9F9D94F67820/valentin-araneta-20180222_A192CF41849B41F6985B9F9D94F67820.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="February 21, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/business/196678-bangko-sentral-pilipinas-valentin-araneta-death' target='_blank'&gt;Valentin Araneta, 69&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Banker, government official&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Araneta built a career in private banking before serving as Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board member in July 2014. Photo from BSP website"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/4ACB916E5A1249EB9CB3D98C3B8013ED/img/A192CF41849B41F6985B9F9D94F67820/valentin-araneta-20180222_A192CF41849B41F6985B9F9D94F67820.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Araneta</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/90FBD1D974934698A04033DD8397DB67/img/61261CBE4F5F442E80DB7B21C1FADAA3/Genesis-Tisoy-Argoncillo-June-21-2018-02_61261CBE4F5F442E80DB7B21C1FADAA3.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="June 6, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/205449-exclusive-arrested-tambay-genesis-argoncillo-death-certificate-photos' target='_blank'&gt;Genesis Argoncillo, 25&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Detainee&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Argoncillo died under the watch of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), which claimed his fellow inmates at Station 4 beat him to death. He was arrested in the &quot;anti-tambay&quot; campaign of QCPD. Photo from Marilou Argoncillo's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/90FBD1D974934698A04033DD8397DB67/img/61261CBE4F5F442E80DB7B21C1FADAA3/Genesis-Tisoy-Argoncillo-June-21-2018-02_61261CBE4F5F442E80DB7B21C1FADAA3.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Argoncillo</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/85CD5E3DA88C470B9A5DDA6618E7F0EE/img/EDEEF15810D9457582CC5F2ADDCACE18/rosario-bandal_EDEEF15810D9457582CC5F2ADDCACE18.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="August 13, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/other-sports/209682-filipina-chess-player-rosario-bandal-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Rosario &quot;Charito&quot; Bandal, 78&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Chess player&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Charito Bandal was one of the country’s top women chess players in the 1970s. Photo from Bandal's Facebook account"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/85CD5E3DA88C470B9A5DDA6618E7F0EE/img/EDEEF15810D9457582CC5F2ADDCACE18/rosario-bandal_EDEEF15810D9457582CC5F2ADDCACE18.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Bandal</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/872F26E7780E44F5BA79DE73616AD549/img/CB35A0FC2BD94B9E9FE039D6678B6465/20181222-batocabe_CB35A0FC2BD94B9E9FE039D6678B6465.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="December 22, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/219472-rodel-batocabe-killed-albay-december-2018' target='_blank'&gt;Rodel Batocabe, 52&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Representative, AKO Bicol party list&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Batocabe was ambushed after a gift-giving activity in Daraga, Albay, where he would have run for mayor. He was the first congressman to be killed under the Duterte administration. Photo by Mara Cepeda/Rappler"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/872F26E7780E44F5BA79DE73616AD549/img/CB35A0FC2BD94B9E9FE039D6678B6465/20181222-batocabe_CB35A0FC2BD94B9E9FE039D6678B6465.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Batocabe</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/7E7D9659F68C477BBB5ECD476D1549CE/img/BCB690B567EB439290FBDEB0A318AA87/cirilobautistadlsuphoto_BCB690B567EB439290FBDEB0A318AA87.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="May 6, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/arts-and-culture/201871-national-artist-literature-cirilo-bautista-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Cirilo Bautista, 76&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Writer, National Artist&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bautista is a National Artist for Literature. Some of his notable works include <em>Summer Suns</em> (1963), <em>Words and Battlefields</em> (1998), <em>The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus</em> (2001), and <em>Galaw ng Asoge</em> (2003). Photo from De La Salle University Department of Literature's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/7E7D9659F68C477BBB5ECD476D1549CE/img/BCB690B567EB439290FBDEB0A318AA87/cirilobautistadlsuphoto_BCB690B567EB439290FBDEB0A318AA87.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Bautista</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/B6F9818B384B4EFA8B7E71B42B6F2232/img/0E6201D2A30B4AF190D51FE16F434D57/gawad-urian-2016-2735_0E6201D2A30B4AF190D51FE16F434D57.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="March 8, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/197691-actor-bernardo-bernardo-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Bernardo Bernardo, 73&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Actor&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bernardo was known for playing Steve in <em>Home Along the Riles</em>. His recent works included roles in <em>Ang Larawan</em>, <em>Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis</em>, and <em>The Significant Other</em>. It was earlier reported that he had a tumor in the pancreas. Photo by Paolo Abad/Rappler"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/B6F9818B384B4EFA8B7E71B42B6F2232/img/0E6201D2A30B4AF190D51FE16F434D57/gawad-urian-2016-2735_0E6201D2A30B4AF190D51FE16F434D57.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Bernardo</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/E57B0800EEE647E694B43083DE72BCF8/ferdinand-bote-july-3-2018_E57B0800EEE647E694B43083DE72BCF8.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="July 3, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/206415-general-tinio-nueva-ecija-mayor-ferdinand-bote-ambushed' target='_blank'&gt;Ferdinand Bote, 57&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Mayor, General Tinio, Nueva Ecija&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mayor Bote was ambushed by a motorcycle-riding suspect in Cabanatuan City. His killing came a day after that of Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili. Photo from Mabuhay Papaya LGU Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/E57B0800EEE647E694B43083DE72BCF8/ferdinand-bote-july-3-2018_E57B0800EEE647E694B43083DE72BCF8.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Bote</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/E7E3F2201F5945C8BB53B4F31B10B11B/alexander-buquing_E7E3F2201F5945C8BB53B4F31B10B11B.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="October 1, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/213279-la-union-mayor-buquing-ambushed-october-1' target='_blank'&gt;Alexander Buquing, 50&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Mayor, Sudipen, La Union&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mayor Buquing was shot dead by a gunman on board a white pick-up, while his convoy was passing a neighboring town. Photo courtesy of Sudipen municipal government"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/E7E3F2201F5945C8BB53B4F31B10B11B/alexander-buquing_E7E3F2201F5945C8BB53B4F31B10B11B.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Buquing</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/1080692224D2432B84A086BFDA1E5E90/calalang-september-23-2018_1080692224D2432B84A086BFDA1E5E90.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="September 23, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/212620-kabayan-representative-ciriaco-calalang-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Ciriaco Calalang, 67&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Representative, Kabayan party list&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Calalang, who in January replaced Harry Roque weeks after the latter's appointment as presidential spokesperson, was able to author and co-author 47 House measures. He died after a massive stroke. Photo from Kabayan party list"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/1080692224D2432B84A086BFDA1E5E90/calalang-september-23-2018_1080692224D2432B84A086BFDA1E5E90.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Calalang</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/5B2B4AEF434F478EBDE33F4901256BD3/img/9F845228DD6340778969273C62013BAA/leopoldo_cantancio_copy_9F845228DD6340778969273C62013BAA.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="April 20, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/boxing-mma/200737-leopoldo-cantancio-olympian-death-motorcycle-accident-boxer' target='_blank'&gt;Leopoldo Cantancio, 54&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Boxer&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A two-time Olympian, Cantancio earned medals when he represented the Philippines in the 1986 and 1990 Asian Games. He died from a motorcycle accident. Photo from Cantancio's Facebook account"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/5B2B4AEF434F478EBDE33F4901256BD3/img/9F845228DD6340778969273C62013BAA/leopoldo_cantancio_copy_9F845228DD6340778969273C62013BAA.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Cantancio</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/FCE5244A93704287BB9D4B688CA7F906/img/693F565B21864E22936D45B65BED424A/20181114-vice-mayor-concepcion_693F565B21864E22936D45B65BED424A.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="November 14, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/216654-la-union-al-fred-concepcion-security-escort-killed-in-ambush-november-14-2018' target='_blank'&gt;Al-fred Concepcion, 61&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Vice Mayor, Balaoan, La Union&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The 7th vice mayor killed under the Duterte administration, Concepcion and his convoy were ambushed on their way to the municipal hall. Photo from Concepcion's Facebook account"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/FCE5244A93704287BB9D4B688CA7F906/img/693F565B21864E22936D45B65BED424A/20181114-vice-mayor-concepcion_693F565B21864E22936D45B65BED424A.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Concepcion</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/B6F9818B384B4EFA8B7E71B42B6F2232/img/0ECB062D4C684F26B1388AE2D0DA5AA7/arnold_corpuznew_0ECB062D4C684F26B1388AE2D0DA5AA7.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="August 29, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/210746-actor-arnold-corpuz-found-dead-cavite' target='_blank'&gt;Arnold Corpuz, 38&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Actor&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Corpuz played bit roles in television, more recently in <em>Be Careful with My Heart</em> and <em>Ang Probinsyano</em>. He was found dead with several stab wounds in his home in Cavite. Photo from Corpuz's Facebook account"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/B6F9818B384B4EFA8B7E71B42B6F2232/img/0ECB062D4C684F26B1388AE2D0DA5AA7/arnold_corpuznew_0ECB062D4C684F26B1388AE2D0DA5AA7.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Corpuz</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/B6F9818B384B4EFA8B7E71B42B6F2232/img/4341BA64E8374740AACFB0DF9165EBF7/teejaynew_4341BA64E8374740AACFB0DF9165EBF7.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="November 21, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/217269-tirso-cruz-son-teejay-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Teejay Cruz, 37&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Actor&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Teejay, who died after a battle with cancer, was the son of actor Tirso Cruz III and Lyn Ynchausti. He was part of the <em>Ang TV</em> cast in the '90s and later engaged in charity work. Photo from Bodie Cruz's Instagram account"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/B6F9818B384B4EFA8B7E71B42B6F2232/img/4341BA64E8374740AACFB0DF9165EBF7/teejaynew_4341BA64E8374740AACFB0DF9165EBF7.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Cruz</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/360754171B794CF5BF2B75360EC404BA/rasta-1_360754171B794CF5BF2B75360EC404BA.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="September 29, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/other-sports/213199-philippine-junior-wushu-athlete-dead-after-falling-off-double-deck-bed' target='_blank'&gt;Rastafari Darailay, 11&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Wushu athlete&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Darailay was part of the country's national wushu team. He died after falling from a double-deck bed inside the athletes’ dormitory. Photo from Darailay's Instagram account"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/360754171B794CF5BF2B75360EC404BA/rasta-1_360754171B794CF5BF2B75360EC404BA.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Darailay</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="http://assets.rappler.com/073A3D0ED1654574BAF89D8B7EC9A7F9/img/E8C205A51F0A4E21B78DA961F126414D/20181106_-_Nonong_de_Andres.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="November 6, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/216043-actor-nonong-de-andres-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Nonong de Andres, 71&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Actor&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;De Andres was known for playing a <em>bangkay</em> (corpse) character in horror and comedy movies. He played Bangky in the drama series <em>Forevermore</em>. Screenshot from YouTube.com/ABSCBNOnline"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="http://assets.rappler.com/073A3D0ED1654574BAF89D8B7EC9A7F9/img/E8C205A51F0A4E21B78DA961F126414D/20181106_-_Nonong_de_Andres.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">De Andres</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/6486EEA525E244D5BC9B573A6A2A8C2C/screen-shot-2018-12-03-at-2.55.19-am.png" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="December 1, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/business/218070-businessman-donald-dee-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Donald Dee, 72&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Businessman&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dee headed business groups like the Employers Confederation of the Philippines and companies such as Phoenix Resource and Management Corporation and Pan Pacific Airways. He also served as special envoy for trade negotiations under the Arroyo administration. Photo from ECOP's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/6486EEA525E244D5BC9B573A6A2A8C2C/screen-shot-2018-12-03-at-2.55.19-am.png" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Dee</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/0524CDDE649C458A9EA06C97BA40584C/dela-serna-copy_0524CDDE649C458A9EA06C97BA40584C.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="September 1, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/210897-ex-cebu-governor-vicente-dela-serna-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Vicente dela Serna, 66&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Former governor and congressman, Cebu&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dela Serna was known as the father of the &quot;93-1&quot; deal in 1993, a land swap between Cebu province and Cebu City that helped 5,000 beneficiaries. The deal was finalized decades later, and less than a month before his death. Photo from Dela Serna's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/0524CDDE649C458A9EA06C97BA40584C/dela-serna-copy_0524CDDE649C458A9EA06C97BA40584C.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Dela Serna</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/E1369099DDB94F07852CCAA65692D5B3/img/B889A264F5E54B199973740CDC3B2C24/IMG_6338_B889A264F5E54B199973740CDC3B2C24.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="January 27, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/194659-director-maryo-j-delos-reyes-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Maryo J. Delos Reyes, 65&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Director&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Delos Reyes directed award-winning films such as <em>Magnifico</em> and <em>The Unmarried Wife</em>. He was also one of the people behind the ToFarm Film Festival and was part of the executive committee of the Metro Manila Film Festival. He died due to a heart attack. Photo by Precious del Valle/Rappler"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/E1369099DDB94F07852CCAA65692D5B3/img/B889A264F5E54B199973740CDC3B2C24/IMG_6338_B889A264F5E54B199973740CDC3B2C24.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Delos Reyes</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/CC36749D84904A0CA0AFADDAC261EA1C/mylene-durante_CC36749D84904A0CA0AFADDAC261EA1C.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="October 9, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/214026-slain-teacher-mylene-durante-shielded-students-attack-pio-duran-albay' target='_blank'&gt;Mylene Veras Durante, 23&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Public school teacher&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Durante was killed protecting her students from a knife-wielding attacker in Albay. Photo from Durante's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/CC36749D84904A0CA0AFADDAC261EA1C/mylene-durante_CC36749D84904A0CA0AFADDAC261EA1C.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Durante</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/6407CE4ED89F4577B408B719F6BF0A92/img/8E52AE0EE9E946AF8D1AF08128C9EFD7/michael-farinas-20180606_8E52AE0EE9E946AF8D1AF08128C9EFD7.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="June 6, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/204274-laoag-vice-mayor-michael-farinas-dies-road-crash' target='_blank'&gt;Michael Fariñas, 52&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Vice Mayor, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Fariñas is a nephew of Ilocos Norte congressman and former House majority leader Rodolfo Fariñas. He died in a car crash in Laoag. Photo from Fariñas' Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/6407CE4ED89F4577B408B719F6BF0A92/img/8E52AE0EE9E946AF8D1AF08128C9EFD7/michael-farinas-20180606_8E52AE0EE9E946AF8D1AF08128C9EFD7.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Fariñas</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/14CC12B845B74AA680E401E08A71E70F/alipio-fernandez-jr-aug-9-2018_14CC12B845B74AA680E401E08A71E70F.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="August 9, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/209177-former-dagupan-pangasinan-mayor-al-fernandez-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Alipio Fernandez Jr, 75&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Former mayor, Dagupan City, Pangasinan&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The amiable, chain-smoking &quot;grand old man of Dagupan&quot; served as mayor from 1992 to 2001. He then served as undersecretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and later headed the Bureau of Immigration. He succumbed to cancer. Photo from JCI Senate Philippines"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/14CC12B845B74AA680E401E08A71E70F/alipio-fernandez-jr-aug-9-2018_14CC12B845B74AA680E401E08A71E70F.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Fernandez</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/073A3D0ED1654574BAF89D8B7EC9A7F9/img/8230BB8BBCAF44FFA800D67F471586D5/renegarcia_8230BB8BBCAF44FFA800D67F471586D5.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="September 2, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/210993-hotdog-member-rene-garcia-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Rene Garcia, 65&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Lead guitarist, Hotdog band&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Garcia performed alongside his brother Dennis who was the bassist, and lead singer Ella del Rosario. The band helped pioneer &quot;Manila Sound&quot; in the 70s. Rene died due to cardiac arrest. Photo from Garcia's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/073A3D0ED1654574BAF89D8B7EC9A7F9/img/8230BB8BBCAF44FFA800D67F471586D5/renegarcia_8230BB8BBCAF44FFA800D67F471586D5.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Garcia</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/B13B57EC612844489BD7AFA4D32C8620/roilo-golez_B13B57EC612844489BD7AFA4D32C8620.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="June 11, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/204634-ex-national-security-adviser-congressman-roilo-golez-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Roilo Golez, 71&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Former national security adviser&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Golez served under the Arroyo administration. He was also a former congressman, representing Parañaque City from 1992 to 2001, then later its 2nd district from 2004 to 2013. Golez was set to be interviewed in a news program on the day of his death. He had an apparent heart attack, his brother said. Photo from Golez's Instagram account"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/B13B57EC612844489BD7AFA4D32C8620/roilo-golez_B13B57EC612844489BD7AFA4D32C8620.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Golez</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/7E7D9659F68C477BBB5ECD476D1549CE/img/6ADD8774F0F7404A8494C7284AF00DC3/aliceguillermo_6ADD8774F0F7404A8494C7284AF00DC3.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="July 29, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/arts-and-culture/208453-art-critic-alice-guillermo-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Alice Guillermo, 80&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Art critic&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Guillermo authored books such as <em>Meaning: Essays on Philippine Art</em> and <em>Protest/Revolutionary Art in the Philippines 1970-1990</em>. She also won a Palanca Award in 1979 for her essay, &quot;Ang Kaisipang Filipino Batay sa Sining Biswal.&quot; Her cause of death was unreported, but she had a heart condition and acute kidney injury in 2017. Photo from Art Studies UP Diliman's Facebok page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/7E7D9659F68C477BBB5ECD476D1549CE/img/6ADD8774F0F7404A8494C7284AF00DC3/aliceguillermo_6ADD8774F0F7404A8494C7284AF00DC3.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Guillermo</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/24341260EAF54B1A9CFD948B659F4DCD/img/C4C1B660B491453FA02DB0E2A10F3956/antonio-halili-tanauan-facenbook-file-001_C4C1B660B491453FA02DB0E2A10F3956.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="July 2, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/206254-tanauan-antonio-halili-shot-critical-condition-july-2-2018' target='_blank'&gt;Antonio Halili, 72&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Mayor, Tanauan City, Batangas&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mayor Halili was shot dead during the flag ceremony at city hall. In 2016, he was known for the &quot;walk of shame&quot; of the city's drug personalities. Photo from Tanauan City's Hope Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/24341260EAF54B1A9CFD948B659F4DCD/img/C4C1B660B491453FA02DB0E2A10F3956/antonio-halili-tanauan-facenbook-file-001_C4C1B660B491453FA02DB0E2A10F3956.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Halili</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/B924BAEB272D40AA851E1C2080EFDC4A/img/7B3B98E2ABBA47F5A91ADFD3DDC34162/_Demise_of_National_Scientist_Bienvenido_O_Juliano_February_23_2018_-04_7B3B98E2ABBA47F5A91ADFD3DDC34162.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="February 21, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/196755-national-scientist-bienvenido-juliano-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Bienvenido Juliano, 81&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;National Scientist&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Juliano was known for his contributions to chemistry and technology of rice and rice food products. He worked for the International Rice Research Institute from 1961 to 1993. He is considered a world authority on rice grain quality. Photo courtesy of NAST, PHL"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/B924BAEB272D40AA851E1C2080EFDC4A/img/7B3B98E2ABBA47F5A91ADFD3DDC34162/_Demise_of_National_Scientist_Bienvenido_O_Juliano_February_23_2018_-04_7B3B98E2ABBA47F5A91ADFD3DDC34162.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Juliano</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/8358EB851876408A8D5A8BBEBE86707B/roberto-fung-kuan-chowking-dies-september-17-2018_8358EB851876408A8D5A8BBEBE86707B.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="September 15, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/business/212213-roberto-fung-kuan-chowking-founder-death-september-2018' target='_blank'&gt;Roberto Fung Kuan, 70&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Businessman&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Kuan was the founder of fast food chain Chowking. "><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/8358EB851876408A8D5A8BBEBE86707B/roberto-fung-kuan-chowking-dies-september-17-2018_8358EB851876408A8D5A8BBEBE86707B.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Kuan</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/7E7D9659F68C477BBB5ECD476D1549CE/img/A4E90741618D4F16BFE3221254DB4F6C/roxannelapuscarousel_A4E90741618D4F16BFE3221254DB4F6C.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="July 4, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/arts-and-culture/206447-celebrities-mourn-director-roxanne-lapus-death' target='_blank'&gt;Roxanne Lapus, 66&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Theater director&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lapus was at the helm of the Philippine production of <em>The Sound of Music</em> in 2011. Photo from Lapus' Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/7E7D9659F68C477BBB5ECD476D1549CE/img/A4E90741618D4F16BFE3221254DB4F6C/roxannelapuscarousel_A4E90741618D4F16BFE3221254DB4F6C.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Lapus</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/D46058AFD5DF4FB292313199123053ED/img/EC0AD131E9C944F1B2D48A128E994303/olympics-Ian-Lariba-20160724-002_EC0AD131E9C944F1B2D48A128E994303.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="September 2, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/other-sports/210995-olympian-ian-lariba-dies-23' target='_blank'&gt;Ian Lariba, 23&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Table tennis player&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lariba was the first Filipino table tennis player to qualify for the Olympics, seeing action in the 2016 Games and even carrying the Philippine flag during the opening ceremonies. Lariba was undefeated in her 5-year collegiate career, won 3 Most Valuable Player Awards, and led the De La Salle University Lady Paddlers to 3 UAAP titles. She died following a year-long battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Photo by Josh Albelda/Rappler"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/D46058AFD5DF4FB292313199123053ED/img/EC0AD131E9C944F1B2D48A128E994303/olympics-Ian-Lariba-20160724-002_EC0AD131E9C944F1B2D48A128E994303.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Lariba</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/2B761591EBCF419F9E03BCA8C8170BF2/apolinario-lozada-jr_2B761591EBCF419F9E03BCA8C8170BF2.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="July 31, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/208521-ambassador-jose-apolinario-lozada-jr-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Jose Apolinario Lozada Jr, 67&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Former diplomat&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lozada served as Philippine ambassador to the Holy See, Austria, and Palau. He was also elected representative of the 5th district of Negros Occidental, serving from 1998 to 2004. Lozada suffered a brain hemorrhage and was confined at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, said his daughter. Screenshot from Wednesday Roundtable @ Lido/Areopagus Communications"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/2B761591EBCF419F9E03BCA8C8170BF2/apolinario-lozada-jr_2B761591EBCF419F9E03BCA8C8170BF2.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Lozada</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/2D1564022EF04B76AFB9339C5B42EC46/oliver-lozano-20180413_2D1564022EF04B76AFB9339C5B42EC46.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="April 12, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/200172-oliver-lozano-dies-77' target='_blank'&gt;Oliver Lozano, 77&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Lawyer&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lozano served as legal counsel for the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. He also gained notoriety for being a serial filer of impeachment suits against former presidents Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III. None of his attempts prospered. Lozano died from a heart ailment. Photo from Lozano's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/2D1564022EF04B76AFB9339C5B42EC46/oliver-lozano-20180413_2D1564022EF04B76AFB9339C5B42EC46.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Lozano</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/E849A41A6E594E8EB0BECA14BF5108E1/alex-lubigan_E849A41A6E594E8EB0BECA14BF5108E1.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="July 7, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/206715-trece-martires-vice-mayor-alex-lubigan-shot-dead' target='_blank'&gt;Alexander Lubigan, 44&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Vice Mayor, Trece Martires City, Cavite&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Vice Mayor Lubigan was shot dead while inside his car in Trece Martires. His death came in the same week as the assassinations of two mayors, Antonio Halili of Tanauan City, Batangas and Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija. Photo from Lubigan's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/E849A41A6E594E8EB0BECA14BF5108E1/alex-lubigan_E849A41A6E594E8EB0BECA14BF5108E1.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Lubigan</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/D64AD5EDFCEF4E2FBB5FD6723E35B336/img/5291D992F7534A2F8C8483F12A623A00/Gualberto-B-Lumauig-November-19-2018-003_5291D992F7534A2F8C8483F12A623A00.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="November 18, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/217006-former-ifugao-congressman-gualberto-lumauig-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Gualberto Lumauig, 85&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Former governor and congressman, Ifugao&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lumauig was Ifugao's first governor, appointed by former president Ferdinand Marcos. He later served as the province's assemblyman and congressman. Lumauig was a columnist and contributor for several newspapers prior to his death caused by a lingering illness. Photo from Gina Lumauig"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/D64AD5EDFCEF4E2FBB5FD6723E35B336/img/5291D992F7534A2F8C8483F12A623A00/Gualberto-B-Lumauig-November-19-2018-003_5291D992F7534A2F8C8483F12A623A00.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Lumauig</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/1D91C210A84E405C825DBEC24BC2156A/ronald-lumbao-20180616_1D91C210A84E405C825DBEC24BC2156A.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="June 8, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/205091-urban-poor-leader-pmap-ronald-lumbao-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Ronald Lumbao, 52&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Urban poor leader&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lumbao, who died of a heart attack, was the former leader of the Philippine Movement Against Poverty. He helped in the presidential bid of Joseph Estrada in 1998 and supported his pro-poor policies. Lumbao also led the failed siege at Malacañang Palace to oust then-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Photo from Lumbao's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/1D91C210A84E405C825DBEC24BC2156A/ronald-lumbao-20180616_1D91C210A84E405C825DBEC24BC2156A.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Lumbao</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/6B691E42FB16494288081BF9D531C0D0/amado-macasaet_6B691E42FB16494288081BF9D531C0D0.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="January 7, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/193104-malaya-publisher-amado-jake-macasaet-death' target='_blank'&gt;Amado Macasaet, 81&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Journalist, publisher&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Macasaet was a veteran journalist, publisher of the newspaper <em>Malaya Business Insight</em>, and chairman emeritus of the Philippine Press Institute. He was among those threatened with libel by former first gentleman Mike Arroyo in 2006. Photo from daughter Carina Macasaet's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/6B691E42FB16494288081BF9D531C0D0/amado-macasaet_6B691E42FB16494288081BF9D531C0D0.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Macasaet</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/2223AB51431C4E7B9E5F4259D79F0BDC/rogelio-mangahas_2223AB51431C4E7B9E5F4259D79F0BDC.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="July 4, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/arts-and-culture/206452-filipino-poet-rogelio-mangahas-death' target='_blank'&gt;Rogelio Mangahas, 79&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Poet&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mangahas won Palanca awards for his collection of poems, <em>Mga Duguang Plakard</em>, and for his critical essay on Edgardo M. Reyes' <em>Mga Kuko ng Liwanag</em>. He also co-authored the anthology of poems Manlilikha, and was the editor-in-chief of Phoenix Publishing House and of SIBS Publishing House. Photo from Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/2223AB51431C4E7B9E5F4259D79F0BDC/rogelio-mangahas_2223AB51431C4E7B9E5F4259D79F0BDC.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Mangahas</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/AF887A7CDCAF4DB1B4D9E2678D557FD3/img/D79D83C4F30840EAB1870E0CA585327B/spankymanikancarousel_D79D83C4F30840EAB1870E0CA585327B.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="January 14, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/193622-actor-spanky-manikan-dies-susan-africa' target='_blank'&gt;Spanky Manikan, 75&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Actor&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Manikan was a veteran character and theater actor. His credits include the movies <em>Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag</em> and <em>Ploning</em>. He died after a battle with lung cancer. Screenshot from YouTube/GMA Network"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/AF887A7CDCAF4DB1B4D9E2678D557FD3/img/D79D83C4F30840EAB1870E0CA585327B/spankymanikancarousel_D79D83C4F30840EAB1870E0CA585327B.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Manikan</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/C82D71755460436A82BC9540B78704E3/rolly-manlapaz-sept-27-2018_C82D71755460436A82BC9540B78704E3.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="September 27, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/sports/university/uaap/212951-remembering-rolly-manlapaz-iconic-voice-games' target='_blank'&gt;Rolly Manlapaz, 58&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Basketball barker&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Manlapaz was the man behind the iconic voice heard in arenas during UAAP basketball games. He died after a bout with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Photo from Facebook"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/C82D71755460436A82BC9540B78704E3/rolly-manlapaz-sept-27-2018_C82D71755460436A82BC9540B78704E3.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Manlapaz</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/AC52BF94427642B785858A53A79FFE65/img/95391F6A8F5642EDAC0E53FC10F377D2/EDGAR-MARANAN-May-8-2018_95391F6A8F5642EDAC0E53FC10F377D2.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="May 8, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/arts-and-culture/202010-poet-activist-edgar-maranan-death' target='_blank'&gt;Edgar Maranan, 71&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Poet&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Maranan is a prolific writer of children's books, poetry, translations, and short stories. He won 33 Palanca literary prizes and became a Hall of Famer in 2000. He died due to liver complications. Photo courtesy of Lei Maranan-Goldstein"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/AC52BF94427642B785858A53A79FFE65/img/95391F6A8F5642EDAC0E53FC10F377D2/EDGAR-MARANAN-May-8-2018_95391F6A8F5642EDAC0E53FC10F377D2.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Maranan</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/E0C81C18510045E099B75279DD96E7BE/img/7F54262580124C4EB854E6182BC4EB4B/Boogie-Mendoza-Carousel_7F54262580124C4EB854E6182BC4EB4B.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="March 28, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/199125-boogie-mendoza-spy-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Rodolfo Mendoza, 64&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Police intelligence officer&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mendoza was one of the best intelligence officers against communist guerrillas. He was regarded by many as the father of counter-terrorism investigation in the Philippines, as he helped foil a terrorist plot during Pope John Paul II's visit to Manila in 1995. He died of a heart attack. Photo from Mendoza's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/E0C81C18510045E099B75279DD96E7BE/img/7F54262580124C4EB854E6182BC4EB4B/Boogie-Mendoza-Carousel_7F54262580124C4EB854E6182BC4EB4B.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Mendoza</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/4438CA2816D34011A7E25B4427C5EA70/joey-mente_4438CA2816D34011A7E25B4427C5EA70.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="August 22, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/basketball/pba/210205-former-pba-player-joey-mente-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Joey Mente, 42&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Basketball player&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mente was the PBA Slam Dunk champion in 2001. He won two PBA championships with San Miguel, and was a pioneer of Rain or Shine, then known as Welcoat. He died after a bout with lung cancer. Photo from Mente's Facebook account"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/4438CA2816D34011A7E25B4427C5EA70/joey-mente_4438CA2816D34011A7E25B4427C5EA70.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Mente</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/3237055100BB4B4BA3F34C095EB451BE/img/1D3B41679FEF4B20893A2D54F3ACBFE6/pitoy-moreno-20130716-02_1D3B41679FEF4B20893A2D54F3ACBFE6.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="January 15, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/fashion/193715-fashion-designer-pitoy-moreno-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Pitoy Moreno, 87&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Fashion designer&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Moreno was called the &quot;Fashion Czar of Asia&quot; and considered one of the Philippines' top designers. He was known for popularizing Maria Clara gowns early in his career. His grandson said in a report that Moreno was 92 years old when he died. Photo by Bien Bautista for Museo Walo"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/3237055100BB4B4BA3F34C095EB451BE/img/1D3B41679FEF4B20893A2D54F3ACBFE6/pitoy-moreno-20130716-02_1D3B41679FEF4B20893A2D54F3ACBFE6.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Moreno</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/B1FEBAB5DF02400384E2114D83BC101B/carmen-guerrero-nakpil-july-30-2018_B1FEBAB5DF02400384E2114D83BC101B.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="July 30, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/208457-national-historian-carmen-guerrero-nakpil-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, 96&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Historian&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Called the &quot;Grand Old Lady of Public History&quot; by her peers, Nakpil wrote notable works such as <em>Woman Enough</em> (1963), <em>Question of Identity</em> (1973), <em>The Philippines and the Filipinos</em> (1977), <em>The Philippines</em> (1989), and <em>Rice and Conspiracy</em> (1990). She chaired the cultural committee of the Philippine Commissions for Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in the 1960s. Photo from Rizal Library, Ateneo de Manila"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/B1FEBAB5DF02400384E2114D83BC101B/carmen-guerrero-nakpil-july-30-2018_B1FEBAB5DF02400384E2114D83BC101B.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Nakpil</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/AFBEFA7C9C324F2FBE8E3E88E16F8F2E/richmond-nilo_AFBEFA7C9C324F2FBE8E3E88E16F8F2E.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="June 10, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/204596-nueva-ecija-priest-richmond-nilo-killing' target='_blank'&gt;Richmond Nilo, 44&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Priest&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Father Nilo, the parish priest of Saint Vincent Ferrer Parish, was shot dead in Nueva Ecija. He was the second to be killed in the province after Father Marcelito Paez in December 2017. Photo from Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/AFBEFA7C9C324F2FBE8E3E88E16F8F2E/richmond-nilo_AFBEFA7C9C324F2FBE8E3E88E16F8F2E.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Nilo</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/755A7B6F829C4D2780AE1957D76F311C/18278759_488199491571400_3081538983905360107_o_755A7B6F829C4D2780AE1957D76F311C.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="December 25, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/219632-surigao-del-sur-governor-vicente-pimentel-jr-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Vicente Pimentel Jr, 72&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Governor, Surigao del Sur&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The returning governor and longtime former mayor of Carrascal town died in his sleep, a day after he checked out of a hospital in Manila. He had planned to run for reelection as governor, but later withdrew due to health reasons. Photo from Surigao del Sur's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/755A7B6F829C4D2780AE1957D76F311C/18278759_488199491571400_3081538983905360107_o_755A7B6F829C4D2780AE1957D76F311C.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Pimentel</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/22EBC3B170224D3FA1BB204C6164ACE7/ricardo-puno-sr2_22EBC3B170224D3FA1BB204C6164ACE7.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="July 25, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/208137-former-ca-justice-ricardo-puno-sr-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Ricardo Puno Sr, 95&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Former Court of Appeals justice&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A father to two former Cabinet secretaries, Puno served in the CA from 1973 to 1978. He was also an assemblyman, justice minister and a Philippine delegate to the United Nations General Assembly under the Marcos administration. Photo from Robbie Puno's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/22EBC3B170224D3FA1BB204C6164ACE7/ricardo-puno-sr2_22EBC3B170224D3FA1BB204C6164ACE7.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Puno, Ricardo</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/2CA652849EA84BF393DFE7D12DC29B73/rico-j-puno_2CA652849EA84BF393DFE7D12DC29B73.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="October 30, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/215519-singer-rico-j-puno-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Rico J. Puno, 65&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Singer; Councilor, Makati City&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Puno was an iconic OPM (Original Pilipino Music) singer with songs such as &quot;Kapalaran,&quot; &quot;Lupa,&quot; and &quot;Macho Gwapito.&quot; His manager said Puno died of cardiac failure. Photo from Puno's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/2CA652849EA84BF393DFE7D12DC29B73/rico-j-puno_2CA652849EA84BF393DFE7D12DC29B73.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Puno, Rico</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="http://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/4ADC4667CF674E36907B444D22A7134D/rolly-quizon-20181223.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="March 15, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/198268-rolly-quizon-dies-dolphy' target='_blank'&gt;Rolly Quizon, 59&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Actor&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Quizon is the son of the late comedian Dolphy. He was part of the show <em>John en Marsha</em> with his father and Nida Blanca. He played the role of elder brother to Maricel Soriano. He died around a week after suffering a stroke. Photo from Facebook"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="http://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/4ADC4667CF674E36907B444D22A7134D/rolly-quizon-20181223.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Quizon</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="http://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/570C95CA1F844227BD9B2DCC566F06E4/johnny-revilla-20181223.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="December 13, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/basketball/218941-crispa-player-johnny-revilla-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Johnny Revilla, 70&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Basketball player&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Revilla, who was a former Crispa player and part of the Philippine national team in the 1970 Asian Games, was a vital cog in coach Baby Dalupan's champion teams in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Photo from Interbasket"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="http://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/570C95CA1F844227BD9B2DCC566F06E4/johnny-revilla-20181223.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Revilla</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/0C8E7CE17A5D4163A141E6776E210A2F/bayani-san-diego_0C8E7CE17A5D4163A141E6776E210A2F.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="October 24, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/215045-philippine-daily-inquirer-entertainment-writer-bayani-san-diego-jr-dies' target='_blank'&gt;Bayani San Diego Jr, 48&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Journalist&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;San Diego was an arts and entertainment writer for the <em>Philippine Daily Inquirer</em>. He championed Philippine independent films. He died in his sleep. Photo from San Diego's Facebook page"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/0C8E7CE17A5D4163A141E6776E210A2F/bayani-san-diego_0C8E7CE17A5D4163A141E6776E210A2F.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">San Diego</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/B6F9818B384B4EFA8B7E71B42B6F2232/img/F18DD380B1BF4D689ADA79AB8B9EF6E9/mely22_F18DD380B1BF4D689ADA79AB8B9EF6E9.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="March 24, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/198854-mely-tagasa-miss-tapia-dies-iskul-bukol' target='_blank'&gt;Mely Tagasa, 82&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Actress&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tagasa was known for her role as Miss Tapia in the sitcom <em>Iskul Bukol</em>. She had been confined after suffering a stroke. Photo by Jay Ganzon/Rappler"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/B6F9818B384B4EFA8B7E71B42B6F2232/img/F18DD380B1BF4D689ADA79AB8B9EF6E9/mely22_F18DD380B1BF4D689ADA79AB8B9EF6E9.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Tagasa</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/3580B609AD804DB2A8B6483EC7D0C296/gt-annual-stockholders-meeting-may-10-2017-074_3580B609AD804DB2A8B6483EC7D0C296.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="November 23, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/business/217400-metrobank-founder-george-ty-dies' target='_blank'&gt;George Ty, 86&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Businessman&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ty was the founder and group chairman of Metrobank. He was the 9th richest person in the Philippines in 2018, according to Forbes Magazine. Photo by Alecs Ongcal/Rappler"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/3580B609AD804DB2A8B6483EC7D0C296/gt-annual-stockholders-meeting-may-10-2017-074_3580B609AD804DB2A8B6483EC7D0C296.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Ty</span></div>

<div class="col-xs-6 col-sd-4 col-md-3 h-padding"><a class="example-image-link nolazy" href="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/93E39C321F494F4794BC9B6AACC97FD3/mark-ventura-20180522-1_93E39C321F494F4794BC9B6AACC97FD3.jpg" data-lightbox="example-set" data-title="April 29, 2018&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.rappler.com/nation/201351-cagayan-priest-mark-ventura-shot-dead-sunday-mass' target='_blank'&gt;Mark Anthony Ventura, 37&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Priest&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A parish priest of Gattaran in Cagayan, Father Ventura was vocal against mining and was also known to be working for indigenous peoples in the province. Riding-in-tandem killers shot Ventura dead as he was blessing children and talking to choir members after Sunday Mass. Photo by Maria Tan/Rappler"><div class="flex-video square"><img src="https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/93E39C321F494F4794BC9B6AACC97FD3/mark-ventura-20180522-1_93E39C321F494F4794BC9B6AACC97FD3.jpg" class="example-image wrapper nolazy" border="0" /></div></a><span style="font-size: small;">Ventura</span></div>

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– Ann Rei Conte and Aljun Naag, with Michael Bueza/Rappler.com

Conte and Naag are Rappler interns.

Claim: The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) reportedly offered protection to the "student bully" from the Ateneo de Manila Junior High School whose video of him beating up a fellow student went viral.

The agency's "spokesperson," a certain Edcel Bakunawa, supposedly said this in an interview with radio station dzRH on Saturday, December 22.

Bakunawa supposedly even said, "He needs protection more than the victim. There are hundreds and thousands of people who want to hurt this kid and as [a] human rights agency, this is our job."

The claim was made in a post by philnewstoday.com on December 22 with the headline, "My God He's Just a Kid: CHR ay nag-aalok ng tulong sa Ateneo Bulilit Star dahil sa mga bashers" (CHR offering help to Ateneo "kid star" due to bashers).

The claim was sent by one of our readers for verification.

Rating: FALSE

The facts: CHR did not issue such statement. The supposed CHR spokesperson also does not exist.

In a text message to Rappler, CHR chairman Jose Luis Martin "Chito" Gascon said the agency "has only one official & designated spokesperson, that is our executive director, Attorney Jacqueline de Guia."

Gascon also got feedback from the agency's human resources department, which said that it does not have an employee going by name "Edcel Bakunawa" either in the central office or in regional offices (plantilla or job offer).

Gascon added, "By the tenor of the so-called interview, I have doubts that this had occurred. Still, in this case, we are concerned that the rights of all children involved are respected." 

De Guia told Rappler in a separate message that the only statement CHR issued on the Ateneo bullying incident "is an advisory issued by CHR NCR (National Capital Region) posted on [our social media] accounts which calls for protection for both minors." 

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In addition, the name "Edcel Bakunawa" is not in the Roll of Attorneys of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

Asked about the supposed interview, dzRH told Rappler via Facebook Messenger that it was not on their online news website, Twitter account, nor in the logs of their Tech department. "Negative. That's fake," replied an administrator of its official Facebook page.

A review of the livetweets and video uploads of dzRH's broadcasts, as posted on their Twitter and Facebook accounts on December 22 also do not show any interview with a CHR spokesperson.

The website philnewstoday.com does not contain an "About Us" page. Its posts also do not have any byline. According to a whois lookup, the website was registered only on August 7, 2018. – Michael Bueza/Rappler.com

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

MANILA, Philippines – The supremacy of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the House of Representatives is undeniable.

Arroyo, known as an astute and calculating politician, stole the spotlight from President Rodrigo Duterte that fateful day in July when her allies unseated Pantaleon Alvarez and installed her as the new leader at the Batasang Pambansa. (READ: The women behind the fall of Alvarez)

With such a shocking power grab, the pressure was on for Arroyo to prove her critics wrong. Arroyo's first 5 months as Speaker was a chance for her to redeem herself in the eyes of the public, especially those who followed her 9-year presidency marked by controversies, her nearly 4-year hospital arrest, and her eventual acquittal of plunder charges.

For former Ateneo School of Government dean Tony La Viña, the 3-term Pampanga 2nd District congresswoman scuttled her chance for redemption.

"I'm disappointed because this was her chance to vindicate herself, to correct whatever impressions were given during her time as president. What I see is politics as usual, GMA as usual. There's no converted GMA, there's no changed GMA. And that's not very good for the country," La Viña told Rappler.

Arroyo still continued the practice of rewarding her allies and backed a scenario that Alvarez would never have allowed to happen during his term: the House going head-to-head against allies of the President over the 2019 budget. (READ: [EDITORIAL] #AnimatED: The many shades of pork)

All about the money

The Supreme Court declared the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel unconstitutional in 2013, yet forms of it continue to be seen in the national budget. 

Arroyo, as Speaker, could have shown that she has left traditional politics behind had she completely "abolished" all forms of pork barrel in the national budget. But that's just not how the speakership works in the Philippines, explained Ateneo de Manila University assistant professor Carmel Abao.

"What would redeem you? What would redeem you is if you will say that you will abolish pork barrel. You will really reform the way the House makes decisions.... [But] the thing with the speakership is that you don't need good ideas. You lead with money. You lead with favors. And it's not only Arroyo [who did this]," Abao said. 

To be fair, Arroyo turned her back on Alvarez's policy of giving zero budget to opposition legislators as her "gesture of goodwill."

But Akbayan Representative Tom Villarin pointed out that Arroyo had to do this to "appease" all district and party-list representatives after the House coup.

"During Alvarez's time, there was a supermajority. There was a command that he was the one to be voted. This time, it was different. After the coup, every day, GMA has to win over loyalties," the opposition congressman explained. 

And what better way to buy loyalty than using Congress' power of the purse?  

House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr, one of Arroyo's attack dogs, admitted that every lawmaker was alotted P60 million to fund their pet projects under the proposed P3.757-trillion budget for 2019, while senators were supposedly allotted P200 million each. 

The money was sourced from the P51 billion worth of allegedly "misplaced" funds under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that Andaya said lawmakers discovered in the 2019 budget. They accused Alvarez and the former House leadership of "parking" funds to benefit their favored lawmakers, a charge that Alvarez denied.  

Instead of just giving more funds to her allies, however, Arroyo wanted to distribute the money equally among all House members. 

Andaya has since repeatedly told the media that this was not the unconstitutional PDAF, because lawmakers have to itemize the allocation of their P60-million allotment. He also said this was no longer part of the post-budget enactment stage.

Abao insisted it was just another form of pork barrel.

"'Di naman talaga natapos 'yong pork barrel. Sa akin kasi, ang ibig sabihin ng pork barrel at the end of the day, kaninong pirma 'yung mahalaga? 'Yung pirma lang ni congressman. It's not so much the rationalization that goes into projects, into priorities. It's really kung ano ang gusto ni congressman. Imagine if you are the Speaker of the House, ikaw ang masusunod talaga," Abao said. 

(The pork barrel never stopped. For me, pork barrel means that at the end of the day, whose signature is important? The signature of the congressman. It's not so much the rationalization that goes into projects, into priorities. It's really about what the congressman wants. Imagine if you are the Speaker of the House, you will always get your way.)

Allies in key posts

As had been the practice of her predecessors, Arroyo gave plum posts to allies who played key roles in Alvarez's ouster. (LIST: House leadership changes under Speaker Gloria Arroyo)

Andaya became the majority leader, Bohol 3rd District Representative Arthur Yap and Surigao del Sur 1st District Representative Prospero Pichay Jr became deputy speakers, and Leyte 1st District Representative Yedda Romualdez became chairperson of the committee on accounts. 

The House also ultimately decided to recognize Quezon 3rd District Representative Danilo Suarez as minority leader, even if he had voted for Arroyo to become Speaker. 

Two other congressmen were vying for the post – expelled Arts, Business, and Science Professionals (ABS) representative Eugene de Vera for the Alvarez bloc, and Marikina 2nd District Representative Miro Quimbo for the Liberal Party-Makabayan-Magnificent 7 alliance.

"Logically, it would have been better if she has restored the opposition, right?…. A very strong, missed opportunity [right there]. For whatever it is, Suarez is a GMA man through and through," La Viña said.

Arroyo also allowed the House plenary to remove De Vera as a congressman after the latter was expelled from ABS. De Vera's party kicked him out because he co-filed a case before the Supreme Court questioning Suarez's minority leadership.

True, it was Andaya who made the motion to remove De Vera in the roll of members. But Arroyo did not stop him.

"The case of congressman De Vera, obviously, he was singled out because he was the protegé of the Alvarez-Fariñas camp. They challenged [Suarez] in the Supreme Court. So talagang tinanggal nila (so he was really removed) with protests from the opposition and also some House members that are not allied with the opposition. Parang napaka-kuwan naman 'yon, brusko at saka without due process (That was really brazen and done without due process)," Villarin said.

'Shepherd' for Duterte's pet bills

Still, Arroyo has made her mark as Speaker, easily stepping out of the shadow of her predecessor Alvarez – if there was even a shadow to move out from in the first place. 

Arroyo brought to the House the efficiency and professionalism she was known for as president. Armed with her iPad that she brings everywhere, Arroyo made it her mission to pass the bills Duterte asked Congress to work on in his third State of the Nation Addresses (SONA).

"As you've seen, my leadership and management style as Speaker is still similar as when I was president. The key words are hard work, selectively hands-on, especially in shepherding the 2018 SONA bills of President Duterte to passage by the House, strict but hopefully fair and open-minded," Arroyo said in her speech on December 12 before adjourning session for 2018.

Of the 12 Duterte priority measures that were passed under Arroyo's speakership, so far, 7 involved taxes. These bills include establishing a fiscal regime for the mining sector, increasing the excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco products, updating real property valuation standards, simplifying the tax system for capital income and financial intermediation, the tax amnesty bill, and the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and Higher Quality Opportunities measure.

This is not surprising as Arroyo is an economist. 

The House also passed on third and final reading the bills on the coco levy fund, the lifting of rice import limits, the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience, and emergency powers of the the transportation secretary to address traffic.

The House under Arroyo managed to pass the resolution containing its draft federal constitution, even if plenary debates lasted for only 3 session days – a swift passage the House was strongly criticized for. 

One controversial provision of Resolution of Both Houses 15 was the removal of Vice President Leni Robredo in the line of succession during the shift to federalism. Sensing public disapproval, Arroyo ordered the House to reinstate the Vice President in the succession line. 

"The Speaker is very sensitive, and when she thinks the criticism is correct, she will change her position because she listens to the voice of the people," Pichay said.

Most of the second and third readings for Duterte's priority bills happened within a week – the kind of speed that Arroyo easily commanded in the House.

Arroyo, the micromanager 

How did she pull it off? Arroyo is a more visible Speaker compared to Alvarez, as she would hop from one committee hearing to another to make sure that Duterte's priority bills are passed.

She attends plenary sessions, where legislators can be seen either kissing her on the cheek or even kissing her hand. Arroyo would often meet with leaders of the political parties in the House to give her instructions. And when she does, lawmakers are always on their toes – sometimes even literally.  

"When she gives an instruction, you cannot give her a response [that you will] do it later. You should have it done right away, never say next week or two days from now. The best thing you can do is tonight or tomorrow, early morning. That's the way she is," said Andaya, who served as budget chief in Arroyo's Cabinet.

Pichay, who led a government-owned and controlled corporation during the Arroyo administration, also described Arroyo's personal relationships with lawmakers to be "very good."

"She deals with them personally. And if you go to her office, parating puno 'yan ng mga members ng House (it's always filled with House members), telling her about their concerns, whether it be about their jobs or even personal. They will go to her," he said. 

Andaya described his former boss as a micromanager. 

"Her belief is that if you want something done right, you do it yourself. So you don't have any chance to blame anyone, you do it yourself. You give the instructions yourself. She would call me on weekends, early morning. It's as if I'm back in the Cabinet," he said.

Arroyo vs Duterte looming? 

But for all the efforts Arroyo has put into passing Duterte's pet bills, her actions show that the former president is not going to be subservient to the incumbent.

The year 2018 closed for the House with lawmakers – led by Andaya and Suarez – accusing Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno of inserting billions in the DPWH's 2019 budget and supposedly using his influence as Cabinet secretary to help bag billions of infrastructure projects in Sorsogon, where the vice governor is the mother-in-law of Diokno's daughter. 

Andaya also linked Diokno and a former Cabinet official to C.T. Leoncio Construction and Trading, the company that allegedly cornered billions of government projects. 

The House even went as far as adopting a resolution urging Duterte to fire Diokno. A congressional probe into the alleged budget anomalies is set to kick off on January 3, 2019. 

The House clash with Diokno, who has the trust and confidence of Duterte and his entire Cabinet, came at the heels of Senator Panfilo Lacson's accusations that the lower chamber approved a pork-filled 2019 budget.

The most worrisome budget issue for La Viña is the looming reenacted budget for 2019, an election year. He believes the battle between the legislative and the executive branches is rooted on campaign funds.  

"By allowing a reenacted budget, suddenly you have all of this money that you can use. That's why they want Diokno out, because with Diokno there, that's not their man. They want someone, their man, to be there.... The worst thing is to have a reenacted budget on a reelection year. That gives them so much money to give around!" La Viña said. 

Arroyo had tried to put herself on neutral ground when asked by reporters on how she planned to balance her support for Duterte and Andaya.

"Well, you can see our support for the President, including Cong. Andaya. We finished his legislative agenda in the House. That's our most important manifestation of support," Arroyo said in a media interview on December 21.

"Now, with regards to Cong. Andaya's crusade, well, you know, the House is a collegial body, so I cannot dictate on anybody among them. So if what the House votes for, what the House makes decisions on, that's part of their role as [members of the] legislature. And what do you call this? Oversight," she added.

Arroyo dismissed rumors that Duterte's economic managers – who did not follow her initial suggestions to curb rising inflation – planned to oust her. 

"You know, reports reports reports – those are all rumors, so why spend so much time and emotion on them?" Arroyo said.

The Speaker likewise dismissed as purely "hypothetical" reports that she wanted to replace Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III once her term as congresswoman ends.

La Viña warned, however, that the Speaker has the power to outwit Duterte. She is, after all, the more veteran politician. Months before the July coup, Arroyo kept on denying she was eyeing the speakership.

"I think if Duterte isn't careful, if [Davao City Mayor] Sara [Duterte Carpio] isn't careful, they'd be completely outsmarted by GMA. It's unfortunate that Duterte has not shown an ability to understand the bureaucracy, the government. That's why he relies on the military," La Viña said.

For him, Arroyo should be viewed as "a rival" of the President.

Duterte, of course, has all the powers of the presidency in his arsenal. He has the means to put a stop to Arroyo if she overreaches. The President did this when the House refused to abolish the graft-riddled Road Board. (READ: Lawmakers, engineers request P5B in road users' tax funds)

But for Abao, one thing is certain: Speaker Arroyo is not afraid to play games with the most powerful man in the land. 

"You have to ask: What binds her to Duterte? Nothing. It's just that he is the incumbent and so far, his policies are favorable to her. But do you really think a Macapagal Arroyo could be dictated by a Duterte?" – Rappler.com

Photo of Arroyo sitting on the Speaker's rostrum on December 12, 2018 by Jire Carreon/Rappler  

MANILA, Philippines – Like any other year, 2018 was filled with shocking, groundbreaking, and inspiring stories.

With so much news that happened – sometimes with many developments occurring on the same day – it might be hard to look back on the year that was.

So, how do you measure a roller-coaster year? Let us go with the stories that were most read and most reacted on by Rappler readers.

Here is a weekly review of Rappler's top stories published in 2018. These are the ones with the most page views, and the most validated votes in the Rappler Mood Meter per calendar week.

Each row's background color reflects the dominant mood of that story. You may click on the headline to read that story. You may also switch between the "Most Read" and "Most Mood Votes" lists by clicking on either button below.  

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The TRAIN Law, the first of a series of tax reform measures, took effect in 2018, and readers cared the most about how it would affect their daily lives. 

Also in January, readers took note of then presidential aide Christopher Lawrence Go's alleged involvement in the purchase of Philippine Navy frigates, as well as the revocation of Rappler's registration by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The debut of presidential granddaughter Isabelle Duterte also made headlines.

Duterte shocked the country in February when he called world-renowned Boracay Island a "cesspool" and announced plans to close it for rehabilitation. The 6-month closure lasted from April to October.

A number of feuds also erupted in February, like Malacañang Palace versus then Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio vs then House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and presidential son Paolo Duterte against Kris Aquino. 

In March, the Binibining Pilipinas crowned the country's bets in upcoming international beauty pageants, including Catriona Gray for Miss Universe.

Meanwhile, readers reacted strongly to the promotion of a Department of Justice prosecutor who had cleared suspects in high-profile drug cases.

In April, Kris Aquino made the news once again, this time in reaction to a feature on her ex-husband James Yap by broadcaster Korina Sanchez. 

May was a roller-coaster month, led by the ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno as Supreme Court chief justice, then came the death of former Senate President Edgardo Angara. Readers kept their eyes glued on the results of the University of the Philippines (UP) admission test. They were likewise enraged about the killing of a priest in Cagayan province after Sunday Mass.

Closing the first half of 2018 was a flurry of reactions on Duterte kissing an overseas Filipino worker on the lips during his speech in South Korea, and him calling God "stupid" in another speech back home. There was also a report on hidden-camera videos showing the Chinese coast guard taking the catch of Filipino fishermen in Scarborough Shoal. 

Meanwhile, many readers were inspired by the story about Senior Inspector Rene Balmaceda, the first openly transgender cop in the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Second half

The 3rd quarter of 2018 saw readers tuning in the most to announcements of class and work suspensions due to monsoon rains and tropical storms, especially during Typhoon Ompong in September.

In July, President Duterte delivered his 3rd State of the Nation Address, and readers pored over Rappler's point-by-point summary of his speech. Meanwhile, a normal flag ceremony in Tanauan City, Batangas, ended in tragedy as an assassin shot and killed Mayor Antonio Halili. 

In August, government officials sounded off on then-communications assistant secretary Mocha Uson's attempts to help in the federalism campaign.

September was headlined by President Duterte's revocation of the amnesty given to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and the opposition senator's subsequent arrest.  Duterte's speeches also continued to spark controversies – like when he tried to explain the cause of rape cases in Davao City, and when he joked about "pushing" a government auditor in Ilocos Norte down a flight of stairs. 

It was lotto frenzy in October, as the Ultra Lotto 6/58 jackpot exceeded P1 billion. Two winners eventually claimed the bounty. 

The following month, the news were mostly about the guilty verdict on former first lady and current Ilocos Norte congresswoman Imelda Marcos for graft, PNP's bid to change the plot of the TV show Ang Probinsyano, and a viral video of an indie movie kiss. 

Finally, in December, Catriona Gray became Miss Universe 2018, and the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles won their 2nd UAAP men's basketball championship. Their opponents, the UP Fighting Maroons, made history themselves after reaching the UAAP finals for the first time in over 3 decades.

Ateneo figured in another news item that month, about a junior high school student bully caught on camera beating up a fellow student in a restroom. The offending student was eventually dismissed from Ateneo. – Rappler.com

Getting jolted by statements  of President Rodrigo Duterte is nothing new to Filipinos, but the Philippine chief arguably broke his own shock meter when he admitted in a public address that he molested his family’s maid when he was a teenager.

Duterte made the revelation before a large crowd at the provincial gymnasium in Kidapawan City, Cotabato, on Saturday, December 29, as he again lambasted the Catholic Church for criticizing him and his policies when it was not exacly faultless.

The President was talking about the New People’s Army before jumping to his other current favorite subject of attack, the Catholic Church.

After berating the fictional Padre Damaso in Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and the American priest arrested in Biliran for committing abuses against women and children, respectively, Duterte segued into his “confession” to a priest when he was a freshman at the Ateneo de Davao.

Duterte said he stammered at first, then told the impatient priest, “I went to the room of the maid.”

When the priest asked why, the teenage Duterte said: “I lifted the blanket…. I tried to touch what was inside the panty…. I was touching [it]. She woke up so I left the room.”

Then he said he went to the bathroom for the “usual.”

Duterte then told the priest he went back to the maid and “I tried to insert my finger.”

Responding to the priest's question, Duterte claimed the maid “was closing her eyes, fast asleep” the whole time. And then he said he went back to the bathroom for a second round of the “usual.”

The confession ended with the priest admonishing him, “Oh my God, say 5 Our Fathers, 5 Hail Marys, because you will go to hell.”

To unbelievers of his confession, Duterte told the audience, “Totoo man (It’s really true)!... It’s true.”

Then he again reverted to the supposed abuses of Catholic priests: “Kaya ‘yong abuses ah, dahan-dahan lang kayo. ‘Yung Katoliko has a very loaded thing. So it has to correct itself before it can call [me out] – ‘pag hindi, kalaban talaga nila ako. And I will continue to attack them.”

(So go slow on these abuses. The Catholic [Church] has a very loaded thing. So it has to correct itself before it can call [me out] – if not, I’ll really be their enemy. And I will continue to attack them.)

Duterte also claimed that "Pope Leo XIV" fathered Spanish-Italian noblewoman Lucrezia Borgia. She's actually the illegitimate daugher of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia who later became Pope Alexander VI, and his mistress, Vannozza dei Cattanei.

In the same speech, the President’s tirade did not just end with the Catholic Church but extended to the Holy Trinity and Jesus Christ himself. He dismissed the Holy Trinity as "silly" and Jesus as “unimpressive” as he chose to die on the cross rather than just zap to oblivion all his foes.

The President made the remark a day after the Social Weather Stations (SWS) released its latest survey results showing Duterte enjoying a “very good” +60 net satisfaction rating in December, higher than his rating in September.

Will Malacañang dismiss the President's confession, which involved the molestation of someone employed by his family, as just another tall tale to entertain his audience? (READ: Not just a joke: The social cost of Duterte's rape remarks) – with a report from Mara Cepeda/Rappler.com

Editor's Note: We earlier reported that Lucrezia Borgia's father, Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, later became Pope Alexander XIV. He actually took the name Pope Alexander VI. We have already corrected this. 

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte’s biggest political thorn in 2018 comes from a band of soldiers that once attempted to bring down a government by seizing a posh hotel.

Fifteen years after they mounted the botched Oakwood mutiny in July 2003, members of the Magdalo have metamorphosed from young and angry rebel military officers to mature and refined leaders who, for the most part, have played smart politics.

Not all of their allies agree with the combative style of Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, the de facto Magdalo team captain, but they concede that Trillanes is effective and he carries the torch in these dark days.

The senator not only survived a one-of-a-kind presidential order voiding his amnesty, he also won his case against that order in court. 

Compared to the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), the rebel military officers of the 1980s, the Magdalo successfully transformed into a viable political organization with a nationwide grassroots base called Samahang Magdalo, comprised mostly of civilian volunteers. 

“We had a naive view of the world when Oakwood happened. When we won in the 2007 elections, we believe it was God’s hand that pushed us in that direction,” Trillanes said in an interview.

Trillanes, 47, said his election to the Senate 11 years ago “forced us to level up individually and as a group.” (READ: What a coup!)

Learning new skills

While in jail under the Arroyo years, they all made a conscious effort to keep on learning – enrolling in masters’ degree programs, learning foreign languages, and becoming entrepreneurs.

The Magdalo leaders still looked after their men who had been released before them, making sure that they had livelihood after they were dismissed from the military.

One time at a swanky hotel in Ortigas, one of them came up to Trillanes. Looking dapper in his suit, he was at that time a ranking security official at the hotel. He thanked the senator and the rest of the leaders for looking for jobs for them.

After their release in 2010, most of the Magdalo continued to study – at the Asian Institute of Management, in Harvard, in China. They also began traveling abroad to learn, either individually or as a group.

“By going back to school, we learned tools for analysis. By traveling, we widened our world view. We use [all these] when we deliberate and discuss issues and political developments,” said Trillanes.  

Spreading the gospel about the importance of having a good education, the group started the Magdalo scholarship program in 2011 with the help of benefactors. To date, there are now 210 Magdalo scholars who are degree holders.

Second Senate seat?

The learning and brotherhood were evident one afternoon at the Magdalo’s longtime headquarters in Quezon City. Trillanes presented the results of their privately commissioned survey to some Magdalo executive committee members.

Like the rest of the opposition senatorial candidates, the numbers weren’t looking good for Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano, Trillanes’ mistah (classmate) in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). 

Alejano is hoping to fill up the Senate seat to be vacated by Trillanes as he wraps up his two 6-year terms and therefore, ineligible to run again. (WATCH: Gary Alejano on taking the fight to the Senate)

Trillanes emphasized that there’s still enough time to get Alejano in the Magic 12 but it meant each one buckling down to work right away.

They also discussed their resources and the need to raise funds – lots of it. A fundraising dinner was out of the question because none of them would be able to sell a P10,000-dinner plate. They agreed that they could stage a concert and hold movie block screenings.

Told that many think the Magdalo group has money, Trillanes smiled and smoothened his suit. “May dating kasi ang porma namin (We exude that air because we dress well)," he said.

Humor is another trait the Magdalos share. It might be unimaginable to see these battle-scarred rebels laughing, but levity has carried them through all the challenges they faced together.

“When we’re together, we keep it light. We have serious moments but often we take things in stride. We’ve shown stability under pressure,” Trillanes said.

At the meeting were execom members Alejano, Eugene Gonzales, Cash Cabochan, Don Santiago, Elmer Cruz, Boyet Orongan, and Jayveeh Macarubbo.

Gonzales, Cabochan, and Santiago– all former Navy officers – are mistahs of Alejano and Trillanes. Cruz, Orongan, and Macarubbo are their underclassmen in the PMA.

“Our life in the PMA was structured and we picked up from that. We’re used to having a structure,” Gonzales said.

Their military training remains evident in how they run their offices, from their headquarters to the Senate to the House of Representatives to the Samahang Magdalo chapters. Everyone has an assigned task and responsibility. It’s an operation that is results-driven, much like in the battlefield.

Working for the Magdalos feels somewhat like a boot camp but most of their staff members have been with them for over a decade. Despite their heavy workload, especially when Trillanes or Alejano unleashes an exposé against Duterte and his administration, they soldier on with the rest of the Magdalos because to them, this is their contribution for the country’s good.

Seniority rules 

The Magdalos still follow seniority in the group but they adopt a more democratic and collegial system compared to the military. “During deliberations, every member of the executive committee has the same voice regardless of their PMA class,” Trillanes said.

They also nominate and vote for those they want to field in the elections.

“We treat each other as brothers. We are compassionate towards one another. We also remind each other kung meron man naliligaw ng landas (if anyone has gone astray),” Cabochan said.

There are times when they get annoyed with each other. Gonzales said the group has had “minor disagreements” through the years but they managed to iron these out, adding they respect the decision of members who had decided to sever their ties from group.

The Magdalo blood is thicker than water for most of them.

When Trillanes was forced to stay at the Senate after Duterte revoked his amnesty, Magdalo execom members took turns staying with him in his office. They had protocols and contingency plans in case Trillanes was arrested. Their wives – the ever-present pillars of strength – also came in full force for Trillanes, wife Arlene, and their children.

It was a collective decision for Magdalo to expose Duterte’s alleged ill-gotten wealth during the 2016 campaign, despite knowing the then Davao mayor could make life hell for all of them. 

“We knew our worlds would turn upside down if we decide to confront a known vindictive politician such as Duterte. The exposé was a product of a series of consultations in the group. Do we sit on it or do we do the right thing and hope that the people will see through the lies and propaganda of Duterte?” Trillanes said.

Breaking ranks

The Magdalos themselves took a hit after Trillanes bared Duterte’s alleged bank accounts. Nearly half of the 650,000 members of the Samahang Magdalo left the group because they supported Duterte.

Trillanes lost his vice presidential bid in 2016, and the Magdalo partylist was only able to get one seat in the House of Representatives.

Despite this, though, the group, through Trillanes and Alejano, continued calling out Duterte.

Santiago, the Samahang Magdalo head, said a lot of those who left are now coming back. “They realized they’ve been had by Duterte,” he said. The turning point for most of them was when Duterte admitted lying about the alleged Singapore bank accounts of Trillanes.

Samahang Magdalo, now on its 10^th year, is about being responsible citizens and helping one's community.

Among their activities are bloodletting, tree planting, medical missions, cleanup drives, and joining relief operations.

Samahang Magdalo members also come in full force in political gatherings, such as anti-administration rallies.

“We told ourselves that we wouldn’t be joining rallies but as we became more involved in politics, we realized that there is a need to take to the streets. So little by little, the group became involved in such efforts,” Santiago said. Not only does the Magdalo provide the warm bodies, the group is also in charge of security at these events.

It was certainly a far cry from the time when the Magdalos were dismissed as “failed military adventurists,” when very few people wanted to be associated with them.

And they intend to be those warm bodies, and more.

Campaigning for 2019

Last October, more than a hundred Samahang Magdalo members, wearing white shirts and carrying red balloons, streamers, and banners were at the launch of the opposition coalition’s senatorial candidates to show support for Alejano.

They cheered for the former Marine officer in unison like a pep squad. The Magdalos have come a long way, too, in election campaigns.

Asked if the 2019 midterm elections would be their biggest challenge yet, both Gonzales and Cabochan said no. It was still the 2007 senatorial bid of Trillanes because they were all under detention, including the candidate himself.

This time, the Magdalo can campaign in full force. “Although the problem now is the administration dominates the state mechanisms, we can now actually go around,” Gonzales said. 

While Trillanes exposes Duterte’s alleged corrupt activities, Alejano has taken up the South China Sea dispute and China’s creeping invasion – issues that trigger Filipinos– as his advocacies.

Together, Trillanes and Alejano constantly remind the people that the killings of drug suspects continue and they hope the International Criminal Court (ICC) would hold Duterte liable for state-sponsored killings.

The Magdalo partylist nominees for the 2019 midterm elections are Cabochan, Gonzales, Cruz, Ian Badecao, and Macarubbo. They are unknown in the political circle, much more to the public.

Many were surprised that Trillanes was not a party-list nominee, considering that switching congressional seats is a norm among politicians from one family.

But Cabochan, one of the unlikely politicians in the group, said all of them recognize that they have to step up when the time comes. Gonzales added, “This helps in the continuity and succession in the group.”

Besides, Santiago said, “he’s already Trillanes.”

“He can continue working as our execom chairman and be influential even without being an elected official,” Santiago said.

Trillanes is being floated as a possible presidential contender in 2022, but the senator himself said the Magdalos “can’t afford to look that far ahead.”

“Our focus is the 2019 midterm elections, to make Gary and the Magdalo partylist win,” Trillanes said.

They’ve learned that military adventurism does not work, and they would rather be known as “reformists” than “revolutionaries.” – Rappler.com 

New Year messages of politicians often carry the theme of hope and gratitude, but among those imparting such thoughts for the coming year, Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's message may ring truer. After all, she's among the top candidates for most grateful Filipino of 2018, along with former senator Bong Revilla.

In her message, Arroyo urged Filipinos to welcome the new year by giving thanks for all God's blessings.

“Let us greet the new year with gratitude to God for all His blessings and hope for a peaceful and prosperous Philippines," she said in her message sent to the media on Sunday, December 30.

Arroyo certainly has a lot to be thankful for in 2018, the year of her political comeback.

In July, Arroyo’s most loyal allies joined forces with presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio and Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos to remove from power Duterte’s main man in the House of Representatives, Pantaleon Alvarez, a staunch ally of President Rodrigo Duterte. The incident even briefly pushed back Duterte's third State of the Nation Address. (READ: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Speaker: A missed chance for redemption?) 

Since becoming Speaker, Arroyo was again in the spotlight, with media covering her events in the provinces reminiscent of her presidency, including meetings with local officials on disaster relief.

She has the kind of friendship with President Rodrigo Duterte that allows her to call him and ask him to "do something" about rising inflation. This led to a meeting between Arroyo and Duterte's economic managers where she and her "team" (including Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda), made recommendations on curbing inflation.

Arroyo's ties with China is as when she was still Philippine chief. She was elected board member of the Boao Forum for Asia held in Hainan, China in April. Seven months later, Arroyo led Filipino legislators in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Manila. (READ: Duterte admin revives Arroyo policies, controversies)

Two weeks before the end of the year, Arroyo received her best Christmas gift. On December 17, the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 112 cleared her of electoral sabotage during the 2007 senatorial elections.

In her New Year message, Arroyo said, "May this new year bring us endless opportunities to fulfill our dreams and be a true blessing to others.” 

Will her lucky streak continue in 2019? – Rappler.com

AT A GLANCE:

• Market observers worry that Davao businessman Dennis Uy is spreading himself thin
• Uy's Udenna Corporation's liabilities soar by over 200% to P104 billion in 2017, with most funds poured for investments and acquisitions
• Uy is set to spend and loan even more in 2019 for his ventures in telecommunications, oil, and infrastructure

MANILA, Philippines – Davao businessman Dennis Uy was the hot topic of the business community in 2018, as he further cranked up his buying spree for companies.

From oil, shipping, real estate, food, utilities, gambling, to telecommunications, Uy has most bases covered.

Uy, who donated P30 million to President Rodrigo Duterte’s candidacy, has bought 36 companies since the latter ascended to power.

For 2018, Uy bought convenience store chain FamilyMart, digital startup Pos!ble.net, Ferrari distributor Autostrada Motore, restaurant chain Conti's, and water utilities company H2O Ventures.

Uy also signed a joint venture deal with TIPCO Asphalt Public Company and bought shares in the Manny Pangilinan-led PXP Energy.

Last year, he bought 19 companies. Prior to 2016, Uy had 11 companies in his arsenal. 

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Uy is expected to further expand and strengthen his empire in 2019, particularly in the telecommunications space, after Udenna and its partner China Telecom was named the 3rd major telco player.

His venture with Pangilinan is also rumored to play a big role in the joint oil exploration talks between the Philippines and China.

With massive acquisitions and business ventures come trade-offs.

Rappler talked to 4 experts in finance and business and they all sounded the alarm: Uy’s balance sheet is not looking good.

Moreover, observers are asking why banks are so eager to pour in mounds of cash.

Massive gains and liabilities

Udenna’s 2017 financial statement reveals massive jumps and dips in the company’s numbers.

In just a year, the company’s total assets soared by a whopping 204% from P44.1 billion in 2016 to P104 billion in 2017.

However, its liabilities also jumped by over 200% to P104 billion in 2017, from just P34.6 billion the previous year.

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Meanwhile, the holding firm’s earnings also jumped, with revenues up by 62.4% to P51 billion in 2017 from 2016’s P31.4 billion.

Taking out all expenses, Udenna’s net profit stood at just P4.1 billion in 2017. However, this is a 412.5% jump from 2016’s P800,000.

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“Medyo tagilid (it doesn’t look good), a quick look at what it earned versus its liabilities and you can just say that it’s a very weak balance sheet,” a finance expert who requested anonymity said.

Another market observer was also wary of Udenna’s figures, especially during a period of rising interest rates.

"Uy and Udenna have a lot to prove and a lot of catching up to do, and the figures alone are telling that he may be spreading himself too thin," the source said.

Uy was able to acquire companies through bank loans.

Udenna's interest-bearing loans in 2017 reached P85.8 billion, a 200% jump year-on-year.

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Its major lenders were BDO Unibank, Philippine National Bank, and Bank of China-Cayman branch.

Udenna's priciest transaction amounted to P34.1 billion to partially finance the acquisition of shares in Global Gateway Development Corporation, which holds the massive 177-hectare property in the Clark Freeport Zone.

The development is currently called Clark Global City, which aims to be the next central hub of Luzon in 10 years. 

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In total, Uy spent P70.1 billion for his investing activities, up by a whopping 606.9% year-on-year.

To further illustrate the immense growth in expenses and assets, Rappler compared Udenna's 2016 and 2017 figures with some of the country's biggest conglomerates.

All growth rates of liabilities, profit, and expenses on investment activities of Udenna were much higher than Ayala Corporation (AC), Metro Pacific Investment Corporation (MPIC), and SM Prime Holdings (SMPH).

In 2017, Udenna spent P71.4 billion for investments, a 606% increase from 2016’s P10.1 billion. This means that Udenna spent much more than AC, which allotted P63.8 billion in 2017. 

Out of the 4 companies, only Udenna spent more for investment activities in 2017 compared to 2016. AC, MPIC, and SMPH tempered their investment activities in 2017.

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Udenna Corporation spokesperson Adel Tamano said that their debts are "manageable."

Tamano added that Udenna's growth started two decades ago, starting off with Phoenix Petroleum and Chelsea Logistics.

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The Duterte effect

But with a problematic balance sheet, why are banks still eager to fund Uy's endeavors?

An investment banker said that banks usually look at several indicators like the debt-to-equity ratio, which is computed by dividing the company's liabilities by its equities. 

The ratio is used to gauge the extent to which a company is taking on debt as a means of leveraging its assets. A high ratio is often associated with high risk.

Udenna's debt-to-equity ratio in 2017 stood at 3.41:1.00, which, analysts said, was very high.

Big bank loans usually have a threshold of at most 2.30, while some allow up to 3.10. 

Udenna has at least 3 loans that have breached the debt-to-equity limits of loan terms, yet they were still granted the funds due to their ability to pay off loans on time and good relationships with banks.

However, the investment banker said that these requirements are not really strictly enforced in practice.

"It's a gray area, and banks are betting on Uy. It helps that he's close with Duterte," the banker said.

Moreover, the industry insider said that Uy's projects in land, infrastructure, and telecommunications are very enticing for banks.

"But if the loans go any further and the balance sheet keeps on tilting, banks may lose trust," the banker warned.

More loans up ahead 

The dizzying numbers will likely keep on astounding the business community in the coming years.

Uy's debut in the telecommunications space in 2019 will mean another round of massive cash coming in and out of Udenna. (READ: Blockbuster to lackluster: #TelcoSerye drama leaves people puzzled)

Mislatel, the consortium of Udenna and China Telecom, is set to spend P257 billion for infrastructure in 5 years. It promised to spend almost half of that or P150 billion in 2019.

Tamano said that Udenna may get loans from banks and from China Telecom.

"The restriction is on ownership, but the law allows us to loan from our partners like China Telecom," he said.

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Note that Globe spent only P42.5 billion for capital expenditures in 2017, while Smart's capex in 2017 was around P47 billion. 

"In respect to the first year, I think the impact would not be significant...impact on the market [and] on the revenue profile, because we are assuming the 3rd telco will have to build the relevant infrastructure," Pangilinan said.

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While Pangilinan already cast doubt over Uy's telco venture, their partnership in the oil business is cozying up.

Uy bought 340 million shares in Pangilinan's PXP Energy last October.

PXP Energy intends to use the funds raised to fund oil exploration activities. (READ: 'Forces' in gov't pushed for PH-China oil deal – Locsin)

Pangilinan has repeatedly urged government to pursue oil exploration in the West Philippine Sea.

Apart from this tie-up, Uy's oil business is booming, with Phoenix Petroleum set to secure another major contract for a liquefied natural gas import terminal in Batangas.

The Department of Energy earlier said that the evaluation for the application of Phoenix Petroleum and China National Offshore Oil Corporation is "almost complete."

Meanwhile, Uy has also gained the upper hand to undertake the P30-billion, 34.9-kilometer intra-city urban rail system project in Mindanao.

Udenna already submitted an unsolicited proposal in 2017 and gained the original proponent status. 

It will have to go through the scrutiny of the National Economic and Development Authority, which will subject the rail project to a Swiss challenge.

With all the major projects in the pipeline, Uy is set to create more buzz in 2019. 

Rappler asked one businessman with the deepest pockets in the country whether he is worried about Uy's rise. He simply said, "yes and no."

"Exciting. But we're keeping an eye on the red flags because they might affect us too," he said. – Rappler.com 

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Multiple Facebook posts claim the Philippines has won the Miss Universe title twice since Rodrigo Duterte became president. The pageant’s official website shows this is not true as the country's two most recent victories were in 2015 and 2018. Duterte was elected in 2016.

The misleading claims have been posted on fan pages for Duterte and one of his top political allies that have a combined following of more than 2.1 million accounts on Facebook. Archived versions of those posts are here and here.

They seek to use the false claims of the two Miss Universe victories during Duterte's time to promote the president's image, describing him as "beloved" and blessed".

Below is a screenshot of the post on the Duterte fan page that has more than 1.1 million followers:

It also has been shared more than 14,000 times by another Facebook account. Below is a screenshot of that post:

The posts were published shortly after Philippine contestant Catriona Gray won the 2018 Miss Universe on December 16.

The woman in blue on the upper left of the image is Pia Wurtzbach, who won the Miss Universe title for the Philippines in 2015. She also appears with Duterte in the lower picture.

On the upper right is Gray.

The yellow text above the images, when translated to English, says: “Two Ms. Universe in his term. You are truly blessed. Our beloved president”.

But Duterte was sworn in as president on June 30, 2016, six months after Wurtzbach won. Here is his inauguration speech on the government's RTVMalacanang Youtube channel.

The Miss Universe title went to South Africa’s Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters in 2017 and to France’s Iris Mittenaere in 2016.

Wurtzbach visited Duterte on July 18, 2016, which was captured in a government video, and the pair can be seen in the same clothes as in the image used in the false Facebook post. Below is that video.

– Rappler.com

Bookmark this page to watch and join the discussion live on Monday, January 7, at 2 pm

MANILA, Philippines – It will soon be a year since the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced it is moving on the complaint filed over the huge number of killings under President Rodrigo Duterte. 

But since then, the Philippine government has taken unprecedented steps, including withdrawing from the ICC.

Groups called the withdrawal "anti-people," saying that it exposes Filipinos to lack of justice in the event of "atrocious crimes."

On Monday, January 7, Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug sits down with human rights lawyer Arpee Santiago to discuss the importance of the ICC, its Office of the Prosecutor's ongoing preliminary examination of the situation in the Philippines, and what the future looks like.

Santiago is the executive director of the Ateneo Human Rights Center and chairperson of the Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court, one of the groups which challenged Duterte's withdrawal from the Rome Statute before the Supreme Court.

What would happen if the ICC decides to push through with a formal probe into extrajudicial killings in the Philippines? What can we expect from the ICC and the Duterte administration? 

Join the discussion live on Monday, January 7, at 2 pm. – Rappler.com