MANILA, Philippines – Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle is set to lead Masses at the Manila Cathedral, the seat of the Archdiocese of Manila, for Holy Week 2018.

Watch these Holy Week services live on Rappler, courtesy of TV Maria:

Palm Sunday Mass– 7 am on March 25
(Check the Palm Sunday Mass readings here)

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Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper (Maundy Thursday)– 5 pm on March 29
(Check the Maundy Thursday Mass readings here)

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Commemoration of the Lord's Passion (Good Friday)– 3 pm on March 30
(Check the readings at the Good Friday service here)

Easter Vigil Mass (Holy Saturday) – 8 pm on March 31 

Bookmark this page to follow these Holy Week services, live on Rappler. – Rappler.com

ROME, Italy – A Filipino prisoner was among those whose feet were washed by Pope Francis during a commemoration of Holy Thursday in a Rome jail.

The pope washed the feet of prisoners, including two Muslims, an Orthodox Christian and a Buddhist, once again choosing to celebrate Holy Thursday among Italy's incarcerated.

"Everyone always has the opportunity to change life and one cannot judge," said Francis to the prisoners of the city's all-male Regina Coeli prison.

It is the 4th time in the pope's 5 year papacy that he has celebrated the Holy Mass in an Italian jail. 

"For me, visiting the sick, going into prison, making the prisoner feel that he can have hope of rehabilitation, that is the preaching of the Church," said Francis in a recent book of interviews.

This year, the 12 inmates washed by Francis hailed from Italy, the Philippines, Morocco, Colombia, Moldova, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

The rite, performed yearly on Maundy or Holy Thursday, commemorates Jesus Christ's Last Supper with the apostles.

In Christian tradition, Jesus is said to have washed their feet ahead of the meal in a gesture of humility.

"I am a sinner like you but today I represent Jesus... God never abandons us, never tires of forgiving us," Francis said to the inmates. 

The ceremony is part of the run-up to Easter Sunday.

Since his election in 2013, the pope has moved the feet washing ceremony outside the walls of the Vatican and into centers for vulnerable people or those on society's margins.

In his first year he visited a youth detention center where he performed the ritual on a group of young inmates including two Muslims – the first Catholic leader ever to do so.

In 2014 he washed the feet of elderly and disabled people, in 2015 he did so in a prison, and in 2016 he chose a migrant reception center.

Last year, the pope went to Paliano jail outside Rome where he washed the feet of former mafiosi in a prison known for housing inmates who have informed on old mobster allies.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Do we condemn Jesus Christ to death and save another king? 

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle asked Catholics on Good Friday, March 30, to remember the chain of events leading to Christ's death on the cross – and to reflect particularly on the question posed by Pontius Pilate to a crowd.

Pontius Pilate had asked the gathering if Jesus Christ should be put to death. The crowd replied that Jesus must be crucified since they had no other king but Caesar.

Tagle said this question is one which Catholics must consider because of its relevance to crucial decisions we make in our lives.

"Tinatanong tayo ngayon muli. Ipapako ba sa krus si Hesus? Papayagan ba natin ipako sa krus si Hesus? O baka mayroon tayo ibang proprotektahan na hari?" he asked.

(We are being asked again. Do we nail Jesus to the cross? Do we allow Jesus to be crucified? Or maybe we are protecting another king?)

He pointed out how the people who condemned Christ to death made a choice to protect Caesar.

"Sino ba ang tunay naming hari? Sino ang hari na aming proprotektahan? Ang pinili nila ang caesar. Ang Caesar ay alagaan, ang Caesar ay protektahan," said Tagle.

(Who is our true king? Who is the king we will protect? They chose the Caesar. The Caesar is to be taken care of, protected.)

Crucial decisions

The Manila Archbishop said that the choice between Jesus and another "king" can present itself in major decisions in lives of Catholics.

He narrated the story of a couple who were about to have a baby but were contemplating having an abortion because they felt they did not have the resources to raise it.

"Will you substitute the life of this human being for the Caesars of convenience, money, and having no more problems?" he asked.

In the end, the couple decided to have the baby. Tagle himself met the child when she was 8 years old.

This story shows that so much hangs on the balance of a single choice, Tagle told his audience.

"Which king will you save? Maybe it is Jesus we are nailing to the cross again. Choose: Who will you save and who will you nail to the cross?" he asked toward the end of his homily. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The crucified Christ was the central figure during the Good Friday service led by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle at the Manila Cathedral on March 30.

During the ceremony, formally known as the Celebration of the Lord's Passion, Tagle asked Catholics to consider a crucial question being put before them as in the time of Jesus: condemn Christ to death in favor of other kings, or save him?

Such a question, he said, is relevant to many decisions people are made to face in their daily lives even now.

Towards the end of the service, church goers came forward to to kiss the feet of the image of Jesus nailed to the cross. 

– Rappler.com

PAMPANGA, Philippines – Filipino zealots marked Good Friday, March 30, with a bloody display of religious frenzy by having themselves nailed to crosses and whipping their backs raw in Asia's bastion of Catholicism.

Though frowned upon by the Church, the gruesome re-enactments of Christ's final moments draw thousands of believers – and tourists – in a carnival-like atmosphere that is big business for locals.

In a collection of towns located north of Manila, 8 people had 8-centimetre (3-inch) spikes driven through their palms and feet in hot, dry fields meant to echo the site where Christ was crucified some 2,000 years ago.

Among an otherwise male field of penitents was 39-year-old Mary Jane Sazon, who made her 7th trip up onto the cross.

"Fulfilling my vow is important to me because ever since I started this the Lord answers my prayers," Sazon told reporters as she pushed her dark hair back with freshly bandaged hands.

She would not be drawn on being the only woman crucified on Friday, saying "I don't care what other people might say."

While the ordeal is undeniably painful, the penitents' weight rests on a wooden step and they spend only a few moments nailed to the cross before being carried to the medical tent for treatment.

At the same time, scores of bare-chested men, some of whose faces were concealed by hoods, lashed their backs bloody, as they walked through the streets before selfie-snapping onlookers.

The swinging of their whips left droplets of blood on cars, houses and even bottles of soda displayed on snack vendors' tables that lined the road. 

"If one of my family members gets sick, this is what we do," said Norman Lapuot, 25, as he flogged himself with a bamboo-tipped whip. "I do this for my relatives."

'I felt the pain'

Lapuot, who said it was his fourth time taking part in the ceremony, added that he believed the ritual bloodletting had helped his grandfather recover from a stroke.

While a majority of the Philippines' 80 million Catholics spend Good Friday at church or with family, participants undergo the ordeal to atone for sins or to seek divine intervention.

The gruesome sights left some of the roughly 12,000 in attendance wide-eyed and wincing with vicarious pain.

"The most terrifying was the feet part, when the guy was screaming very loud," said 28-year-old Juliette Pawinska, referring to when the spikes were driven in during one crucifixion.

"I actually felt the pain that he felt," added the Polish national, who lives in the Philippines and works as a computer programmer.

The mock crucifixions on Good Friday have been going on for decades despite official disapproval from the nation's dominant Catholic Church.

"The Church never encourages self-flagellation, much less crucifixion," Father Roy Bellen, a spokesman for the archdiocese of Manila, told Agence France-Presse.

"All sacrifices being asked from Catholics during Lent and Holy Week should lead to actions that benefit the poor and the needy," he added.

Food stalls, cab drivers and even souvenir stands get a boost from the event which draws thousands of visitors every year.

Rose Anne Galang, whose full-time job is as a factory worker, said she pulled in some extra cash selling pork dumplings to hungry tourists.

"It's my first time, but business was really good," she added with a smile. "I'll be back next year."

Nearly 80 percent of people in the Philippines are Catholic, a legacy of the nation's 300 years of Spanish colonial rule that ended at the turn of the 20th century. – Rappler.com

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Malala Yousafzai's whereabouts in Pakistan were being kept a tightly-guarded secret Friday, March 30, one day after her emotional return more than 5 years after being shot by Taliban gunmen.

The Nobel laureate, whose arrival in the country dominated headlines and social media, broke down in tears as she delivered an emotional televised speech Thursday, March 29, saying it was a "dream" to be home.

But with intense criticism among the many messages of welcome, her itinerary was being kept under wraps over security fears, with even those meeting her not being told of her presence until the last moment. 

Malala is widely respected internationally as a global icon for girls' education, but opinion is divided in Pakistan, where some conservatives view her as a Western agent on a mission to shame her country.

"Pakistan has not done well by its heroes," an editorial in the English-language Dawn newspaper on Malala's homecoming said Friday, noting that the country's other Nobel laureate – physicist Abdus Salaam – had been widely shunned for being a member of the persecuted Ahmadi minority.

Women's rights activist Nighat Dad said that she and a group of other feminists from across Pakistan who were gathered on Thursday were not told they would be meeting Malala until the last moment.

The organizer, Oscar-winning director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, only told them "It'll be the highlight of your year," Dad said – adding that she had been right.

Malala's schedule for Friday was not clear, though there was some speculation she would return to her native Swat, where she was shot and where, earlier this month, a school built with her Nobel prize money was opened.  

Malala became a global symbol for human rights after a gunman boarded her school van on October 9, 2012, asked "Who is Malala?" and shot her. 

The Pakistani Taliban accused her of "anti-Islamic" activities and of "smearing" the militant group in statements released after the attack.

She was treated for her injuries in the British city of Birmingham, where she also completed her schooling.

The youngest-ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, she has continued to be a vocal advocate for girls' education while studying at Oxford University.

Swat, in Pakistan's rugged northwest, was overrun by the Taliban in 2007, where they imposed a brutal regime including banning girls from school.

They were pushed out in a military operation in 2009, but security has remained fragile, as the attack on Malala three years later demonstrated.

However in recent weeks authorities have lifted prohibitions against tourists visiting the mountainous region, famed for its beauty, as security improves.

Residents say Malala's story has changed the lives of other girls in the area.

"Parents are sending their girls to school so Malala has been successful in her aim," Swat resident Shahista Hakeem told Agence France-Presse.

Many of those who live in the area were happy to hear of Malala's return to Pakistan, Hakeem said, adding: "We want that she should come to Swat also." – Rappler.com

MOSCOW, Russia – The Kremlin said Friday, March 30, it was not Russia that had unleashed a diplomatic war with the West following the mass expulsion of United States envoys in retaliation against coordinated moves by Britain and its allies over a spy poisoning.

"Russia did not unleash any diplomatic war," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists. "Russia never initiated any exchange of sanctions."

"Russia has been forced to take retaliatory steps in response to hostile, illegal actions" by Washington, he said, adding that Moscow wanted "good relations" and remained open for dialogue.

On Thursday, March 29, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would expel 60 US diplomats and close Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of its envoys in the wake of the poisoning of a former double agent in Britain.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Russia's expulsion of US diplomats marked a "further deterioration" in relations between the two countries.

In all, more than 150 Russian diplomats have been ordered out of EU and NATO member countries and other nations in coordinated action against Moscow over its alleged involvement in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter with a nerve agent in southwestern England on March 4. – Rappler.com

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar – Myanmar's new president promised to amend the country's army-written constitution in an inaugural speech Friday, March 30, challenging a charter that bans Aung San Suu Kyi from top office and gives the military major powers.

Win Myint, a 66-year-old former political prisoner and staunch ally of Suu Kyi, was elected president on Wednesday, March 28, after his predecessor suddenly resigned.

Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate who championed Myanmar's emergence from junta rule by sweeping 2015 elections, is constitutionally barred from the presidency because she was married to a foreigner.

To circumvent that snag, her party created a new position for her called state counsellor – allowing Suu Kyi to rule "above" the president.

That makes it vital for her to have a reliable proxy in office, especially as she manages the delicate power-sharing arrangement with the military, which ruled the country for almost half a century and remains enormously influential.

In his first address to parliament, the famously straight-talking Win Myint said he would focus on the rule of law, national reconciliation and "amending the constitution to build a democratic federal union".

The three issues are touchstones of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

But talk of amendments to Myanmar's 2008 constitution is likely to rise heckles among Myanmar's still-powerful generals.

The army has ceded some power to the civilian administration, but retains 25 percent of parliamentary seats and total control of security affairs under the charter.

Win Myint also said he would work to "protect human rights", a thorny subject in a country accused of ethnic cleansing by the UN against its Rohingya Muslim population.

A violent military crackdown has forced some 700,000 Rohingya – a long-persecuted stateless minority – over the border into Bangladesh since August.

The army insists the campaign was a legitimate response to Rohingya militant attacks against border-guard police posts.

Win Myint is part of Suu Kyi's inner circle – the pair campaigned together during the 1988 democracy protests against the then-junta, a movement that was violently suppressed.

For his role Win Myint, alongside many others, was taken political prisoner.

Suu Kyi is still widely regarded as a pro-democracy heroine in Myanmar even though her reputation lies in tatters globally for failing to speak up on behalf of the country's Rohingya Muslims. – Rappler.com

BANGALORE, India – Indian police have arrested the editor of a website for publishing a fake report that Muslims had attacked a monk from the Jain faith, officials said Friday, March 30.

Mahesh Vikram Hegde was arrested in southern Karnataka state on Thursday, March 29, on charges of spreading fake and communally sensitive news on his right wing website, a senior police officer said.

Hegde's online Postcard news reported on March 18 that Jain monk Upadhyaya Mayank Sagarji was attacked by Muslims. Police said Sagarji was actually injured in a road accident.

"We have arrested Hegde for posting a fake news on his news portal Postcard alleging that a Jain monk was attacked by Muslims," Bangalore joint commissioner of police N. Satish Kumar said in a statement.

The cyber crime police "have registered a case against the portal and its owner Hegde for the false news", Kumar added.

Hegde also shared the "news" on Twitter where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of his more than 78,000 followers.

The news item and tweet were later deleted, police said.

Postcard news is a controversial website which usually carries stories that glorify Modi and his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party.

One story on the site details the heroism of an Indian soldier "who single-handedly killed 300 Chinese soldiers".

Another talks about how India would reduce nuclear China and Pakistan into "crumbling ruins" if it is faced with a "two-front war".

India has seen a proliferation of fake news as more and more people in the country of 1.2 billion turn away from traditional media to internet items on smart phones.

False stories peddled as news led to seven people being killed by a mob in eastern Jharkhand state last year after a rumour spred on WhatsApp that they were child-traffickers. – Rappler.com

BEIJING, China – Beijing flexed its military muscle this week as its sole operational aircraft carrier apparently took part in a huge naval drill with dozens of other vessels in the South China Sea, satellite images showed.

The pictures, taken by Planet Labs Inc., appear to show the Liaoning carrier at the center of a formation of more than 40 other ships lined up in pairs south of China's Hainan province island on Monday, March 26.

China's defense ministry refused to confirm whether the Liaoning took part in drills this week but military experts say the aircraft carrier is identifiable.

Six submarines and two J-15 fighter jets appear to lead the "naval parade", James Char, a military expert at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, told Agence France-Presse.

"Such a formation serves more of as a visual spectacle with the Liaoning the status symbol of the PLA (People's Liberation Army)," Char said.

"This formation is unlikely to be used in actual combat situations," he said, adding that he would "not be surprised" if it was purposely aimed at being picked up by satellite images.

The show of force emerged days after Taiwan said that the Liaoning and other vessels had passed through the Taiwan Strait on March 20 -- the same day that Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against any attempts to divide China.

Sea claims 

Beijing has also been asserting its vast claims to the South China Sea, transforming reefs into islands capable of hosting military equipment.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan have their own claims to the sea, while US warships regularly conduct "freedom of navigation" operations near islands controlled by Beijing.

"We can expect the (Chinese naval) presence in the South China Sea becoming more regular, especially with the increase in freedom of navigation patrols by the United States as well as other countries," Char said.

Jeffrey Lewis, of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said that while it was a "large naval drill", past photos have shown the carrier "travelling in such a formation."

"It was probably transiting to a location," he said.

In another picture taken by Planet Labs on Tuesday, March 27, the Liaoning is seen south of Hainan island's Yulin Naval Base, but no longer in formation with other ships.

Defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang confirmed on Thursday, March 29, that the navy has conducted a "routine" drill in the South China Sea to improve the military's "capability to win wars".

"It is not targeted at any specific country or target," Ren told reporters, without saying how many and which ships were involved.

Separately, the air force had announced on Sunday, March 25, that aircraft, including H-6K bombers and Su-35 fighter jets, had recently participated in a joint combat patrol mission in the South China Sea, according to the official Xinhua news agency, without giving more details.

China's government announced earlier this month an 8.1% increase in military spending to 1.11 trillion yuan ($175 billion).

The Liaoning is a Soviet-era vessel that was bought from Ukraine, refitted and commissioned in 2012.

Last year, China unveiled its first domestically-built aircraft carrier, which will carry J-15 fighters that will take off from a raised "ski jump" platform. It has yet to be put into  operation. – Rappler.com

BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand's junta will lift a near 4-year ban on political activity in June, an official said Friday, March 30, as space for debate slowly expands in the kingdom with polls promised for next year.

Political gatherings of 5 or more people have been outlawed since Thailand's army grabbed power in a May 2014 coup, booting Yingluck Shinawatra's elected government from power.

The generals, who have repeatedly backtracked on promised returns to democracy, insist an election will be held "no later" than February 2019.

Yet while parties have been allowed to register in anticipation of the vote, they remain barred from discussing policy or meeting without junta permission.

Politicians have demanded the ban is lifted, while critics accuse the junta of buying time to bolster the chances of new army-linked parties in the upcoming election.

A defense ministry spokesman said the moratorium would soon be lifted, confirming comments the junta's number two made to the local press on Thursday.

"The initial plan is that the ban would be lifted in June so that newly set-up parties are ready," Lieutenant-General Kongcheep Tantravanich told Agence France-Presse.

"While the big existing parties are already ready, the new parties need time... they will start their activities together in June," he added.

The restricted climate has left questions swirling about leadership shuffles in Thailand's biggest bloc -- the toppled Pheu Thai party, which has dominated elections for a decade but has been repeatedly cut down by coups and court rulings.

The faction – the nemesis of the junta and Bangkok elite – is officially without a leader after both of its figureheads were driven into self-exile in the wake of 2006 and 2014 coups.

The exiled pair, former premiers and siblings Yingluck and Thaksin Shinawatra, made a rare public appearance at a book launch for a Japanese minister in Tokyo on Thursday.

It was one of Yingluck's first public sightings since she fled Thailand last August ahead of a verdict in a court case she decried as a political witch-hunt.

Analysts say both leaders are unlikely to return to Thai soil any time soon after being convicted of graft charges in absentia. 

But they may continue Thaksin's approach of directing the powerhouse party from abroad.

The latest coup is widely seen as an effort to squeeze the Shinawatras out of Thai politics for good.

The junta's new charter limits the purview of elected politicians while boosting the clout of appointed officials.

The next administration will also be straightjacketed by a "legally-binding" 20-year policy plan hatched by the junta. – Rappler.com

GAZA CITY – Clashes erupted as thousands of Gazans marched near the Israeli border in a major protest on Friday, March 30, with 5 Palestinians killed and more than 50 wounded.

Some Gazans estimated the total number of protesters in the tens of thousands, including women and children. 

They gathered at multiple sites throughout the blockaded territory, which is flanked by Israel along its eastern and northern borders, Agence France-Press correspondents said.

Smaller numbers approached within a few hundreds meters (yards) of the heavily fortified border fence, with Israeli troops using tear gas and live fire to force them back.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported 201 people wounded from live fire, while the health ministry in the Gaza Strip said 4 people were killed during the clashes.

Israel's military said: "17,000 Palestinians are rioting in 5 locations along the Gaza Strip security fence.

"The rioters are rolling burning tires and hurling firebombs and rocks at the security fence and at (Israeli) troops, who are responding with riot dispersal means and firing towards main instigators."

Earlier in the day, before the main protests began, a Palestinian farmer was killed by Israeli tank fire near the border, the health ministry said.

The Israeli military said the tank fire came after "two suspects approached the security fence ... and began operating suspiciously."

Protesters were demanding hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled during the war surrounding Israel's creation in 1948 be allowed to return.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya attended the protest, believed to be the first time he had gone so close to the border in years.

Organisers said the six-week protest would run until the inauguration of the new US embassy in Jerusalem around May 14.

The upcoming embassy move has added to tensions surrounding the march.

Israel announced a "closed military zone in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip," accusing its Islamist rulers Hamas of using the lives of civilians "for the purpose of terror."

It has deployed reinforcements, including more than 100 special forces snipers, for fear of mass attempts to break through the security fence.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in a Twitter post directed to Gazans in both Hebrew and Arabic that "Hamas's leadership is playing with your life."

"Anyone who approaches the fence today will be putting themselves in danger."

US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December has infuriated Palestinians, who claim its annexed eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

Hamas has fought 3 wars with Israel since 2008.

Rare family protest

Protests along the border are common, often culminating in young Palestinian men throwing stones at Israeli soldiers who respond with tear gas, and rubber and live bullets.

The March of Return protest is different because it is intended to include families with women and children camping near the border for weeks.

Five main camp sites have been set up spanning the length of the frontier, from near the Erez border crossing in the north to Rafah where it meets the Egyptian border in the south.

Cultural events are planned in the larger communal tents, including traditional Palestinian dabke dancing, while tens of thousands of meals will be handed out on Friday, organisers said. 

A young couple were married near one of the camps on Thursday evening, March 29.

Saeed Juniya had erected a small tent a few hundred metres (yards) from the border fence east of Gaza City, where he was accompanied by his wife and children.

"We are determined and not scared as we are not doing something wrong. The people are demanding their land and to return to their country," he said.

Organizers say the camps will remain in place until May 15 when Palestinians commemorate the Nakba, or "catastrophe", of the 1948 creation of Israel with the exodus of more than 700,000 Palestinians.

According to the United Nations, some 1.3 million of Gaza's two million residents are refugees or their descendants and the protest is calling for them to be allowed to return to land that is now Israel.

Washington's plans to launch its new embassy around the same time, to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Israeli state, have further stoked Palestinian anger.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, on Thursday labelled the protest an "organised planned provocation" and reiterated "Israel's right to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens."

The launch of the protests comes as Palestinians mark Land Day, commemorating the killing of six unarmed Arab protesters in Israel in 1976. – Rappler.com

MOSCOW, Russia – Russia on Friday, March 30, expelled Dutch diplomats and told Britain it had one month to reduce its diplomatic presence in the country, hitting back at EU countries after a coordinated campaign by the UK and its allies over a nerve agent attack on a former spy.

Earlier in the day Russia had summoned the ambassadors of a number of nations including Britain, France, Germany and Canada to inform them of retaliatory measures.

Dutch ambassador Renee Jones-Bos said she had been told two diplomats would be expelled. 

"Two of my colleagues are leaving Moscow. But we (the embassy) are staying here," state news agency TASS quoted her as saying.

The Russian foreign ministry also gave Britain a month to cut its number of diplomatic staff in Russia to the same as Russia has in Britain.

Moscow has already announced that it would expel 60 US diplomats and close Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg after the expulsion of its own diplomats and the closure of one of its US consulates.

In all, more than 150 Russian diplomats have been ordered out of the US, EU members, NATO countries and other nations in a coordinated action against Moscow, which they accuse of being involved in the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in a nerve agent attack in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.

The ambassadors had earlier been seen arriving at the Russian foreign ministry, an Agence France-Presse journalist reported.

"The ambassadors will be handed protest notes and told about the Russian side's retaliatory measures," the foreign ministry said in a terse statement. 

The ministry did not say what those steps would be, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that Moscow would respond with "tit-for-tat" measures, but they might "not only" be symmetrical.

The Kremlin said Friday it was not Russia that had unleashed a diplomatic war with the West.

"Russia did not unleash any diplomatic war," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Russia never initiated any exchange of sanctions."

"Russia has been forced to take retaliatory steps in response to hostile, illegal actions" by Washington, he said, adding that Moscow wanted "good relations" and remained open for dialogue.

'Great news'

Some people in Saint Petersburg said they welcomed the move.

"This is great news," said Viktor Glushko, 60.

"It is about time. Relations will not get worse because they were never good and we will get by without them."

In Washington, the State Department said Thursday, March 29, there was no justification for the Russian move and that the United States "reserves the right to respond".

"It's clear from the list provided to us that the Russian Federation is not interested in a dialogue on issues that matter to our two countries," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said of the expelled diplomats.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Russia's expulsion of US diplomats marks a "further deterioration" in relations between the two countries.

Lavrov said the US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman had been informed of "retaliatory measures".

Yulia 'improving rapidly'  

The hospital where Skripal and his daughter are being treated said Thursday that Yulia, 33, was "improving rapidly and is no longer in a critical condition", while 66-year-old Sergei remained in a critical but stable condition. 

Britain has said it is "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for the attack using the Novichok nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union, but Russia has angrily denied any involvement.

Russia said 58 diplomats from the US embassy in Moscow and two from the consulate in the city of Yekaterinburg have to leave Russia by next Thursday. 

The US consulate general in Saint Petersburg will have to be vacated by Saturday, March 31.

Moscow warned that Huntsman's suggestion that the US could also freeze Russian state assets would lead to "further serious deterioration in our relations".

It also warned that it could take further measures in response if Washington "continued hostile actions" against the Russian embassy and consulates.

Lavrov said Russia was also mulling tit-for-tat responses to the other countries that have expelled its diplomats. 

"As for the other countries, it's also all symmetrical measures as to the number of people who will be leaving Russia from diplomatic missions, and that's all so far," Lavrov said. 

The measures might "not only" be symmetrical, he added.

Lavrov said Britain had informed Moscow of the state of health of Yulia Skripal on Thursday and that Russia had asked again for access to her as a citizen.

After the poisoning, Britain reacted by announcing it would expel 23 Russian diplomats, suspend high-level diplomatic contact with Moscow and not send royals to the 2018 football World Cup hosted by Russia.

Russia then responded by closing a British consulate in Saint Petersburg and closing the British Council educational and cultural organization. – Rappler.com

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Belgium has cut the allowance of Prince Laurent, the tearaway younger brother of King Philippe, in an unprecedented sanction for meeting foreign dignitaries without government consent.

Lawmakers voted late Thursday, March 29, to reduce the prince's 307,000-euro ($378,000) annual allowance by 15%, a cut of 46,000 euros, following a recommendation by Prime Minister Charles Michel.

Prince Laurent, 54, was photographed last year wearing a military uniform while attending the 90th anniversary of the Chinese army at Beijing's embassy in Brussels – a photo he himself tweeted – without official permission.

He had earlier been reproached for meetings in Libya and for an unauthorized visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a former Belgian colony, in 2011.

The vote -- by 93 votes to 23, according to the Belga news agency -- is the first use of a 2013 law that permits a "retention" of allowances for members for the royal family if they break certain rules.

Prince Laurent had in a statement issued by his lawyer sought to win the sympathy of lawmakers, saying that the punishment "could cause him serious harm and was difficult to repair."

It complained that he could not work due to his royal status, and said that "three quarters of his allowances were part of costs related to his functions under the strict control of the court of accounts."

"This allowance, the reduction of which is being discussed as a result of the political or media currents, is the price of a life, the price of my life, which is largely behind me now," he wrote.

Sometimes referred to as the "Prince Maudit" – the Cursed Prince – Laurent is widely reported to suffer from depression. 

Fined several times for speeding and chided for fraternising with African leaders without the government's consent, Laurent has long been considered the "enfant terrible" of the Belgian royal family.

The prince made headlines in 2013 when he was hospitalised with internal injuries after falling while skiing in Austria. 

But he is also seen as a likeable figure, if something of an oddball, as an animal lover who recently confessed he wished he could "converse with an octopus or a fly." – Rappler.com

TRIPOLI, Libya – The Islamic State group on Friday, March 30, claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in eastern Libya the previous day that killed 8 people, including civilians.

A suicide attacker detonated his explosives-laden vehicle at a barricade manned by forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar near the city of Ajdabiya, local security and hospital sources said.

Eight other people were wounded in what was the second such attack in less than a month.

The jihadist group, in a statement issued by its propaganda outlet Amaq, said a militant named Abu Qudama al-Saeih had blown up his car at a barricade manned by Haftar's forces, killing or wounding 19 personnel.

General Fawzi al-Mansouri, a top officer in the local security forces, said civilians were among those killed and wounded in the attack, 840 kilometres (520 miles) from the capital Tripoli.

ISIS also claimed a March 9 suicide attack to the south of Ajdabiya that wounded three people.

Despite the December 2016 loss of its Sirte bastion in northern Libya, ISIS remains active in the centre and south of the country.

The oil-rich North African country has been wracked by chaos since a 2011 uprising that toppled and killed long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi. 

Two authorities -- a Tripoli-based unity government and a rival administration in the east -- are vying for control of Libya.

Haftar, who backs the eastern authorities, announced the "liberation" of Libya's second city of Benghazi last July after a three-year campaign. – Rappler.com

BEIJING, China – A defunct space laboratory that will plunge back to Earth in the coming days is unlikely to cause any damage, Chinese authorities say, but will offer instead a "splendid" show akin to a meteor shower.

China's space agency said Thursday, March 29, that the roughly 8-ton Tiangong-1 will re-enter the atmosphere some time between Saturday and Monday. The European Space Agency has a smaller window between midday Saturday, March 31, and early Sunday afternoon, April 1, GMT time.

But there is "no need for people to worry", the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said on its WeChat social media account.

Such falling spacecraft do "not crash into the Earth fiercely like in sci-fi movies, but turn into a splendid (meteor shower) and move across the beautiful starry sky as they race towards the Earth", it said.

The lab was placed in orbit in September 2011 and had been slated for a controlled re-entry, but it ceased functioning in March 2016 and space enthusiasts have been bracing for its fiery return.

The ESA said the lab will make an "uncontrolled re-entry" as ground teams are no longer able to fire its engines or thrusters, though a Chinese spaceflight engineer denied earlier this year that it was out of control.

Beijing sees its multi-billion-dollar space programme as a symbol of the country's rise. It plans to send a manned mission to the moon in the future.

China sent another lab into orbit, the Tiangong-2, in September 2016 and hopes to turn it into a crewed space station by 2022.

Experts have downplayed any concerns about the Tiangong-1 causing any damage when it hurtles back to Earth, with the ESA noting that nearly 6,000 uncontrolled re-entries of large objects have occurred over the past 60 years without harming anyone.

The CMSEO said the probability of someone being hit by a meteorite of more than 200 grammes is one in 700 million.

'Spectacular show'  

During the uncontrolled re-entry, atmospheric drag will rip away solar arrays, antennas and other external components at an altitude of around 100 kilometres (60 miles), according to the Chinese space office.

The intensifying heat and friction will cause the main structure to burn or blow up, and it should disintegrate at an altitude of around 80 kilometres, it said.

Most fragments will dissipate in the air and a small amount of debris will fall relatively slowly before landing, most likely in the ocean, which covers more than 70 percent of the Earth's surface.

Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, estimates that the Tiangong-1 is the 50th most massive uncontrolled re-entry of an object since 1957.

"Much bigger things have come down with no casualties," McDowell told Agence France-Presse

"This thing is like a small plane crash," he said, adding that the trail of debris will scatter pieces several hundred kilometres apart.

At an altitude of 60-70 kilometres, debris will begin to turn into "a series of fireballs", which is when people on the ground will "see a spectacular show", he said.

China will step up efforts to coordinate with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs as the re-entry nears, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters on Friday.

"I want to highlight that we attach importance to this issue and we've been dealing with it very responsibly in accordance with relevant laws and regulations," Lu said.

"What I've heard is the possibility of large amounts of debris falling to the ground is very slim." – Rappler.com

MIAMI, United States – The widow of the man who shot dead 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando nearly two years ago was acquitted Friday, March 30, in US federal court of aiding and abetting her husband, officials said.

Noor Salman, 31, faced life in jail on charges of lying to investigators and helping Omar Mateen, who also injured at least 68 when he opened fire at the club on June 12, 2016.

The 29-year-old Mateen, who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) group in a 911 call during the attack, was killed in a shootout when police stormed the building.

"Justice was done," Salman's attorney Charles Swift said upon leaving the courtroom, according to CBS affiliate Channel 6.

The jury had started deliberations on Wednesday, March 28.

"Hopefully the conclusion of the trial related to the Pulse tragedy can help our community continue the healing process," Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said on Twitter.

During the trial, which began March 3, the defense argued that Salman had a low IQ, a childish nature and was dominated by her abusive husband.

It also contested that Salman's confession to the FBI that she knew Mateen was going to attack the club came under duress during an interrogation lasting 16 hours.

"Why would Omar Mateen confide in Noor, a woman he clearly had no respect for?" defense attorney Linda Moreno asked, according to the Orlando Sentinel. 

"She was not his peer, she was not his partner, and she was not his confidant."

During the trial, it was revealed that Mateen initially planned to attack Disney World, one of Orlando's biggest attractions, by hiding his gun in a baby stroller -- but was put off by the heavy police presence. 

Responding to the verdict, Orlando police chief John Mina said: "I believe in our criminal justice system and am grateful for the jury's hard work and thoughtful deliberation." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle delivered a homily on Good Friday, March 30, about a moral choice besetting Christians to this day: Will they save Jesus from crucifixion, or protect the "kings" of this world?

Tagle wiped his tears several times during his homily on Friday, as he recounted stories such as the time he, while stuck in an airport, overheard overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who longed to see their families. 

This comes after Tagle on Palm Sunday, March 25, warned against arrogant and violent "kings," and after the cardinal on Holy Thursday, March 29, turned his eyes on the plight of OFWs and refugees.

Below is the transcript of Tagle's homily on Good Friday 2018:

Mga minamahal na kapatid sa pananampalataya, dumating na naman tayo sa isang Biyernes Santo, isa sa pinakabanal na araw sa taon. Subalit ito rin ang isa sa mga araw na nakapanghihina. Nakakabagabag ng kalooban at puso. Lahat tayo ay dapat nagtatanong, bakit nangyari ito? Papaanong ang isang napakabuting tao – kahit na nga hindi pa siya kinikilalang Anak ng Diyos, mabuti siyang tao – bakit siya sumapit sa ganitong kamatayan?

Ang paglalahad ayon kay San Juan ng mga pangyayari patungo sa kanyang pagkapako sa krus at kamatayan, ay parang isang drama. At kung babasahin natin nang taimtim – hindi nagmamadali, kundi pumapasok tayo sa nangyayari – siguro may mga bahagi na ang puso natin magsasabi, "Pedro, sabihin mo ang totoo. Magtulong kayo palayain si Hesus para hindi matuloy ang paghuhusga at ang pagpapako."

Siguro 'yung iba sa atin, kakausapin si Pilato. "Pilato, wala ka naman palang nakikitang kasalanan. Huwag kang pumayag." May bahagi ng isip at puso natin, parang gustong baguhin, kung kaya lang natin, ang daloy ng kuwento. At siguro alam natin sa puso natin, kaya naman sana ni Pilato, kaya naman sana ni Pedro, kaya naman ni Hudas. Subalit naganap ang naganap.

Ang isang bahagi na talagang nakakapanghina sa akin ay noong inilabas ni Pilato si Hesus, iniharap sa mga tao, at ang sabi, "Narito ang inyong hari!" At ang sigaw ng mga tao, "Patayin siya! Ipako siya sa krus!" Nagtanong muli si Pilato. Kumbaga, huling pagkakataon. "Ipapako ko ba sa krus ang inyong hari? Ipapako ko ba sa krus ang inyong hari?" Pinagdedesisyon ang mga tao. "Huling tanong: Ipapako ko ba sa krus ang inyong hari?" Ang sagot ng mga tao, "Wala kaming hari kundi ang Cesar! Hindi iyan ang aming hari!"

"Ang Cesar ang aming hari. Huwag 'nyong ipapako si Cesar! 'Yang si Hesus, hindi namin hari 'yan! Puwede siyang ipako sa krus."

Ang desisyon ng mga tao ay ito: Sino ba ang tunay naming hari? Sino ang hari na aming poprotektahan? Ang pinili nila, ang Cesar. "Ang Cesar ay alagaan, ang Cesar ay protektahan. Itong si Hesus, hindi namin kinikilala 'yang hari, kaya maaari na siyang patayin. Hindi 'nyo kami puwedeng paratanganan na pinapatay namin ang hari, kasi pinrotektahan namin ang kinikilala naming hari – ang Cesar."

Tinatanong tayo ngayon muli: Ipapako ba sa krus si Hesus? Papayagan ba natin ipako sa krus si Hesus? O baka meron tayong ibang poprotektahan na hari? Ano 'yung hari na isasalba natin?

"'Di bale nang mawala si Hesus, huwag lang itong haring ito. Hesus, kung ikaw ay ikukumpara ko dito sa ibang hari, sorry ha, mawala ka na, huwag lang itong aking hari." Itong tanong ni Pilato ay umaalingawngaw pa hanggang sa ating panahon. Araw-araw tinatanong tayo ni Pilato – ipapako ko ba sa krus si Hesus? Araw-araw sumasagot tayo. Sino ang pinipili nating ipapatay? Si Hesus o ang ibang pinipili nating hari?

Nakalulungkot. Ipinagpalit si Hesus. Pero ito ang napakaganda sa kuwento. Kailanman, si Hesus paulit-ulit na pinagpapalit. Pinagpalit na siya sa tatlumpung pilak. Pinagpalit siya ni Pedro para sa sarili niyang kaligtasan. Pinagpalit siya ng bayan para kay Cesar. Pero sa lahat ng 'yan, hindi tayo pinagpalit ni Hesus.

Kahit siya'y nasasaktan, ang pinipili pa rin niya, tayo. Kahit siya'y kinutya: "Kung ikaw ang tunay na Mesiyas, iligtas mo ang iyong sarili!" Pero pumili siya. Hindi sarili niya ang ililigtas niya. Ililigtas niya tayo. Wala na siyang ibang pinipili kundi tayo – ang ating kabutihan.

Kaya nasabi sa Unang Pagbasa, pati 'yung dusa na tayo ang dapat pumapasan, pinasan niya. Bakit? Pinili niya tayo. Siya ang ating Punong Pari, na wala nang ginawa kundi unawain tayo, sabi sa Ikalawang Pagbasa. Niyakap ang lahat para sa atin. Hindi tayo ipagpapalit kahit na siya'y patayin.

Subalit ang tao, ipagpapalit siya.

Ito po ang patuloy na panawagan sa atin hindi lamang kapag Biyernes Santo, kundi sa pang-araw-araw na buhay. Si Hesus, tapat sa atin. Tayo ba'y magiging tapat lagi sa kanya?

Ilang buwan lamang po ang nakararaan, nakadalo ako sa isang miting ng Catholic Biblical Federation na ginawa sa Vietnam. Mayroong mag-asawa na nagbigay ng pagsaksi o testimony. Sabi nila, sabi nu'ng babae, eight years ago, nadiskubre niya, nagdadalang-tao na naman siya. May tatlo na siyang anak. Kaya nu'ng nalaman niyang buntis siya, namroblema raw siya. Iniisip niya, "Tsk, gastos na naman! Eto nga, itong tatlo, papasok na sa eskwelahan, marami nang gastos, meron na namang isa." Ang naiisip niya, "Pera eh. Ang bahay namin, maliit. Dagdag na naman dapat ng kuwarto." Lahat 'yan, iniisip niya. Tapos lumabas, "Mamili ka. Puwede mo namang ipa-abort. Para wala ka nang problema sa pera, sa bahay, abort mo 'yang bata."

Um-attend daw sila ng Bible sharing. Paulit-ulit silang um-attend. Pero malapit-lapit na silang magdesisyon ipa-abort ang bata. Pero hindi rin naman daw sila tumigil ka-a-attend ng Bible sharing, hanggang isang araw, silang mag-asawa raw ay nag-usap at ang sabi, "Ano, itutuloy na ba natin ang abortion?" Pareho raw silang nagsabi: "Ano ang sinasabi ng budhi mo? Anong pipiliin mo? Na meron tayong pera na nase-save, na hindi tayo gagastos para sa bagong kuwarto, o itong ating anak?"

Namili sila. Itutuloy ang pagbubuntis. At pagkatapos nilang ikuwento 'yon, naku palakpakan kami, kasi akala namin itinuloy ang abortion. Tapos tinawag nila onstage 'yung bata. Eight years old na. Cute na cute. Mataba (laughs). Kaming nanonood, sabi namin, "Isang desisyon meant life or death for that girl."

Ipapako ko ba sa krus ang inyong hari?

Minsan ang tanong diyan ay, ipagpapalit mo ba ang buhay ng taong ito para sa mga Cesar ng convenience, pera, at "wala nang problema"?

Ilang taon din po ang nakararaan, meron akong nakausap na nagtatrabaho sa audit. Meron siyang nadiskubre na mga anomalya. Kaya lang 'yung report niya, babangga siya sa mga matataas, matatayog, makapangyarihan. Kinausap niya 'yung asawa niya. Sabi ng asawa niya, "Tama na 'yang ikaw ay nagpapakamesiyas! Tama na 'yan! Tanggapin mo na, na tayo ay mahina. Wala tayong kalaban-laban diyan."

Kapag siya minsan ay inaabot ng takot, sabi nga niya sa asawa raw niya, "Tama ka." Pero binabagabag siya ng kanyang konsensya. "Hindi tama 'yung ginagawa nila eh. Bakit ako ang ngayon magdurusa? Ginagawa ko nga 'yung tama kong gawin eh, pero bakit ako ang mapapahamak?" Kaya bagama't galit ang asawa niya, itinuloy niya ang pag-report. At tama si mister. Sinimulan na ang mga threat sa buhay nila.

Tapos po, kinausap siya ng isang nasasakdal. Sabi raw sa kanya, "Madali lang naman 'yan eh. Huwag ka lang uma-attend ng hearing, at kapag hindi ka a-attend ng hearing nang sunud-sunod, eh di mada-drop na siguro 'yung case. O kaya bigyan na lang kita ng donation. Half a million." Nagkataon po, ang nanay niya, nasa ospital. Kailangan niya ng pera.

Nag-iisip daw siya: "Para sa nanay ko, tatanggapin ko na ito." Pero litong lito raw siya, pumunta siya sa Blessed Sacrament. Iyak daw siya nang iyak. Nu'ng nakita niya 'yung krus ni Hesus, naalala niya, "Ikaw nga pala'y ibinenta. Ibebenta ko ba ang nanay ko?" Hindi niya tinanggap ang half a million. Pero hindi niya binenta ang buhay ng kanyang ina.

'Yan ang tanong. Ipapako ko ba si Hesus?

Panghuli po, ilang taon din po ang nakararaan, ako'y pauwi sa Pilipinas galing Rome. Pagdating ko sa airport sa Rome, binigay ko 'yung passport at 'yung tiket ko. Sabi nu'ng tao du'n sa tiket sa airlines, "Sir, wala ang pangalan mo sa mga pasahero." Aba, bakit, 'ka ko, eh may tiket ako? Sabi n iya, "'Yun nga po ang misteryo eh. Valid ang tiket 'nyo pero wala ang pangalan 'nyo sa mga pasahero." "Eh paanong mangyayari?" Sabi niya, "Eh titingnan ho namin kung malalagay kayo sa waitlisted." "Eh kailangan kong umuwi." Tapos medyo nagpakilala ako: "Obispo ako eh. May gagawin ako sa Pilipinas. Kailangan akong umuwi."

Sabi nila, "Eh wala ho kaming magagawa. Pa'no, wala ang pangalan 'nyo, pero gagawan namin ng paraan." Eh 'di nalagay nga ako. Kasi meron pa akong stopover eh. Mula Rome papunta doon sa isang bansa na 'yon, walang problema, maraming upuan. 'Yung mula sa bansa na 'yon, stopover, papuntang Maynila, doon punong puno. Kaya sabi sa akin, "Eh iwe-waitlist ho namin kayo. Pagdating ho doon, magtanong kayo." Ang init init ng ulo ko. Kung anu-ano na 'yung mga iniisip ko: "Idemanda ko kaya itong airline na ito." Sila mismo, hindi nila maipaliwanag. Valid 'yung tiket ko, tapos wala 'yung pangalan ko, eh sila naman ang nag-isyu ng tiket. Kaya galit na galit ako.

Pagdating ko doon sa stopover, takbo ako, takbo. Doon sa counter, sabi nila, "Naku puno ho talaga. Eh titingnan namin kung kayo ay mailalagay namin." Sabi ko, "Make sure kasama ako sa mga una ninyong priority diyan!" Umupo ho ako doon sa pre-departure area na nag-aapoy, naku galit na galit.

Eh 'yung mga nakatabi ko, mga OFW. Nagkukuwentuhan. Hindi naman po ako nakikitsismis, kaya lang eh katabi ko eh. Eh di narinig ko. Sabi nu'ng isa, "Boss, kailan ka huling umuwi?" Sabi nu'ng isa, "Naku matagal na, kasi nag-TNT ako eh. Buti na lang nagkaroon ng amnesty. Makikita ko na uli ang pamilya ko." 'Yung isa, sabi, "Ako pitong taon na eh, hindi nakakauwi. Pareho tayo. Naghintay din ako ng amnesty. Ngayon ko pa lang makikita 'yung anak na bagong panganak nu'ng umalis ako."

Nu'ng narinig ko po, sabi ko, eto ako, wala pang isang linggong nakakaalis sa Pilipinas, galit na galit kung hindi ako makakauwi. Itong mga kapatid natin, ilang taon, nabubuhay araw-araw para sa pamilya na hindi nila nakikita. Parang napahiya ako eh (wipes tears). Sabi ko na lang sa sarili ko at sa panalangin, "Lord, unahin 'nyo na po silang pasakayin. Kung kakaunti lang talaga ang available na upuan, unahin 'nyo na sila. Makakapaghintay 'yung mga iba kong trabaho. Unahin 'nyo po sila." (wipes tears again)

At totoo nga, nu'ng ina-announce na, "'Yung mga waitlisted na puwedeng pumasok. Tinawag 'yung isa. Sabi niya, 'Uy salamat!' Excited. Tapos tinawag din 'yung isa. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, 'Ikaw kasi dadasal-dasal ka pa.' Tapos may tinawag na namang isa. Tapos tinawag ako. Ako 'yung huli na tinawag.

Kailangan tayong sumagot. Ipapapako ba si Hesus? Sinong Cesar, sinong hari, ang iyong bubuhayin? Baka si Hesus ang ating pinapako sa krus muli. Tayo po'y tumahimik sandali, at sa atin pong pagbibigay-pugay sa krus ni Hesus, sana marinig natin ang tanong na iyan ni Pilato: Mamili ka, sino ang iyong isasalba? Sino ang iyong ipapapako sa krus?

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) will close down British School Manila (BSM) if the latter fails to comply with requirements to legally operate as an international school by the end of school year 2018-2019.

DepEd will also withhold for now any endorsement for BSM's tax exemption.

The education department ruled on the administrative complaint filed in 2015 by Trixie Madamba after her son Liam, a BSM high school student, committed suicide after being traumatized by a punishment imposed by his British teacher. The family also has two more pending criminal complaints against the school.

Rappler obtained a copy of DepEd’s decision for Admin Case Number OSEC-2015-01. The document was signed by Secretary Leonor Briones and Undersecretary Alberto Muyot.   

Education Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Service GH Ambat confirmed on Friday, March 30, the release of the decision on the case.

He said BSM can file a motion for reconsideration. 

BSM head Simon Mann told Rappler the school is still drafting its “conclusive opinion” on DepEd’s sanctions. 

“We are aware of this latest development and are putting together our own conclusive opinion on the matter. We are confident that this can be clarified and resolved in due time,” Mann said.

What happened to Liam Madamba? Liam jumped off the 6th floor of the Dela Rosa carpark building in Legazpi Village, Makati City, on February 6, 2015. This was after he was caught by his teacher Natalie Mann plagiarizing in the first draft of an essay. The said essay was a major requirement for BSM students to graduate. 

Liam, a BSM scholar, was reportedly traumatized after Mann made him apologize in a letter addressed to the entire school body. His suicide became the subject of a Senate investigation. (READ: Report: Fallen BSM student saw apology letter as punishment) 

In her complaint, Trixie said BSM “negligently and miserably” failed to handle Liam’s plagiarism case. 

She argued BSM’s own rules state plagiarism is only considered upon the student’s submission of the final version of the essay, and yet the teacher already disciplined Liam upon his admission of the act over a first draft. 

Trixie said her child was not given due process, as BSM did not launch a proper investigation into the matter. 

The mother also pointed out BSM’s lack of a proper legal authority to operate in the Philippines.  

Sanctions from DepEd: DepEd is imposing two sanctions on BSM following the administrative complaint filed by Trixie.

First, DepEd ruled that BSM is operating illegally as an international school in the Philippines. (READ: After student's death, bill recognizing British school 'in limbo’)

The school was instructed to either secure a legislative franchise from Congress or seek government authority to operate as an international school following the requirements provided under the Rules and Regulations Governing Private Schools in Basic Education of DepEd Department Order Number 88, series of 2010.

If BSM fails to secure a permit by the end of the coming school year, DepEd will shut it down.

“Failure to comply with the requirements for operating an international school or to secure a legislative franchise would result to the closure of the school due to lack of legal authority to operate,” said DepEd.

Second, DepEd is penalizing BSM through the non-issuance of a favorable recommendation for tax exemptions until DepEd “deems it proper to restore such privilege." 

3 cases vs BSM: “The family feels that this is a big step towards attaining justice for Liam's death. This is just one of the 3 cases filed by the family against BSM officials and the institution,” said Joseph Estrada, lawyer of the Madamba family, conveying the family's satisfaction with the DepEd decision.

The Madamba family has also filed an obstruction of justice complaint with the Department of Justice against BSM’s officials and board of trustees. The family also filed a case against the school officials before the Taguig Regional Trial Court. 

Estrada said DepEd’s ruling puts BSM in a “peculiar situation.”

“In the case of BSM, it has to rely on a DepEd recommendation [for tax exemptions to be able to operate as a legal international school in the Philippines]. It is in a peculiar situation because it has not yet established itself as an international school or a local school. It has no authority to operate,” he said in a Viber message to Rappler.  – Rappler.com

NEGROS ORIENTAL, Philippines – On Tuesday, April 3, it will be exactly one month since veteran journalist Grace Cantal Albasin and her husband received that jarring call. Their daughter Myles – youth leader, recently graduated from the University of the Philippines in Cebu, about to enter the Ateneo de Davao law school in June – had been arrested by the military with 5 others.

The couple would've have run to the detention center right that minute, except it's here in Negros Oriental, more than 350 kilometers from their home in Cagayan de Oro via various routes.

The charge, according to the military, is that Myles and her companion were in possession of firearms and explosives. What Grace knows is, the group of young people were staying in the town of Mabinay to help organize a farmers forum.

Mabinay, the most populous municipality in Negros Oriental, is a 3-hour bus ride from Dumaguete City. 

"I know that Myles is part of Anakbayan. She visits communities, joins transport strikes, does research. My daughter is an activist, and I don't think there's something wrong with that," Grace told Rappler in late March.

Her daughter only did what is right – to help the marginalized, she said. (READ: Youth activism: More than just organized action)

The military's version: According to the police report, the Philippine Army, led by First Lieutenant Prad Adoptante and Second Lieutenant Reymart Africa, conducted a patrol in the area of Luyang village, Mabinay. 

It was in the wee hours – at around 2:30 am – of Saturday, March 3. The military claimed armed men shot at them with automatic rifles. They said the exchange lasted over 5 minutes, then they heard a male voice shouting they would surrender.

After the encounter, the army arrested the suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA), the communist party's guerrilla arm:

• Myles Albasin, 22
• Bernand Guillen, 18 
• Joey Valloces, 18
• Carlo Ybanez, 18
• Randel Hermino, 19
• Joemar Indico, 29

Myles and her companions invoked their right to a preliminary investigation.

The group has since been called the Mabinay 6 in the media. 

Parents finally see Myles: Grace and her husband drove from Bukidnon, then caught the first flight on Sunday, March 4, from Cebu to Dumaguete City.

When they arrived at the Negros Oriental detention and rehabilitation center around 4 pm, they were not allowed to see Myles. The guards argued it was past visiting hours.

The crying mother insisted, and they were eventually allowed to see their daughter – but inside the warden's office, accompanied by civil military officers and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) personnel.

"I hugged her. Finally, I was able to see her, that she's alive, and was able to talk to her, but without privacy," Grace told Rappler.

On Monday, March 5, Grace visited the detention center again at 8 am with their lawyer. Parents of the 3 other detainees from Negros Occidental were there too. They were not allowed to see their children because it was not a visiting day.

Grace reached out to the local media. Negotiations went on for hours. By 11 am, they were allowed to see their children again, now with privacy.

On March 21, Myles turned 22 behind bars. Her family came to have lunch with her and her fellow detainees.

Negative for gunpowder: The story that Grace got from her daughter was contrary to the military's account: it was the military that started firing at the young people on March 3.

"Myles told us that they were staying at an abandoned house on top of a hill in Mabinay. They were sleeping when they heard a rock being thrown at the house. Then the military knocked and arrested them," Grace said.

Grace asked around the area if an exchange of fire happened, because, if there were, "they would have woken up to the sound."

"Those who live near the house where Myles was staying said they heard 3 or 5 shots. But those living a kilometer away said they did not hear anything because they were asleep," she said.

The 6 detainees all tested negative in a paraffin test.

They are charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives in violation of the Republic Act 10591 and Republic Act 9516. 

"My child is not an NPA. They (military) said there was an encounter. They already lied about that. What about other things? They could be lying about other charges," Grace added.

Grace also said members of the military visit the 6 detainees separately during non-visiting days.

"That could be their tactic, so one might turn against the other. I told Myles not to entertain them. You can't really say if they suddenly do something to her," she said.

Congressional probe: On Myles' birthday, Kabataan Representative Sarah Elago filed a resolution directing the House committee on human rights to investigate the arrest of the Mabinay 6.

Several students and teachers have also staged protests in Cagayan de Oro and Cebu, condemning the arrest and calling on the government to free these young people. 

Elago earlier told Rappler that the government crackdown on the Left can potentially harm student and youth leaders voicing out their concerns. (READ: Duterte administration worse than Marcos dictatorship – youth activists)

"When they oppose or criticize policies, it doesn't mean they are terrorists. That makes them targets of this crackdown," she said.

Myles, a student leader when she was in UP Cebu, is a member of leftist group Anakbayan. 

Grace said: "You cannot just silence them by arresting them. Activism is integral to democratic space. If you stop it, you show that the democratic space is shrinking."

Duterte gov't not fond of youth activists: The Duterte administration is not exactly friendly to youth activists. President Rodrigo Duterte threatened UP students that Lumad youth would take their slots if they keep "walking out" of their classes as a sign of protest, which he said was a "waste" of taxpayers' money.

In November 2017, 22-year-old Jo Lapira, a UP Manila alumna, was among the 15 who died in a clash between government troops and suspected NPA members.

In November 2017, Duterte accused the National Democratic Front-Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army as a "terrorist organization," and officially ended peace talks with them.

In February 2017, the justice deparment filed a petition seeking to declare alleged CPP-NPA members as "terrorists" under the Human Security Act. – Rappler.com

*All quotes are translated in English