MANILA, Philippines – Though President Rodrigo Duterte claims to be serious about fighting poverty, he had no problem leaving out his own anti-poverty secretary from Cabinet meetings for almost a year.

Former anti-poverty commission chief Liza Maza admitted that she was not invited to Cabinet meetings since around September or October 2017.

"Noong nandiyan na siya (Secretary Harry Roque), hindi na ako ininvite sa mga Cabinet meetings. That was, I think September, October of 2017. Kaya hindi kami nagkikita," said Maza on Tuesday, August 21, in an interview with Rappler.

(When he came in (Secretary Harry Rpque), I was no longer invited to Cabinet meetings. That was, I think, September, October of 2017. So we never met.)

She was addressing an observation voiced by Roque in a press briefing last July 31 that ever since he was appointed presidential spokesman he had "not seen her in any Cabinet meeting."

Maza said Roque could have just asked Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr why she was not at the meetings, crucial gatherings where the President discusses policies and pressing issues with his alteregos in government.

"He can very well just ask the Cabinet Secretary who sends out the invitations instead of just bringing it out in the public and casting doubt sa aking (on my) responsibility as a member of the Cabinet," said Maza.

When she noticed she was not getting invitations, Maza reached out to Evasco.

"I asked Cab Sec, wala naman silang sinasabi (they weren't saying anything)," said Maza.

Maza tendered her resignation as National Anti-Poverty Commission secretary on Monday in a press conference held around 30 minutes before she called Special Assistant to the President Bong Go to relay her decision to the President.

Timing: If Maza's recollection is correct that the Cabinet invitations stopped around September to October, this means it coincided with the 45th anniversary of martial law, when groups, particularly Leftist groups, held rallies to oppose Duterte's seemingly growing authoritarian tendencies. This was also around the time of the deaths of Kian delos Santos and other teenagers during government anti-drugs operations. 

Duterte experienced his first major drop  in approval ratings in the September 2017 Social Weather Stations survey. Around a month later, Duterte would formally terminate peace talks with communist rebels.

Effect on NAPC: Her non-invitation to Cabinet meetings for nearly a year affected her ability to do her work as NAPC chief, said Maza.

"Of course, it's important because my work was important. Besides coordination and monitoring of poverty alleviation projects, we know it's in Cabinet meetings where policy directions are discussed," she said in Filipino.

"I could have helped monitor the projects linked to poverty, initiatives and decisions and how they impact the poor so that's what I lost when I wasn't able to attend Cabinet meetings. Of course, I had my own solutions I wanted to propose," she added.

While one avenue for her to speak with Duterte about poverty programs was the NAPC en banc meetings, which the President is supposed to preside over, these meetings were held only twice.

There were two other Cabinet members who Duterte had also left out of Cabinet meetings before – Vice President Leni Robredo and former Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Patricia Licuanan, an appointee of Benigno Aquino III. 

Evasco told Robredo at the time that she could no longer attend Cabinet meetings because of "irreconcilable differences" she had with Duterte. This prompted her resignation as head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

Licuanan was eventually fired for alleged extravagant travels and for supposedly mismanaging students' allowance. She denied both charges. – Rappler.com 

CARACAS, Venezuela – New banknotes  stripped of 5 zeros entered circulation in Venezuela on Monday, August 20, as part of President Nicolas Maduro's radical plan to curb hyperinflation, but business leaders branded the move as counterproductive.

The country appeared paralyzed. Most shops and businesses closed as Venezuelans reacted nervously to the issuing of the new "sovereign bolivar," launched to replace the oil-rich, cash-strapped country's crippled "strong bolivar."

But Carlos Larrazabal, president of leading business association, Fedecamaras said the measure would only "increase economic instability."

Having been suspended for more than 12 hours on Sunday, August 19, electronic transactions resumed amid palpable uncertainty.

"We're all in the same boat, waiting to see what will happen," Maria Sanchez, a 39-year-old shopkeeper told Agence France-Presse (AFP) after withdrawing some cash.

Alongside the bolivar redenomination, Maduro announced other measures to tackle widespread poverty, including a massive 3,400% wage hike, the fifth such move this year alone.

"That's a crazy measure," Henkel Garcia, director of consultancy group Econometrica, told AFP.

Larrazabal said it "could devastate companies' already debilitated assets."

Inflation that the International Monetary Fund predicts will reach 1,000,000% this year rendered the old bolivar currency practically worthless, while the economic crisis has driven more than two million people to flee the country, according to the United Nations.

On the border with Brazil, the flow of fleeing people continued despite some 1,200 being driven back over the weekend in anti-migrant violence that got so bad President Michel Temer sent troops to the area to restore order.

'Rampant corruption'

"The Venezuelan people bear the tragic cost of the Maduro regime's rampant corruption and tyranny," tweeted US Vice President Mike Pence, adding that "recent moves will only make life worse for every Venezuelan."

"Nicolas Maduro and his regime have driven a once-prosperous country to economic ruin and humanitarian crisis," Pence said.

The embattled Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader, said the country needed to show "fiscal discipline" and stop the excessive money printing of recent years.

In the capital, Caracas, residents were skeptical about the new measures, not least since former president Hugo Chavez slashed 3 zeros from the bolivar 10 years ago without halting hyperinflation.

"Everything will stay the same, prices will continue to rise," 39-year-old Bruno Choy, who runs a street food stand, told AFP.

Angel Arias, a 67-year-old retiree, dubbed the new currency a "pure lie!"

Three of the country's leading opposition groups – Primero Justicia, Voluntad Popular and Causa R – have called for a general strike and day of protests on Tuesday, August 21.

Government loyalist and president of the controversial regime-dominated legislature, Diosdado Cabello responded on Monday by announcing a "counter-march."

One of Maduro's most baffling reforms has been to anchor the new currency to the country's widely discredited cryptocurrency, the petro.

Each petro will be worth about $60, based on the price of a barrel of Venezuelan oil. In the new currency, that will be 3,600 bolivars – signaling a massive devaluation.

In turn, the minimum wage will be fixed at half a petro – 1,800 bolivars, about $28.

Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez insisted the reform program would be funded "with oil income, with taxes and income from gasoline price hikes."

Maduro also announced a curb on heavily subsidized fuel in a bid to prevent oil being smuggled to other countries.

Fuel subsidies have cost Venezuela $10 billion since 2012, according to oil analyst Luis Oliveros, but without them, most people would not be able to buy fuel.

More blows

The blows kept coming on Monday as US oil giant ConocoPhillips said Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA had agreed to make a $2 billion settlement to halt the seizure of its Caribbean assets.

ConocoPhillips seized $750 million of PDVSA assets in May after winning two international arbitration cases against Venezuela for the "unlawful and uncompensated expropriation" of its heavy crude oil projects in the country by Chavez in 2007.

Earlier this month, a US court had also ruled that Canadian mining company Crystallex could seize shares in PDVSA's US-based subsidiary Citgo as payment for a $1.2 billion debt.

Now in a 4th year of recession, Venezuela has been hamstrung by shortages of basic goods such as food and medicine, and paralyzed public services, including water, electricity and transport.

Oil production accounts for 96% of Venezuela's revenue – but that has slumped to a 30-year low of 1.4 million barrels a day, compared to its record high of 3.2 million 10 years ago. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) Academy has ordered the dismissal of 9 cadets after it found that they were involved in the graduation mauling of March 2018.

In a text message to Rappler, PNP Academy director Chief Superintendent Joseph Adnol said that the academy administration has issued release orders for the following

• 9 cadets for dismissal
• 2 for suspension
• 2 exonerated
• 31 for demerits, touring, and confinement

Their involvement varies from actually delivering the blows, to knowing about the mauling but refusing to stop it in their capability, Adnol said.

Remember the beating: On March 21, 2018,  6 PNP Academy fresh graduates ended their cadetship after they were mauled by no less than their own underclassmen.

The victims were packing up their belongings after their commencement exercises when the assailants struck, beating them with “paddles” and “stones.”

The beating sent shockwaves in the police community, prompting the PNP Academy to form a special investigation team to probe the beating. The team was composed of no less than the schools' officials who were mostly veteran cops.

The probing team sought not just to hold cadets accountable, but to pinpoint holes in the academy's policies that allowed for a culture of violence to flourish. (READ: PNP Academy beatings: Tradition turning into tragedy)

The decision is not yet final: According to the PNP Academy's Adnol, all of the cadets still have a chance to file for a motion for reconsideration, with their deadline on Wednesday, August 22

Adnol said the PNP Academy could not disclose the names of the student suspects as the probe will still move forward until a verdict is handed down deciding the fate of the cadets. (LIST: 44 PNP Academy cadets face charges over 2018 graduation mauling)

Outside, the PNP Academy earlier announced that there were 9 suspect cadets who were facing physical injury complaints from 2 mauling victims. Adnol told Rappler that the cases are still undergoing preliminary investigation.

The suspects belong to the PNP Academy Class of 2019. – Rappler.com

BEIJING, China – China and El Salvador established diplomatic relations Tuesday, August 21, as the Central American nation ditched Taiwan in yet another victory for Beijing in its campaign to isolate the island.

Beijing has been using its economic clout to peel away international support for the democratically-ruled island, leaving it with only 17 diplomatic allies around the world.

Speaking in Beijing at the Diaoyutai Guest House, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised El Salvador's decision to "recognize there is one China in the world".

Salvadoran Foreign Minister Carlos Castaneda, after signing a document with Wang establishing relations, said his country had made a "strategic decision" and taken the "correct and beneficial path for the people of both nations".

The president of El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez Ceren, said in an address on national television Monday night, August 20: "I announce that my government has taken the decision to break diplomatic relations maintained until today between the Republic of El Salvador and Taiwan, and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China."

The announcement in Beijing followed a decision by Taiwan to sever its ties with El Salvador after it learned the country was planning on recognizing Beijing.

Speaking in Taipei, foreign minister Joseph Wu condemned China's "crude actions".

"We will not engage in dollar diplomacy with China," said Wu, adding that El Salvador had been asking for "huge funding" for a port development project which Taiwan was unwilling to give because it would leave both countries in debt.

El Salvador's move leaves Taiwan with a dwindling number of allies around the world as a growing number switch recognition to China, which sees the self-ruling democratic island as a renegade part of its territory.

"El Salvador has made the choice to commit itself to one China with no pre-conditions, thus standing with most countries in the world," Wang said in comments that seemed intended to pre-empt Taiwanese accusations that China had bought the small Latin American nation's loyalty.

But, he added, the country "will get tangible gains from its partnership with China".

Relations between Taipei and Beijing have worsened since president Tsai Ing-wen came to power as her government refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of "one China".

China has stepped up its poaching of Taiwan's allies since Tsai became leader in 2016.

El Salvador is the fifth diplomatic loss under her presidency and the third this year, following Burkina Faso and the Dominican Republic.

The small African nation of Sao Tome switched recognition to Beijing in late 2016, followed by Panama in June last year.

Taiwan and China have been engaged for years in a diplomatic tug-of-war in developing countries. Economic support and other aid are often used as bargaining chips for diplomatic recognition.

Tsai's government is trying to enhance Taiwan's international profile but faces a concerted attempt by Beijing to shrink its space on global platforms.

Beijing has stepped up pressure on her government by blocking Taiwan from attending a growing list of international events and staging a string of military drills around the island. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal has thumbed down calls for his resignation over the Xiamen Air mishap that affected Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) operations for nearly two days.

In an interview on ANC's Headstart on Tuesday, August 21, Monreal maintained that he "did his best" in handling the accident. 

"[I will not resign] unless somebody tells me, meaning the point of authority – the President. I'm just following orders. I'm a good soldier," Monreal said, when asked if he would resign over the incident.

"I can say and I can look people straight in the eye that I did my best. We don't have any reference to any particular comparison. What I think is we did our best on that particular situation," he added.

Monreal said he he has yet to hear from President Rodrigo Duterte but he has been coordinating round-the-clock with Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade.

"Right after the incident, we were in contact already until 4 or 5 in the morning. He was giving his instructions. We were discussing how to do these things. But basically, the only guidance of the Secretary do it the best you could in terms of safety and fastest way to do it," he said.

The NAIA chief earlier explained that it was Xiamen Air's responsibility to remove its aircraft on international runway 06/24, but MIAA took over as waiting for the airline would "take a week."

Xiamen Air flight MF8667 skidded on the NAIA runway late Thursday night, August 16, due to heavy downpour. The recovery operations stretched for 36 hours, paralyzing flight operations in the country's main gateway.

Lawmakers have expressed disappointment over the "delayed" resumption of flight operations, as well as the domino effect of flight cancellations. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives will conduct probes.

Airport authorities, however, said there were challenges in removing the Chinese passenger plane from the runway, as it contains highly combustible jet fuel. The soil where the plane landed was also softened by the rain, making the recovery operations more difficult. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former president Benigno Aquino III said Malacañang should inform the public of the status of President Rodrigo Duterte’s health.

Aquino made the statement in an interview with reporters during the commemmoration of the 35th death anniversary of his father, the late senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr, at the Manila Memorial Park on Tueday, August 21.

The former Philippine chief said this information is crucial to allay the fears of the public, as Malacañang thumbed down calls for the regular release of medical bulletins on Duterte after it was rumored that he had fallen into a coma. (READ: Amid rumor of Duterte coma, Malacañang insists no need for medical bulletins)

“Kung walang issue, kayang-kaya sagutin. At palagay ko importante rin 'yun pampakalma sa sambayanan...talagang maging klarong-klaro, maliwanag na maliwanag,” Aquino said.

(If there is no issue, this can be easily addressed. And I think it's also important to calm the public...to really be very clear [about the issue])."

Aquino also said that the 1987 Constitution requires that the Cabinet must know of the President’s health. 

“'Di ba nasa Constitution 'yun (Isn't it in the Constitution), if I remember correctly. The Constitution, 'yung (the) Cabinet must be fully aware of the health of the president. That’s mandated by the Constitution,” Aquino said. 

The 1987 Constitution also states that the public must be informed if the President has a serious ailment. 

Other ways

Malacañang, Aquino said, also has other ways to address the issue. After all, he said a sitting president has various public activities and engagements.

“Parang mahirap naman yatang everytime na lang may magre-raise ng isyung ganoon, sasagutin, baka wala ka nang ginawa kakasagot. Pero palagay ko naman, madaling nakakausap ng kanyang mga opisyal, maraming aktibidades ang Presidente. Ang daling ipakita noon maski 'di man derechuhin sagutin 'yung komentaryo ni Joma,” Aquino said.

(It would be difficult to respond to it everytime that issue is raised, you might end up just answering it and accomplish nothing else. But I think it's easy for him to talk to his officials, the President has a lot of activities. It's easy to show it without directly responding to the commentary of Joma.)

Communist leader Jose Maria Sison had claimed that Duterte fell into a coma on Sunday, August 19, after attending an event of his law school fraternity, Lex Talionis, in Davao City on Saturday, which was his last public appearance.

Malacañang belittled this and said the Chief Executive was “as strong as a horse.”

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque also denied the need for Malacañang to issue medical bulletins from the President's doctors to put to rest such rumors.

It's enough, he said, that Duterte is set to be in Cebu City on Tuesday to attend a conference of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines' Visayas cluster. 

But on Monday amid persistent rumors, Special Assistant to the President Bong Go started a supposed live video of Duterte to dispel allegations. The video, which went live on the Bong GO Facebook page at around 8:30 pm, shows Duterte supposedly about to have dinner with an unnamed woman. 

Duterte’s allies in the Senate also backed the Palace and said such rumors are just “fake news,” adding there is no need to issue medical bulletins.

Unlike Duterte, other presidents such as Fidel Ramos issued medical bulletins from their doctors when they had medical procedures done. (READ: President's health: Touchy topic for Duterte, public concern for Constitution). – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former anti-poverty commission secretary Liza Maza said it was her hope in the peace talks that kept her from resigning at the height of outrage over drug war killings and President Rodrigo Duterte's misognynistic remarks about women.

"One of the primary reasons why I accepted was because of the peace negotiations and there were also very real breakthrough agreements that were forged between the two parties," she said on Tuesday, August 21, in an interview with Rappler.

Just the day before, she had submitted her resignation to Malacañang.

Maza insisted that she had been against the extrajudicial killings being linked to the campaign against illegal drugs. She, and even the other female Cabinet members, also disapproved of Duterte's way of speaking about women.

"I don't agree with the extrajudicial killings also, with the statements the President uttered which were very anti-women. I have always been against this," she said.

Opposition to the summary killings and his behavior towards women are advocacies many in the Left have embraced.

Asked whether she ever brought up her concerns to Duterte, she only said she and other women in the Cabinet would talk among themselves.

"With other women in the Cabinet, yes, we would talk to each other. The Commission on Women, they are also very concerned and pinapaabot din ang aming concerns diyan (we also relayed their concerns)," said Maza.

Pressed further if she ever tried speaking with Duterte directly, she said she was unable to because Duterte was busy attending to the Marawi crisis come May 2017.

"Na-busy na rin si Presidente sa Marawi, hindi na ako nagka direct contact with him (He got busy with Marawi so I lost direct contact with him)," she said.

In the same interview, Maza revealed that Malacañang stopped inviting her to Cabinet meetings starting September 2017.

'Not silent'

Still, she asserts: "Hindi naman ako tumatahimik o hindi ko naman tinatago ang posisyon ko, lalo na sa kababaihan (I was never silent or I never hid my position, especially when it comes to women.)

Maza, however, never issued any statement critical of Duterte's statements on women or the campaign against illegal drugs during her time as NAPC chief.

Back when she was still allowed to participate in Cabinet meetings, Maza said she was vocal about economic policies being championed by Duterte's economic managers.

She had spoken in particular against the tax reform package and expressed support for a higher Social Security System pension hike. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo supports President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to strengthen ties with China, saying the Philippines' friendship with the Asian economic giant is "just right."

The former president, now Pampanga 2nd District Representative, made the statement when asked if she agreed with Duterte’s "independent foreign policy" in an interview on GMA 7’s Unang Hirit uploaded on Youtube on Monday, August 20. 

“‘Di ba karapat-dapat lamang na maging kaibigan natin ang China (Isn’t it just right that we're friends with China)?” said Arroyo, whose 9-year presidency marked by closer Philippines ties with China and controversies involving government deals with Chinese state-owned firms.

The former Philippine chief cited China’s economic reforms that has turned it into an economic giant in the region.

“Mula noon hanggang ngayon, umangat ang China from a third world country to the second richest country in the world. At dahil mas mabilis ang pagsulong ng ekonomiya ng China kaysa ekonomiya ng Amerika, eh baka hindi tatagal, sabi ng mga eksperto, magiging number one economy ang China sa buong mundo,” said Arroyo.

(From then to now, China rose from being a third world country to becoming the second richest country in the world. Experts have said that since China’s economy is growing faster than America, maybe it won't be long before China becomes tthe number one economy in the world.) 

Like Duterte, Arroyo supported a joint undertaking with Chine in the West Philippine Sea. During her term, the Philippines entered into the controversial Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) with China and Vietnam, where the 3 countries agreed to conduct a joint seismic study in the West Philippine Sea.

Arroyo critics alleged that she committed "treason" in allowing the JMSU, which expired in 2008. That same year, a petition was filed asking the Supreme Court to  void the JMSU, evern after it had lapsed, to prevent a repetition of a similar agreement in the future.  (READ: Duterte admin revives Arroyo policies, controversies)

Because of the JMSU, Arroyo was seen as "considerably more receptive" to Beijing's commercial incentives and was "apparently willing to compromise" the country's claims, according to an International Crisis Group report. (READ: Why China prefers Arroyo over Aquino)

On April 11, Arroyo was elected member of the board of directors of the Boao Forum for Asia held in Hainan, China. – Rappler.com

BENI, DR Congo – The Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo has claimed 55 lives since the start of the month, the authorities said Monday, August 20, as the government announced free treatment against the disease for the next 3 months.

The health ministry's latest bulletin said that the death toll had been increased following 5 new victims in Mabalako-Mangina, close to Beni, the epicenter of the outbreak in the North Kivu province.

In all, "96 cases of haemorrhagic fever were reported in the region, 69 of which had been confirmed and 27 were seen as probable," the ministry said.

At the same time, the medical team in charge of fighting the disease revised downwards the estimated number of "contacts"– people who may have had contact with the virus – from 2,157 to 1,609, following epidemiological tests.

Beni's mayor Jean Edmond Nyonyi Masumbuko Bwanakawa announced that the government had decided to make treatment free in Beni, Mabalako-Mangina, and Oicha for 3 months starting Monday.

The aim was to "remove the financial barrier that could dissuade the population from going to the health center," said Dr. Bathe Ndjoloko Tambwe, in charge of coordinating the fight against the disease.

The average earnings of the 80 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are estimated at $1.25 per day.

The current Ebola outbreak began on August 1 in Mangina in North Kivu.

It is the 10th outbreak to strike the DRC since 1976, when Ebola was first identified and named after a river in the north of the country.

Ebola has long been considered incurable, though swift isolation and the rapid treatment of symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration has helped some patients to survive.

The quest for a vaccine grew increasingly urgent during an Ebola epidemic that killed more than 11,300 people in the West African states of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2013-15. –Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Amid the Duterte administration's subdued commemoration of the historic event that paved the Philippines' return to democracy, some people took to the streets and tied yellow ribbons around trees in Metro Manila for the 35th death anniversary of former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.

At around 5 am on Tuesday, August 21, several people were seen tying ribbons along Doña Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig City.

At 8 am, groups August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) and People Power Volunteers for Reform (PPVR) went to the Ninoy Aquino statue in Ayala Avenue, Makati. Around 30 members paid homage to the slain senator.

The groups then headed to the Manila Memorial Park in Paranaque to hear mass. Former president Benigno Aquino III; sisters Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, Pinky Aquino-Abellada, and Viel Aquino-Dee; and his nephews and nieces were also there. Actress Kris Aquino and sons Joshua and Bimby were not around.

Among the others who joined the Manila Memorial Park commemoration were Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Senator Francis Pangilinan, former interior secretary Mar Roxas, former public works chief Rogelio Singson, former agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala, and former chief peace adviser Teresita Deles.  – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo urged Filipinos to find the courage to fight for what is right as the nation commemorated the 35th death anniversary of former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr on Tuesday, August 21.

This was the Vice President’s message 35 years after the late opposition senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr was assassinated on August 21, 1983 at the Manila International Airport, now named after Aquino.

“Today, as we remember Ninoy Aquino, I pray that we find in ourselves the courage to claim for ourselves the freedoms Ninoy died for, and in that way, live up to the unshakable faith he had in us as a people,” said Robredo. 

In her message, the Vice President said Aquino’s most famous quote, “The Filipino is worth dying for,” shows that he never lost faith in his countrymen even during the iron-fist rule of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Aquino himself was among thousands of government critics who were imprisoned under Marcos during Martial Law.

Robredo said that during Martial Law, some Filipinos already “succumbed to quiet acceptance” while “a few kept the fire of resistance alive.” Still, Aquino's belief in the Filipino spirit persisted.

“The Constitution was eviscerated, democratic institutions were corrupted or destroyed, and thousands were murdered at the behest of a brutal, rapacious regime. For a long time, many simply chose to survive how they could, while navigating the treacherous reefs of Marcos’ tyranny,” said Robredo.

“But despite prison, hopelessness, and the seeming indifference of so many of the very people whose freedoms he was fighting for, Ninoy never lost faith in his fellow Filipinos and the nation he loved,” she added.

For the Vice President, this is what Aquino’s “The Filipino is worth dying for” statement truly means.

“The Filipino is worth dying for, in the end, reveals an invincible belief in the dignity and nobility of the Filipino spirit. Filipinos may cower under the fist of oppression, may fall prey to dazzling lies, may succumb to the alluring numbness of indifference. But ultimately, Filipinos will always find the courage to choose, and fight for, what is right,” said Robredo.

“This is what Ninoy saw in us. And on that day, 35 years ago, he reminded us of who we were, and the life we are capable of living,” she added.

On Ninoy Aquino Day, President Rodrigo Duterte also told government officials and the rest of Filipinos to emulate Aquino.

Aquino was one of the most prominent voices who fought the dictatorship of Marcos, whose only son and namesake has filed an electoral protest against Robredo. 

The opposition senator’s assassination on the airport tarmac drove Filipinos to the streets to join what is now known as the EDSA People Power Revolution. (Watch Aquino's undelivered arrival speech here.) 

His wife, Corazon Aquino, was elected president in 1986. His son, Benigno Aquino III, also served as Chief Executive before Duterte. The younger Aquino and Robredo are both part of the Liberal Party.– Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – Former students from the Philippine Science High School’s (PSHS) Western Visayas campus and the Cordillera Administrative Region campus owe the school P6.861 million for not pursuing science and technology courses in the university level.

These were among the findings of the Commission on Audit’s (COA) 2017 annual audit report of the school. State auditors said the payments remain uncollected, therefore “depriving the government of additional funds that could have been utilized to finance other priority programs.”

The COA gave the following breakdown of overdue payments as of December 2017:

Students who did not enroll in a science and technology course in college

• Western Visayas campus - P6.283 million
• Cordillera Administrative Region campus - P301,000

Students who did not finish the PSHS’ program because they were expelled

• Western Visayas campus - P277,000

Breached contract: Scholarship agreements between the PSHS and its awardees specify that students are to maintain a good academic standing, complete the school’s program, and later on enroll in a science and technology course in any university identified by its board of trustees (BOT).

The Department of Science and Technology's (DOST) Manpower Development Program also specifies students from the school are required to take a science or math related course in college. The DOST is in charge of overseeing the PSHS' system. 

State auditors said students who fail to fulfill these requirements must reimburse the “monetary value of the scholarship award based on the rates approved by the PSHS BOT.”

However, COA noted there were no legal remedies in the provisions of the school’s scholarship agreement which the PSHS may pursue to recover funds from failed scholarships. 

As to measures taken by the school, state auditors said the Western Visayas campus sent demand letters to students and their parents. The, however, remain unheeded.

Meanwhile, the Cordillera Administrative region campus did not send any demand letters.

What can the school do? COA said the PSHS should consider adding to its scholarship agreements the legal actions it can take against reneging scholars and their parents. 

They also said the registrar of the school’s Western Visayas Campus, where bulk of the overdue funds are owed, should monitor the students who did not complete the school’s programs to allow their accountant to add the money owed to its records and prepare demand letters for the refund of scholarships.

The PSHS offers a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to prepare students for sciences and engineering careers. Its ultimate goal is to help beef up the country's scientific manpower. – Rappler.com

TOKYO, Japan – Tokyo's famous Tsukiji fish market will stop admitting tourists to watch its pre-dawn tuna auctions next month, as it prepares to move locations on October 11, a spokeswoman said Tuesday, August 21.

After more than 80 years in operation Tsukiji, the world's largest fish market and a popular tourist attraction in an area packed with restaurants and shops, will move east to Toyosu, the site of a former gas plant.

The market, which opened in 1935, is best known for its pre-dawn daily auctions of tuna, caught from around the world, for use by everyone from top Michelin-star sushi chefs to ordinary grocery stores.

The lively tuna auctions are considered a must-see for visitors to the Japanese capital – despite starting at 5:30am – and daily tourist numbers are capped at 120 people.

The early hour does not seem to put off the tourist crowds and "some tourists start lining up at around 2am", the spokeswoman from the Tokyo metropolitan government told Agence France-Presse.

But access to the tuna auction will end on September 15, as preparatory work for the move gets underway, she added.

Viewing wholesale markets for marine products and vegetables will end on September 29, before the complete Tsukiji market closure on October 6, she said.

"In Toyosu, too, we plan to open a deck for visitors, and also there will be a special aisle for viewers where tourists will be able to watch the tuna auction through a glass wall," the Tokyo spokeswoman said.

The Tsukiji market handles 480 kinds of seafood worth $14 million daily – as well as 270 types of fruits and vegetables – and has fed Japan's hunger for fresh seafood since its opening.

But in recent years the antiquated facility has prompted users to voice concerns about its earthquake resistance, sanitation and fire safety, among others.

Plans to move Tsukiji were originally scheduled for 2016, but several delays have set back the timeline, including the discovery of soil contamination at Toyosu.

Tsukiji will be transformed into a transport hub during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, with its long-term future still up in the air. – Rappler.com

ALEXANDRIA, USA – The jury adjourned without reaching a verdict Monday, August 20, in the trial of President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort, the first resulting from the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The jurors deliberated for more than 8 hours during their third day weighing the fate of Manafort, 69, who is accused of providing fraudulent statements to secure bank loans and failing to pay taxes on tens of millions of dollars he earned while advising Russian-backed politicians in Ukraine between 2006 and 2015.

Manafort "thinks it was a very good day," his lawyer Kevin Downing told journalists.

The jury will reconvene on Tuesday, August 21, at 9:30 am (1430 GMT), Judge T.S. Ellis said.

The case stems from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election – and possible collusion between the Trump campaign team and Moscow.

While Manafort is not charged with any crimes related to his brief time as Trump's campaign chairman, the trial is seen as an important test for the Mueller probe, which Trump has repeatedly denounced as a "witch hunt."

"Where's the Collusion? They made up a phony crime called Collusion, and when there was no Collusion they say there was Obstruction (of a phony crime that never existed)," the president tweeted on Monday, referring to Mueller's investigators as "Angry Democrat Thugs."

Trump views the probe as a stain on his presidency, and frequently calls for its end.

He weighed in on the case Friday, August 17, in an extraordinary commentary by a sitting president about an ongoing trial.

Asked if he would pardon his former campaign chief if he is convicted, Trump declined to comment.

But he went on to say: "I think the whole Manafort trial is very sad."

"He worked for me for a very short period of time. But you know what? He happens to be a very good person," Trump said.

"I think it's very sad what they've done to Paul Manafort." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino priest who once served in Dallas, Texas, went missing after he allegedly committed sexual abuses against 3 individuals who were in their mid-teens more than a decade ago.

Suspended priest Father Edmundo Paredes, former pastor of the Saint Cecilia Catholic Church in Dallas, is believed to have fled to the Philippines. He is wanted by authorities.

It was the bishop of Dallas himself, Edward Burns, who disclosed this at the 5 pm Mass on Saturday, August 18, at Saint Cecilia Catholic Church.

This came in the wake of the 887-page Pennsylvania Grand Jury report that detailed sexual abuses by over 300 priests against over 1,000 children, mostly before the early 2000s. Paredes' case was not part of the Pennsylvania report.  

Burns said the Diocese of Dallas learned of the allegations against Paredes in February. They "immediately filed a report with law enforcement agencies so that an investigation could be launched."

"The allegations came from 3 adults who said the criminal sexual acts occurred when they were in their mid-teens. The allegations were found to be credible," the Diocese of Dallas said.

"The Diocese of Dallas suspended Paredes and he no longer is allowed to function or represent himself as a priest," it added.

Paredes also once "admitted to financial misconduct with certain parish funds," the diocese said.

Paredes "had already been suspended and removed from ministry in June 2017 after admitting to financial irregularities," said the Dallas diocese.

The diocese said Burns was prepared in March to announce the sex abuse allegation against Paredes, "but there was concern for the victims who asked that it not be made public out of their great fear that it would compromise their anonymity in the community."

The diocese said, however, that "when the Pennsylvania report was made public, the Bishop believed he needed to inform the community of the allegations against the now suspended priest."

"Keep in mind that these allegations reported to and by the Diocese of Dallas were brought by adults who could have reported it to police themselves, but did not. The Diocese reported it as soon it learned of the allegations," the Diocese of Dallas said.

'Wolf in shepherd's clothing'

The search is on for Paredes in the Philippines.

"This past week, I received word from the authorities in the Philippines that they could not find or locate Father Paredes. So after learning that, we contacted two private investigators because it is important for us to reach out," Burns said in a press conference at Saint Cecilia Catholic Church on Sunday, August 19.

He said the diocese does not know when Paredes fled the United States.

Sought for comment by Rappler, Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said she will check on this case on Wednesday, August 22. 

Father Marvin Mejia, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, said the Diocese of Dallas has not contacted the CBCP on Paredes' case. Mejia said he does not know the diocese that Paredes initially belonged to in the Philippines, if any.

Rappler is also trying to reach individual dioceses to pin down Paredes' possible location. Father Reginald Malicdem, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Manila, said Paredes does not come from their diocese.

Burns said reactions to Paredes' case were a mix of "shock, tears, disbelief, dismay, frustration, anger, disappointment, gratitude for the presence of the diocese today, a commitment to move forward."

"When there is a wolf in sheep's clothing, that is startling enough. But when there is a wolf in shepherd's clothing, that is horrendous. Therein lies our great concern," Burns said. 

Still, Burns reminded his flock, "Do not let any sinful man separate you from our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Philippines, the most predominantly Catholic country in Asia, is no stranger to sexual abuses by priests. In the early 2000s, two prelates – Bishop Crisostomo Yalung of Antipolo and Bishop Teodoro Bacani of Novaliches – resigned due to accusations of sexual misconduct.  

The best-selling book Altar of Secrets, written by the late Rappler senior investigative reporter Aries Rufo, detailed these cases, and exposed a culture of cover-up and secrecy in the Philippine Catholic Church. – Rappler.com

BARCELONA, Spain – A man shot dead as he tried to attack a Spanish police station had come out as gay months prior and wanted to commit suicide, his wife said according to Spanish media.

The 29-year-old Algerian man, identified by media as Abdelouahab Taib, invoked the name of Allah during the assault early Monday morning in the town of Cornella de Llobregat in the region of Catalonia, which authorities are treating as a "terrorist attack." 

In her declaration to the Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia's police force, his wife, a Spaniard who had reportedly converted to Islam after meeting him, said he had told her two months ago that he was homosexual, the region's La Vanguardia daily and other media reported.

He reportedly felt "shame" about this as it conflicted with his Muslim religion, she said.

Then two weeks ago, she told him she wanted to divorce and she told police she suspected his attack was a suicide attempt, the daily said.

Neither the interior ministry nor the Mossos would comment on the reports.

Taib arrived at the closed police station in Cornella de Llobregat near Barcelona at 5:45 am (0345 GMT) on Monday and repeatedly pressed the buzzer to be let in, Rafel Comes, a commissioner with the Mossos d'Esquadra, told reporters.

After police allowed him in, the man pulled out a "large knife" and lunged at officers in "a clearly premeditated desire to kill an agent of our force," Comes said on Monday.

"The officer used her gun to save her own life," Comes said, adding the man shouted "Allah" as well as words the police officers did not understand.

"These are enough indication to treat the events being investigated as a terrorist attack." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – If you disagree with how President Rodrigo Duterte is running the country, send a clear message to Malacañang by voting for opposition candidates in May 2019, former president Benigno Aquino III  said on Tuesday, August 21.

Aquino made the pitch in his speech during the commemoration of the 35th death anniversary of his father, former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr, at the Sto Domingo Church in Quezon City.

“Sa susunod na taon, midterm elections na naman. Dapat klarong mensahe ang ipaparating natin hindi lang sa halalan para sa pagka-senador kung hindi para sa lahat ng mga puwesto (It would be the midterm elections again next year. We should send a clear message not only in the senatorial elections but across all positions),” Aquino said in his speech.

“Kung sang-ayon po tayo sa takbo ng bansa ngayon, iboto ang kakampi ng administrasyon. Pero kung hindi ka sang-ayon, 'wag mo lang iboto ang ating kandidato, ikampanya 'nyo pa sila. Palakasin 'nyo pa ang magdadala ng tinatawag na checks and balances sa gobyerno,” he added.

(If you agree with the country's present direction, vote for the allies of the administration. But if not, don't just vote for our candidates but campaign for them as well. This will strengthen what we call the checks and balances in government.)

The former president recalled that in 2013, the administration slate of Team PNoy bagged 9 out of 12  winning slots the Senate, despite supposed predictions that the other slate would win, particularly those endorsed by then Vice President Jejomar Binay, then Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, and former president Joseph Estrada.

Aquino said he originally wanted to completely retire from politics after his presidency, as he had been in the public eye since he was 12 because of his father.  But now that he was just two years away from becoming a senior citizen, because of the current situation in the country, he would have to get involved in politics again to actively campaign for opposition candidates.

In an interview in April, Aquino had said that he was not considering running in the 2019 elections.

Aquino said that during the 2016 campaign, he had warned of the possible dangers of electing "another candidate" – obviously referring to Duterte – but to no avail. But he said it was not too late for change through the upcoming elections.

With his successor in the country's helm for over two years, Aquino said in Filipino that it was time for the people "to say if we're going in the right direction" through their vote in 2019.

“Tawag ko po sa inyo ay boss, kayo ang boss ko. Kayo dapat ang masunod. Klaro po nasa inyong mga kamay ang ating kapalaran. Nasa inyo kung gagamitin 'nyo ang kapangyarihan na 'yun.... Paniniwala ko po sa gabay ng Poong Maykapal at sa tiwala at malasakit sa kapwa, sa tamang oras muling maninindigan sa tama at katotohanan ang sambayanang Pilipino,” Aquino said.

(I call you my boss. You are the ones who should be followed. It is clear that our fate is now in your hands. It is up to you if you will use that power.... I believe that with the guidance of the Lord and trust in and compassion for our countrymen, the Filipino people will again stand up for what is right and true.)

The opposition, led by the Liberal Party, has yet to finalize its senatorial lineup and its bets for the local elections next year.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senator and LP President Francis Pangilinan, and reelectionist senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV had said the group would be fielding a coalition slate. It remains to be seen if they would be able to fill the 12 slots for the so-called Magic 12, as most politicians are flocking to the administration-allied parties, especially  Hugpong ng Pagbabago, the regional party of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio. – Rappler.com

AKLAN, Philippines – Modern public utility jeepneys may eventually course through Boracay roads as part of a transport modernization program by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). 

The program hopes to provide safer and more comfortable utility vehicles for tourists and residents of Boracay to take advantage of, and one company's already doing its due diligence for a possible implementation.

Yellow Dot Transport Terminal, Inc., a distributor of Euro-4 compliant jeepneys, recently conducted a survey of Boracay’s transport requirements relating to the proposed public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.

Yellow Dot manages transport terminals in SM Supermalls and handles the fleet management of various FX groups coordinating with Araneta Center.

However, the Sangguniang Bayan of Malay, Aklan, wants to reconsider whether the proposal will complement the electronic tricycles (e-trikes) operating on the island.

New jeepneys, adjusted deployments

A 23-seater modern jeepney for use in Boracay – costing P1.9 million – would be equipped with a global positioning system (GPS), Internet connectivity via WiFi, an automatic fare collection system (AFCS), and a closed-circuit television (CCTV). These modern jeepneys will serve the 9.1-km Boracay main road route for a minimum fare of P10 for the first 4 kilometers, and a charge of P2 for each succeeding kilometer.

These modern jeepneys will also serve the 2.3-km Caticlan airport-to-port route in mainland Malay for a P10 fare.

According to Yellow Dot, the rollout will help decongest the Boracay main road. These modernized jeepneys can carry more passengers, and will have designated and timed stops and pick-ups.

The existing e-trikes operating on the island will be redeployed on the narrow routes of Boracay. The e-trikes will also adopt a color coding scheme for each route.

The route rationalization will also ensure passenger volume and income of unit for drivers and stakeholders and will regulate the routes under the automated fare collection system.

With the reopening of Boracay on October 26, modern jeepneys would, as Yellow Dot proposes, cater to the large demand of passengers from Kalibo and Caticlan airports and the two sea ports in Tabon and Caticlan in Malay, Aklan.

Yellow Dot added such transport modernization procedures will address the undersupplied routes in Boracay and support public transport users of all income levels.

Currently, the Boracay Land Transport Multi-purpose Cooperative (BLTMPC) has 543 member trikes and also operates 64 multicabs in Boracay and Malay – 27 of which are defective – and one 22-seater solar jeep. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) gave some P15 million worth of scholarships to hundreds of “doubtful or fictitious students,” the Commission on Audit (COA) said in its recently-released 2017 annual audit report.

State auditors said irregularities were discovered among the scholarships of 580 individuals under its P2.415-billion Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP). Of these, 310 were supposedly enrolled in the AMA Computer College (AMACC) Manila campus, while 270 were supposedly enrolled in the Technivoc Institute Corporation (TIC).

The COA said AMACC received P13.65 million while TIC received P1,471,500 from Tesda.

How the ghost scholars were paid: COA said Tesda-Manila failed to verify the existence of these scholars because Tesda's only safety measure involved assigning one “focal person” to select 5 scholars per batch and call them by phone.

The COA said Tesda-Manila should not have paid billings without first verifying that trainings were indeed taking place.

“The lack of monitoring…opened chances for TVIs (Technical-Vocational Institutions) to submit false reports of scholars and trainings. The TWSP objective to produce skilled graduates to be productive or employable was defeated, instead, put government efforts and resources to waste,” the COA said.

Responding to the COA’s findings, Tesda said it lacked adequate manpower to verify scholars and training programs.

AMACC refunds Tesda: State auditors said AMACC received P13.65 million from Tesda-Manila to train a target of 455 scholars. Each scholarship cost P30,000, with AMACC receiving P10.05 million in 2015 and P3.6 million in 2016.

AMACC said it ended up accepting 310 scholars in 2015 for its “Career Entry Course for Software Developers NC IV using JAVA.”

Of the 310 students AMACC supposedly accepted, 195 were not found as contact details listed were numbers that were either unreachable, incorrect, non-existent, or owned by a different person.

The COA was only able to trace 115 students – 77 of whom were real but were enrolled in the AMACC campus in Fair View, Quezon City, and were taking different courses.

The number is broken down further as follows:

• 65 students had already graduated and were “afraid that they might not graduate as a repercussion of their actions”
• 12 students were made to sign attendance sheets, scholarship vouchers, and identification

COA said it found anomalies in the dates on attendance sheets, while the photos of 5 supposed scholars turned out to belong to other students. It also found an AMACC professor’s name was used on one scholarship voucher while the photo of another professor was used for another supposed scholar.

“The documents supporting the paid disbursement vouchers …for the attendance of the 310 scholars claimed to have undergone said JAVA trainings were found doubtful or fictitious,” COA said.

Told of the findings, AMACC said it fired its Manila campus school director and refunded the TESDA P7.8 million in July 2017 and P1.5 million in April 2018.

TIC doesn't exist: TIC, which received P1,471,500 from TESDA to train 270 scholars in barista and bartending courses, is probably non-existent.

In December 2017, state auditors visited the business address provided by the school at 1679 Tayuman Street, Sta Cruz, Manila. Instead, they found an establishment called “Getz Hotel.”

The COA said the supposed location of the Technivoc Institute Corporation did not have:

• a signage to indicate the school’s existence as either an occupant or tenant of the hotel
• training facilities 
• training materials, supplies, equipment, or tools

Interviews with the hotel’s guard and receptionist also revealed they were unaware of the school and that no training programs were conducted on the site.

The COA said these findings were proof of “the non-existence of the TIC as a training institution.”

In addition to this, the COA also cast doubt on TIC’s claim that mobile training programs were conducted in Barangays 163, 2723, 312, 422, and 423 in Manila. Interviews with residents of the said barangays showed no trainings took place.

State auditors were also unable to locate all the 270 supposed students of TIC. Only 28 were found while the remaining 242 couldn't be reached through numbers provided.

Meanwhile, 15 of the 28 students located also claimed to have never heard of the school and had attended different Tesda training programs.

Responding to the COA, TIC refuted findings and said it was located inside the “Getz Hotel.” It also said there was a lack of facilities because the hotel was undergoing renovation at the time and claimed the guard and receptionist interviewed by auditors were new and therefore did not know about TIC.

TIC also submitted a list of 37 students who supposedly took the barista and bartending courses. Only 6 confirmed it. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – "Ilan ang mga Muslim ngayon na makikita mo sa mga bar, sa mga kanto, na ipinagmamayabang pa na Muslim siya habang hawak ang alak?" (How many Muslims nowadays can we see in bars, on the streets, even bragging that they're Muslims while holding alcohol?)

The imam at the Quezon Memorial Circle on Tuesday, August 21, criticized practices by Muslims that go against Islamic teachings, as the Muslim world celebrated the Eid'l Adha.

The Eid'l Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, remembers Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael in obedience to God, even as God spared Ishmael in the end. It is one of Islam's two biggest feasts.

Marking Eid'l Adha this year, Ustadh Fahad Tambara urged a change of heart among many Muslims who have gone astray.

Tambara called them out not only for drinking, which is banned in Islam, but also for other malpractices, such as not wearing the hijab (veil) for women.

"Pinaka-basic, hijab. Kung hindi mo kayang mag-niqab (face veil), hijab. Mga babae, hindi magawang mag-hijab. Kapag meron lang pupuntahan na okasyon, saka lang maghi-hijab. Paglabas, pagpunta ng Baclaran, Quiapo, wala nang hijab, nakasuot pa ng fitting," Tambara said.

(The most basic is the hijab. If you can't wear a niqab, wear a hijab. There are women who can't even wear a hijab. They only wear the hijab when they have to attend a special occasion. Afterwards, when they go to Baclaran, Quiapo, they remove their hijab, they even wear fitting clothes.)

Kindness to non-Muslims

Tambara, an Islamic propagator at the Amanah Islam Dawah Center, also said Muslims should be kind to non-Muslims.

"Alisin natin sa ating isipan na kapag hindi Muslim ay kalaban," he said. "Sino ang aanyayahan mo sa Islam kung ang turing mo sa hindi Muslim ay kalaban?"

(Let's remove the mindset that non-Muslims are enemies…Whom will you invite to Islam if you view non-Muslims as enemies?)

He said Allah is not stopping them from being truly just toward non-Muslims. He said Muslims in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, after all, can freely worship Allah.

"Hindi tayo pinapaalis sa ating mga bahay. Kapag hindi ka pinipigilan sa pagsamba mo, hindi ka pinapaalis sa iyong bahay, walang dahilan para makipaglaban ka sa mga hindi Muslim. Bagkus maging mabuti ka sa kanila, maging makatarungan ka sa kanila," he said.

(We're not being forced out of our homes. If we're not stopped from worshipping, if we're not forced out of our homes, we have no reason for fighting non-Muslims. Instead we should be kind to them, we should be just toward them.)

Tambara also said Allah prohibits the killing of the innocent. 

"Sinuman ika ang pumatay ng isang inosenteng tao, ang kanyang kasalanan ay para nang napatay ang lahat ng tao sa malaking kapinsalaan na kanyang ginawa. Allahu akbar. Bawal pala ang pagpatay ng mga inosente, bigla ka na lang mamamaril diyan, magbobomba diyan – ipinagbabawal ng Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala," he said.

(Whoever kills an innocent person, his sin is like he has killed all the people because of the big damage he has wrought. God is great. Killing the innocent is prohibited, but then you would suddenly shoot or bomb people – that is prohibited by Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.) 

The preacher, too, reminded Muslims of the power of prayer.

"May problema ka pero hindi ka naman nagpupunta sa masjid," he said. "May problema ka pero reklamo ka nang reklamo. Paano maso-solve?" (You have a problem but you don't go to the mosque...You have a problem but you just keep on complaining. How will it be solved?)

Thousands of Filipino Muslims flocked to other venues, such as Rizal Park in Manila, to celebrate the Eid'l Adha. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier declared Tuesday as a regular holiday for this Muslim feast.

"This sacred feast serves as a reminder of the fulfillment that is found in sacrifice. Ibrahim's faithfulness taught us the way towards a strong spiritual foundation that is guided by our shared values of compassion, selflessness and hope," Duterte said in his message for Tuesday's feast. – Rappler.com