WASHINGTON, DC, USA – The fiancee of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Tuesday, October 9, asked President Donald Trump to help uncover what happened to the Riyadh critic who she said had "been fighting for his principles".

Hatice Cengiz made the appeal in an opinion piece for The Washington Post newspaper, where Khashoggi was a columnist and an outspoken critic of some of Riyadh's policies.

A veteran journalist, Khashoggi disappeared on October 2 after entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul to arrange paperwork for his wedding to Cengiz, a Turk.

Government sources in Turkey said police believe the 59-year-old was killed inside the consulate, claims which Riyadh dismissed as "baseless".

Cengiz wrote that she was "confident in the abilities of Turkish government officials." 

"At this time, I implore President Trump and first lady Melania Trump to help shed light on Jamal's disappearance," she said.

"I also urge Saudi Arabia, especially King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to show the same level of sensitivity and release CCTV footage from the consulate," Cengiz wrote.

Trump on Monday expressed concern about Khashoggi's case and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for a thorough investigation.

Turkish police were also looking into the possibility that Khashoggi was kidnapped, local media reported.

Riyadh has said Khashoggi left the consulate after his visit.

Although Khashoggi knew that his opinions had angered certain people, he entered the consulate "without doubting he would be safe there," his fiancee wrote, but after three hours of waiting "fear and concern" overcame her.

Khashoggi had fled his homeland in September last year and had been living in self-imposed exile in the United States, where he had applied for US citizenship, Cengiz said.

A former Saudi government advisor, Khashoggi has been openly critical of Prince Mohammed, accusing him of introducing a new era of "fear, intimidation, arrests and public shaming."

Cengiz wrote she remains confident that the "great man" is still alive, "although my hope slowly fades away each passing day." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo said the draft constitution in the House which removed her in the line of succession during a transition to federalism only showed how “desperate” her critics were to kick her out.  

On Wednesday, October 10, Robredo reacted to the provision in Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 15 that proposed to skip the Vice President and instead make the Senate President as next in line should President Rodrigo Duterte be unable to perform his duties during the shift to federalism. (READ: House aims to pass draft federal charter by early 2019)

“Unang una, naisip ko, parang masyado naman yatang desperado. Lahat na lang iniisip kung paano ako matanggal. May kaso sa Supreme Court. Siguro alam nila na hindi magpo-prosper. Kung ano-ano. Dati, may impeachment na finile. Ngayon na naman, ito ipapalusot sa konstitusyon” said Robredo. 

(First, I think they are being too desperate. Everyone is already thinking of ways how to remove me. There’s a case in the Supreme Court. Maybe they know it won’t prosper. They’re doing so many things. There was an impeachment complaint before. Now, they want to use the constitution.)

The Vice President is currently facing an electoral protest filed against her by ex-senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, whom she beat by 263,473 votes. 

Ousted speaker Pantaleon Alvarez had also mulled to file an impeachment complaint against Robredo in 2017.  The Impeach Leni Movement had even drafted their own impeachment complaint against Robredo, but this did not prosper in the Duterte-controlled House.

House committee on constitutional amendments chairperson Vicente Veloso told Rappler that RBH 15 skipped Robredo in the line of succession to avoid “instability” that may be brought about by the election case she is facing.

Robredo turned the tables on Veloso, saying he is also facing an electoral protest filed against him by Liberal Party bet Maria Victoria David, who lost by just 100 votes.

The Vice President wondered if Veloso’s reasoning on the performance of duties of politicians facing election cases should also apply to him, too.

“Sa akin lang, ipapaalala ko lang sa kaniya na ako, iyong lamang ko kay Mr. Marcos, more than 200,000. Siya, iyong lamang niya sa eleksyon, less than 100. Mayroon ding protest laban sa kaniya. Gusto bang sabihin, dapat sana before natapos iyong protest case, huwag muna siyang umupo bilang congressman, at hindi muna niya puwedeng gawin iyong mandato niya dahil mayroong protest?” asked the Vice President.

(I just want to remind him that I had more than 200,000 votes than Mr. Marcos. Veloso only had 100 more votes than his opponent. A protest was also lodged against him. Does he mean to say that he should not be sitting as congressman and that he cannot do his mandate because he still has a pending protest?)

Robredo’s election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said it is“outright ridiculous” to remove her from the line of succession just because of the election case she is facing. 

Senators already rejected RBH 15, saying it will be“dead on arrival” at the Senate. – Rappler.com

BASILAN, Philippines – The Police Regional Office of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO ARMM) on Wednesday, October 10, identified 8 suspects in the ambush on Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents that left 5 dead in Kapai town, Lanao del Sur, last week.

PRO ARMM said that one of the suspects is Barangay Chairman William Comayog Gandawali of Barangay Inudaran in Tagoloan ll town, the older brother of a drug suspect who was killed in a police buy-bust operation in Marawi City in August.

The police filed multiple murder and double frustrated murder charges against the suspects. Aside from the barangay chairman, the other suspects were identified as the following:

• Oscar Capal Gandawali
• Palawan Salem Macalabo
• Lala Lolo Amboloto
• Jamal Lolo Amboloto
• Mizangcad Panonde Gandawali
• Aiman Guro Gandawali
• Jamel Borar alias Memekan

The police also filed the same charges against two John Does believed to be linked to alleged drug personality "Comayog Macapagal," a resident of Tagoloan II town in Lanao del Sur, who was killed in a shootout with police during a buy-bust operation in Marawi City on August 8.

PRO ARMM said it received reports that relatives of the slain drug suspect had threatened to retaliate against government troops.

Police said the Macapagal's nephew, Oscar Capal Gandawali, allegedly organized his close relatives for the ambush. The nephew reportedly lived with the drug suspect in Marawi City.

One of the suspects was Macapagal's son, Aiman. Except for one, the rest of the suspects were blood relatives of Macapagal, police said. 

Jamel Borar was a relative by affinity and an identified associate of Macapagal in the  illegal drugs trade, PRO ARMM said.

The police added that there were joint operations with the military to track down the suspects.

The Lanao del Sur provincial government had earlier condemned the attack on the PDEA agents and demanded a swift probe. The incident also injured two people who were part of the PDEA group that was ambushed that was on its way to Marawi City after it attended an anti-drug seminar  in Tagoloan II town. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – It reads like a modern day take on 'The Old Man and the Sea' – 5 Filipino fishermen cast adrift for days on a makeshift raft after a huge marlin sinks their boat.

The men were fishing in the South China Sea last week when a 6-foot (1.8 meter) marlin punctured their boat's wooden hull with its giant bill, vessel master Jimmy Batiller told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday, October 10.

Their 12-meter boat quickly dipped beneath the waves in the early evening of October 3, leaving the crew with little drinking water or food until their eventual rescue by the US Navy on Monday.

"It (the fish) hit the bottom of our boat, leaving two big holes. We suspect it was chasing a smaller fish. It swam around the sinking boat for a while, apparently disorientated," Batiller said.

The fishermen salvaged what they could, removing the outriggers, planks and barrels to create a makeshift raft.

"Our water ran out after two days. We waved at passing commercial vessels but no one came to rescue us. But we did not lose hope," the 42-year-old father of one said, adding the crew also ate raw rice and drank some seawater.

"When we were rescued, that was when our tears fell," said Batiller, who has since been reunited with his family in Subic, a port about 80 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Manila.

The US Navy said the men were lucky to survive, especially given the crew said they had drunk seawater.

"On average, death results two to three days after a diet of drinking undiluted sea water or urine in survival-at-sea events as it takes more water than is consumed for the body to process the waste and salt out of the kidneys," Leon Hadley, the civilian chief mate from the ship which conducted the rescue, the USNS Wally Schirra, said.

"Luckily, we were going at a slow enough speed to have spotted the fishermen," the Wally Schirra's master Keith Sauls added.

"The individuals were waving their arms and a flag in the air. They were also flashing a white light that was previously thought to be fishing buoy," Sauls added in an account carried by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.

The blue marlin is one of the open ocean's fastest, strongest predators and is also one of the largest species of bony fishes. It can grow up to five metres in length and weight as much as 820 kilogrammes. 

It is known for its long bill that grows from the front of its head which it uses to stun prey.

"This is the first such incident we have encountered here. Most of the time it's bad weather sinking fishermen's boats in the open seas," Subic coast guard operations officer Erman Besana told AFP.

Despite the near-death experience, Batiller said he and his crew plan to go back to sea after a few days' rest, provided they can find a new boat.

"This is our job," he added. –Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo committed to pass a joint resolution that would extend the validity of the P19.6-billion National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund for the rehabilitation of Marawi City until the end of 2019.

Arroyo made the commitment to President Rodrigo Duterte during their meeting at Malacañang on Tuesday, October 9.

Arroyo’s office sent reporters photos and details of the meeting on Wednesday, October 10. 

Also present during the meeting were House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya, Deputy Speaker Arthur Yap, and Arroyo consultant Medy Poblador.

Lawmakers recently raised P6.575 million to help the government's rehabilitation efforts in Marawi City, which is in ruins after months-long clashes between government troops and homegrown terrorists from the Maute Group and a faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group. (WATCH: Marawi in 360: Inside the War Zone)

Reconstruction efforts have since been hit by several delays, with the government disqualifying the Chinese-led Bangon Marawi Consortium, which turned out to have no financial capacity to undertake the massive project. (READ: Marawi rehab 'on track' despite search for new developer)

The United Nations Refugee Agency also reported that displaced residents have yet to fully benefit from the billions of pesos the government has allocated for their relief. 

Funds for military, police, Yolanda victims 

During the same meeting, Duterte also asked House leaders to allocate funds under the proposed P3.757-trillion 2019 budget for the housing projects for the military and the police.

According to Arroyo’s office, Duterte also wanted lawmakers to allocate funds in the 2019 budget for the water system in the housing project for Yolanda victims.

The Commission on Audit (COA), however, have raised red flags on the housing projects for uniformed personnel and Yolanda victims being implemented by the National Housing Authority. 

State auditors found anomalies in 28 housing projects worth some P10.62 billion under the housing program for the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. 

COA also found several irregularities in 18 housing projects worth some P1.508 billion under the Yolanda Permanent Housing Program. 

House membes have approved the 2019 General Appropriations Act on second reading, but a small committee is still finalizing the amendments to the budget before the bill will be brought to the plenary for a 3rd and final reading. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Minority senators on Wednesday, October 10, filed a joint resolution seeking the suspension of excise tax on fuel under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law. (READ: Dissecting TRAIN’s impact on our incomes)

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and Senators Francis Pangilinan, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Risa Hontiveros, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Leila de Lima filed Senate Joint Resolution No. 15, which also seeks to roll back fuel taxes to rates as of December 30, 2017, or before the implementation of the TRAIN law.

With prices of oil in the world market breaching $80 per barrel, and with the scheduled additional P2-levy on fuel in January 2019, the opposition said there is an urgent need for Congress to intervene.

“We are hopeful that the Senate will take a unified stance on suspending the excise tax on fuel for the millions of Filipinos burdened with the rising prices of goods,” the minority senators said in a statement.

With President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest pronouncement that the government will look into the possibility of suspending excise tax on fuel, the minority senators are hopeful that their colleagues will support the initiative.

“Napilitan na ang Pangulo na pag-isipan ito. Ipahayag na natin agad-agad na suportado ng Senado ang pagtigil ng excise tax sa petrolyo. Halos isang taon na naghihirap ang mga pamilya sa krisis natin sa presyo. Kailangan na natin ito pagtulungan at trabahuin,” they said.

(The President has been forced to reconsider it. Let us immediately express the Senate's support for the suspension of petroleum tax. Filipino families have been suffering for almost a year now. Let us unite and work on this.)

Since the implementation of the law on January 1, 2018, gasoline prices have increased by as much as P10.50 per liter, diesel prices by P12, and kerosene by P14.12. Inflation has exceeded the government’s target of 2% to 4% as it rose to new 9-year-high of 6.7% in September.

Aquino said Marikina Representative Miro Quimbo would file a counterpart measure in the House of Representatives. 

On September 10, the House opposition filed House Joint Resolution No. 27 which would “immediately suspend the excise tax increases and scheduled increases on fuel and oil products."

A joint resolution, like a bill, requires the approval of both houses and the signature of the President. It has the force and effect of a law if approved. – Rappler.com

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Police in Germany have arrested a man in connection with the rape and brutal murder of Bulgarian television journalist Viktoria Marinova, Bulgarian officials said Wednesday, October 10.

But they said it does not appear that the murder was linked to her work as a journalist.

The suspect was picked up late on Tuesday, October 9, at the request of Bulgarian authorities, Interior Minister Mladen Marinov told a news conference.

"We have enough proof linking this person to the scene of the crime," he said.

The country's chief prosecutor, Sotir Tsatsarov, named the suspect as Severin Kasimirov, born in 1997, and said he was already sought in connection with another rape and murder.

"At this stage, we do not believe that the murder is linked" to Marinova's work. "But we are continuing to look at all hypotheses."

"The evidence that we have at this stage leads us to believe it was a spontaneous attack to sexually abuse the victim".

The body of 30-year-old Marinova – who presented a current affairs talk programme called "Detector" for the small TVN television channel – was discovered on a riverside path in the northern town of Ruse on Saturday, October 6.

Authorities said she died from blows to the head and suffocation. She was also raped.

The attack has shocked the country and drawn international condemnation amid speculation the murder could be linked to Marinova's work as a journalist.

An episode of her programme aired on September 30 featured interviews with two investigative journalists from Bulgaria and Romania who had been working on corruption allegations.

She is the third journalist to be murdered in Europe in the past 12 months after Jan Kuciak in Slovakia in February and Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta in October 2017. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Appointments on Wednesday, October 10, confirmed the promotion of 74 senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Initially, there were only 70 names on the list but the CA committee on national defense reconsidered 4 others after submitting an explanation.

“They submitted a written explanation, may kasamang (together with) legal opinion and their interpretation of existing laws – Presidential Decrees and Republic Acts. When I perused sa sinubmit nila sabi ko (what they submitted, I said) I’m inclined to agree with their position,” said CA member Senator Panfilo Lacson in an interview after the hearing.

Among those confirmed were AFP spokesman Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo and Major General Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the 6th Infantry Division.

Here is the complete list of the 74 military officers:

1. Aaron Bulaclac to the rank of Colonel, Dental Service
2. Cesar Tojong to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
3. Luis Capacia to the rank of Colonel, Dental Service
4. Josefino Lanuncia to the rank of Colonel, Medical Corps
5. Job Gonzales to the rank of Colonel, Medical Corps
6. Achilles Estravila to the rank of Coloel, Medical Administrative Corps
7. Glenn Celebrado to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Navy-Marines
8. Luther Punzalan to the rank of Colonel, Dental Service
9. Ariel Tabaquero to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
10. Rodolfo Gesim to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
11. Acmad Omar Jr to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Air Force
12. Jose Dodjie Belloga Jr to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
13. Pablo Lorenzo to the rank of Brigadier General
14. Sergio Benitez to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
15. Virgilio Soriano to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
16. Michael Manalo, to the rank of Colonel, Dental Service
17. Glicerio Peralta to the rank of Brigadier General
18. Nelson Pecache, to the rank of Colonel,Medical Corps
19. Arlene Frageto the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
20. Angelito Retuta to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Air Force
21. Roberto Huet, to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
22. Roderick Guerrero, to the rank of Colonel Judge Advocate General Service
23. Jeroboan Deveza to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
24. Adolfo Espuelas Jr to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
25. Leomar Jose Doctolero to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
26. Peter Burgonio to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
27. Mario Jacinto to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
28. Michael Logico to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
29. Dino Anthony Flores to the rank of Colonel, Medical Corps
30. Julieto Estoque to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
31. Onorlie Brillantes to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Air Force
32. Eldred Harrieto Ragpala to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
33. Randolph Rojas, to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
34. Audie Mongao to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
35. Emil Cruz to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
36. Pompeyo Jason Almagro to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
37. Rodney Intal to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
38. Pedro Balisi Jr to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
39. Adriano SJ Duadico to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Air Force
40. Rosendo Abad Jr to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
41. Marinela Cailipan to the rank of Colonel, Medical Corps
42. Arsenio Sadural to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
43. Rolando Fernandez Jr to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
44. Virgilio Luna to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
45. Paulito Idul to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
46. Christopher Tampus to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
47. Lynart Castisimo to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
48. Allen Paredes to the rank of Major General
49. Eugenio Boquio to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
50. Galileo Goyena Jr to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
51. Ronald Jess Alcudia to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
52. Felisa Tuliao to the rank of Colonel, Veterinary Corps
53. Joel Albarda to the rank of Colonel, Chaplain Service
54. Renato Nato to the rank of Captain, Philippine Navy
55. Arlino Sendaydiego to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
56. Daniel Tansip to the rank of Colonel, Chaplain Service
57. Fernando Ventura to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Air Force
58. Elmer Aterrado to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
59. Nathaniel Casem to the rank of Major General
60. Rolando Dumawa to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
61. Erickson Gloria to the rank of Major General
62. Pelagio Valenzuela to the rank of Major General
63. Rene Diaz to the rank of Brigadier General
64. Redentor Cabanizas to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army
65. Alejandro Baclayon to the rank of Major General
66. William Gonzales to the rank of Brigadier General
67. Edward Libago to the rank of Brigadier General
68. Edgar Arevalo to the rank of Brigadier General
69. Adrian Sanchez Jr to the rank of Brigadier General
70. Pio Diñoso III to the rank of Major General
71. Maxima Ignacio to the rank of Brigadier General
72. Fabian Pedregosa to the rank of Brigadier General
73. Rami Bitong to the rank of Brigadier General
74. Cirilito Sobejana to the rank of Major General

– Rappler.com

PANAMA CITY, USA – Hurricane Michael swelled to an 'extremely dangerous' category 4  storm as it rumbled toward the Gulf Coast of Florida early Wednesday, October 3, in what forecasters warned was an unprecedented weather event for the area.

The National Hurricane Center said the storm is now packing maximum wind gusts of 210 kilometers, could grow even more and is expected to slam ashore later in the day along the Florida Panhandle or Big Bend area as a "life-threatening event."

As outer rainbands from the storm began to lash the coast, the center said a monster storm surge of up to four meters is expected in some areas.

Separately, the National Weather Service office in the state capital Tallahassee issued a dramatic appeal for people to comply with evacuation orders.

"Hurricane Michael is an unprecedented event and cannot be compared to any of our previous events. Do not risk your life, leave NOW if you were told to do so," it said.

The hurricane was forecast to make landfall somewhere along the Florida Panhandle – a finger-shaped strip of land on the Gulf of Mexico – or the Big Bend, which connects the former to the peninsula jutting south.

The storm was expected to bring hurricane force winds and heavy rainfall, the Miami-based NHC said. It will then move across the southeastern US for another day or so as it heads toward the Atlantic.

The NWS office in Tallahassee said it had searched its historical database for category four hurricanes – the second highest level on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale – that made landfall in the panhandle and Big Bend and found none. It posted a map of the coast on its tweeter feed.

"This map says it all – it's BLANK – this situation has NEVER happened before," the office said.

Governor Rick Scott has activated 2,500 members of the National Guard and warned Michael could be the most destructive storm to hit the Florida Panhandle in decades.

President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for the state, freeing up federal funds for relief operations and providing the assistance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"It is imperative that you heed the directions of your State and Local Officials. Please be prepared, be careful and be SAFE!" Trump tweeted.

State officials issued disaster declarations in Alabama and Georgia, both of which are also expected to feel the impact from the storm.

As of 0600 GMT, Michael was about 290 kilometers south of Panama City and moving north at 19 kilometers per hour.

Flash flood, tornado warnings

The NHC said some areas of the Florida coast could expect storm surges of nine to 13 feet and as much as a foot of rain.

The heavy rains could cause flash floods, the NHC said, and spawn tornados in northwestern Florida.

About 120,000 residents were under mandatory evacuation orders in Bay County in the panhandle, a low-lying area of beachfront resorts and retirement communities.

In other areas, residents of mobile homes were urged to leave.

Michael was forecast to have the power to uproot trees, block roads and knock out power for days when it hits Florida. It is expected to weaken as it moves up into the southeastern United States.

Drivers waited in long lines at gas stations and residents hurried to fill sandbags, while tolls were suspended on some roads to aid movement ahead of the storm's landfall.

"Since 6:00 am it's been backed up. We're just now running out of regular (gasoline)," Danny Hess, an employee at a gas station in Panama City, told local WJHG television.

The Carolinas are still recovering from Hurricane Florence, which left dozens dead and is estimated to have caused billions of dollars in damage last month.

It made landfall on the coast as a Category 1 hurricane on September 14 and drenched some parts of the state with 40 inches of rain.

Last year saw a string of catastrophic storms batter the western Atlantic – including Irma, Maria and Harvey, which caused a record-equaling $125 billion in damage when it flooded the Houston metropolitan area.

Scientists have long warned that global warming will make storms more destructive, and some say the evidence for this may already be visible.

At their most fearsome, these low-pressure weather fronts pack more power than the energy released by the atomic bomb that levelled Hiroshima. – Rappler.com

Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines – After presiding over the third hearing into the missing P6.8-billion shabu (methamphetamine) which allegedly slipped past the Bureau of Customs (BOC) screening, Senator Richard Gordon advised its chief Commissioner Isidro Lapeña to sack his "incompetent" officials.

Before the hearing ended on Wednesday, October 10, Gordon asked Lapeña to address the "seeming incompetence" of personnel in the BOC after they struggled to answer Gordon's questions on how the shabu, believed to be packed inside magnetic lifters, circumvented their intelligence service and X-rays.

"Incompetent ang mga tao mo, palitan mo 'yan. Mapapahamak ka (Your people are incompetent, replace them. They'll put you in trouble)," Gordon said when asked to clarify about his message in an ambush interview with reporters.

Gordon added that when he spoke with Lapeña after the hearing, the Commissioner already agreed to relieve some of his personnel.

Which officials? Gordon only mentioned "'yung X-ray (the one from the X-ray)" as deserving to be replaced.

Gordon did not specify who, but so far, 3 Customs personnel from their X-ray division have testified in the probe: X-ray chief Zsae de Guzman, and longtime operators Manuel Noli Martinez and John Mar Morales. (READ: Empty or shabu-packed? X-ray scans of magnetic lifters revealed)

Gordon also suggested that Lapeña reconsider assigning only people close to him into key posts. When Lapeña came to the BOC, he brought in the same people he worked with in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

"You know what? That's the problem when you bring your own guys to a new position, to your new post. You have to watch over them because they enjoy familiarity with you," Gordon told reporters in a mix of English and Filipino. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives passed a motion to “reprimand” ACTS-OFW Representative John Bertiz over his controversial video at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). 

Lawmakers voted 159-1-3 on the motion of House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez for the House to reprimand Bertiz on Wednesday, October 10.

“In response to the manifestation of Representative Bertiz, I respectfully move that the penalty to be imposed on him with regard to his offense should be [a] reprimand. As far as I know, this is his first offense. He already admitted his mistake and has profusely apologized for his conduct. The punishment must commensurate the act,” said Suarez. 

“Hence, any form of punishment greater than a reprimand such as a suspension is severe and inappropriate. So moved that Congressman Bertiz be reprimanded,” he added. 

Suarez made the motion immediately after Bertiz delivered a privilege speech, where he apologized to the public, his colleagues at the House, and his family after a video of Bertiz confronting a NAIA security checker went viral online. 

Section 140, Rule XIX on the Code of Conduct of the Rules of the House says lawmakers may "censure or reprimand an erring member with the concurrence of the majority of all its members."

An appeal to spare his family

In his speech, Bertiz said his two daughters have received rape and other lewd threats online, with some social media users calling them as "prostitutes." He said his son was also accused of  being a drug addict.

"Bilang ama, labis akong nasaktan sa dinanas na ito ng aking mga anak. Bilang pulitiko, tayo ay bukas sa mga batikos ng taumbayan. Tanggap natin yun kahit na masasakit na salita ang ibato sa atin. Kasama yun sa ating trabaho. Pero sana man lang ay hindi na nadamay pa ang aking pamilya. Sino ba namang ama ang nagnanais nito?" said Bertiz.

(As a father, I am deeply pained for what my children are going through. As a politician, we are open to criticisms from the public. We can accept even hurtful words thrown at us. That's part of our job. But don't involve my family. Is there any father who would want this?)

He asked the public to spare his family.

"Ako ang parusahan ninyo, huwag na po ang aking pamilya. Ang aking asawa at mga anak, wala po silang kinalaman dito (Punish me, not my family. My wife and children have nothing to do with this). You cannot even imagine what I & my family have to go through. Do what you want to me, but please spare my family," said Bertiz.

He once again apologized for his behavior at NAIA.

"Makailang ulit po akong nagpaumanhin sa aking nagawa. Isa iyong pagkakamali na aking lubos na pinagsisihan. I offer no excuses. Ngunit hayaan po ninyo ako muli na humingi ng paumanhin [sa security screener], sa aking pamilya, sa publiko, sa inyo mga kapwa ko mambabatas, at sa institusyong ito," said Bertiz.

(I have apologized many times. That was a mistake I regret. I offer no excuses. But let me say sorry once again to the security screener, my family, the public, to you my fellow lawmakers, and to this institution.)

Bertiz was seen wiping tears as lawmakers comforted him after his privilege speech.

One gaffe after another

Bertiz was hospitalized on October 2 to undergo a series of laboratory and stress tests. His chief of staff Francisco Aguilar Jr told Rappler that Bertiz, who had angioplasty surgery last year, had been suffering several symptoms due to “stress” over the backlash from his viral video. 

Bertiz already apologized for his behavior at NAIA, but he likened the way he acted to a woman going through her menstrual cycle. He drew more flak from lawmakers and social media users alike, who told him his statement was “demeaning to women.” He later said sorry to women for making this remark. 

The lawmaker was also criticized for cracking an "inappropriate" joke that the new batch of agricultural and biosystems engineers would not get their respective licenses from the Professional Regulation Commission if they would not say they knew Special Assistant to the President Bong Go. 

The lawmaker also said sorry over a 3rd video, which social media users have revived following the backlash over the two incidents involving Bertiz. In the 3rd video, Bertiz was in a heated exchange with a leader of a community of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong in January 2017.

Bertiz accused OFW leader Eman Villanueva of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong Migrante HK of being an undocumented worker and for failing to fight for OFWs' rights.

The lawmaker is now facing an ethics complaint filed against him by a former OFW who was recruited by Global Asia Alliance Consultants Incorporated, the recruitment agency formerly run by Bertiz. The embattled legislator also filed an ethics complaint against himself.– Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – The brother and sister of Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda were promoted to higher ranks in the Bureau of Customs a week before the latter issued an arrest warrant against opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on September 25.

Marlon and Ruby Claudia Alameda were among those included in the promoted officers on September 14. The notice below was uploaded on the BOC’s website.

The judge’s brother Marlon was promoted from Special Police Area Supervisor to Special Police Chief while the sister was promoted from Port of San Fernando’s Collector of Customs IV to Collector of Customs V.

They went through the process. Rappler sought Marlon’s comment on Wednesday, October 10. The BOC official said there is nothing irregular with his and Ruby Claudia’s promotion, as they have been with the BOC for at least 40 years and 20 years, respectively.

Marlon’s promotion was a formality of sorts, as he said he had been officer-in-charge and acting chief of the Customs police division since 2014.

“So bago po ako na-promote, hinahawakan ko na po itong puwesto na ito for almost 5 years. Dumaan po kami sa proseso (Before I was promoted, I was already serving that post for almost 5 years. We went through the process). We rose from the ranks,” he told Rappler in a phone interview. 

Marlon said his and his sister’s new posts were just one rank higher than their previous assignments, which he said was normal. He also claimed that they went through the whole application process – from filing, exam, to an interview.

He said it was during the time of former BOC commissioner Nicanor Faeldon when the posts were opened. Faeldon’s successor, Commissioner Isidro Lapeña, then continued the program. The brother and sister supposedly took the exam in January 2018 and had the interview “around 3 months ago.”

“Eight years po akong hindi na-promote. Nagkaroon ng opening during the term of Faeldon…. Nadaanan ko po lahat ng proseso, even my sister… Mali po 'yung ganung insinuation,” Marlon said. (I was not promoted for 8 years. Then there was an opening during the term of Faeldon.... I went through the whole process, even my sister did.... Those insinuations are wrong.)

“Bago pa po 'yung sa amnesty case (Even before the amnesty case), we already applied for our promotion,” he added.

Trillanes says it's suspicious: But for Senator Trillanes, the timing of events is questionable and doubtful. 

“It is highly suspicious that the siblings of Judge Alameda were promoted on the day the hearing on my amnesty revocation was conducted,” Trillanes told Rappler in a statement.

Nevertheless, the opposition senator said he “will continue to give [Judge Alameda] the benefit of the doubt that, in the end, he will do the right thing.”

The promotions came 11 days before Makati RTC Branch 150 issued an arrest warrant and hold departure order against Trillanes in connection with the 2007 Manila Peninsula-rebellion charges against him.

Judge Alameda ruled that there was sufficient basis to say that Trillanes did not file the amnesty application form in 2011, after the senator’s failure to present a copy in court.

Trillanes, however, submitted signed affidavits from the former chairperson and head of secretariat of the amnesty committee that handled his application. (READ: EXPLAINER: Why Judge Alameda disregarded affidavits in Trillanes case)

Failure to file the form, which contains the required admission of guilt, is President Rodrigo Duterte's basis for voiding Trillanes' amnesty through Proclamation 572.

“It has now become glaringly clear that Senator Trillanes failed to substantiate his claim that he filed his application for amnesty,” Judge Alameda said in his 22-page order issued on September 25. 

Trillanes immediately posted bail after police served the warrant. He, however, faces a tougher time at the Makati RTC Branch 148, where he is facing the non-bailable charge of coup d’etat. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Court of Appeals Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando as Supreme Court Associate Justice.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed this to Rappler on Wednesday. October 10.

Hernando will assume the vacancy left by retired SC Justice Samuel Martires, who has been appointed as Ombudsman.

At 52, Hernando, will be among the younger justices in the High Court. He will serve for 18 years – or until August 27, 2036, when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Duterte's choice of Hernando is a departure from his tendency to appoint justices close to retirement. Three of his previous appointees to the High Court – Martires, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr – are set to retire in either 2019 or 2020. Martires retired early to assume the Ombudsman post.

At the CA, Hernando distinguished himself with his speedy disposition of cases, a practice he told the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) he would keep if appointed SC justice.

Prior to the CA, Hernando was presiding judge at the Regional Trial Court in San Pablo, Laguna, and presiding judge at the Quezon City’s RTC Branch 93. Hernando also served as state prosecutor with the Department of Justice for 5 years.

He had been previously shortlisted for an SC associate justice position in 2017, and earlier this year to fill in the vacancy left by Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr.

Hernando hails from Tuguegarao, Cagayan. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Literature degree at the University of Sto Tomas. He took first year law in UST, but continued and completed his law degree at the San Beda College of Law.

He passed the Bar examination in 1991with a score of 80.80%.

Duterte also appointed two new CA Associate Justices – Evalyn Arellano-Morales and Loida Posadas-Kahulugan.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The chairperson of a Tondo village notorious for vigilante killings said that these incidents wouldn’t happen if people kept to themselves at night.

In the 6th of 7 stories that are part of the Murder in Manila series, “There Are Snakes Everywhere,” Rappler’s Patricia Evangelista reported that allegations of a supposed vigilante group operating in the jurisdiction of Barangay 105 did not bother Chairperson Leny Reyes. 

According to Reyes, while there were killers in the slums of Tondo, the same can be said of other places. It's the responsibility of people to stay inside their homes at night, she said.

“If you have nothing to do, don’t wander around. That’s what I say,” she said. “God made the night for sleep, the day to work, right? So things like that wouldn’t happen if people just stayed quiet in their own homes.”  

These killers – sources disclosed during a 6-month investigation by Evangelista and Carlo Gabuco – are from the Confederate Sentinels Group (CSG) Tondo Chapter 2. They are allegedly responsible for the deaths of at least 20 people within the first 7 months of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. 

Self-confessed vigilante killers said that the group was backed by local police whom their leader, Ricardo Villamonte, alias "Commander Maning," supposedly got their orders from.

Sources also claimed that Reyes was connected to the CSG. Simon (not his real name) said Commander Maning was Reyes' bodyguard, while another man who worked in the local village hall said it was Reyes who tried to recruit him to the group. 

Reyes, however, denied employing members and denied any direct association with the CSG Tondo Chapter 2. They met only during a courtesy call made in her office. 

‘Mistake’

The alleged vigilante work of CSG Tondo Chapter 2 was exposed in the aftermath of the death of 16-year-old Charlie Saladaga. The teenager was abducted, shot in the face, and tossed into the breakwater of Isla Puting Bato in Tondo. 

Three suspects, identified to be members of the CSG by Saladaga’s sister, were presented in a press conference led by then police director general Ronald dela Rosa in February 2017. 

According to Reyes, Saladaga was known in the neighborhood for causing trouble, adding that he would have been alive if his mother was more dutiful and had looked after him more.  

But Simon, a self-confessed vigilante, told Rappler that although he was notorious in Barangay 105 for being a “troublemaker,” killing him “was a mistake” and that “they should have surrendered him first.”

Sources claimed that killing Saladaga was a side job. Angel (another self-confessed vigilante not using his real name) said it was also possible that neighbors were mad and had paid money to CSG members to have him killed.

The murder of Saladaga did not really shock members of CSG Tondo Chapter 2, according to Angel, adding that the group members “were bragging” about who would be next. 

Money eventually became the center of operations, the vigilante said, because their leader Commander Maning allegedly made money as criminals entered their group. CSG Tondo Chapter 2 collapsed because the leadership failed to vet its own assassins, he said.

“They keep recruiting just about anyone,” he said, adding that gun for hires, dealers, and drug addicts infiltrated CSG in the months leading to February 2017.

READ MORE FROM THE MURDER IN MANILA SERIES: 
PART 1: 'Some People Need Killing'
PART 2: 'The Cops Were Showing Off'
Part 3: 'Get It From the Chief'
Part 4: 'What Did the CSG Do Wrong?'
Part 5: 'I Finish the Job'
Part 6: 'There Are Snakes Everywhere'

– Rappler.com

Editor's Note: All quotes in Filipino have been translated into English. At the sources' request, Rappler changed or withheld their names for their own safety.

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VATICAN CITY, Holy See – Pope Francis on Wednesday, October 10, compared having an abortion to hiring a "contract killer".

"Interrupting a pregnancy is like eliminating someone," Francis said in an address to worshippers in the Vatican.

"Getting rid of a human being is like resorting to a contract killer to solve a problem," he added.

"Is it just to resort to a contract killer to solve a problem?"

His comments departed from the prepared text for his homily delivered during his weekly audience on Saint Peter's Square.

In his address, the Argentine pontiff complained of a "depreciation of human life".

He cited wars, exploitation and what he called a culture of wastefulness, as well as abortion.

"How can an act that suppresses innocent life be therapeutic, civil or even human?" he asked.

Francis this year opposed a bill that would have legalized abortion in Argentina.

In August a lay campaign group said thousands of Argentine Catholics had renounced their membership of the church to protest against his opposition to the bill. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives will put Vice President Leni Robredo back into the line of succession during the shift to federalism under the lower chamber’s draft constitution. 

Lawmakers unanimously accepted Wedneday, October 10, the motion of Cebu City 1st District Representative Raul del Mar to bring Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 15 back to the House committee on constitutional amendments. 

The panel can now amend Section 4, Article XVII on the Transitory Provisions, which puts the Senate President, not the Vice President, as next in line should President Rodrigo Duterte be unable to perform his duties during the shift to federalism. 

“This is a motion to recommit Committee Report No. 81 submitted by the committee on constitutional amendments on the Resolution of Both Houses No. 15 in order to introduce perfecting amendments on the failure to include the Vice President in the first line of succession, which led to some misunderstandings. So there’s a need to clarify this,” said Del Mar, who is with the Liberal Party like Robredo. 

The motion was approved by the plenary without any objections. 

House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya then said that the majoriy bloc will submit an amendment to Section 4 “at the proper time” to replace the words “Senate” with “Vice.”  

The 17th Congress is holding its last session day on Wednesday before it goes on a one-month break. It will resume session on November 12.

If amended, Section 4 would now read as follows: “In case a vacancy arises by reason of removal, resignation, permanent incapacity or death of the incumbent President, the incumbent Vice President shall act as President until a President shall have been chosen and qualified.”

Before Del Mar’s motion and Andaya’s manifestation, Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was busy going around the floor and talking to key leaders of the House.

House constitutional amendments panel chairperson Vicente Veloso previously defended Section 4, arguing that removing the Vice President in the line of succession aims to avoid“instability” that may be caused by the ongoing electoral protest filed against Robredo by ex-senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Robredo herself said Section 4 indicates her critics are “too desperate” to kick her out of power.

Veloso said the House is targeting to pass RBH 15 on 3rd and final reading by February or March 2019. But senators already rejected RBH 15, saying it will be “dead on arrival” at the Senate. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte may be denying he ever appointed Chinese businessman Michael Yang as his Presidential Adviser for Economic Affairs, but Yang’s calling card bears Duterte’s own official seal.

A photo of Yang’s calling card has the seal of the Office of the President of the Philippines prominently displayed on its left side. It identifies him as “Presidential Economic Adviser.”

Yang uses the name Michael Yang Hong Ming in the card. Another source confirmed that the card is similar to one they had received from Yang’s staff.

On the other side of the card, he is identified as Yang Hong Ming, chairman of the Full Win company. The company's logo appears on the left, in the same part of the card where the OP seal is found on the other side.

There are rules regulating the use of the Malacañang seal.

Executive Order Number 310, issued in 2004, said the presidential seal should be "exclusively used to represent the President of the Philippines."

There is even a specific provision that deals with the use of the seal in business cards.

Its Section 3 states: "Furthermore, the use of stationery, business cards, identification cards, or any other items containing the Coat-of-Arms, Seal and/or Flag of the President or of the Vice President of the Philippines, respectively, or any likeness or substantial part thereof, by person other than the President of the Vice President of the Philippines is strictly prohibited."

It's the Office of the Presidential Protocol that has the final say on how the seal can be used. 

Any violation on the proper use of the seal "shall be severely dealt with administratively, civilly, and criminally," reads the EO.

Yang uses his presidential adviser title mostly for the benefit of Chinese nationals, said a source. This is why Yang's website, opeap.com, is mostly written in Chinese.

True enough, Yang rubs shoulders with top Chinese economic officials and executives of major China state-run companies. He’s also been present in meetings of Chinese businessmen with Duterte in Malacañang.

For instance, he was at the Philippine leader’s meeting with businessmen Kitson Kho and Jose Kho on January 10, 2017 in the Palace. (READ: Chinese businessmen flock to Duterte's Malacañang)

Kitson Kho is the chairman of Hong Kong-based The Kho Group and executive director of UAA Kinming Development Corporation. Kho is behind a proposed massive reclamation project in Manila Bay where his company wants to build a 407-hectare smart city dubbed “New Manila International Community.”

Jose Kho, meanwhile, is chairman of the Friends of the Philippines Foundation which donated a P500-million drug rehabilitation center in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. Duterte attended the facility’s ribbon-cutting ceremony with Kho.

Yang ang Kho were among the Chinese nationals Duterte had lunch with in a Beijing shopping district during his first visit to China as president. 

Lavish office

Yang’s office in Makati City looks like any other office of a high-ranking government official in the Philippines, except perhaps a bit more lavish. (All the photos here were obtained by Rappler from a source.)

It has Duterte’s official presidential portrait displayed behind his desk, and the portrait is autographed by Duterte.

On another wall hangs a mosaic of photographs of Yang with Duterte and other government officials.

On Yang’s desk stand miniature Philippine and China flags.

Over a high-ceilinged space hangs a glittering chandelier. 

If Duterte never formally appointed Yang, a Chinese citizen, as his adviser, why has Yang felt emboldened enough to call himself such and even put up physical office space for that purpose?

Aside from proclaiming his close ties to Duterte, Yang was also a guest at the baptism of former Bureau of Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon's son.– Rappler.com

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen accused China of "seriously challenging" peace and stability Wednesday, October 10, describing the island she leads as being on the frontline of tensions in the Pacific.

It comes as Beijing pursues a multi-pronged attack on any claims to sovereignty by self-ruled democratic Taiwan, which it sees as part of its territory to be reunified, by force if necessary.

Relations between Beijing and Taipei have deteriorated since Tsai took office two years ago, as she refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of "one China".

"As Taiwan is on the frontline of the Western Pacific, we are naturally subject to tremendous pressure," Tsai said in a televised speech to mark Taiwan's National Day.

"China's unilateral diplomatic offensive and military coercion have not only harmed cross-strait relations. They have also seriously challenged the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," she added.

Taiwan considers itself a sovereign country and has an independent political system, judiciary and currency, but has never formally declared a split, despite being ruled separately since 1949.

China has recently upped military drills around the island and has made a concerted effort to poach Taiwan's dwindling number of official allies – only 17 countries still diplomatically recognize the island after 5 jumped ship since Tsai took power.

Beijing has also successfully put pressure on international businesses to list Taiwan as part of China on their websites and ensured Taiwan is shut out of global forums.

Strategic card

Tsai called on authorities in Beijing to "play a positive role in the region and the world, instead of being a source of conflict".

She pledged not to escalate tensions but also said Taiwan would seek to fortify its national security and diplomatic links, establishing its "irreplaceable strategic importance".

"I will not be provoked into confrontation or conflicts that endanger cross-strait relations, nor will I deviate from the will of the people, and sacrifice Taiwan's sovereignty," Tsai said.

"An effective response strategy must be rooted in national strength," she added.

Worsening ties with Beijing and unpopular domestic reforms policies are putting Tsai's government under pressure ahead of major local elections next month.

Tsai warned in her speech that anyone interfering in the election process would "suffer serious consequences".

She has accused Beijing of spreading "fake information" to affect public trust in the government in the run-up to the vote.

Later Wednesday, thousands of supporters of Taiwan's Beijing-friendly opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party gathered in downtown Taipei, waving flags and singing Taiwan's anthem.

Under the former KMT government of President Ma Ying-jeou, from 2008 to 2016, there was an unprecedented rapprochement with Beijing.

Ma attended the rally and some participants said they hoped relations with China would improve.

"I hope Taiwan and China can maintain peace and not provoke each other," 55-year-old saleswoman Shui Tian told AFP at the rally.

She added that she was disappointed with the lack of Taiwan's national flag on display around the city, blaming the DPP.

Taiwan's official name is the Republic of China (ROC), and the ROC flag incorporates the white sun on a blue background motif that is the symbol of the KMT.

Some pro-independence campaigners want to see the island drop its old name and symbols and establish instead a Republic of Taiwan.

The DPP is traditionally pro-independence leaning, but Tsai has always emphasized the importance of maintaining the "status quo" with China. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – At least 15 Saudi journalists and bloggers have been arrested over the past year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Wednesday, October 10, following the disappearance of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

"In most cases, their arrests have never been officially confirmed and no official has ever said where they are being held or what they are charged with," RSF, which defends press freedom around the world, said in a statement.

Cases included that of Saleh al-Shihi, a journalist whose arrest was only confirmed in February when his family learned he had been sentenced to 5 years in prison, RSF said.

He disappeared in December 2017, but his detention was not revealed until his conviction and sentence were announced in the kingdom, the organization added.

Economist and citizen-journalist Essam al-Zamel was put on trial this month for criticizing the government's economic strategy in a series of tweets and reports. It was only then officially confirmed he has been in jail for the past year.

Another journalist and commentator, Turad al-Amri, has been missing since November 2016 after protesting in a tweet to a clampdown on Saudi media, including the blocking of an online newspaper for which he had written.

Fayez bin Damakh, another reporter and poet, has also been reported missing since September 2017 when he was about to launch a TV news channel in neighboring Kuwait.

Local press reports suggested he was abducted and taken to Saudi Arabia, though this has never been confirmed.

"The traditionally opaque methods used by Saudi Arabia to silence critical journalists constitute grounds for fearing the worst in the case of Khashoggi’s disappearance," said Sophie Anmuth, head of RSF’s Middle East desk.

Khashoggi, who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States, vanished on October 2 after entering Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul to obtain official documents ahead of his marriage to his Turkish fiancee.

On Wednesday, Turkish television released CCTV footage of him entering the consulate.

Saudi authorities have said the journalist left the building after his visit and rejected Turkish police suggestions he might have been killed there.

RSF is calling for an independent international investigation to determine his fate.

A total of 25 to 30 professional and non-professional journalists are currently believed to be detained in Saudi Arabia, which is ranked 169th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2018 World Press Freedom Index, the organization also said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate approved on Wednesday, October 10, the Universal Health Care (UHC) bill seeking to give all Filipinos access to health care coverage and services.

Senate Bill 1896 or the Universal Health Care for All Filipinos Bill seeks to automatically enrol Filipinos into a “National Health Insurance program,” under which membership will be either contributory, meaning those who can pay health premiums, or non-contributory, or those sponsored such as senior citizens and indigents.

The Senate’s passage of the bill comes over a year after lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed a counterpart measure in September 2017.

The measure is still far from becoming law, though, as a bicameral conference committee would need to reconcile the different provisions in two versions of the bill.

The Senate passed the bill after Malacañang delivered on Wednesday, a certificate of urgency on the UHC bill. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier urged Congress to pass the UHC bill during his 3rd State of the Nation Address  (SONA).

What the Senate version wants: Apart from automatic health insurance, the bills seek to expand the Philippine Health Insurance System’ (PhilHealth) coverage to include free consultation fees, laboratory tests, and other diagnostic services.

Filipinos would also be allowed to avail of primary health services even without PhilHealth cards.

Should the bill be passed, premium PhilHealth subsidies will also be adjusted and included in the government’s annual budget. This would allow Filipinos who are not yet enrolled in PhilHealth once the measure becomes law to avail of health services.

"Financial issues will no longer be a burden to our countrymen when it comes to healthcare,” Senator JV Ejercito said during his speech sponsoring the bill. 

Apart from this, the bill also seeks to connect health services and referrals in provinces and cities.

In a statement Wednesday, October 10, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said Service Delivery Networks would be established to provide all Filipinos primary health care. Both public and private health services providers will also take part in ensuring all Filipinos will have a primary care provider team.

The bill also seeks to improve the doctor-to-patient ratio and increase the number of hospital beds and equipment. It also calls for the establishment of hospitals in remote areas. Currently, the Department of Health recorded doctor-to-patient ratio at 1 doctor to 33,000 people while bed to population ratio was at 1 bed to 1,121 people.

To do this, the bill would call for “reforms” in the mandate, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of agencies that will be involved in implementing UHC. These include the DOH, PhilHealth, and local government units (LGUs), among others. (Duque: Access to primary health care depends on coordination with LGUs)

In addition to this, all graduates of health-related courses from state universities and colleges as well government-funded scholarship programs will need to complete at least 3 years of mandatory government service.

Should the bill become law, Duque said it would signal movement “from a system used to taking care of the sick to one that is used to keeping people healthy.”– Rappler.com