MANILA, Philippines – A “simple and modest” inauguration will usher in Leni Robredo, a neophyte legislator who trumped veteran rivals, to the vice presidency on Thursday, June 30.

Before the clock strikes 10 on Thursday morning, Robredo will have officially taken her oath as the 14th vice president of the country at the Quezon City Reception house, where she will hold office. (Check our Live Blog on the Duterte-Robredo inauguration)

The inauguration, which starts at 9 am, departs from tradition. (WATCH: Live: Robredo inauguration)

Usually, the Vice President’s inauguration coincides with the President’s but President-elect Rodrigo Duterte opted to hold his separately.

It will also be a quick one starting with a flag raising ceremony, an ecumenical service, the oath-taking proper, then a message from Robredo.

“Sinisigurado po kasi natin na magiging akma sa pagkatao at sa mga paniniwala ni VP-elect Robredo iyong ating Inagurasyon kaya gusto po natin ito na maliit lamang, maging simple, maging modest at maging makabuluhan po,” Robredo's spokesperson Georgina Hernandez said in a radio interview on Wednesday, June 29.

(We’re making sure that the inauguration reflects the personality and beliefs of VP-elect Robredo so we want it to be small, simple, modest, and meaningful.)

Only a handful of guests have been invited to the inauguration, including sectoral representatives, defeated Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II, allies in the ruling party, and presidential sister Kris Aquino.

Robredo’s roots

The program reflects Robredo’s track record and chosen advocacies.

Her oath will be administered by two barangay (village) captains – Ronaldo Coner, from Barangay Punta Tarawal in Calabangga, Camarines Sur and Regina Celeste from Barangay Mariana in Quezon City.

Punta Tarawal is among the farthest and poorest barangay in the 3rd district of Camarines Sur, which Robredo used to represent in Congress.

The same barangay, which can only be reached via boat, was one of Robredo’s first stops after she was officially proclaimed Vice President-elect. 

Robredo’s youngest daughter, Jillian, will be holding the bible during her oath-taking. Older daughters Aika and Tricia will also be onstage with their mother.

The flag-raising ceremony also involves sectoral representatives from often-ignored sectors of societies. The following are the flag raisers of the program:

• Jehanne Mutin, a Bangsamoro woman leader; 
• Bajekjek Merida, a Sumilao Farmer;
• Alice Murphy, an urban poor leader; and
• Gabriel Querubin, a PWD representative

Robredo, who only joined politics in 2013, boasts of vast experience in dealing with poor and marginalized sectors through her years as a lawyer. She was a Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) lawyer in Naga City, before she joined the legal resource non-governmental organization Saligan.

Her campaign emphasized the need for programs to empower women, ensure sustainable anti-poverty measures, and rural empowerment.

It was the “laylayan ng lipunan” – or those in the fringes of society – that she championed as she campaigned around the country.

It was also these same groups that bolstered her campaign. The Sumilao farmers, for instance, walked from Mindanao to Manila to campaign for her.

Nearly a decade ago, Robredo and her husband, the late Naga city mayor and interior secretary Jesse Robredo, hosted the Sumilao farmers when they first marched to Manila in a bid to secure their land. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday in North Carolina, her staff announced.

"In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we've made and their vision for an America that is stronger together," Clinton's campaign said in a statement.

Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida – the worst mass shooting in US history.

Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries.

"I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office," Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady.

"I'm with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary," added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008.

Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month's party convention.

Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation's first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November's general election. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Outgoing President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday, June 30, is set to return to his home in Times Street in Quezon City.

Aquino would go straight to their family home after the departure honors in Malacañang, Rappler learned.

Around 350 to 400 people are expected to welcome the President, as neighbors planned a welcome party for him.

A Rappler source said that a representative of the neighborhood association will thank Aquino upon arrival in Times Street. After this, they would walk citizen Noy (Aquino's nickname) home.

At the Aquino residence, a stage has been set up, with yellow ribbons tied around trees. The area was also closed to motorists for the day.

Yellow ribbons had been the symbol of protest against the Marcos dictatorship, particularly in the aftermath of the assassination of Aquino's father, the late Senator Ninoy Aquino, in 1983.  Yellow is also the color of Aquino's campaign and administration.

On Wednesday, June 29, Aquino went to his home unannounced to drop some of his belongings from Bahay Panagarap, his official residence for the past 6 years.

It is still unclear as of posting time if Aquino is attending the thanksgiving party of Vice President-elect Leni Robredo at the Quezon City Memorial Circle in the afternoon. – with a report from Jee Geronimo/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – When Rodrigo Duterte steps into Malacañang Palace on Inauguration Day, each of his children will have a special place with him.

Duterte's 4 children will stand in designated spots around him while he sits on a table to sign the presidential guestbook of outgoing President Benigno Aquino III.

On one side of Duterte will stand Paolo and Kitty Duterte. Sara and Sebastian or "Baste" Duterte will stand on his other side.

Paolo, Sara, and Baste are Duterte's 3 grown children with former wife Elizabeth Zimmerman. Kitty is his daughter with common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña.

Each of them played their own roles in Duterte's presidential bid.

As the country waited for Duterte to make up his mind about running, Duterte's 3 older children had their heads shaved to show their support for him no matter what his decision would be.

The 41-year-old Paolo, Duterte's eldest, is now Davao City vice mayor. He was rarely seen on the campaign trail with his father but showed his support by attending events like the presidential debates and through posts on social media.

Sara, at 38 years old, is taking the place of her dad as Davao City mayor, a position she had already assumed from 2010 to 2013. Sara agreeing to take on this role for a second time allowed Duterte to cancel his candidacy for mayor and file his candidacy for president.

Sara took the stage in several of Duterte's campaign rallies, including the gigantic rally in Iloilo. She and her mother Elizabeth went on a nationwide bus tour, "Byaheng Du30", to convince non-believers to vote for Duterte.

Baste, known as the "quiet" one among the siblings, also heeded the call of the campaign trail. He even went to Hong Kong as a substitute campaigner for his dad, alongside actor Robin Padilla.

He frequently spoke at student events to promote to the youth his father's presidential bid.

Last but not the least is Kitty Duterte, the president-elect's 12-year-old daughter with common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña.

Among the 4 of them, Kitty was the one most frequently spotted on the campaign trail. She would be beside her dad on the motorcade, throwing ballers and rolled up "Dutertees" to supporters.

In the middle of Duterte's speech onstage, she would approach him and whisper in his ear to remind him that he needed to wrap up.

Kitty is also set to be the Bible-holder when Duterte takes his oath on June 30.

As a father, Duterte was known to be a disciplinarian who taught his kids to treat everyone fairly. But because of his work as a public official, he was often not home.

Those close to the family say his years away from his 3 eldest children have made him determined to be more involved with the upbringing of his youngest daughter.– with reports from Bea Cupin and Pia Ranada/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines– "This is a dream come true for someone like me who hold consultation meetings on train tracks, sleep on boats, and ride single-motor version of tricycles called habal-habal to reach those we need to serve."

Vice President Leni Robredo thanked supporters on Thursday, June 30, after she took her oath in an emotional ceremony held at the Quezon City Executive House.

Here is the full text of the speech, delivered in Filipino. The English version of the text follows.

Minamahal kong mga kabayayan: 

May mga sandali sa ating buhay na mas matingkad kaysa sa iba. Noong nagkakilala kami ni Jesse. Noong nasilayan ko sa unang pagkakataon ang mukha ng aming mga anak. Noong bumagsak ang kanyang eruplano.

Ngayon, narito na naman tayo sa isang mahalagang yugto.

Nagpapasalamat akong kasama ko kayo sa oras na ito. Kayong nagbigay ng inyong tiwala at umako ng ating laban bilang laban niyo rin. Samahan ninyo ulit ako sa aking bagong paglalakbay.

Ang sandaling ito ay hindi lamang tungkol sa akin. Ito ang ating pagkakataong masama ang mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan tungo sa maginhawang buhay sa mas malawak na paraan.

Sa isang katulad nating nakikipagpulong sa riles ng tren, natutulog sa bangka at sumasakay sa habal-habal para maabot ang ating mga pinaglilingkuran, ito ay isang malaking biyaya para lalo pang makapaglingkod.

Tayo ay nasa posisyong ito dahil hindi natin matalikuran ang tawag ng paninilbihan, at hindi natin sasayangin ang pagkakataong paigtingin ang ating mga ipinaglalaban.

Niyayakap natin ang responsibilidad na ito, na may buong pagpapakumbaba, pasasalamat, at pagsusumikap.

Ang mga pangarap ng ating Pangulo at ating mga plano para sa bansa ay nagkakatugma patungo sa iisang hangarin: ang mabigyan ng tunay na kaunlaran ang ating mga kababayan, lalo na ang mga napag-iiwanan.

Marami nang naumpisahan pero marami pa ring kailangang punan. Kaya ang ating panata ay malagpasan ang kahit ano pang hamon.

Hindi natin hahayaang mapigilan tayo ng ano mang balakid upang makapagsilbi at handa tayong makipagtulungan sa lahat.

Ang tanging paraan para matupad ang hangaring ito para sa ating bansa ay ang sama-samang pagkilos. Naniniwala ako na sa panahong tila may mga matitinding hidwaan na nangyayari sa mundong kinagagalawan natin, ang hamon sa atin ay magsama-sama, paigtingin ang ating pagkakaisa, at gawing lakas, hindi hadlang, ang ating pagkakaiba.

Kailangan nating gawin ang tama para sa karamihan, hindi lang sa iilan. Ang katapatan ay dapat ibigay sa ating pinangakuang pagsisilbihan kahit labag ito sa pansariling interes. Namulat tayo sa ganitong uri ng pagsisilbi at itutuloy natin habang tayo’y nabubuhay.

Bukas ang pintuan ng Tanggapan ng Pangalawang Pangulo sa lahat – anuman ang katayuan sa buhay, paniniwala, o partido.

Tayo ay magiging tanggapan na palaging nakikinig sa boses ng taumbayan.

Hangad nating maging magkatuwang ang pamahalaan at pribadong sektor tungo sa pagbabago, para sa mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan na dapat nating paglingkuran.

Ang ating pagtutulungan ang ating pinakamabisang puhunan. Napatunayan na nating hindi sagabal ang anumang kakulangan sa totoo, tapat at pursigidong paglilingkod. Ang pagsubok ay kabilang mukha lamang ng pagkakataon.

Itong ito ang kwento ng ating paglalakbay. Noong nagsimula tayo, parang walang naniniwalang may pag-asang manalo. Ngunit dahil sa pagbubuklod ng ambag ng bawat isa – tulad ni Nanay Alberta na nagsangla ng singsing para makatulong sa ating kampanya, tulad ng paglalakbay muli ng Sumilao Farmers, tulad ng mag-amang pinagtagpi-tagpi muli ang napunit nating posters, tulad ng marami sa inyong kasama ko ngayon na nagsakripisyo – nanaig tayo.

Kapag naninindigan tayo para sa mga pinaniniwalaan natin, kapag handa nating pagsakripisyuhan ang ating mga layunin, ang imposible ay kinakayang gawing posible.

Kaya buo ang loob ko na marami tayong magagawa sa anim na taon. Inaaya ko kayong lahat na nais tumulong na magtungo sa ating tanggapan para sabay tayong mangarap at kumilos para mabigyan natin ng mas magandang buhay ang ating mga kababayan.

Pagsama-samahin natin ang ating mga hangarin at kakayahan upang makalikha tayo ng makabuluhang pag-unlad.

Ang pangunahin nating tututukan ay gutom at sapat na pagkain, kalusugan para sa lahat, kaunlaran ng kanayunan, edukasyon at people empowerment. Sa mga larangang ito, walang dapat sayanging oras. Ang pangarap natin ay maibsan ang paghihirap sa lalong madaling panahon. Niyayaya ko kayong muli akong samahan sa paglalakbay na ito.

Sa unang isandaang araw, plano nating magtungo sa malalayo at maliliit na barangay sa bansa, upang alamin ang mga bagay na nais niyong matugunan.

Ito ang sinimulan na nating gawin sa ating distrito sa lalawigan ng Camarines Sur – kung saan ako isinilang, nag-aral, nagtayo ng pamilya, namulat sa mga problema ng lipunan at kung saan napudpod ang ating mga tsinelas sa paghahanap ng mga mabisang solusyon sa kahirapan.

Umaasa tayo na sa pagdala natin sa Tanggapan ng Pangalawang Pangulo sa inyong mga barangay, mas mararamdaman ninyo na totoong nariyan ang pamahalaan para sa inyo. 

At kapag nadama ninyo iyan, magkakaroon din tayo ng inspirasyon na simulan ang pagbabagong loob.

Nakita natin ito sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda na ating natulungan, sa bawat inabusong asawa na ating binigyang lakas, o sa bawat katutubo o manggagawang nakasalimuha.

Anumang pagbabago sa ating bayan ay nagsisimula sa pagpupursigi ng bawat Pilipino. At kapag nagkaisa tayo, walang imposible.

Sabi nga ni Jesse nuong siya ay nabubuhay pa: “What brings us together as a nation is far more powerful than what pulls us apart.”

Sa panahon ng matinding hidwaan, ang pagkakaisa ng bansa ang tanging pag-asa. Iba iba man ang ating pinanggagalingan, iisa ang ating hangarin: na ang bawat pamilyang Pilipino ay mamuhay ng may dangal. 

Ang sandaling ito ang simula ng sama-samang pagtupad sa hangaring ito.

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat at mabuhay ang Pilipinas.

English version

There are moments in our lives that shine brighter than others. Like when I met Jesse. Or when I saw my children’s faces for the first time. Or when the plane crashed.

We are facing one of those moments once again.

I will be forever grateful that you are here today. You, who have given me your trust and have taken this fight as your fight. I am touched that you are with me again in this journey we are about to take.

But this journey is not just about us. This is a chance to bring those at the fringes of society to prosperity—in a bigger, more powerful way. 

This is a dream come true for someone like me who hold consultation meetings on train tracks, sleep on boats, and ride single-motor version of tricycles called habal-habal to reach those we need to serve.

We are in this position because we cannot and will not turn our backs on the responsibility for inclusive growth and progress that matters, and we will not waste this chance to lift our advocacy to higher levels. We accept this chance to serve with humility, gratitude and a commitment to excellence. 

The chosen direction of our President and our plans for the country have wide intersections and converge on the singularity of this vision: of bringing real prosperity to our people, especially those that have been left behind.

Much has been done, but we continue to face more challenges. That is why we aim to resolutely face all obstacles, determined to eradicate them.

We will not allow anything to derail us in our goals and we are willing to work with all to bring our plans to fruition.

The only way for all of us to realize our vision for our nation is to work together. During these times when there seem to be significant divisions and conflict in the world, the challenge is to come together, celebrate our commonalities and differences, and turn them all into strengths. 

We must do right by the people, not only by our own people. Our loyalties must lie on those we are sworn to serve, even at the cost of personal interest.

This has always been the manner by which we have served; and it will remain that way for the rest of our lifetime.

The doors of the Office of the Vice Presidency are always open. Ours will be a listening office. We seek to unite the government and the private sector in a partnership for change, for those at the fringes of society that we have vowed to serve. 


Our plan is to create partnerships between the government and the private sector towards real change.

Collaboration is today’s most important and powerful resource. In our world today, our most important work are the things that we can do together.

If you recall, this is exactly the story of our journey together.  When we started, very few believed that we had a sliver of chance to win. But because of the

contributions of each single individual— like Nanay Alberta who pawned her ring to help with the campaign, like the Sumilao farmers who walked again to Metro Manila, like the dad-and-son tandem we randomly witnessed fixing our destroyed posters—like each one of you who sacrificed so much to get us where we are now and believed when nobody believed. 

When we stand for what we believe in, when we are ready to sacrifice our personal interests, we can make the impossible possible.

We can accomplish many things in the next six years. We invite all who have a passion for helping the poor, for fixing systems for the poor, for unlocking barriers that perpetuate the status quo in the poorest areas of our country, to come to our office.

We will streamline and bring all these efforts together so that we can extract the highest possible impact from each point of collaboration.

We have identified hunger and food security, universal health care, rural development, education and people empowerment as our main priorities. In these areas, there is no time to lose because every day, there is real suffering on the ground. Our dream is to make a head way on easing that suffering as soon as we can. Join me.

Together, let’s take another journey.

In our first 100 days, we plan to once again go to the farthest and the smallest barangays to pray with you, to laugh and cry with you, and most of all to listen to the things that you want changed. This is what we did in Naga City and in our district—the place where I was born, where I built a family with the love of my life, the place that formed my awareness of society’s problems, and calcified in my mind the solutions that work best. The place that gave birth to myself as a public servant.

The transformation that we personally saw in our district as we literally wore out our slippers walking with people on the ground, strengthens our resolve that this is the best way to bring about change in our nation.

We hope that as we bring the Office of the Vice Presidency to your barangay, you will feel the government is truly there for you, and when you feel that, you will be inspired to spark your own change as well.

When change begins in ourselves, the change we want to see in our nation will truly happen. We have seen this in the farmers and fisherfolk we have helped, in each battered woman we tried to empower, in each indigenous person, or barangay health worker.

Any groundswell begins from an individual’s resolve. If you want our country to leave behind the things that hold it down, we must start within. That will spark a real groundswell, a unity of effort that brings about strength.

Whatever change we want to see in our nation must begin within ourselves. And when we do that together, nothing is impossible.

As Jesse used to say when he was alive: “What brings us together as a nation is far more powerful than what pulls us apart.”

During these times of conflict, unity is most important for our nation. We may come from different walks of life or different advocacies, but our dreams are the same: that each Filipino will live a dignified, prosperous life.  

This moment, today, is the start of the fulfillment of these dreams.

Thank you very much and mabuhay ang Pilipinas! – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Holding back tears, Vice President Leni Robredo vowed on Thursday, June 30, to open her office to all sectors and political parties as she appealed for unity, stressing that this is “most important for the nation.”

In a short and simple ceremony at the Quezon City Executive House, Robredo took her oath as the 14th vice president of the  Philippines beside her 3 daughters. Robredo’s husband, the late Naga City mayor and former interior secretary Jesse Robredo, died in a plane crash in 2012. And it is apparent she remembered him the moment she began her speech.

“This is a dream come true for someone like me who held consultation meetings on train tracks, sleep on boats, and ride single-motor version of tricycles called habal-habal to reach those we need to serve,” the former Camarines Sur representative said. A once-reluctant candidate, Robredo’s come-from-behind victory came about due to the thousands of volunteers who contributed resources and assistance to her campaign. (READ: Full text of Robredo's speech)

Her oath-taking was administered by two barangay (village) captains – one from Camarines Sur and another from Quezon City.

“When we started, very few believed that we had a sliver of chance to win,” Robredo said. “But because of the contributions of each single individual – like Nanay Alberta who pawned her ring to help with the campaign, like the Sumilao farmers who walked again to Metro Manila, like the dad-and-son tandem we randomly witnessed fixing our destroyed posters –like each one of you who sacrificed so much to get us where we are now and believed when nobody believed.”

Robredo won over closest rival Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr by a hairline. On the eve of her inauguration, Marcos filed an electoral protest against her before the Supreme Court (sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal).

Robredo’s inauguration departed from tradition. For decades, the nation witnessed the joint inauguration of president-elect and vice president-elect. But President-elect Rodrigo Duterte chose to hold his own inauguration in Malacañang, and Marcos himself is one of his guests.

Duterte also has not given Robredo a Cabinet position. Previous vice presidents had jobs in the Cabinet, such as former Vice President Jejomar Binay, who was in charge of mass housing.

Robredo knows that they need to work on their relationship as the country’s top two leaders, having come from 2 opposing parties.

Thus she made unity the theme of her inaugural speech.

“The only way for all of us to realize our vision for our nation is to work together,” Robredo said. “During these times when there seem to be significant divisions and conflict in the world, the challenge is to come together, celebrate our commonalities and differences, and turn them all into strengths.”

Robredo spoke of only one kind of loyalty - that which lies "on those we are sworn to serve." She said: "We must do right by the people, not only by our own people. Our loyalties must lie on those we are sworn to serve, even at the cost of personal interest. This has always been the manner by which we have served; and it will remain that way for the rest of our lifetime."

The Vice President also said she intended to make her office the bridge between government and the private sector so they could work together in a "partnership for change."

She vowed that hers would be a “listening office,” open to all sectors and political parties, especially those in society’s fringes. - Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – When Leni Robredo took her oath on Thursday, June 30, as the 14th vice president of the Philippines, she called for unity. 

“Ang tanging paraan para matupad ang hangaring ito para sa ating bansa ay ang sama-samang pagkilos. Naniniwala ako na sa panahong tila may mga matitinding hidwaan na nangyayari sa mundong kinagagalawan natin, ang hamon sa atin ay magsama-sama, paigtingin ang ating pagkakaisa, at gawing lakas, hindi hadlang, ang ating pagkakaiba,” Robredo said in her inaugural speech. (READ: VP Leni Robredo: 'The challenge is to come together')

(The only way for all of us to realize our vision for our nation is to work together. During these times when there seem to be significant divisions and conflict in the world, the challenge is to come together, celebrate our commonalities and differences, and turn them all into strengths.) 

Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug believes Robredo said the “right things” during her inauguration.

“She called for unity, and that is the most powerful force that we can achieve,” said Vitug. 

Mindanao Commission on Women chief executive officer Irene Santiago thinks the new vice president has the ability to bridge the gap between the government and the people, too.

“When I heard her speak, I think she’s the connector that we are looking for. She’s in the position where she can recommend policy and shine a light on those things,” said Santiago, who is also a feminist hailing from Davao City.

“But, at the same time, she likes listening. she likes going to people. And that’s someone we need in the executive department,” she added.

In her speech, Robredo said she plans to visit the smallest and poorest barangays in the country within her first 100 days in office.

She also spoke of working toward uplifting the lives of people "na nasa laylayan ng lipunan (at the fringes of society)," consistent with her pro-poor campaign message.

In her capacity as vice president, Robredo said she would focus on addressing the longstanding issues of hunger, poverty, health, education, and people powerment. 

Obstacles for Robredo

This is easier said than done, however, with a divide between Robredo and President Rodrigo Duterte already evident even before their separate inauguration ceremonies.

Duterte said he is not keen on giving Robredo a Cabinet post because he does not want to hurt the feelings of his friend Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, whom Robredo beat by a hairline in the May polls. (READ: With or without Cabinet post, I'll fulfill duty as VP – Robredo)

Marcos filed an electoral protest against Robredo before the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal a day before the Vice President’s oath taking. 

Vitug said these will make it difficult for Robredo to accomplish her plans for the country. 

“In doing these projects, she will need budget, she will need people. I think she will do more advocacy and coordinating work,” said Vitug.

She said that while Robredo may have the money to travel all over the country to visit the poor, she would need to talk to the different local government units for her to be able to implement her plans. 

Vitug also said that Robredo now carries the burden of rebuilding the Liberal Party (LP), being the party member holding the highest elected position in the country. 

“As we’re seeing in Congress, almost 60 of the 112 LP members are jumping ship to PDP-Laban (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan). It’s normal, but it’s not a good normal practice. But she herself said that those staying in behind are those concerned about the values of the Liberal Party,” said Vitug.

PDP-Laban is Duterte's party.

Still, Santiago said this presents a chance for the rest of the country. 

“The opportunity for us here is to have national conversations. What is the role of political parties? What are we going to do with the oligarchy in the context of both the President and the Vice President?” she said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – As Leni Robredo took her oath as the 14th Vice President of the Philippines on Thursday, June 30, supporters asked her to work with President Rodrigo Duterte despite their differences.

During Robredo's inauguration ceremony, a group of women wearing matching yellow shirts, waited outside the gates to see the new VP. One of them is Ester Frago, a former faculty member of the Ateneo De Manila University and a former schoolmate of Robredo during her days at Universidad de Sta Isabel in Naga.

According to Frago, she has always believed in the potential of Robredo. Even during Robredo’s grade school and high school days, she already saw in her the making of a leader. “Leni is so patient and so well-contained,” Frago said.

Despite the notable common goals and platforms shared by Robredo and Duterte, a stark contrast can be seen in their personalities. Duterte’s cold relationship with the vice president also started when the former said that the reason he did not offer Robredo a Cabinet post is because he did not want to hurt the feelings of his friend, Bongbong Marcos.

Robredo won the tight vice presidential race with 14,418,817 votes against Marcos' 14,155,344 votes.

“(I hope) she doesn’t take it personally,” Frago said. 

While Duterte and Robredo have been sworn in, the two have yet to meet. There have been previous plans for a sit-down meeting but it was cancelled due to conflicting schedules.

Robredo has previously said that she is willing to work out their differences, even urging the Filipino people to unite behind the Duterte administration.

Josefina Constantino, 78, along with her fellow members of the Lakas ng Kababaihan ng Naga Federation, an organization founded by Robredo during the 1990s, were also present during the event.

The group had been instrumental in the campaign and victory of Robredo, especially among her women supporters.

“Leni has always extended her guidance and support to us. I hope that together with Duterte, they will push for women empowerment in the society," said Constantino.  

Uplifting the marginalized

Robredo’s “inaangat sa laylayan” (uplift from the fringes) mantra is dedicated to the poor and marginalized sectors in the country. This is why the children from the Payatas Kids’ Choir were asked to perform during the inauguration.

After the event, the kids expressed their happiness for being given a chance to perform in front of notable personalities in the country. “Masaya kami dahil yung talento ng mga bata ay nagamit nila para maging inspirasyon sa mga kabataan,” a member said.

(We’re happy because the talent of the kids was used to inspire the youth.)

 “We in Payatas consider ourselves as part of the laylayan,” another member said. “Dito pa lang sa pagpili niya sa amin, damang-dama namin na may pag-asa kaming mga nasa laylayan na umangat o mabigyang-tuon ng gobyerno.” (With her choosing us, we already feel the hope that we will rise and be given attention by the government)

In his speech earlier, Duterte emphasized his plan of “uplifting the poor from the mire” by promising to end corruption in the country. In Robredo’s inaugural speech, she said, “What brings us together as a nation is more powerful than what pulls us apart.”

A unique mix in the message of care and power brought by the new administration brings together a pang of hope for the supporters, even from opposing parties and points of view.  

“I think they will eventually work together because they have the same goal, which is to work for the laylayan ng lipunan,” said Frago. “If the president really means that, he cannot ignore her.” – Rappler.com 

LONDON, United Kingdom (UPDATED) –  Top Brexit campaigner and former London mayor Boris Johnson said in a shock announcement on Thursday, June 30. he will not run in the race to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron.

"Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in parliament, I've concluded that person cannot be me," he said after his eurosceptic ally Michael Gove undermined his chances by launching his own leadership bid.

Interior Minister Theresa May, who also announced she was running, is now the clear favorite as a unifying candidate after a referendum campaign that exposed deep rifts within the Conservative Party.

"My role will be to give every possible support to the next Conservative administration," Johnson said in a speech in London in which he had been widely expected to announce his bid for Cameron's job.

Johnson said the vote was "a chance to unite our country and our society", adding: "It is vital that we bring everyone together within the party".

"This is our chance to restore Britain's standing as an independent, sovereign and self-governing nation," he said, calling also for a "points-based immigration system" like the one in place in Australia.

Britons last Thursday voted by 52% in favor of leaving the European Union, the first in the bloc's 60-year history. – Rappler.com

Leni Robredo takes her oath as the 14th Vice President of the Philippines in a short and simple ceremony at the Quezon City Reception House.

She holds back tears as she appeals for unity, stressing that this is "most important for the nation."

Bea Cupin reports. – Rappler.com

Leni Robredo is usually stoic in public speeches, always able to keep her emotions in check even when talking about the best – and the worst moments of her life.

But when she spoke for the first time as the country's 14th vice president, she let the emotions show.

LENI ROBREDO, PHILIPPINE VICE PRESIDENT: Some moments in our lives leave a mark much more than others. When Jesse and I met. When I looked upon the faces of my children for the first time. When Jesse's plane crashed. Now, we are in another remarkable moment. 

Robredo is surrounded by family, friends, former workmates, and political allies as she formally takes over the second-highest elective post in the land.

It's been a storybook campaign for the neophyte legislator.

In a 6-way race against incumbent senators, Robredo had to deal with low awareness ratings and even lower preference numbers.

But from one percent, Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo is now vice president.

The "laylayan" – or the fringes of society – takes centerstage in a "modest" inauguration that sees outgoing Cabinet officials, sitting legislators, urban poor leaders, and farmers in its guest list.

LENI ROBREDO, PHILIPPINE VICE PRESIDENT: We have to do right for the majority, not only for the few. We have to be true to our sworn duty even if it goes against our personal interest. I grew up in this kind of service and we're going to continue this while I still live. The doors of the Office of the Vice President is open to all, whatever your status in life, your belief, or your party. My office will always listen to the voice of the people. 

Robredo promises to visit the farthest and smallest barangays in her first 100 days, keeping with her promise to serve the marginalized.

Even during the campaign, this has been Robredo's promise: to be the voice of the marginalized and lead programs to alleviate poverty.

But it's not going to be easy.

Unlike vice presidents of the past, Robredo will not be holding a concurrent Cabinet post.

And unlike her predecessors, hers is an inauguration separate from the president.

Robredo and President Rodrigo Duterte have yet to meet or talk in person since winning the 2016 elections.

But speaking before her supporters, Robredo emphasizes the importance of unity in the quest of much-needed change.

LENI ROBREDO, PHILIPPINE VICE PRESIDENT: For change to happen in our country, it must start in every Filipino. If we become united, nothing is impossible. Like what Jesse said when he was still alive: What brings us together as a nation is far more powerful than what pulls us apart. During the times that we are apart, only unity will bring us hope. Even if we come from different backgrounds, we only have one goal: for each Filipino family to live with dignity.

Duterte too has promised changed and unity.

Now that Robredo – and Duterte – are officially sworn into office, campaign promises are turning into policy. In separate speeches, the two say that unity is the only way to bring in long-awaited change.

But are they – and the allies surrounding them – ready to shed their political color and affiliations? The next 6 years await.

Bea Cupin, Rappler, Manila.

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Turkey on Thursday detained 13 suspected Islamic State members over the deadly Istanbul airport attack, as chilling details emerged of how suicide bombers launched their assault.

The death toll from Tuesday's gun and suicide bomb spree at Ataturk airport has risen to 43, the interior minister said, with 19 foreigners among the dead and more than 200 people injured.

Authorities have identified the bombers as a Russian, an Uzbek and a Kyrgyz national.

Turkey has been plunged into mourning over the carnage at Ataturk airport, the deadliest of several attacks to strike Turkey's biggest city this year.

Police carried out more than a dozen raids across Istanbul early Thursday, arresting 13 people including 4 foreigners, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said.

Turkey has suffered a string of deadly attacks in the past year blamed on either ISIS or Kurdish rebels, and the airport attack comes just at the start of the crucial summer tourist season.

Ala told reporters late Wednesday there was an ongoing "serious and comprehensive investigation" into who was behind the attack.

Using another name for ISIS, he said: "First signs point to Daesh, but it's not certain yet."

CIA director John Brennan said the attack, which has sparked international condemnation, bore the "hallmark" of the jihadist group.

'Rifles in suitcases'

Details are emerging of how the attackers arrived at Turkey's busiest airport by taxi before indiscriminately firing at passengers with automatic rifles and detonating suicide bombs.

"The terrorists failed to pass through the regular security system, scanners and police control," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters late Wednesday.

"They returned and came back with long-range rifles they took out from their suitcases, and passed the security control by opening fire randomly at people," he said.

"One of them blew himself up outside and the other two took advantage of the panic during the opening of the fire, entered inside and blew themselves up."

A senior source close to the presidency gave a slightly different version of events, saying two attackers blew themselves up on separate floors of the airport before the third followed suit outside.

CCTV footage widely-circulated on social media showed a huge ball of flame erupting at the entrance, scattering terrified passengers.

Another video showed a black-clad attacker running inside the building before collapsing to the ground – apparently felled by a police bullet – and blowing himself up.

The victims include several Saudis, a Chinese national, a Tunisian and a Ukrainian.

Of the injured, 92 are still in hospital, the Istanbul governor's office said.

Security lapse?

Authorities are under pressure to convince visitors that Turkey is still safe, as the vital tourism industry has taken a heavy hit from a string of deadly attacks in the past year.

Ege Seckin, an analyst at IHS Country risk, said the attack was "most likely conducted by the Islamic State to undermine the Turkish economy by attacking the airport ahead of the summer months, when tourism peaks".

Yildirim said Turkey would "increase the presence of specially-trained staff" at the nation's airports.

He moved swiftly after the bombings to deny there had been any lapse in security, but many Turks have been angered by the perceived failure to stop the bombings.

"It was an airport," one man could be heard shouting outside an Istanbul morgue on Wednesday, as devastated families went to collect the bodies of loved ones.

"It's not like this happened in the street."

The opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper also expressed anger at what it said was a failure by the nation's leaders to take political responsibility for the attack.

"Is there anyone to resign?" it asked, pointing out that after the ISIS bombings at Brussels airport and a metro station in March, 3 Belgian ministers offered their resignation.

Turkey has suffered at least 5 attacks blamed on ISIS, including a blast in Ankara in October that left over 100 dead, the worst in the country's modern history.

In January, a bombing in the heart of Istanbul's tourist district, also blamed on ISIS, killed a dozen German visitors.

Two months later, three Israelis and an Iranian were killed in another attack attributed to ISIS on the city's main Istiklal shopping street. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – The United States released its annual human trafficking report on Thursday, June 30 and added eight countries, including Uzbekistan and fledgling democracy Myanmar, to the blacklist of those not doing enough to halt it.

Djibouti, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Sudan, Suriname and Turkmenistan were also added to the now 26-strong blacklist of governments the State Department believes are not fighting people smuggling or slavery.

Kuwait and Thailand found themselves promoted from this "Tier 3" list of worst offender to the "Tier 2 watch list" of countries making some kind of effort to combat the trade in persons but still under scrutiny.

Libya, Somalia and Yemen were judged special cases whose governments are in too much chaos to be judged.

Human rights watchdogs welcomed the demotion of Myanmar and Uzbekistan, which they felt had been unfairly protected from scrutiny for political reasons in last year's report, but expressed regret that Thailand and Malaysia were not being held to account. – Rappler.com

After 6 years at the helm of the nation, President Benigno Aquino III leaves the Malacañang Palace and goes back home.

After the departure honors, Aquino goes straight to Times Street in Quezon City to meet his neighbors and supporters.

Camille Elemia reports. – Rappler.com

It’s a bittersweet goodbye for Benigno Aquino III. 

For 6 long years, Aquino was at the helm of the nation. 

But, on June 30, he leaves the Palace and goes back home.

As the clock strikes noon, Aquino leaves the most powerful seat in the country.

After the departure honors, Aquino goes straight to Quezon City to meet his neighbors and supporters.

It's back to Times Street for him, the house where he lived with his widowed mother, former President Cory Aquino.

BENIGNO AQUINO, FORMER PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: Again, I really don’t think it would have made any sense for me to move anywhere else 'cause this is where the roots are, this is where the friends are, the extended family, in a sense, really is. From the bottom of my heart I'd like to thank you.

Now back to being a private citizen, Aquino says the dominant feeling is relief.

BENIGNO AQUINO, FORMER PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: It's a huge burden off my shoulder. 

And his first order of business as an ordinary citizen? Unpack 6 years worth of life at Bahay Pangarap – the presidential residence near the Palace – and fix his newly renovated home.

BENIGNO AQUINO, FORMER PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: We will sort everything inside the boxes, put them in their proper place, so the house will be livable. 

An hour after leaving Malacañang, Aquino shares two pieces of good news: the country’s tier 1 ranking in anti-human trafficking and the impending arbitration decision on the South China Sea, one of the legacies of the Aquino administration.

For him, he lives up to his mantra – to leave the country in a better place than when he arrived.

Camille Elemia, Rappler, Quezon City

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE)  – The US military facility Joint Base Andrews, located in Prince George's County, Maryland, has lifted a lockdown on the base following report of an active shooter situation in the area

According to a tweet at around 9:16 pm (Manila time), the base was under lockdown due to the active shooter report. 

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">JBA is currently on lockdown due to a report of an active shooter. All personnel are directed to shelter in place. More info as it comes.</p>&mdash; Joint Base Andrews (@JBA_NAFW) <a href="https://twitter.com/JBA_NAFW/status/748505480587206657">June 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

{/source}

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The incident is ongoing at the Malcolm Grow Medical Facility. First responders are on-scene now. All personnel continue to shelter in place</p>&mdash; Joint Base Andrews (@JBA_NAFW) <a href="https://twitter.com/JBA_NAFW/status/748509819049381888">June 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

{/source}

The Washington Post, citing an unnamed federal law enforcement official, reported that there was "not a shooter."

Confusion over a scheduled active shooter exercise at the Maryland facility was believed to have led to the lockdown, as someone called the emergency number 911 when they saw the drill, the Post said.

The base's Twitter account added, "The base was scheduled to conduct an active shooter exercise, however, reports of a real-world active shooter situation were reported."

The situation delayed the travel of Vice President Joe Biden, who was due to head to Ohio for a campaign event, according to his office.

Joint Base Andrews, located in Maryland, is home to thousands of military personnel and their families. US President Barack Obama regularly plays golf on the base. – with reports from the Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

PARIS, France – About a third of living Nobel laureates – 108 at last count – have signed an open letter on Thursday, June 30, which attacks Greenpeace for campaigning against genetically modified crops, especially one called Golden Rice.

Addressed to the global environmental group, the United Nations and governments, the letter says Greenpeace has "misrepresented the risks, benefits and impacts" of genetically altered food plants.

"There has never been a single confirmed case of a negative health outcome for humans or animals from their consumption," wrote the top scientists.

The group included 41 Nobel medicine laureates among them James Watson, honoured in 1962 for co-discovering the basic structure of DNA.

The letter called on Greenpeace to "cease and desist" in its efforts to block GMO crops, and on governments to embrace "seeds improved through biotechnology." (READ: Golden Rice: The next GMO battleground)

"Opposition based on emotion and dogma contradicted by data must be stopped."

The Nobel winners singled out Golden Rice as a genetically modified crop with huge potential to improve health and save lives in the developing world.

A patented strain developed in the 1990s, Golden Rice contains an artificially inserted gene which boosts the level of vitamin A-rich beta-carotene.

The World Health Organization estimates that a quarter of a billion people in developing nations suffer from vitamin A deficiency, causing up to two million preventable deaths per year and half-a-million cases of childhood blindness.

Golden Rice's developers say a single serving provides about 60% of daily vitamin A requirements. It is currently distributed royalty-free to indigent farmers on a humanitarian basis.

Greenpeace however hit back at the Nobel laureates.

"Accusations that anyone is blocking genetically engineered 'Golden' rice are false," Wilhelmina Pelegrina of Greenpeace Southeast Asia wrote in a statement.

Corporations are using the strain "to pave the way for global approval of other more profitable genetically engineered crops," she said.

Greenpeace's longstanding position is to oppose all patents on plants or animals, or their genes, and that "life is not an industrial commodity".

Previously, the environmental NGO has said Golden Rice was "environmentally irresponsible, poses risks to human health, and could compromise food, nutrition and financial security."

The NGO also maintains that genetically modified organisms should be held back "since there is not an adequate scientific understanding of their impact on the environment and human health." – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – The United States added Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, a regional branch of the global extremist network, to its terror blacklist on Thursday, June 30.

The State Department designated AQIS a "foreign terrorist organization" and its leader, Indian-born Asim Umar, a "specially designated global terrorist."

Al-Qaeda, the movement founded by the late Osama bin Laden, has long been a banned group, but Thursday's order singles out a relatively new offshoot.

Bin Laden's successor, Egyptian ideologue Ayman al-Zawahiri, announced the formation of AQIS in September 2014 to carry the group's fight to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Since then, the group has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly and sometimes spectacular attacks, which may explain the US decision to list it separately.

Under the new designation, if investigators tie any assets or property under US jurisdiction to the group or its leader, they will be frozen.

In addition, US citizens are forbidden from having any dealings with the group on pain of prosecution.

In a statement announcing the order, the State Department said AQIS had claimed responsibility for the September 6, 2014 attack on a Pakistani naval dockyard.

More recently, the group claimed the killings of several Bangladeshi atheists, gay activists, bloggers, US citizen Avijit Roy and US embassy employee Xulhaz Mannan. – Rappler.com

President Rodrigo Duterte caps off a busy inauguration day by visiting an urban poor community in Delpan, Manila.

He calls it a "solidarity dinner" with the poor.

Pia Ranada files this VLOG. - Rappler.com

CAIRO, Egypt – An Egyptian Coptic priest was shot dead on Thursday, June 30, in the Sinai Peninsula where authorities are battling a jihadist insurgency, officials said, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS) group.

The violence came as the country marked the third anniversary of mass protests that prompted the military to overthrow Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, unleashing a crackdown on dissent and a jihadist insurgency.

The priest, Raphael Moussa, 46, died instantly when a man shot him in the head as he was standing next to his car in El-Arish, the capital of North Sinai, said Boulos Halim, a church spokesman.

ISIS' Egypt branch claimed responsibility for the murder in a statement posted on social media, accusing him of "combating Islam."

Moussa had earlier left a church where he attended mass, Halim said.

The interior ministry said the priest was gunned down after having gone to an area of El-Arish with mechanics to have his car repaired.

The ISIS affiliate in restive Sinai has waged an insurgency that has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers.

It has kept up the attacks, mostly roadside bombings and ambushes, despite a massive military campaign to uproot jihadists from the eastern peninsula bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

Moussa was not the first priest killed in Arish.

Mina Aboud, a fellow priest, was shot dead on July 6, 2013, 3 days after the military toppled Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, unleashing clashes and a crackdown on his supporters.

Pro-Islamists attacked and torched dozens of churches and Christian properties a month later, after police killed hundreds of Morsi supporters in Cairo clashes.

They accused the Coptic minority of supporting the overthrow of Morsi, whom the army deposed after millions of Egyptians rallied to demand his resignation.

Leading Muslim clerics, as well as the opposition and the Coptic Orthodox Church, supported his overthrow after a year of divisive rule.

Apart from Christians and security forces, jihadists in Sinai have also targeted Muslims they accuse of working with the government.

The group has also carried out attacks in the country's western desert and along the long border with Libya, which is also used by weapons and drug smugglers.

On Thursday, the military said "armed smugglers" killed 6 soldiers in an exchange of fire.

Jihadists have attacked foreign tourists and beheaded a Croatian oil worker after abducting him near Cairo.

ISIS claimed responsibility for last October's bombing of a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from a resort in southern Sinai, killing all 224 people on board.

"The whole situation in El-Arish and North Sinai is under threat," said Halim. "Many people (Christians) have left."

Copts, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 90-million population, faced persecution and discrimination during the 30-year rule of president Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled by a popular uprising in 2011.

Dozens have been killed in sectarian attacks and clashes across Egypt. – Rappler.com

My Dad would always sing Burt Bacharach songs when we were growing up and whether he clinched the tune/lyrics or not, my siblings and I got Bacharach music embedded in our heads as a lasting result. For the young ones who don’t know who Bacharach is, clicking the previous hyperlink will probably make you realize he has provided a scoring to many of your moments and you did not even know it. `

One of my favorites is "What the World Needs Now" and well into old age now, when Bacharach needed help from Stevie Wonder and others to sing it at the White House, it made me think about how constantly we need and crave for more of what Bacharach and Hal David (lyricist) sang about 51 years ago.

The point of the song is that what we need is love. We have always known we need more of it but we seem to forget we have it within us or find excuses to withhold it when we are called to give it. This is especially true now in the face of shockingly regular cases of intolerance – so that we do not know what it is like to be in the lives of other people who are not like us. As a result, those of us who cannot empathize, choose to burden, offend or simply snip the lives of people whose lives and opinions they do not agree with. This is true in all the war-torn places in the planet, when we are asked to take in refugees, in sharply divided economic chunks of the world - whether within cities, regions or countries -and in any neighborhood, family or school where intolerance rules.

Love’s weapon against intolerance is empathy. It is a special weapon because it does not require that you personally know someone or care about them for you to “feel” their pain. It is a wiring that seems to be widespread enough in humans and some animals to be fundamental. We bank on our natural tendency to empathize. That is why it is not surprising that we mount efforts to appeal to strangers to help in the lives of people beset by tragedy.

But with empathy, do you really “feel” their pain? A recent study found that when you empathize with other people’s pain, you do not really feel for them but you understand their pain. Before that, most studies showed that the “sensory” parts that are activated when you feel pain are the same ones that seem to “glow” when you observe others in pain. But the study I mentioned, focused not on the similarities of what happens to our brains when we ourselves feel pain and when we observe others’ pain but on what was different. And they found that when we witness the pain of others, those who feel empathy had their brain parts that are involved in imagining – in mentalizing what others are thinking and feeling – shining.

This is the triumph of being human – while we have automatic sensory systems for pain – we have other systems to make sense of pain – whether it is ours or we observe others experiencing pain. Literally feeling someone’s pain, as revealed in the study, does not make us empathize. It is understanding someone’s pain that makes us care.

This has deep implications as to how we view empathy and indeed, love. First, it reveals how understanding could be a pre-requisite for “feeling” or caring. Second, it reinforces even more that love is not an auto-response that we should just bank on. We are not automatically programmed to love and empathize. This means we need to cultivate this habit of understanding what it is like to be in someone else’s life. This means that it requires a deliberation on our part – a decision to love and to care. That requires long-term mind-sculpting that begins in childhood and should be drummed in every chance throughout our lives.

And indeed, experiments have shown that while children, long before they are taught morality by their parents, have a sense of who is “us” and who is “them” in terms of perceived differences. Shaping how a child responds to that schism is a very careful, deliberate process that takes parents and a village. While there are genes involved, the rest of the race for love is to be won by understanding others.  

I remember paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould saying that we could only fight for what we love and can only love what we understand. He was referring to nature and how thoughtful we should be in dealing with it. And we can see how that applies to how we deal with fellow humans too. After the Orlando shooting happened, an all-star cast formed an initiative called Broadway for Orlando and recorded "What the World Needs Now" with all of the proceeds going to the Orlando shooting victims. That reflects that those who are part of the initiative mined their own mental resources beyond feeling the pain of gunshots themselves.

“Understanding” can sometimes be a slow, tedious process with an appreciation for complexity and that is why people often just give in to their gut feel which could harbor deep prejudices. But understanding is key to empathy – the hallmark of loving. Who does not want love to win? – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Ordinary Filipinos will have a direct link to Malacañang Palace through a citizen hotline if new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gets his way.

"Magtayo ako ng hotline. Ang number na hinihingi ko sa Smart pati Globe ay 8888. 'Pag may reklamo kayo, nandiyan 'yan sa Malacañang," Duterte told urban poor residents of Isla Puting Bato in Manila on Thursday night, June 30.

(I will put up a hotline. The number I am asking from Smart and Globe is 8888. If you have a complaint, it's there in Malacañang.)

The President headed straight to a "solidarity dinner" with the poor after his first Cabinet meeting in Malacañang. That morning, he had taken his oath as the country's new president.

"Kung kayo’y inabuso, kung kayo’y pinagsinamantalahan, kung may hindi kayo nagustuhan sa gobyerno, tumawag kayo, day and night at 'yung mga importanteng problema na nakikita ko, aksyunan ko kaagad," he said to a cheering audience.

(If you are abused, exploited, if there is something in government you do not like, call – day and night – and the important problems I see, I will address immediately.)

Duterte said he would take action by calling the mayor, police, or barangay captain of the concerned citizen.

But he asked the public not to make prank calls to his hotline.

"Just tell me the truth. Huwag kayo mag-imbento ng istorya....Huwag mong ubusin ang panahon ng gobyerno (Don't invent stories. Don't waste the government's time)," he said.

Directive to Cabinet

Duterte already spoke about his planned hotline in his first Cabinet meeting earlier that day.

In his explanation to Cabinet members, the hotline center will be manned by 10 personnel overseen by a manager.

"l am setting up a complaint office, 24 hours, manned by 10 operators, covering the entire country. The number will be 8888. They can report to me any complaint and there will be a manager who will redirect the complaint to the proper office," he said.

This envisioned government call center is reminiscent of the world-class 911 Emergency Response Center he established in Davao City. (WATCH: A look at Davao City's Central 911)

The center, the first of its kind in Asia, takes in citizen calls on any concern, from reports of power outages to requests for medical assistance.

There is an existing office under the Office of the President (OP) which performs a similar function, the President Action Center (PACE). It can be reached through snail mail, e-mail, or landline.

"The Presidential Action Center (PACE), a front line desk in the Office of the President, serves as a liaison unit with various departments and agencies of the Government and private institutions/companies on all requests for assistance, and information, as well as complaints and grievances of the general public," the OP described the unit in its official website.

Duterte, in his years as mayor, is known to dislike bureaucracy, hence the  hotlines and the enforcement of a 72-hour deadline for issuance of permits in Davao City government offices.

Duterte, in his inaugural speech, directed Cabinet members to streamline processes that take up the time of citizens. He has also previously said he would eliminate red tape in government agencies.– Rappler.com