#ThewRap: Things you need to know, August 31, 2016

Hello Rappler readers,

The last day of August begins with oral arguments on whether the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. More deaths are also being reported in the war on drugs, with the overall total – both from police operations and extrajudicial killings – now at 2,055 from July 1 to August 30. While the government focuses on drugs, it is being urged to give the same attention to undernutrition, in light of the alarming statistics from a new Save the Children report.

Below are the big stories we think you shouldn’t miss.

SC holds oral arguments on Marcos burial

Petitioners who believe the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos doesn’t deserve to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani are presenting their arguments before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, August 31. Follow Rappler’s live blog here.

Who are the suspected drug lords killed, so far?

Rappler listed down the suspected drug lords killed as the Duterte administration’s war on drugs continues.

Overall, from July 1 to August 30, there have been at least 2,055 drug-related deaths, with 895 of them in legitimate police operations.

Child malnutrition: PH ‘going in wrong direction’

Save the Children presented quite alarming figures on child malnutrition in the Philippines. It said the country is losing at least P328 billion ($7.06 billion) a year due to the impact of childhood stunting on education and workforce productivity. Childhood stunting in Mindanao is also at 40% – the average for countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Duterte likely to meet with Putin, Abe, Modi

President Rodrigo Duterte is likely to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aside from US President Barack Obama. These meetings are being arranged to take place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in September.

PH to launch ‘most ambitious’ infra program

The Philippines will launch its “most ambitious” infrastructure program next year, according to Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar. The DPWH’s proposed P458.61-billion budget for 2017 is up by P61 billion from 2016.

Singer Chris Brown arrested for assault

Singer Chris Brown is in trouble again. He’s been arrested in Los Angeles for alleged assault, following an hours-long standoff. A woman had claimed that Brown pointed a gun at her.