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Hello there, Rappler readers,
Mining took center stage at President Rodrigo Duterte’s press conference on Monday, March 13, where he said he is mulling a total mining ban across the archipelago. This comes as his Environment Secretary, Gina Lopez, faces a court challenger over her suspension or closure of a number of mines for what she said are violations of the law.
At the Senate, two popular legislative measures get a go-signal: one is for free tuition in public universities and colleges, while another seeks free WiFi services in public places.
Meanwhile, abroad, Turkey’s rift with several European countries continued. The rift stemmed from several nations banning Turkish officials from campaigning for a controversial referendum, and has escalated into inflammatory, un-diplomatic statements, threatening Ankara’s relations with the EU.
These stories, and more, are in today’s daily wRap.
The row over mining, with Environment Secretary Gina Lopez at the center, is escalating. President Rodrigo Duterte – who said he still fully supports Lopez – said in a press conference Monday, March 13 that he is considering a total mining ban, and has asked mining companies to explain to him the extent of degradation of the environment caused by their operations. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Mines has filed a graft case against the secretary, over the closure and suspension of several mining operations.
Two popular legislative measures passed the Senate on Monday, March 13. The first is the bill seeking full tuition subsidy for all students in all of the country’s 112 state universities and colleges. The other one is the measure seeking to provide free WiFi internet services in public spaces, such as schools and hospitals.
Turkey on Monday, March 13, said it was suspending top-level ties with The Netherlands and blocking the return of its ambassador in a spiraling crisis over the holding of rallies abroad ahead of a crucial referendum. This comes after The Netherlands, as well as Germany, blocked Turkish ministers from staging rallies to court the vote of expatriate Turks in the April 16 referendum on giving Erdogan greater powers.
Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the country will increase naval presence and may even build structures in Benham Rise, amid concerns that China is surveying the underground plateau awarded by the United Nations (UN) to Manila back in 2012.
This comes after Lorenzana revealed last week that a Chinese survey ship was spotted patrolling Benham Rise for a period of up to 3 months last year. China dismissed his concerns, saying the ship was exercising innocent passage.
The UK Parliament has passed the controversial Brexit bill, which, once it gets royal assent, will give British Prime Minister Theresa May the power to trigger the negotiations for the country’s exit from the European Union. As Britain prepares to exit the EU, Scotland, meanwhile, is planning its own exit from the United Kingdom, after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the devolved government will seek a second independence referendum in the next few years.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) backs the revised proposal of the country’s economic managers to raise excise tax on new cars, especially on high-end models. Auto industry stakeholders have expressed concern that such a tax would seriously hurt the luxury car segment, but Lopez pointed out that buyers at that level are not as price-conscious.
Enrique Manalo, the Philippines’ new top diplomat, is the son of two ambassadors. In his first one-one-one interview since assuming his post, Manalo recounted to Rappler that his parents had the liveliest debates, even when he was a teenager. He said the best thing he learned from his parents was not world news, but respecting other people’s views. Manalo is able to use these lessons at the DFA, where he has served for nearly 4 decades. Read the profile to learn more about Secretary Manalo.
Singer Ed Sheeran is set to appear in Game of Thrones season 7 this July. During a discussion at the South by Southwest Film Festival, the producers said they’ve been wanting to get the singer on board the show and that he was a favorite of one of its stars, actress Maisie Williams. While details of Ed’s role have yet to be revealed, he took to Twitter to retweet a report from Vanity Fair about his participation in the show. “Guess the cats out the bag…” he wrote.
Top photo: Cherry and other trees close to bloom are seen along the tidal basin on the National Mall on March 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. Brendan Smialowski/AFP
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