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Hello Rappler readers,
It has been a week since President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law in Mindanao due to the deadly attack on Marawi City. Now the question is, will Congress, as mandated by the Constitution, convene to discuss the issue? Meanwhile, the fighting continues on the ground in the besieged city, and the fate of thousands of displaced civilians continue to be in limbo.
Abroad, North Korea again conducts a missile test, and Donald Trump’s first foreign trip seems to have helped make up the minds of German officials that he isn’t good for them, or for the West.
For details on these stories, and more, here is today’s wRap.
One week after the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, questions are being raised if Congress will convene to discuss the issue. Under the 1987 Constitution, Congress is mandated to tackle it in a joint session, and the legislature has the power to either cancel or extend it. Twelve senators have said they favor such a move, while some lawmakers from the lower house have also called to convene a session. Even Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre III is urging the legislature to do so.
The clashes in Marawi started with a military raid on May 23 in Barangay Basak Malutlut, where village authorities have long been waiting to see the Maute brothers. They spotted instead Isnilon Hapilon of the Abu Sayyaf Group faction in Basilan. The result is the now 7-day old clashes that have driven away most of the city residents and brought the local government to its knees – and martial law in the whole of Mindanao.
Germany on Monday, May 29, unleashed a volley of criticism against US President Donald Trump, slamming his “short-sighted” policies that have “weakened the West” and hurt European interests. The sharp words from Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel came after Trump concluded his first official tour abroad which took him to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Brussels and then Italy for a G7 summit.
North Korea Monday, May 29, test-fired a ballistic missile, the latest in a series of launches that have ratcheted up tensions over its quest to develop weapons capable of hitting the United States. The short-range missile flew for 6 minutes before landing in the Sea of Japan, the US Pacific Command said. The launch comes in fresh defiance of tough talk from US President Donald Trump, who promised that the “big problem” of North Korea “will be solved”.
A bell tolled in Manchester on Monday, May 29, at the exact time when a suicide bomber struck a week before outside a teenage pop concert killing 22 people, as Britain’s intelligence agency questioned whether vital clues had been missed. As the number of people detained in Britain rose to 14, following an arrest early Monday morning, the domestic intelligence agency MI5 is looking at decisions taken in the case of Salman Abedi, who used to be on a terror watchlist but was no longer on it at the time of the attack, and whether warnings about his behavior were ignored.
A House committee is issuing a subpoena against Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos ordering her to appear at the probe into the alleged misuse of her province’s tobacco funds, after snubbing the last two hearings. If Marcos fails to attend the next hearing, the House will move to cite her in contempt and arrest her to force her to testify before lawmakers.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said on Monday, May 29, it had approved the applications of 268 private colleges and universities to increase tuition and other fees for school year 2017 to 2018. Of these higher education institutions (HEIs), 262 will hike only their tuitions, by an average of 6.96% or P86.68 per unit. The average increase in school fees is 6.9% or P243.
Golf superstar Tiger Woods was charged with driving under the influence by police in Florida on Monday, May 29, dealing a fresh blow to the former world number one as he struggles to resurrect his career. Woods was arrested during a traffic stop around 3 am, Kristin Rightler, public information officer of the Jupiter Police Department said. It was not immediately clear if the DUI charge related to alcohol or drugs.
Swedish satire The Square, a send-up of political correctness and the confused identity of the modern male, won the Palme d’Or top prize at the Cannes film festival Sunday, May 28. In a 70th edition marked by raging debate over sexism in the movie industry, Sofia Coppola also became only the second woman in history to win best director for her battle-of-the-sexes drama The Beguiled with Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell.
Top photo: A family from Marawi City rest at an evacuation center in Balo-i, Lanao del Norte, May 29, 2017. Ted Aljibe/AFP
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