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Hello there, Rappler readers,
It’s been a cold and wet weekend in large parts of the Philippines, as the monsoon continues to dump rain. But aside from the weather, the past few days have been a busy time for news. In national news, the Communist Party joins the various groups in criticizing the ongoing war on drugs, while an ally of President Duterte reveals that a 1992 agreement prevents a hero’s burial for ex-dictator Ferdinand Marcos. In news abroad, the race for the White House continues to heat up, while ISIS is losing grip on a former major stronghold. The Olympics, fortunately, added some uplifting news to the weekend, with record-breaking athletic feats and heartwarming displays of sportsmanship.
Here are the top stories you should know this Sunday:
State weather bureau PAGASA warned Luzon and Western Visayas to brace for more heavy rain in the next 5 days. A low pressure area (LPA) and a tropical depression which are both outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) are enhancing the southwest monsoon. However, the rainfall levels aren’t close to 2009’s disastrous Ondoy episode, the bureau clarified.
In a strongly-worded statement, the Communist Party of the Philippines criticized the government’s ongoing war against illegal drugs. The CPP said that the “war on drugs” being waged by Duterte “has rapidly spiraled into a frenzied campaign of extra-judicial killings and vigilante murders perpetrated by the police and by police-linked criminal syndicates.” They also described President Rodrigo Duterte as a person “so full of himself and intoxicated with the vast power he is not used to handle.”
The Chinese hangars being constructed in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) prove that China is planning to “militarize” its artificial islands there, according to Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI). He said constructing hangars “was likely the plan” since different forms of construction there began. His comments come after the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), released photos that show China building hangars on its artificial islands.
A deal approved during former president Fidel V Ramos’ term prevents a hero’s burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, according to Rafael Alunan III, one of President Duterte’s big-name allies. Alunan said that the deal signed in 1992 included the condition that the “burial will have to be done in Ilocos Norte, there will be no burial in Libingan ng mga Bayani.” This comes as people and groups opposed to the Libingan burial gather in Luneta to protest the President’s decision.
Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists have released hundreds of civilians used as human shields while fleeing a crumbling stronghold in northern Syria. The last remaining ISIS fighters abandoned Manbij near the Turkish border on Friday after a rout that the Pentagon said showed the extremists were “on the ropes.” Fleeing jihadists took around 2,000 civilians, including women and children, to ward off air strikes as they headed to the ISIS-held frontier town of Jarabulus, according to the SDF. At least some of the civilians were later released or escaped but the whereabouts of the rest was unknown.
Virtual-reality training and brain-controlled robotics have helped patients gain back mobility, a study Thursday, August 11, said. Six men and two women who had completely lost the use of their lower limbs all made significant progress, the researchers reported in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports. The innovative therapy combined several techniques to stimulate parts of the brain that once controlled the patients’ long-inactive limbs.
The race for the White House becomes more heated after Hillary Clinton criticized Donald Trump for bucking a long-standing tradition of releasing tax returns. “Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns,” Clinton campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri said. “What is he trying to hide?” Trump has so far declined to release his, arguing that his tax returns for the past several years are being audited.
Michael Phelps’ history-making bid to win his 14th individual Olympic gold was thwarted by Joseph Schooling of Singapore, who beat him in the men’s 100m butterfly on Friday, August 12 (Saturday, August 13 in Manila). The 21-year-old Schooling finished with an Olympic Record time of 50.39. Phelps, 31, finished in a rare triple tie for second place with Chad le Clos of South Africa and Laszlo Cseh from Hungry. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’m full of emotions now,” Schooling said, after beating his childhood idol and friend.
Two young Filipino ballet dancers – and former street kids – were among 9 dancers who won awards and scholarships at the 2016 Asian Grand Prix, an international ballet competition. Edmar Sumera and Benedict Sabularse came from struggling families before they entered the Tuloy Foundation, a non-profit organization that shelters and educates street kids, and learned ballet. Several other young Filipino dancers won awards and scholarships in the competition, held in Hong Kong.
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