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Hello Rappler readers,
The Marawi siege isn’t over yet and we’re on Day 10. In Manila, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had more than 100 members of the terrorist Maute Group arrested, even as Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo stressed the need for education to prevent prejudice against Muslims.
On the economic front, the House of Representatives passed on third reading a tax reform bill that, among others, will require the “ultra-rich” to pay a higher personal income tax rate of 35%.
Social media went on overdrive after US President Donald Trump tweeted “covfefe”. What word is that?
Be up to speed with the news. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss.
Martial law administrator and defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana ordered the arrest of over 100 members of the terrorist Maute Group for the crime of rebellion. In a press conference on May 31, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II showed the media a copy of Arrest Order No. 1 issued on May 29. Aguirre said the arrest order is the first to be issued “pursuant to martial law” in Mindanao – meaning, it is valid even without a court order.
Terrorism is a “demonic ideology” that is destroying friendships between Christians and Muslims, Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo said on Wednesday, May 31. The 78-year-old cardinal, the first to come from Mindanao, lamented the terrorist ideology that “asserts the morality of killing another in the name of God” even as the Maute Group continued its assault on Marawi City. He also said it is important to educate the public to prevent anti-Muslim prejudice.
246 lawmakers voted aye and only 9 voted nay to House Bill No. 5636, the tax reform bill that, among others, provides for a higher personal income tax rate of 35% for the “ultra-rich”. Those earning P250,000 or below annually will be exempted from paying income taxes. The maximum personal income tax rate will be reduced to 25% over time, with the exception of the ultra-rich.
Whether or not the US pulls out, the European Union and China will give their unconditional support to the Paris climate agreement at a bilateral summit in Brussels on June 2. A joint statement will emphasize that China and the EU will implement the accord that aims to minimize carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. There are fears that if the US, said to be the world’s second-biggest polluter after China, were to pull out, efforts to reduce global temperatures might fail.
He refused to take it sitting down – criticism, that is, from Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former US president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. After the young Clinton described his humor as “sickening”, referring to his joke about taking the cudgels for soldiers who would rape during martial law in Mindanao, Duterte shot back, “Sabihin ko sa kanya (I will tell her), when your father, the President of the United then was screwing Lewinsky and the girls there in the White House, how did you feel? Did you slam your father?… When President Clinton was fucking Lewinsky, what was your statement or your reaction?”
Did you catch the 37-second animation video produced by the Palace and released on social media by @PresidentialCom – that is, before it was taken down Wednesday evening after severe criticism online? The video justified the declaration of martial law, depicting martial law as a shield that would protect a young-looking man from extremists. “Martial law should be the rule of the land. Martial law, now,” the video declared.
What’s “covfefe” on Twitter? It’s part of US President Donald Trump’s tweet that said, “Despite the constant negative press covfefe.” It drove Twitterland crazy! Must have been a typo if he meant “coverage” but critics around the world were unforgiving as they made #covfefe the top trending item on Twitter on May 31.
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