Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
- Ex-DepEd official: Sara Duterte gifted cash, possibly to influence my decision
- House leader: Funds potentially misused by VP Sara 'surpass threshold for plunder'
- Philippines says its aircraft was shadowed by Chinese navy helicopter during patrol
- Akbayan back in the House after Comelec formalizes 2022 election win
- Bianca Bustamante keeps head up after promising Singapore GP qualifying races
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/september-25-2024/
- Ex-DepEd official: Sara Duterte gifted cash, possibly to influence my decision
- House leader: Funds potentially misused by VP Sara 'surpass threshold for plunder'
- Philippines says its aircraft was shadowed by Chinese navy helicopter during patrol
- Akbayan back in the House after Comelec formalizes 2022 election win
- Bianca Bustamante keeps head up after promising Singapore GP qualifying races
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/september-25-2024/
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NewsTranscript
00:00Today on Rappler
00:13Former DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Mercado claims then-DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte
00:17gave her cash, possibly to influence her.
00:21House Good Government Committee Chairperson Joel Chua says the amounts potentially misused
00:25by Vice President Duterte surpassed the threshold for plunder.
00:29A Chinese Navy helicopter shadowed an approach a Philippine Fisheries Bureau aircraft while
00:34on patrol near the Scarborough Shoal.
00:36The Commission on Elections declares party list Akbayan a winner in the 2022 elections.
00:42And Filipina F1 Academy driver Bianca Bustamante looks at the silver linings, despite lackluster
00:47ratings in the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
00:52Former Department of Education Undersecretary Gloria Mercado claims former DepEd Secretary
00:57Sara Duterte gave cash on a regular basis when she became the head of the procuring
01:02entity of the department.
01:04Mercado tells the House Good Government Committee she was asked to resign because of her unwillingness
01:08to skirt procurement guidelines.
01:20Mercado says she donated the money to a non-government organization, which gave her a receipt as
01:25proof of the donation.
01:27Asked whether the envelopes were a means to influence your decision, Mercado answers,
01:31could be.
01:32Duterte denies the allegation.
01:41The Vice President also accuses Mercado of soliciting donations totaling 16 million pesos,
01:46using her name without her consent.
01:50House Good Government Committee Chairperson Joel Chua defends the congressional inquiry
01:54into Sara Duterte's budget utilization, saying the amount surpassed the threshold for plunder.
02:00Chua notes the, quote, "'sheer vastness' of these potentially misused funds sets this
02:05matter apart."
02:07The Commission on Audit asked the office of the Vice President to return 73 million pesos
02:11in disallowed confidential expenses in 2022 and flagged 164 million pesos in confidential
02:17expenses for the first three quarters of 2023.
02:21The country's plunder law says any public officer who acquires ill-gotten wealth totaling
02:25at least 50 million pesos shall be guilty of the crime of plunder.
02:30Duterte, who was denied misusing public funds, skipped the inquiry on Wednesday.
02:34She adds, the issues are already pending before the Supreme Court.
02:40A Chinese Navy helicopter shadowed and approached a Philippine Fisheries Bureau aircraft while
02:44on patrol near the disputed Scarborough Shoal.
02:47The Philippine National Security Council says the incident took place on Monday, adding
02:51its aircraft was able to complete its mission.
02:54This is the latest in a series of air and sea encounters between the two countries.
02:59The Scarborough Shoal has been occupied by China's Coast Guard for more than a decade.
03:03In a statement, the NSC says China's actions violated air safety regulations.
03:08China meantime expresses concern over the deployment of the Typhoon system in the Philippines
03:13and accuses Washington of fueling an arms race.
03:16Philippine Military Chief Romeo Bronner on Wednesday says that if he had his way,
03:20I would like to have the typhoons here in the Philippines forever.
03:25The Commission on Elections declares Akbayan a winner in the 2022 elections.
03:30The poll body makes official Akbayan's victory, allowing its first nominee, LGBTQ plus rights
03:35advocate Percy Sandana, to have a seat in the House of Representatives.
03:40The proclamation comes after the Supreme Court upholds the commilex cancellation of the registration
03:45papers of Anwaray due to a violation of the party-list law.
03:49Akbayan, which was one rank shy of winning a seat in the 2022 party-list race, moves
03:54up a notch.
03:55Under the party-list law, groups that fail to obtain 2% of the total votes cast in two
04:00consecutive elections may have its registration nullified.
04:05Akbayan is the home base of Senator Ysonte Veros, the only member of the opposition to
04:09win a seat in the Senate in the 2022 elections.
04:15Asia F1 Academy driver Bianca Bustamante looks at the silver linings after the lackluster
04:19ratings in the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
04:23Bianca posted on Instagram,
04:24Enjoyed the butterflies.
04:26Nothing will ever take away the joy I felt racing in Asia again.
04:29I treasure even the tough times on the track.
04:32Using all the lows to fuel my dreams even higher.
04:35Bianca enjoyed a promising qualifying session, where she came in ninth in the first race,
04:40just 0.2 seconds away from a Top 5 finish, and 10th in the second qualifier.
04:45Singapore marks the fifth stop of the 2024 season of the F1 Academy, where the world's
04:50best female racers under the age of 25 are pitted against each other.
04:55Bianca now looks to bounce back in the season's sixth stop in Lusail, Qatar before wrapping
04:59up in UAE in December.
05:03And that's today's wrap.
05:04I'm Kara Oliver, thank you for watching.
05:06Click the link below for the full story.
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