Today’s headlines: Harry Roque, Sara Duterte, Rufa Mae Quinto | The wRap | December 3, 2024
Here are today's headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
- Evading House arrest, Harry Roque went to UAE
- Malacañang: We have nothing to do with impeachment complaint vs Sara Duterte
- OVP travel expenses more than double in Sara Duterte’s first full year
- There’s no ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ in PSA records
- Rufa Mae Quinto arrest warrant not for large-scale or syndicated estafa – report
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/december-3-2024/
Here are today's headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
- Evading House arrest, Harry Roque went to UAE
- Malacañang: We have nothing to do with impeachment complaint vs Sara Duterte
- OVP travel expenses more than double in Sara Duterte’s first full year
- There’s no ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ in PSA records
- Rufa Mae Quinto arrest warrant not for large-scale or syndicated estafa – report
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/december-3-2024/
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NewsTranscript
00:00Today on Rappler
00:13Former Malacanang spokesperson Harry Roque supposedly evaded arrest and left the country
00:16to go to the Middle East.
00:19Malacanang says it has nothing to do with the impeachment complaints lodged against
00:22Vice President Sara Duterte.
00:24The travel expenses of the office of the Vice President more than doubled under the leadership
00:28of Sara Duterte.
00:30The Philippine Statistics Authority says it has no record of Mary Grace Piatos, a supposed
00:34recipient of VP Duterte's confidential funds.
00:38And an arrest warrant is out for actress and comedian Rufa May Quinto.
01:00Former Malacanang spokesperson Harry Roque left the country and was supposed to be in
01:04the Middle East.
01:05The Justice Department confirms Tuesday, December 3, Roque subscribed to his counter-affidavit
01:10while in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
01:12He faces a non-bailable trafficking complaint in the Philippines.
01:16In a video posted on his Facebook page Tuesday, Roque claims he had already left the UAE.
01:21He also refused to answer questions from the media on how he was able to leave the country.
01:25Roque successfully evaded Philippine authorities despite an immigration lookout order against
01:29him.
01:30He was able to leave the country despite a standing House Quad Committee arrest order.
01:34The panel is probing Philippine offshore gaming operators.
01:37It again ordered his arrest on September 12 after he was cited in contempt due to non-compliance
01:41with the panel's subpoena.
01:45Malacanang distances itself from the move to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.
01:49This, amid suspicions that the Marcos government is behind the impeachment complaint filed
01:53by Magdalo, Mamamayang Liberal, Tindig Pilipinas, families of drug war victims, and leaders
01:58of the Catholic Church.
02:00Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin says the move is, quote, clearly the complainant's
02:04independent initiative.
02:05He adds, the Office of the President has nothing to do with it.
02:08President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he was personally against impeachment efforts against
02:12Duterte.
02:15The travel expenses of the Office of the Vice President more than doubles to 42.58 million
02:20pesos in 2023, the first full year of Sara Duterte in office.
02:24In 2022, the first half of which was still part of Lenny Robredo's term, the OVP reported
02:29travel expenses of 20.11 million pesos.
02:33Almost 69% of the expenses under Duterte were for local travels, which increased to 31.43
02:38million pesos in 2023, from 18.62 million pesos in 2022.
02:43The OVP said the expenses covered the trips of Duterte, her immediate staff and support
02:47personnel, as well as the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.
02:51The 2023 expenses for foreign trips, meanwhile, amounted to 11.15 million pesos.
02:57That was an increase of almost 650% from 2022's 1.49 million pesos.
03:02In 2023, the OVP also reported the following increase in personnel and costs.
03:10The Philippine Statistics Authority says it found zero results in its database for Mary
03:14Grace Piatos, one of the supposed recipients of Vice President Sara Duterte's 125 million
03:19peso confidential funds.
03:21ESA sent its certification to the House Committee investigating Vice President Sara Duterte's
03:25alleged misuse of public funds.
03:28The letter, dated November 25, released only on Tuesday, December 3, reveals Piatos has
03:32no record of birth, marriage, or death with the PSA.
03:36During the House Committee hearing, it was uncovered that a certain Mary Grace Piatos
03:39signed an acknowledgment receipt from the Office of the Vice President in December 2022,
03:43indicating she had received a portion of the confidential funds that year.
03:47The oddity of the name Mary Grace Piatos later raised alarm bells, prompting the committee
03:51to offer a 1 million peso bounty for any information leading to the discovery of a
03:55person named Piatos.
03:57Other peculiar names in OVP receipts include Fernando Tempura, Raymunda Jane Nova, and
04:01Carlos Miguel Oishi.
04:05Actress and comedian Rufa May Quinto faces an arrest warrant in relation to her involvement
04:09with Dermacare, the same company Neri Miranda is facing an ESTAFA charge for.
04:13Quinto's lawyer says the charges are not for large-scale or syndicated ESTAFA, but
04:18for 14 counts of violation of Section 8 of the Securities Regulation Code.
04:23Section 8 states that securities can only be sold or offered for sale with a registration
04:26approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
04:29Quinto released a statement through her lawyer on Tuesday, December 3.
04:32She denies all the accusations and says she will cooperate with the authorities.
04:36She adds, she too is a victim.
04:40And that's today's wrap.
04:41I'm JC Gotinga.
04:43Click the link below for the full story.
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