Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
- What we know so far about China's alleged spying on PCG, Navy in Palawan
- Marcos offers China a ‘deal’: Want US missiles out? Leave West Philippine Sea
- Marcos to meet with Trump on migrant Filipinos
- San Carlos bishop apologizes for letting priests with sex abuse cases say Mass
- Maris Racal, Anthony Jennings to lead new Netflix movie 'Sosyal Climbers'
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/january-31-2025/
- What we know so far about China's alleged spying on PCG, Navy in Palawan
- Marcos offers China a ‘deal’: Want US missiles out? Leave West Philippine Sea
- Marcos to meet with Trump on migrant Filipinos
- San Carlos bishop apologizes for letting priests with sex abuse cases say Mass
- Maris Racal, Anthony Jennings to lead new Netflix movie 'Sosyal Climbers'
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/january-31-2025/
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NewsTranscript
00:00Today on Rappler
00:13Arrested Chinese nationals have been conducting surveillance on key waterways in Palawan for
00:16two years.
00:18President Fridin and Marcos Jr. tells China, if it wants the U.S. Typhoon missile systems
00:23removed, it only needs to stop claiming the West Philippine Sea.
00:27Fridin and Marcos Jr. plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss immigration.
00:32The Bishop of San Carlos apologizes for letting two priests accused of child sexual abuse
00:36celebrate mass.
00:38And Brice Racal and Anthony Jennings to star in an upcoming Netflix movie.
00:44For nearly two years, Chinese nationals were conducting intelligence, surveillance, and
00:48reconnaissance operations in key waterways in Palawan, which faces the West Philippine
00:53Sea.
00:54Five of these were presented to the media on Thursday, January 30.
00:58They were arrested between January 24 and 25, 2025.
01:03Armed Forces of the Philippines' Chief General Romeo Bronner says the military had long wondered
01:07how China seemed to know about missions as soon as ships left the ports.
01:11Bronner said the monitoring activities probably started in 2023 in the Lugan Bay of Puerto
01:15Princesa City in Palawan when they tried to install a CCTV camera near a beach resort.
01:21Two of the Chinese nationals were caught in 2024 installing a solar-powered CCTV camera
01:26in another resort in Buliluyan Town in Palawan.
01:29Buliluyan Town is the jump-off point for most PCG vessels.
01:33Intel operatives also say the group was conducting operations on Oyster Bay, the site of the
01:38Naval Forces West's detachment.
01:40The group also has ties to another Chinese national who was earlier arrested for alleged
01:44espionage operations in Luzon.
01:46But officials declined to conclude if these activities were sponsored by the People's
01:50Republic of China.
01:53President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says if China wants the U.S. Typhoon Missile System removed
01:58from the region, it only needs to stop claiming the West Philippine Sea.
02:02Let's make a deal with China.
02:06Stop claiming our territory.
02:08Stop harassing our fishermen and let them have a living.
02:12Stop ramming our boats.
02:14Stop water-cannoning our people.
02:19Stop firing lasers at us.
02:22And stop your aggressive and coercive behavior.
02:26And return the Typhoon Missiles.
02:28China has demanded that the Philippines remove the missile system, accusing Manila of, quote,
02:32creating tensions and antagonism in the region and inciting geopolitical confrontation and
02:37an arms race.
02:39Marcos also calls out China for reacting to the deployment of the Typhoon Missiles when
02:43it's Beijing that has been ramping up its arsenal.
02:46I don't understand the comments on the Typhoon Missile System.
02:49We don't make any comments on their missile systems.
02:52And their missile systems are a thousand times more powerful than what we have.
02:58President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump about his
03:02new immigration policy.
03:04The policy is seen to affect hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in the U.S.
03:09I will meet with President Trump because there's much that we need to discuss between the U.S.
03:14and the Philippines in terms of trade, in terms of defense and security.
03:20And now, the new policy on immigration, it seems that hundreds of Filipinos have returned
03:26home.
03:27Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez reported that 24 Filipinos had been
03:31deported with 80 more facing imminent deportation.
03:34These cases were processed under the Biden administration.
03:38Trump's mass deportation plan, a key campaign promise, raises concerns within the Filipino-American
03:43community, with even documented immigrants uncertain about their future.
03:47Over 4 million people of Filipino descent live in the U.S. and an estimated 350,000
03:52Filipinos are undocumented.
03:54Romualdez advises those undocumented Filipinos to voluntarily return to the Philippines to
03:59avoid deportation.
04:02San Carlos Diocese Bishop Gerardo Almenaza apologizes for allowing two priests accused
04:07of child sexual abuse to celebrate mass in public.
04:10Almenaza says, quote, I must admit I was the one who allowed this one exemption of
04:15con celebration on a special occasion, not realizing it will cause confusion and great
04:19concern to some.
04:20For this, I apologize.
04:22The two are part of the 82 priests listed in the Philippines' database of the U.S.-based
04:27watchdog BishopAccountability.org.
04:29The group tracks cases of abuse in the Catholic Church.
04:33They are among 34 priests facing child sexual abuse charges in the Philippines.
04:38BishopAccountability.org also says at least 10 priests with ties in Cebu are publicly
04:42accused of sexually abusing minors.
04:45The website published on Wednesday, January 29, a list of 82 priests and brothers from
04:50the Philippines accused of abusing minors, based on media reports and court documents.
04:56The website also clarifies that unless otherwise stated, the reports are simply allegations
05:01and do not suggest guilt or liability.
05:04Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma says only three of those listed are affiliated with the Archdiocese
05:08of Cebu and are in active ministry, but did not disclose their identities.
05:12Meantime, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, also the head of the Catholic Bishops'
05:17Conference of the Philippines, urges Filipino Catholics to report abusive clergymen as bishops
05:22call for increased accountability within the Church.
05:27Netflix releases the trailer of its upcoming film, Social Climbers, starring Mary Srakal
05:32and Anthony Jennings.
05:34The film follows a scam artist couple who makes millions by living fake double lives
05:38and scamming the rich.
05:40Social Climbers is set to premiere on February 27.
05:44This marks one of the pair's two projects following the cheating controversy involving
05:47Jennings' ex-girlfriend.
05:48Meantime, Netflix also announces the return of the popular South Korean drama, Squid Game,
05:54for its third and final season on June 27.
05:58Since its 2021 debut, the survival thriller has become a global sensation, driving Netflix's
06:03subscription growth.
06:05It became the platform's most-watched original series in its first month, with 142 million
06:10households tuning in.
06:13And that's today's wrap.
06:14I'm Julian Sirineo, thank you for watching.
06:17Click the link below for the full story.
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