Actress Liza Soberano appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider his decision on the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN to save the employees who may be affected by its closure.

In a press conference for his upcoming series “Make It With You,” a reporter asked Soberano about her stand on the possible franchise expiration of ABS-CBN.

Her show is expected to air by March 30, 2020, the same month when the franchise of ABS-CBN is going to expire once the Congress fails to pass it.

According to Soberano, she believes that it’s possible for President Duterte to retract his decision to block the ABS-CBN franchise renewal.

“He is understanding, I believe, alam niya namang maraming maaapektuhan… It’s not just the company itself, but all the employees. I’m sure he has a generous heart and an understanding heart.” Soberano said.

“I hope he wakes up one morning and he thinks about it again, and maging bukas ‘yung puso niya sa lahat ng smaller employees na nangangailangan ng trabaho,” she added.

Meanwhile, Soberano’s long time partner, Enrique Gil said that he’s worried about the possible people that could lose their job because of the closure of ABS-CBN.

“Ang iniisip ko lang ang ‘yung may mabababang posisyon. You know I don’t know what to say minsan. Siyempre nasasaktan din ako na there is a possibility na hindi matuloy. We grew up. I’ve been here for a long time but I don’t know. I just hope for the best,” Enrique stated.

They’re not the only celebrities who asked President Duterte to reconsider his decision.

Yesterday, Actress Sharon Cuneta, a friend of Duterte asked the President to support the ABS-CBN franchise renewal for the sake of its employees.

“I’ll just say this before saying goodbye—I pray that our dear President reconsiders his decision about ABS-CBN, not just because I just renewed,  I can always find a job,” Cuneta said.

“But because everybody I grew up with here—who have remained loyal to the station and have grown up here having learned from the school of hard knocks and have become family and good friends—will lose almost everything they’ve built over the years, And even those that might choose to stay—if indeed, unfortunately, goes that way—it won’t be the same,” she added.

Overseas Filipino Workers in the Middle East celebrated after U.S President Donald Trump announced that he doesn’t want to use their weapons against Iran amid the crisis between the said two countries.

In a televised address from the White House, Trump said that they’re going to impose new economic sanctions against Iran instead of engaging battle with them.

“To the people and leaders of Iran: we want you to have a future. One that you deserve. One of prosperity at home, and harmony with nations of the world,” Trump said.

“The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it,” he added.

The said statement of Trump made the netizens, especially the OFWs a peace of mind as the U.S military is not planning to retaliate against Iran.

“Thank God, I hope you will touch also the heart of the leader in Iran” netizen Naty Sabejon said.

“That’s good news for the whole world… We are all human why not forgive each other??” netizen Jhoy Habawel commented.

“Maging thankful na lang tayong lahat..na mas ginusto ni trump ang kapayaan keysa madaming madamay..pero kung ibang president yan..bska cge laban lang tayo matira matibay..thats the powe of prayers,” Anne Delarosa remarked.

Meanwhile, the mandatory reparation for all Filipino workers in Iran and Lebanon was lifted, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

“Initially, the level of alert for Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon are the same—[Alert Level] 4. Although it was unofficial, I was informed yesterday that the alert level in Lebanon was put down to level 2 and I understand that there’s no more alert level in Iran,” Bello said

However, the mandatory evacuation in Iraq would still be implemented and also the deployment ban.

Some netizens believe that President Rodrigo Duterte’s independent foreign policy is now bearing fruit amid the US-Iran crisis.

On Wednesday, netizen Jaira Andrea shared a screenshot of some comments from the netizens who called Duterte a ‘political’ genius for distancing the country from the U.S military.

According to the screenshots posted by Andrea, one netizen said that the reason why President Duterte opposed the presence of the U.S military in the country is that the Philippines may become the target of America’s enemies.

“US po ang target ng Iran kaya nila bobombahin yung mga nasabing bansa syempre babawiin na din ng kabilang panig dafhil pati sila madadamay kaya nga ayaw ni DU30 na meron tayong US BASE sa pilipinas kung naalala nyoyung dating binalita para makawas tayo sa giyera kung sakaling magkaron man,” netizen Albert Rodriguez said.

Another netizen, Michael John Go called Duterte a ‘genius’ saying that despite the alliance between US, the President also befriended Russia and China to maintain the neutrality of the Philippines.

“This is why Duterte is a political genius. He well knows that we have this agreement with USA but get engage and friendly with Russia and China just so we can be neutral,” Go said.

“He knows that if the WW3 starts or the tension gets out of hand in the South China Sea, Philippines can be a battleground. People calls him moron, but he is really a political genius,” he added.

The post has gone viral on social media and now reached 10,000 shares.

It’s already known that President Duterte opposed any plans of the U.S to build bases in the Philippines.

In 2017, Duterte told the U.S to stop unloading arms in several parts of the country because it might put the Philippines in possible danger.

He made the statement after he was informed that US troops appear to be building a depot in the Philippines and unloading arms in Palawan, Pampanga and Cagayan De Oro.

“You place us all in danger. You do that and I will be there when you start building, even before you build the first post,” Duterte said.

In another interview, Duterte said that he wanted to remove any presence of foreign military troops in the Philippines.

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III defended President Rodrigo Duterte’s Oplan Tokhang after Vice President Leni Robredo called it a failure.

On a tweet, Sotto said that the popularity of the President and the stories from the people about how the Oplan Tokhang made their place safer is “incompatible” with the accusations of Robredo who gave a grade of 1 over 100 to the administration during the revelation of her ICAD findings last Monday.

The Senate President also believes that the users and pushers lost their confidence to roam along the streets because of Duterte’s Oplan Tokhang.

“The President’s high approval ratings after 3 years, is incompatible with a grand failure accusation. The truth is found in the stories of families at home and the changes in their neighborhood. Dati takot ang mga tao sa adik; ngayon ang adik ang takot,” said Sotto.

The President's high approval ratings after 3 years, is incompatible with a grand failure accusation. The truth is found in the stories of families at home and the changes in their neighborhood. Dati takot ang mga tao sa adik; ngayon ang adik ang takot.

— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) January 8, 2020

Sotto added that “numbers alone” will not explain the problem.

“It is deeper than mere arithmetic,” Sotto said.

Some of Sotto’s followers also shared how their place became safer because of Oplan Tokhang.

“Madami pong adik sa lugar namen, mga namamayat noon. Ngayon po, they are all in good shapes now. I really felt and see some good changes,” netizen @jerick_pacio said.

“Include me in the stories of families and lives that were changed for good when Duterte became President,” @meiyingchua remarked.

Despite the criticisms being received by Duterte, he’s still enjoying high approval ratings since he took the most powerful position in the Philippines.

Some believe that his popularity also made his allies won the 2019 senatorial elections while all of the candidates the opposition lost the race.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, on Tuesday, said that the success of Oplan Tokhan launched by Duterte administration could not be measured alone by statistics.

In an interview, Magalong, who’s a retired general of the Philippine National Police, said that Robredo’s claim that Oplan Tokhang based on the statistics is only her opinion and cannot be proven.

Robredo said that only 1% of narcotics and money had been confiscated by the authorities yearly.

However, Magalong said that in his experience, the real success of Oplan Tokhang would only be measured by asking the people if they feel safer now than before.

“Opinyon niya ‘yan eh. You will only know your impact pag bumaba ka at nakausap mo ang mga tao na nakaramdam na safe and secure na sila ngayon. Sa amin, as far as we are concerned, significant ang improvement. As Mayor of the City of Baguio, I felt it. Hindi statistics ang pagbabatayan mo diyan eh,” Magalong said.

“I was talking to [communities in the] grassroots, [at] very significant ang impact sa aming security at safety. Maybe that is the reason why napakataas ng rating ng ating Presidente,” he added.

Robredo on Monday said that the government only focused on the street-level while the big fishes are still bringing supply to the country.

She then suggested to scrap Oplan Tokhang and give more funds on rehabilitation.

President Rodrigo Duterte, however, told Robredo not to lecture him and just do her suggestions on her own if she became the chief executive of the country someday.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III advised Vice President Leni Robredo amid the criticisms the latter received after she revealed her findings during her 18-day stint as co-chair of ICAD.

On a tweet, Sotto said that Robredo should remove her advisers because she was being fed by false info.

According to Sotto, Robredo is now cornered in a difficult situation as she already released data that is being questioned by her critics if it’s really authentic or not.

“If I were her, I will kick out my advisers. They hang her out to dry by giving her false info. That’s the truth!” Sotto said.

If I were her, I will kick out my advisers. They hang her out to dry by giving her false info. That's the truth! https://t.co/SHjzz0YXOm

— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) January 7, 2020

Sotto is reacting to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teddy Locsin’s tweet, questioning why the Vice President is confident that the 5,500 dealers lost their lives during the Oplan Tokhang of the government is just 1% of the “manufacturing, importing and marketing sales force”.

“Only the cartels can have the exact figure. Hmmmmmm,” Locsin said.

Meanwhile, Malacanang denied the accusations of the Vice President, calling her ICAD findings a “dud”.

“Palagay ko ang failure ay ‘yung pag-upo niya (sa ICAD),” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

President Rodrigo Duterte criticized Vice President Leni Robredo after the latter called the Oplan Tokhang of the current administration as a failure based on her ICAD findings.

During an interview with reporters in Malacanang, Duterte asked Robredo to look at her record during her Vice Presidency before criticizing the government.

“For all of these years, she has done nothing. She is a colossal blunder. Colossal blunder,” Duterte said.

The President also pointed out that Robredo only won a little margin against her opponent former Senator Bongbong Marcos in the last presidential elections.

“I hate to say this but how many voters are there in the Philippines? Just do away with the 200,000 plus she got as a majority over (Bongbong) Marcos. It was really a mistake. With a slim margin and you talk big,” he said.

Duterte then told Robredo that he’s not going to follow her recommendation, but he suggested that the Vice President could do that if she becomes the next chief executive.

“Kung sakali lang maging Presidente siya gawin niya ‘yan. She does not lecture me. I do not have the slightest… as a lawyer lecturing on me,” he said.

On Monday, Robredo revealed her findings during her 18-day stint as co-chair of ICAD.

Robredo gave a grade of 1/100 to the government and suggested to scrap Oplan Tokhang.

She also said that the government should give more funding to the rehabilitation program.

“Isipin na lang natin kung exam ito. Magiging iskor ng ating pamahalan ay 1 over 100,” Robredo said in a press conference Monday.