It seems that President Rodrigo Duterte threw shade to his predecessor Noynoy Aquino after he talked about the qualification of some people who ran for the highest position in the country.

In his speech at the thanksgiving gathering with fraternal order of Eagles in Davao City, Duterte complained about how the elites or rich people are trying to take control of the politics and other things happening in the Philippines.

“Hindi lahat mayaman na g***. Pero itong mga elitista talaga who choose the country’s leaders. Sila ‘yan. I will not try names. But just because your mother is gone then you are qualified to run for president,” said Duterte.

Just because the big business, pati ‘yung mga tycoon, mga Chinese, sila ang magpili. “Ito ‘yung kandidato natin.” “O sige, suportahan ninyo, bigyan ninyo ng pera.” he added.

Noynoy became the top candidate for the presidency in 2010, months after her mother, former President Cory Aquino passed away.

He won the presidential election with a huge margin against his opponents.

Duterte also criticized big-time businessmen Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Manny Pangilinan for their onerous water contract with the government.

“Ito ‘yung kontrata ng Ayala pati ni Pangilinan. They are just distributors of the water. Ang tubig atin ‘yan, hindi sa kanila. It is owned by the state,” the President said.

“Alam mo, if you get a copy of the Anti-Graft law and the Constitution and put it side by side with the contract entered into Aya — by Ayala and Pangilinan, lahat ng mali, lahat ng nakalista doon sa Anti-Graft law, doon, nandoon sa kontrata na ‘yun,” he added.

Senator Ronald Dela Rosa confirmed that the United States canceled his visa after asking about its status last week.

In a chance interview, Dela Rosa who just celebrated his birthday yesterday announced that he’s temporarily not allowed to visit the US because of the cancellation of his visa.

He said that he can apply for a new one again.

“We received their official answer the day before my birthday, January 20. What a good birthday gift,” Dela Rosa said.

“No reason was stated, basta mag-apply lang daw ako ulit kung gusto ko kasi the present visa was canceled,” he added.

Dela Rosa, however, admitted that he’s disappointed over the decision of the United States government as he worked with them many times during his service as police.

“Kung sama ng loob, tao lang tayo. Talagang sasama ang loob mo. I’ve been helping my counterparts from the US government… we’ve been working together then after that ganito? It’s quite bad,” he said.

“My whole 34 years of police service, marami na din kaming pinagdaanang samahan ng US counterparts,” he added.

“Sino ba masaya diyan? Sayang din hindi na ako makapunta doon,” Dela Rosa said, explaining that some of his relatives are living in the United States.

According to him, he’s not planning to apply for another U.S visa, except if the President asked him.

“Hindi na siguro, baka sabihin na masyado ako makulit… Pero kung pupunta si Presidente, sasabihan niya ako na sumama ka, yun ang ilalagay kong reason [for applying for a visa],” he said.

Dela Rosa also revealed that he first heard the news about the possible actions of the US against him in 2019.

He suspected that the cancellation of his visa is related to alleged EJKs happening in the country.

Mayor Isko Moreno made a deserving reward for one of the oldest employees of Manila City hall.

On a Facebook post, Moreno made a surprise gift to Melchor Duka, 61, who’s serving the city hall of Manila for 33 years.

According to Moreno, the said employee’s home is located in Cavite, that’s why he chose to sleep in the city hall every weekday and to have time with his family every Saturday to Sunday.

To help Melchor Duka to spend more time with his family, Moreno decided to give a house in Binondo, Manila to the loyal employee.

Moreno also gifted a new smartphone to the employee.

“Bilang pagkilala sa kanyang inialay na serbisyo sa lungsod, ginawaran natin siya hindi lang ng smartphone pati na rin pabahay para sa kanyang pamilya,” Moreno said.

The employee couldn’t hide his tears after being informed that he’s going to have his own house in Manila.

“Sobrang salamat kay Mayor kasi para na rin ito sa aking pamilya. Makakasama ko na sa isang bahay ang mga anak ko na nagtatrabaho rin dito sa Manila,” Duka said.

It seems that the Vice President is showing that she’s not affected by the title ‘lugaw queen’ bestowed to her by critics.

On January 21, Vice President Leni Robredo distributed congee or ‘lugaw’ to the Taal volcano evacuees in Tuy, Batangas.

Robredo even put a signage ‘Lugaw Leni’ to inform the evacuees about the dish that she’s going to serve to them.

She also served ‘pandesal’, a simple Filipino bread as a combo to her lugaw.

Aside from distributing food, they also delivered relief goods including sleeping kits and hygiene kits.

Netizens started to call Robredo as ‘lugaw queen’ after she said that her supporters sold porridge to raise funds for her campaign in 2016.

Some netizens questioned how the Vice President raised millions of pesos by just selling porridge.

“Meron kaming Bike for Leni. Merong ice cream flavor na ipinangalan sa akin at ‘yung proceeds, para sa kampanya. Maraming nagpapa-imprenta ng sariling campaign collaterals for me. Merong mga Lugawan for Leni. Kahit anong maisipan, talagang sobrang daming tumutulong,” Robredo explained.

According to her statements of contributions and expenses (SOCE), Robredo spent P418,664,130.60 out of the P423,163,737.34 she received.

The Vice Mayor of Talisay, Batangas, is not afraid of the possible consequences that he could face for encouraging the evacuees to go back to their homes despite the lockdown order from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

In an interview with News5, Vice Mayor Charlie Natanauan insisted that the advisory of Phivolcs is only based on the ‘opinion’ of their chief, Dr. Renato Solidum Jr., and they’re only giving fears to the evacuees.

“Sinabi niyang lalakas pa lalo ang putok, edi lalong natakot [ang mga tao] parang hindi mo sila kinukumbinsi na ‘pagdating ng panahon, yan ay lilipas din’ eh ang gusto niyo ay palakasin ng palakasin ang putok eh,” Natanauan said.

Natanuan then pointed out that the Taal lake will protect them from the possible lava flow coming from the volcano.

The Vice Mayor, despite the warning of DILG, also admitted during the interview that he’s “encouraging”
the people to go home and defy the orders of the government.

If they’re still afraid to live near the volcano, Natanauan said that the residents should start to clean their homes now.

He also asked the Batangas Electric Cooperative, Inc.(BATELEC) to bring back the electricity in Talisay.

When the media asked who’s going to be blamed if some residents face their demise because of encouraging them to go home despite the warnings from the government, this is what Natanauan said:

“Ang masasabi ko diyan, kung mangyaring pumutok ng malakas yan, nandito ako, nmatay sila, nmatay ako, wala silang makakasuhan, ptay na kaming lahat,”

“Kung kmtayan ay ating katatakutan, wala tayong karapatan mabuhay sa mundo,”

He then repeated his calls to the authorities not to discourage the people from coming back to their homes.

“Hindi ho magandang pakingan, mas tinatakot niyo po ang tao… kaysa sa kumbinsihin niyo na makabalik at maka move on,” 

“Isantabi nalang natin, kunwari hindi na pumutok ang bulkan, mag abang na uli tayo ng panibago [pagputok],” he added.

In a press conference, Phivolcs already said that they’re going to respect the feelings of the Vice Mayor, however, they insisted that their advisors are being backed by data and scientific study.

Natanauan also captured the attention of some government officials from DILG and PNP.

Calabarzon PNP chief Vicente Danao even said that he may throw the Vice Mayor in the volcano if he insisted in defying the orders of the government.

“Kay vice mayor po ng Talisay, nakikiusap po ako sa inyo bilang isang vice mayor ng lungsod o ng isang town dyan na please tumulong po kayo, wag na po kayo mag-udyok na pabalikin ‘yan.” Danao said.

“Kasi po pag ‘yan ay may nangyari, dahil sa pagu-udyok ninyo, pag nakita pa kitang buhay, iaalay kita sa bulkan na ‘yan,” he added.

The chief police of Calabarzon region warned Talisay, Batangas Vice Mayor Charlie Natanauan that he’s going to make the Batangueno politician ‘sacrifice’ to Taal Volcano if the evacuees decided to believe him and return home despite an order from authorities.

In a radio interview with DZRH, Calabarzon chief Brig. Gen. Vicente Danao urged the people to follow the order of the authorities and avoid forcing themselves to go near the 14-km danger zone of Taal volcano.

“Nakikiusap po kami sa aming mga kababayan na kung pwede po sumunod tayo sa batas na ipinapatupad ngayon, especially in the lockdown areas wherein we are now prohibited to enter within the 14-kilometer radius,” Danao said.

“Especially po dun sa harapan ng crater, ang dami pa pong tao dyan na pumipilit na gustong pumasok pero ginagampanan po natin ang ating trabaho hangga’t kaya po natin,” he added.

He then addressed Natanauan to cooperate with the government and avoid insisting his people go home.

Danao then said that he might throw the Vice Mayor in the mouth of Taal volcano if ever that the people followed him and return home.

“Kay vice mayor po ng Talisay, nakikiusap po ako sa inyo bilang isang vice mayor ng lungsod o ng isang town dyan na please tumulong po kayo, wag na po kayo mag-udyok na pabalikin ‘yan.” Danao said.

“Kasi po pag ‘yan ay may nangyari, dahil sa pagu-udyok ninyo, pag nakita pa kitang buhay, iaalay kita sa bulkan na ‘yan,” he added.

Yesterday, Natanauan raised the eyebrows of social media users after he called the advisories of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvocs) chief Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. as ‘opinion’.

“Wala pang nakapag predict sa buong mundo kahit scientist sa pagputok ng bulkan,” Natanauan said.

“Bakit naman nasabi niya, siya ba ay Diyos?” he asked.