Mayor Isko Moreno almost flicked the ear of a foreign national he caught smoking in a public place during his days roaming around Malate, Manila City.

Despite knowing that the Mayor is coming together with a bunch of his staff and members of the media, the foreign national continues to smoke in front of Moreno who’s known for his strict governance.

“No Smoking, this is a public place,” Moreno said.

The foreign national ignored the Mayor and tried to walk away while still holding his cigarette. However, one of Moreno’s staff stopped the smoker from running away.

When the foreign national threw his cigarette in the wrong place, the Mayor demanded the former to pick it up.

“Pick it up and throw it there,” Moreno told the foreign national while pointing in the garbage bin.

Meanwhile, the second foreign national who caught by Moreno smoking denied that he’s holding a cigarette and seemed frightened by the presence of the Mayor.

Moreno also warned the establishments along Malate to follow the no-smoking law.

“Akala kasi nila ‘pag ganitong oras walang gobyerno,” Moreno said.

On May 18, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the no-smoking ban in the whole country to follow what he did in Davao City when he was still a Mayor.

According to the order, people are prohibited to smoke in the following places:

• Government buildings
• Schools, colleges and universities
• Offices and other workplaces
• Restaurants and other food and drink establishments
• Hotels and other accommodation facilities
• Hospitals, health centers, clinics, and nursing homes
• Transportation terminals
• Churches
• Shopping centers, retail stores, and other merchandise establishments
• Entertainment establishments
• Sports venues
• Other establishments that provide professional services

When caught for the first time, the violator needs to pay ₱500 – ₱1,000 for the first offense.

It’s not yet known what happens to the two foreign nationals caught by Moreno.

Mayor Isko Moreno made another midnight roaming around Manila City on Monday, and as he started his live Facebook video, he quickly saw two children using a solvent along Quirino-Taft Avenue.

Moreno quickly told his staff to call the nearest police station to rescue the children and expressed his disappointment on the neglectful parents.

According to him, the Manila City Government under his leadership already rescued 365 children that made the Boystown crowded.

“Nalulungkot lang ho ako, dahil itong mga magulang hindi ko malaman kung ito ba’y sinasadya nilang iwan yung mga anak nila,” Moreno said during his live video.

“Matapos nilang paghirapan ng siyam na buwan sa sinapupunan nila yung kanilang mga anak ay para bang napagod na sila at sinoga nalang nila yung mga anak nila sa kalye,” he added.

He made a warning to the parents who neglected their children and letting them roam around the streets to use solvents.

Moreno pointed out that there’s a law that could penalize neglectful parents, but they’re still giving them a chance to correct their mistakes.

Republic Act 7610 cited that parents are responsible for taking care of and providing for their children’s needs.  No child should be on the streets, exposed to danger at a young age.

“Sana ay kunin ninyo na ang mga anak ninyo, pangalagaan ninyo… responsibilidad niyo po yan.” Moreno said.

“Alam niyo sa totoo lang pagka hindi po tayo tumigil kayong mga magulang diyan sa bandang huli ay kayo ang kakasuhan namin,” he added.

The Manila City Mayor said that he’s receiving many complaints from the netizens about the solvent boys, so he’s trying to solve the said problem.

“Alam kong mahirap ang buhay pero wag sanang maging dahilan sa atin na dala ng kahirapan ng buhay na itatapon natin sa kalye yung mga anak natin,” he said.

Mayor Isko Moreno is known for solving problems in his city with diplomacy first. However, in his recent weekly capital report, the viral public official was already fed up with one issue he’s trying to solve.

On August 2, Moreno gave an ultimatum to the jeepney drivers along Tayuman-Pritil to discontinue loading passengers in illegal terminals or else they’re going to lose their franchise.

“Ayaw niyo talagang umalis diyan ha sa Espirito Santo (Church) sa gitna at Tayuman, ayaw niyong makinig? Susunod tatangalin ko na kayo sa Maynila,” the Mayor said.

“So it’s either mang gulang kayo ng mangulang or itigil niyo nalang, dahil kung hindi, hindi lang pila ang mawawala sa inyo, yung hanap buhay ninyo, aalisin ko, dahil hindi maganda na nakakapag hanap buhay kayo pero nakakapang api kayo ng mga kapwa natin mahihirap,” he added.

According to Moreno, he already warned the jeepney drivers many times, but he found out that they’re still loading and unloading passengers in illegal terminals which made him disappointed.

He also revealed that many netizens are already complaining about the inconvenience being brought by the illegal terminals.

“Talagang matigas ang ulo ninyo, ni-rereport na kayo ng mga netizen na ginagawa nyong Terminal parin yung tapat ng 7/11 along Tayuman,” Moreno said.

“Mag meeting meeting na kayo dahil kayo na ang isusunod namin,” he added.

During his report, he also showed the complaint their file in the LTFRB to suspend the Pritil-Tayuman jeepney franchise.

Moreno was really disappointed that he’s still required to lecture the jeepney drivers on what is right or wrong despite being older than him.

He also revealed that he gave a terminal for the jeepney drivers along Tayuman-Pritil, but they still chose to go back to their illegal stations.

“Ang tatanda niyo na, ang hirap niyong mapagsabihan… di kayo madiplomasya, talaga yatang sagad hanggang buto ang katigasan ng ulo ninyo,” he said.

“Galit kayo sa masasamang ugali ng mga Politiko sa Gobyerno pero sarili ninyo ay hindi niyo makita sa salamin,”

The illegal terminal along Tayuman-Pritil has already been a problem of Manila for years and it was featured in television many times because of the unending clearing operations along the area.

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Kingdom of Jesus Christ Founder Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy believes that Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte has already been chosen by “God” to follow the footsteps of President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a Special Episode of Give Us This Day on Thursday, Quiboloy who’s interviewing the presidential daughter said that God has chosen Inday Sara to be the next leader of the Philippines because she’s not aspiring to become a Chief Executive like her father.

“Well, I think the Presidency is a gift from God… It is the god who determines it. You don’t aspire for it.” Quiboloy said.

“Many in our experiences, [those] who aspire for it, where are they now? But for those who don’t aspire for it, God gave it to them, like our current president. And I believe that our mayor here is chosen for that also.” he added.

“I cannot elaborate but I talk her about that… but in the coming days, I’m praying to God na kung ‘yung pinakita ng Diyos sa akin ay ayun ‘yun, I will be very, very glad.”

According to Quiboloy, if the politician was really destined to become the President, he or she cannot do anything to avoid it.

“Katulad ni President Duterte, ayaw nga niya eh, walang pera, walang political mechanism, iilan lang yung sumuporta sa kanya, look what happen?” The Pastor said.

“I believe Mayor Sara here, God has a big, big plan for her. And this is for the Philippines,” he added.

The Mayor only responded with a smile.

When a follower of the program asked Sara if she’s planning to run for President in 2022, the Mayor said that she needs to think about it very carefully.

“Before I think about that, I should ask God first if this is for me. Maaring kapareho ito ng medical school at law school. Bumagsak ako sa medical school so lumipat ako ng law school,” Inday Sara said.

“Siguro para hindi tayo magkamali, we need to pray for wisdom on how to go about it and how to decide.” she added.

Before the program ends, Quiboloy said that he’s going to pray for Inday Sara because “drastic changes” would come in the presidential daughter’s life in the upcoming days, saying that netizens are choosing the latter to become the next president.

In the 2016 Presidential campaign, Quiboloy claimed that God has chosen President Rodrigo Duterte to become the next leader of the country.

President Rodrigo Duterte downplayed the legacy of former President Corazon Aquino who’s known for leading the People Power Revolution in 1986 to topple the Marcos Administration.

In a speech before the agrarian reform beneficiaries in Davao City, Duterte said that Cory Aquino only became popular after his husband, former Senator Ninoy Aquino passed away.

“Cory Aquino may be popular. She is popular today. Why? For losing the husband in the hands of [late President Ferdinand] Marcos,” Duterte said.

He also criticized the agrarian reform program of Aquino, saying that she decided to distribute millions of hectares of land around the country, except Hacienda Luisita.

Hacienda Luisita is the biggest plantation in Tarlac province thaw was owned by the Cojuangco and Aquino family.

In 2011, the Supreme Court decision said that 4,915 hectares of Hacienda Luisita should be distributed to 6,296 beneficiaries of the land reform program by Aquino.

“Aquino declared land reform for the entire Philippines but exempted Doña Luisita, her own land,” Duterte said.

“She said, ‘I would like to declare land reform in all of the Philippines.’ … She exempted her [land]… So you call her what? The one who freed, emancipated… It’s incongruity, they call it,” he added.

Cory only entered politics after her husband passed away and led the Filipinos to a bloodless revolution in EDSA.

She’s also the first woman President of the Philippines who served from 1986 to 1992.

Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, son of Cory Aquino also became the President of the country, one year after the latter passed away.

A blogger who graduated at the University of the Philippines – Diliman criticized his alma over the news that former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV would become a professor in UP.

In a social media post, Benedict Exconde wrote an open letter addressed to the UP Board of Regents and other officials of the said University to express his disappointment over their decision to accept Trillanes as one of their future educators

Exconde pointed out that Trillanes, a former soldier who once led a coup against the government should not be part of UP.

He believes that the people who hated Trillanes might also detest said University.

“It is a disservice and a disgrace for our alma mater to employ an individual who has repeatedly tried to overthrow and undermine the authority of a legitimately elected government, and openly disrespected the will of the majority of the Filipino people,” said Exconde.

“Do we really want to the masses to lose their respect towards UP by taking such a sorry route, or perhaps all of you are contented to seeing UP being the symbol of the same obstructionist and opportunist forces that the said person now represents?” he added.

As of writing, Exconde post already received 200 shares on social media site Facebook.

On Tuesday, Trillanes revealed that he would spend his free time to teach in UP and Ateneo De Manila.

“More relaxing life after the Senate and right now, I am preparing for my teaching work this coming semester,” Trillanes said.

“It is in UP [University of the Philippines-Diliman] and Ateneo [de Manila University],” he added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson sided with President Rodrigo Duterte after his decision to appoint ex-military officials was questioned by Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Richard Gordon.

According to Lacson, Senators like Gordon, who’s part of the legislative branch should not try to interfere with the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte who lead the executive section of the government.

“My take is, sabi ko kanina let’s give it to the President. He has the prerogative to appoint presidential appointees. Para paghimasukan pa natin yan, labas na tayo sa border natin, sa dapat saklaw ng ating mandate as legislators,” Lacson said.

In another statement, Lacson said that professional background is not a basis if the government official would serve well to the people.

“Without sounding biased since I also came from the AFP and the police, what if those appointees would also question the wisdom of appointing too many lawyers in government? What is important is the competence and integrity of those appointees and not their professional background,” Lacson said.

On Wednesday, Gordon said that Duterte’s decision to appoint retired army Generals in the government is “dangerous”.

“Ang problema lang kay Presidente, mababaw ang bench nya. He comes from the province, hindi niya nakilala. So, mas nagre-rely siya sa military,” Gordon said in a statement.

“It’s a dangerous one because civilian authority must remain supreme over the military. Dapat 3 years muna bago ka i-appoint.. para mawala muna yung ties mo. The ties that bind,” he added.

As a response, Duterte criticized Gordon and called him a fake Filipino and Penguin.

The President also suggested to the Senator to mind his own business.

Senator Richard Gordon didn’t try to exchange tirades with President Rodrigo Duterte after the latter called him “fake-Filipino” and “Penguin” during a speech Thursday.

In a statement, Gordon said that his comments on Duterte’s decision to appoint ex-military men in the Cabinet “were made in good faith and out of concern for our country and the President.”

“I take no offense at the President’s comments. As I have said, everyone is entitled to an opinion, and we cannot be onion-skinned about such things. I will continue to focus on working hard to serve the country and the people. Our goal as public servants is not any higher office, but to remain steadfast in service to ensure that we uplift the lives of our people, and that is what I try to do every day.” Gordon said.

“I am happy that the President is concerned about my waistline, but he need not worry about that. My wife has seen to it that I have reduced it significantly of late. But I appreciate that he is concerned about my health as I am about his.” he added.

He clarified that he has also big respect to the military but still insist that the government should not be militarized.

“In the Senate and in my entire career, my record speaks for itself. I have always supported a strong military, with a credible air force, navy, and coast guard. I will continue to do so because I believe that we need to strengthen the military in order to protect our country, especially during these challenging times.” Gordon said.

Gordon on Wednesday said that the reason why Duterte is appointing former Generals because of his narrow connections and because of being a “Probinsiyano”.

As a response, Duterte mocked the appearance of Gordon and told him to mind his own business.

“Yung sabi niya na probinsyano ako, sa bagay totoo ‘yan. Pero at least, probinsyano ako, my brain stays in my head. Yung utak mo Dick yung utak mo nagtutunaw, nagpupunta diyan sa tiyan mo. You are a fart away from disaster, intindihin mo muna ‘yung tiyan mo bago ka makialam sa trabaho ko,” Duterte said.

“Take care of your stomach. It’s ugly. You’re just a fart, a heartbeat away from… ‘Yang laki mong ‘yan? ‘Yan ang katawan na mahirap, hindi pwede ambulansya. Karga ninyo sa truck ninyo,” he added.