Senator Lito Lapid revealed that he’s not confident of letting the members of the LGBTQ+ community use the toilet designated for female.

In an interview, Lapid said that there’s no need for passing a law to avoid inequality among all genders, but an additional comfort room designated for lesbian and gay should be built.

He explained that if members of the LGBTQ+ were legally allowed to use the female bathroom, some lawbreakers might use this as an excuse to do their bad acts against women.

“Kung itutuloy ang sinasabi nila na ang mga kapatid na bakla pupunta dun sa babae, eh ang dami magaling na magbakla-baklaan,” Lapid said.

He also pointed out that some cities already implemented anti-inequality ordinances that would disallow anyone to reject the LGBTQ+ people to use the comfort room they want.

“Hindi na siguro. Katulad ng Quezon City, lokal lamang nagawa nila hindi lang na implement, dapat maimplement. Napalaki ang issue dahil may nasaktan, may naagrabyado, hindi alam na me batas na pala,” Lapid said.

Lapid made the statement in the middle of the discussion on the possible implementation of the SOGIE equality bill that would give more freedom and protection to the LGBTQ+ community.

Trans woman Gretchen Diez sparked the topic of LGBTQ+ rights after she was rejected by a mall staff to use a comfort room designated for women.

She was even handcuffed and brought to Camp Karingal because of fighting for her rights.

Diez received support from high profile politicians like President Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Leni Robredo and Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman.

It seems that President Rodrigo Duterte would side with the LGBTQ+ community after the palace informed the press that the chief executive would push for a separate comfort room for them.

During a press conference on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that the President believes that a separate restroom for the LGBTQ+ would be the best solution to avoid another case of inequity.

“Ang sinasabi niya, dapat meron ng third restroom for them. Sinabi niya, pinag-usapan namin iyon kahapon,” Panelo said.

Panelo also said that there are still people in the Philippines who are not comfortable with sharing their restroom with the LGBTQ+ so a third restroom may give more comfort to all gender.

“Tama naman iyon, ako I agree na kailangan talaga may third restroom for them para wala nang problema di ba, that will solve everything. Kasi papasok ka sa female, siyempre hindi rin komportable iyong mga babae, alam nilang lalaki pala iyon; ganundin sa kabila, di ba. So the best is you have a third restroom for them, di wala nang problema,” Panelo explained.

Several hours after the press conference, President Rodrigo Duterte met Gretchen Diez, the trans woman who sparked the discussion about the SOGIE Equality Bill.

Diez was accompanied by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and Bataan first district Rep. Geraldine Roman who’s also a trans woman.

The Palace is not yet releasing any information about the meeting.

Diez experienced unfair treatment in a female restroom in Cubao, the police even handcuffed her and brought to Camp Karingal.

The incident involving Diez received mixed reaction among netizens.

Mayor Isko Moreno expressed disappointment to the officers of Manila Police District (MPD) Station 9 for not doing their job in the middle of the night.

Moreno on Monday midnight was roaming around Manila when he noticed a bunch of tricycles illegally parked near the Ospital ng Maynila medical center.

He also saw that some of the owners of the tricycle decided to sleep in the said area, some of them even used it as their bathroom.

The Mayor was very disappointed and angry when he realized that the illegally parked vehicles are only a block away near an MPD-9 station, so he decided to visit the cops assigned in the said area.

“Isang kanto lang sa kanila hindi sila makapag gobyerno, gigisingin ko lang ang mga dugo niyo,” Moreno said.

“Halika ituturo ko sa inyo kung paano mag trabaho, katabi ninyo lang hindi ninyo maayos,” he added.

He became more displeased when he found out that there’s no official supervising the cops at MPD Station 9.

“Eh sino kayong lahat kayo dito puro kayo tolongges?” he told the cops.

The Mayor then accompanied the cops to show the illegally park tricycles near their station.

“Isang bloke lang sa inyo yan pero hindi niyo makita? o wala nalang kayong pakialam? Ang panghi panghi hindi ninyo naamoy?” Moreno told the cops.

Moreno then quickly left the area saying that he would relieve the officers of the said station for not doing their duty.

“Kailangan ko pa bang ituro kung paano nila gagawin yung trabaho nila,” Moreno said.

Mayor Isko Moreno caught two traffic violators during his night roaming around Manila City on Sunday.

While on his way to a public hospital, Moreno caught an illegally parked jeepney.

At first, the Moreno tried to ask the driver of the jeep to move. However, the latter showed a rude behavior and didn’t quickly cooperate because he never notices that the Manila City mayor itself was the one asking him to place his vehicle in the right place.

“Brad, brad baka gusto mong umabante?” Moreno told the jeepney driver.

“Eto na nga umaabante na nga eh!” the driver replied.

The response of the driver irritated Moreno because it seems that the former didn’t like being called out for his traffic violation.

“Teka lang ha… matapang pa eh, hulihin mo nga chief,” Moreno told one of his staff.

Moreno came out of his vehicle to personally confiscate the license of the driver who only scratches his head after he realized that the one called him out was the Mayor itself.

“Pasensya ka na po sir,” he told Moreno.

“Galit ka pa kasi kanina eh,” Moreno replied.

Moreno also confiscated the license of a delivery truck after they tried to u-turn in an undesignated area.

He then reminded the violators that even at late hours, the city government of Manila is watching them.

“May gobyerno na ang Maynila ah,” Moreno said.

The Mayor then returned the license to the driver of the delivery truck and warned them not to violate traffic rules again even if they don’t see any authorities watching them.

When Moreno returned to his car, he told his followers that some jeepney drivers are angry when being called out for their traffic violation.

“Noong sinisita mo ang yabang pa eh… tapos noong hinuhuli na namin lahat na ng kuto inabot, pati lisa yata nagkaroon sa ulo eh puro kamot ang inaabot, pati tiyan binalakubak kasi kinakamot eh,” Moreno said.

“Mga kababayan, hindi komo alas dose ng hating gabi babalandra sa kalye wala kayong kusa… pag hinuhuli kayo anong nangyayari? lahat ng kuto inaabot niyo, kamot dito kamot doon,” he added.

Senator Manny Pacquiao added another bunch of cash to his bank account after he got his $20-M guaranteed (1.05-B pesos) earnings in his recent fight against the American boxer Keith Thurman.

However, the Senator knows how to share his blessing as he gave some parts of his money to the people of Saranggani Province on Saturday, August 18.

Pacquiao’s personal assistant David Sisson posted a video showing the Senator visited a remote town in Saranggani to give away some cash to the residents there.

The adults received 1,000 pesos each while the younger residence received 500 pesos.

All the residents of the said barangay were all smile after they saw their idol giving away his money to them as part of his thanksgiving in his recent victory against Thurman.

“Maraming salamat po,” one lucky resident told the Filipino champ after receiving P1,000.

The Senator was also seen smiling all the time, evidence that he’s happy sharing his blessing to the people.

This is not the first time that Senator Pacquiao gives away money to the people.

In 2017, Pacquiao has also captured the attention of social media after he gives away some parts of his earnings in his fight against Australian Boxer Jeff Horn.

Pacquiao went outside his mansion in General Santos to personally share his blessing to the people.

The Filipino Champ experienced poverty during his younger years and became wealthy after defeating several known boxer in his 24 years of boxing career.

In his SALN, Pacquiao declared a net worth of $3 billion or PHP10,080,025,000.

Mayor Isko Moreno said that the latest project of Manila Tourism and Cultural Affairs Bureau (MTCAB) Cine Kartilya is almost the same with the free cinema that he was visited every week during his younger years.

During his weekly capital report, Moreno said that during the Marcos administration, there’s also a free cinema every Sunday in Luneta Park.

“Noong araw noong bata ako pagka linggo dinadala ako ng tatay ko, kinakarga ako sa balikat sumula Tondo maglalakad kami hanggang Delpan bridge papuntang Luneta,” Moreno said.

“Kasi pag linggo noong araw, mayroong pa sine ang gobyerno noong pamahalaan ni dating Pangulong Marcos, doon kami lahat sa luneta, yung yung sinasabi namin sa inyo na gumugulong gulong sa damuhan, may malaking malaking sine, libre,” he added.

“Kasi ito personal experience ko, itanong ninyo sa nanay niyo, sa lola ninyo…”

In another topic of his capital report, Moreno told the people of Baseco Compound that he also experienced being an illegal settler in Tondo, but his life during those time are different than the present.

According to him, it’s fine to live in a poor community as long as the government is trying to take care of their security.

“Hindi na baling mahirap ang komunidad, squatter din ako… mabuhay street, pagtanong ninyo sa Tondo kung saan yung mabuhay street… kami ang original sa Parola noong wala pang ICTSI, kami ang mga unang squatter sa likod ng San Miguel plant sa may Parola Tondo,” Moreno said.

“Kaya alam ko po ang pakiramdam ng pagiging isang squatter, alam ko po ang pakiramdam na kahit na mahirap kami ay panatag naman kami dahil ang gobyerno ay hindi kami tinatalikuran, ang gobyerno ay pinangangalagaan kami sa aming kapanatagan ng aming buhay squatter,” he added.

Moreno vowed to bring back the law and order in Baseco compound, a place infamous for being the hideout of bad elements.

He said that bad elements only got two choices, leave Manila or stop their bad activities.

Mayor Isko Moreno said that he’s trying to make Manila City beautiful to help President Rodrigo Duterte in his goal to attract foreign investors to build their business in the country.

During his weekly capital report, Moreno said that Manila City could affect the view of the foreign visitors and investors about the country and if the capital looks dirty and chaotic, it might give a bad impression to the image of the Philippines.

“Ang Maynila ay kapitolyo ng bansa… the window of the country… what you see in Manila as if its the country and it will be unfair for Cebu City, for Davao City, Iloilo City, Ilocos, Bicol or anywhere in the country for that matter,” Moreno said.

“Mula Aparri hanggang Jolo kapag nakita nilang magulo ang Maynila akala nila magulo na ang Cebu, magulo na ang Davao, magulo ang Norte, magulo ang Bicol… unfair po yun sa kanila,” he added.

Moreno also pointed out that one of the reasons why he’s doing his best to clean the capital city of the Philippines is because Malacanang is located in Manila, where some of the foreign investors and representatives of other countries are visiting to meet the President.

“Kaya pinipilit namin pagbutihin ang paglilinis sa kapitolyo ng ating bansa kung saan pansamantala rin nating hino-host ang ating Presidente na si Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte, na kung saan ay hinihikayat niya ang mga banyaga na mag invest sa ating bansa upang lumago ang ating ekonomiya at makapag bigay ng trabaho sa ating mga kababayan,” he said.

“Kaya ninanais po namin sa aming maliit na kaparaanan, na makipagtulungan sa layunin ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte na kung silang mga pupunta na investor para sa bansa ay makikita nilang maayos, kaiga igaya ang lungsod ng Maynila, dahil ang Malacanang ay nasa lungsod ng Maynila,” he added.

He also urged the people to help him to achieve his vision in Manila.

Senator Ronald Dela Rosa criticized the members of the Makabayan bloc, Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago, and Bayan Muna Party-list Carlos Zarate for not returning the leftist student Alicia Lucena to her mother.

In a press conference, Senator Dela Rosa told Zarate that if he’s a responsible parent, he would return the child to her mother who’s grieving at the senate while the Makabayan bloc was having a press conference at the same time to prove Alicia Lucena is not missing.

“Hindi ka ba naawa sa mother?” Dela Rosa said “Tinulungan mo na sana at hinatid mo na sa mother anong klaseng parent ka? Nakita mong grabeng naghihirap ng parent tapos ikaw andyan pina-presscon presscon mo pa sa loob ng congress?” 

“Pina press con mo yung isang bata na as far as the parents is concern is missing dahil hindi niya nakikita? Ngayon andyan sa harapan mo… kung ikaw ay responsableng congressman dalhin mo yung bata, maawa ka,” he added.

According to Dela Rosa, Zarate should bring Lucena to her mother and let the child decide there if she really wanted to be with her parents.

He’s also thinking of possible charges against the Makabayan bloc for not returning Lucena to her parents.

Meanwhile, Dela Rosa told Rep. Elago that she’s going to become a mother in the future and she may realize the wrongdoings she did to the Lucena family.

“Magiging nanay ka rin, magiging parent ka rin, and you will discover gaano kasama yung ginawa mo sa kabataan… magiging mother ka rin,” he said.

Dela Rosa led the senate investigation on missing students allegedly recruited by several leftist groups.

Mrs. Relissa Lucena, mother of Alicia attended the senate hearing twice to express her sadness over the current situation of her children.

“Hindi ko na po alam ang sasabihin ko, nagmamakaawa na po ako. Dapat ako po yung pumuprotekta sa anak ko, bakit kayo? Ako dapat yung kasama ng anak ko, gusto ko lang pong makuha ang anak ko, gusto ko lang mabuhay ng maayos ang anak ko at makapag aral. Gusto ko po mag asawa bago ako mawala sa mundong ito ay nakatapos po yung anak namin,” Mrs. Lucena said.