Faces of the News: April 21, 2024
Demosthenes Escoto
The chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) found himself in hot water on April 17 over the allegedly anomalous procurement in 2018 of a P2-billion monitoring system for around 5,000 fishing vessels. The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of BFAR National Director Demosthenes Escoto for grave misconduct for awarding a contract to an “unqualified” company, SRT-UK. The move, made by Escoto as chair of the bids and awards committee, caused the cancellation of a French loan and later forced the government to shell out additional funds after costs ballooned to P2.1 billion. The Ombudsman said Escoto committed “conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service” for giving “unwarranted benefit” to the British company despite its ineligibility. Escoto was part of BFAR’s legal team before he was named officer in charge in September 2022, and appointed national director last year. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. tapped Isidro Velayo as his replacement to ensure continuity in BFAR’s operations and programs. —Kathleen de Villa
Liza Araneta-Marcos
First lady Liza Araneta-Marcos said she was offended when Vice President Sara Duterte laughed after hearing her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, call President Marcos “bangag” (stoned) during an anti-Charter change rally in Davao City on Jan. 28. In a YouTube interview that went viral on Thursday, Araneta-Marcos said it was not proper for the Vice President to behave that way in public since she was the President’s ally and alter-ego as education secretary. In the rally, the ex-President accused his successor of being a drug addict and warned that Mr. Marcos would be ousted like his father and namesake if he pushes through with his Charter change agenda. Araneta-Marcos said she was hurt after seeing footage of the Vice President laughing as her father berated her husband. This explained why the first lady would later give Duterte the cold shoulder during a departure ceremony for Mr. Marcos. Asked if a reconciliation is still possible should Duterte apologize, the first lady said: “Bad shot na ’yan sa akin. Unless she says sorry or whatever, maybe she will. But she crossed the line.” —Julie M. Aurelio
Joseph Lara and Faustino Dy
Cagayan Rep. Joseph Lara and Isabela Rep. Faustino Dy have filed separate resolutions calling on the House of Representatives to conduct an inquiry into the “sudden” influx of Chinese nationals in their region. Reports said there were at least 4,600 Chinese students in one private university alone. The two lawmakers said the presence of the foreigners and their alleged involvement in “spurious schemes” pose a threat to national security given the maritime dispute between China and the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Considering the WPS issue and the “strategic geographical location” of Cagayan, the arrival of Chinese students, in numbers they now find alarming, “poses serious concern to the national security of the country,” Lara said. Dy, meanwhile, raised the alarm particularly over reports that a Chinese national was able sell parcels of land to the municipal government of Mexico, Pampanga, and that another group in Isabela took out bank loans and disappeared after getting the money.—Krixia Subingsubing
Rafael Lotilla
Power supply in Luzon and the Visayas became a cause of concern over the last five days due rising energy consumption for cooling appliances amid the summer heat. Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the Department of Energy (DOE) expected the overall situation to improve over the weekend, but he did not give a definite projection as to whether the red and yellow alerts would persist. “We don’t know when the extreme high temperatures will end,” Lotilla said in a virtual briefing on Friday. For the fifth consecutive day, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines raised a yellow alert status in Luzon on Saturday due to the unavailability or reduced capacities of more than 20 power plants. To avoid this particular situation from occurring in the future, the energy chief said the best course of action would be to build more power plants without any delay. “We must encourage the construction of new power plants and everyone can help. Some power plants are facing delays because of permits,” he added. —Jordeene B. Lagare
LeBron James
Seeing action in the NBA playoffs has definitely become a habit for LeBron James, but his Los Angeles Lakers now face the monumental task of outgunning the defending champion Denver Nuggets in their first-round series. The Lakers snagged the seventh seed in the Western Conference and set up a best-of-seven showdown with the Nuggets following their Play-In Tournament win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. The last victory sent James on his 17th trip to the playoffs in 21 seasons, adding to his numerous feats that owe much to his explosive power, hardcourt smarts and athletic longevity. James wants payback after the Nuggets swept the Lakers in last year’s Western finals. He will need plenty of help from Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell in order to stave off the favored No. 2 seed led by Most Valuable Player contender Nikola Jokic. James has failed to get past the first round of the playoffs just once in his career, in 2021, when LA lost to the Phoenix in six games. —Jonas Terrado
