Faces of the News: February 2, 2025
Li Duan Wang
Who is Li Duan Wang and why did he get what he wants from lawmakers with relative ease? The Chinese national was thrust into the limelight after Sen. Risa Hontiveros challenged the grant of Filipino citizenship to the foreigner despite his alleged links to the now-banned Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos).
According to Hontiveros, Li’s naturalization should have been rejected by Congress for he allegedly made false claims in documents submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. She said Li, who had been using the name Mark Co Ong in his business dealings, was connected to Duanren Wu, the alleged Pogo “big boss” who financed an online gambling facility in Bamban, Tarlac, before it was raided by authorities.
During interpellation on Jan. 20, Sen. Francis Tolentino, who spoke in defense of Li, admitted that Li had signed documents identifying himself as a Filipino citizen —but only due to an “inadvertence” since the papers were prepared by his accountant. Hontiveros was not buying it, saying there were “enough red flags to … deny Filipino citizenship to this person.” —MARLON RAMOS
Arsenio Balicasan
On Jan. 30, the Philippines Statistics Authority reported the underwhelming growth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) for 2024. The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), headed by Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, agreed that the economy did suffer “numerous setbacks” that year, and that they clearly showed on the average GDP expansion of 5.6 percent, which was short of the government’s target range of 6 to 6.5 percent.
It not only marked the second straight year that the government had missed its goal; it also fell below market consensus that had pegged 2024 growth at 5.8 percent. Neda was quick to identify the sources of economic drag: “extreme weather events, geopolitical tensions and subdued global demand, similar to the challenges we encountered in 2023.”
That said, the agency believed that the “new normal” brought challenges that required a recalibration of the government’s growth strategy. “Beyond aiming for higher numbers, our focus is on building resilience,” it said. —IAN NICOLAS P. CIGARAL
Karoline Leavitt
In her debut at the White House podium last Tuesday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wore her heart on her sleeve, saying “the golden age of America has most definitely begun.” At 27, she made history as the youngest-ever White House press secretary.
The Republican Gen Z announced that she was opening up the briefing room to “new media voices”—independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers and content creators—in an effort to reach beyond the mainstream media (or the constant target of her boss’ rants). “Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” then US President-elect Donald Trump said in November when he announced her appointment.
Leavitt had actually cut her teeth in Washington. While studying communications and political science at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, she interned at Fox News and the White House. After graduating in 2019, she joined the first Trump administration, first as a presidential speechwriter and later as assistant press secretary. —PRESS RELEASE
Jaime Santiago
The National Bureau of Investigation has uncovered a network of Chinese “spies” operating in different regions of the country and monitoring several military sites. While NBI Director Jaime Santiago would not categorically say they were sponsored by Beijing, he expressed concern that they might have leaked information affecting the military and coast guard’s rotation and resupply missions in the West Philippine Sea. That’s because they had set up cameras along beaches in Palawan and in Metro Manila facing Manila Bay, which could monitor the movement of Philippine Coast Guard and Navy ships.
The Filipino wife of one of the suspects, Deng Yuanqing, has challenged the allegation, insisting that her husband was just an ordinary road surveyor. But Santiago stood firm on the NBI agents’ findings and insisted that they have a “scientific way of knowing the truth.” “Let us also clarify that they were arrested not because they are Chinese … [but] because they were violating our Commonwealth Law [on espionage],” he said. —GILLIAN VILLANUEVA
Edcel Lagman
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, a martial law survivor, human rights lawyer, and stalwart of liberal politics in the Philippines, died on Jan. 30 due to cardiac arrest. Lagman, who would have turned 83 on May 1, had been the president of the Liberal Party since 2022.
Before his death, the opposition leader had been absent from Congress for several months, leaving a noticeable void at a time when the chamber came under fire over questions concerning the draft 2025 national budget. As the Marcoses returned to power, Lagman remained a tireless voice demanding accountability on behalf of the martial law victims, saying there could be “no forgiveness without remorse and repentance.”
His legislative achievements include the passage of the Reproductive Health Act of 2012 and advances made on the divorce bill. In tribute, colleagues in politics and civil society remembered him best for his intellect, principles and dedication to democratic ideals. The Philippine flag was flown at half-mast in his home province of Albay in honor of one of its most esteemed sons. —KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING
