Faces of the News: October 27, 2024
Ediliberto Leonardo
After about 15 hours of grilling, House members managed to get the resigned commissioner of the National Police Commission to confirm the testimony of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Royina Garma about the existence of a reward system for the Duterte drug war.
Confronted by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante at the tailend of the quad committee hearing on Oct. 22, Edilberto Leonardo said “yes” when asked if he believed that Garma’s affidavits were true. Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez said Leonardo, who earlier in the same hearing denied Garma’s allegations, could have thought about his family in making the turnaround.
Also earlier in the hearing, Garma disclosed that former President Rodrigo Duterte recently called her to explain why he wanted an Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) member—like Leonardo—to help implement the crackdown’s “Davao model” on a national scale. “It’s because they (INC members) are good with money,” Garma said, quoting the President. With this revelation, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro tried to connect the dots and said: “So by inductive reasoning … Col. Leonardo can be trusted with money. That’s the implication.” —KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING
Ernest Cu
Next year, Ernest Cu will vacate his post as president and chief executive officer of telco giant Globe Telecom after 16 years of service. The 64-yearold Cu has shaped Globe into an industry leader with nearly 60 million subscribers. Under his leadership, the company was able to focus on the growing mobile data segment, offering affordable prepaid internet services, among other innovations.
Aside from giving priority to improved connectivity, Cu played a key role in advancing financial inclusion in the country through GCash, which has become a popular e-wallet Filipinos use for local and overseas transactions.
Once retired from Globe, he will still hold chairmanships in various subsidiaries, including the startup builder 917Ventures, GCash holding company Mynt, venture capitalist Kickstart Ventures Inc., and data center arm STT GDC Philippines. Carl Raymond Cruz, currently the CEO and managing director of a leading mobile network operator in Nigeria, is expected to take the Globe helm from Cu in next year’s stockholders’ meeting and elections. —TYRONE JASPER C. PIAD
Leni Robredo
Netizens called it “liwanag sa dilim” (a ray of light in the darkness): There was former Vice President Leni Robredo, braving the waist-deep flood and pushing a boat laden with relief goods in one of the barangays inundated by rains dumped by Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine” in Naga City. For Regine Baral, who posted the now-viral photo, it was just typical of Robredo to “show up in the most difficult times,” just as she had done in the past.
“I’m so happy to share the proof that even when she’s not in a position yet, she continues to help the needy in our village,” Baral said of Robredo, who is running for mayor of Naga next year. As of Saturday morning, Angat Buhay, the foundation set up by Robredo, has raised over P20.1 million in cash donations for its “Bangon Naga” calamity fund.
In Kristine’s wake since Wednesday, Robredo has been personally distributing relief items and mobilizing rescue teams in different parts of the city. Before the calamity, Robredo had been making headlines even by just welcoming a series of VIP guests in Bicol, including President Marcos. —MA. APRIL MIER-MANJARES
Sandro Marcos
The President’s son and current Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos became the first—and so far only—member of the first family to publicly respond to Vice President Sara Duterte’s latest attacks on his father. In a statement on Oct. 22, Marcos said he had “held his tongue” out of respect for the Vice President, but that she finally crossed the line with her “bizarre temper tantrum” and “abhorrent comments” on Oct. 18.
He was referring to her two-hour rant on national TV where, among others, she spoke of a wish to behead President Marcos and threatened to have the remains of his father dug up from Libingan ng mga Bayani and thrown into the West Philippine Sea. It was her latest retaliation to what she called attacks orchestrated by Marcos’ allies in the House to undermine her political future come the 2028 presidential race.
For Sandro Marcos, “Going ballistic was perhaps the self-therapy she prescribed for herself. But she crossed the line, leaving the civic and civil space in which disagreements can be rationally argued,” he said. “One must draw the line at some point and it’s frankly long overdue.” —KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING
Prabowo Subianto
On Oct. 20, former special forces commander Prabowo Subianto was sworn in as the eighth president of Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim majority nation. Winning the presidential election on his third try, he is finally taking the reins of power from Joko Widodo, who had beaten him in his earlier runs.
Prabowo’s rise was largely with the help of Widodo, who appointed him as defense chief and later gave him the nod to be his successor. The new president promises to continue the previous leader’s policies with the help of his vice president and Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. On Monday, Prabowo swore in 109 members of his Cabinet—the largest since 1966—which he said embodied his goal of maintaining a strong government.
On Friday, Prabowo led them in a team-building exercise at an army academy in Central Java, where they were made to wear camouflage uniforms, stay in tents, and march in the field. “We must move in sync with the same goal. The government does not work alone, we have to work as a team,” Prabowo stressed to his ministers. —PRESS RELEASE
