Faces of the News: October 3, 2024
Koko Pimentel
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III hardly gained fans on social media for his handling so far of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee’s inquiry into the bloody war on drugs waged by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Many noted his failure to apply the chambers’ rules especially when Duterte, known for his foul-mouthed ramblings when still in power, again cursed away and ranted on during the hearing on Oct. 29. But there were others who thought Pimentel held back on purpose so that the ex-president won’t be forced to measure his words and just spew out his thought process and decision making behind the six-year crackdown.
One spiel indeed stood out, perhaps thanks to this lack of restraint, when Duterte admitted having a seven-member “death squad” when he was mayor of Davao City. Hearing this, his loyal lieutenants, Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go, had to step in apparently after sensing that their boss had revealed so much. Pimentel remained unfazed by criticism, saying it was not his job as the hearing’s presiding officer to please everyone. —MARLON RAMOS
Risa Hontiveros
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros earned praise, including from her colleagues, for being able to confront former President Rodrigo Duterte about his ruthless war on drugs during a Senate hearing on Oct. 29.
Many observers thought she was the only member of the Senate panel to put Duterte on the defensive during many parts of the hearing, forcing the 79-year-old to give potentially incriminating statements regarding his long-assailed antinarcotics crackdown that left thousands dead. She unflinchingly engaged Duterte in heated exchanges, refusing to be interrupted in her questioning.
One exchange led to him confirming the existence of a so-called death squad in Davao City during his years as mayor. Among those who praised Hontiveros later was a fellow opposition figure, former Sen. Leila de Lima, who described her as “not just a senator, [but] a voice for truth, courage, and justice.” Former Sen. Panfilo Lacson also remarked that only Hontiveros “consistently and steadfastly stood up to preserve the dignity” of the chamber on the day the foul-mouthed Duterte practically “invaded” it. —TINA G. SANTOS
Luce
To better connect to the younger generation, the Vatican has unveiled its first-ever mascot in time for the Catholic Church’s celebration of Jubilee Year 2025. At a press conference on Oct. 8, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, introduced “Luce” (which is Italian for light). He described the cute cartoon character as part of the Vatican’s effort to “live also with the pop culture so beloved by our young people nowadays.”
Luce’s anime-like design is imbued with symbolism: her bright yellow sailor’s raincoat represents the flag of the Holy See as it journeys through history, while her mudstained green boots stand for the humility it has sustained throughout this odyssey. Luce is on a mission to guide young pilgrims, her “luminous eyes symbolizing the hope of the heart, and the perseverance of faith.”
She uses a bordone, or walking stick, while also wearing a rosary on her neck. In some versions, she can be seen with loyal companions—the dog Santino, the dove Aura and the angel Iubi—along with other friends in bright-colored capes and named Fe, Xin and Sky. —DEXTER CABALZA
Rodrigo Duterte
Did former President Rodrigo Duterte shoot himself in the foot when he told a Senate hearing on Oct. 28 that he had a “death squad” formed in Davao City to rid it of criminals during his long years as mayor?
Facing for the first time a formal investigation into the ruthless antinarcotics campaign that continued when he became President, Duterte showed no sign of remorse as he again justified the crackdown that had claimed the lives of thousands by the end of his term, most of them small-time drug users. The nine-hour proceedings of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee gave the nation a fresh, grating round of self-justifications for the killings.
But unlike in his past speeches (or ramblings), Duterte spoke under oath supposedly as an ordinary citizen no longer immune from suit—a difference particularly noted by Senate President Francis Escudero. Duterte locked horns with Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who called him out for disregarding the chamber’s rules of decorum. This was whenever he used foul language and kept a disdainful tone, not unlike his press briefings during his time in Malacañang. —MARLON RAMOS
Kim Jong Un
The world’s eyes were back on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this week after Western defense officials confirmed that 8,000 to 12,000 of his troops had been moved to Ukraine and getting ready to fight alongside the Russians. Later, on Thursday, North Korea testfired an intercontinental ballistic missile said to be capable of hitting the United States, with Kim present at the launch site.
Pyongyang’s latest show of belligerence came after Kim signed a mutual assistance pact with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the summer. While on a visit to Moscow on Friday, North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui declared her country’s commitment to helping Russia. “We will always stand firmly by our Russian comrades until victory day” in Ukraine, Choe said, praising Putin’s offensive in the invaded country as a “sacred struggle.”
She later stressed that North Korea would never stop advancing its nuclear program, while accusing the West of stoking tensions in the Korean Peninsula. Western security officials said Moscow could be helping Pyongyang develop its nuclear capabilities in exchange for help on the battlefield. “The situation on the Korean Peninsula could become explosive at any time,” Choe said. —PRESS RELEASE
