Faces of the News: September 1, 2024
Jovie Espenido
One of the main enforcers of the brutal war on drugs during the Duterte years has turned against the former President’s closest associates, Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go. Police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido said Dela Rosa had ordered him to eradicate illegal drugs by any means necessary—including killing—in Albuera, Leyte, and that Go had funneled money from offshore gaming operations and intelligence funds to reward the deed. Speaking before the House quad committee formed to investigate criminal activities under the Duterte administration, Espenido said he was personally handpicked by Dela Rosa, then the Philippine National Police chief, to head the Albuera police “so the drugs there would disappear.” When asked by Manila Rep. Joel Chua to clarify, he said: “Among us policemen, we use general words that we know the meaning of … if they say ‘mawala,’ kasama na ’yung ‘mamatay.’” Espenido, who is still active in the service, also confirmed the existence of a reward and quota system in the drug war, which is long suspected by rights groups. Both Dela Rosa and Go had denied the allegations, claiming political persecution. —KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING
Stella Quimbo
The senior vice chair of the House committee on appropriations found herself in the unenviable role of presiding over deliberations on the 2025 draft budget of Vice President Sara Duterte, who has all but burned bridges with her Uniteam partner, President Marcos, and his allies. Throughout the five-hour hearing on Aug. 28, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo tried to rein in a combative Duterte, who refused to answer questions about the Commission on Audit’s notice of disallowance flagging P73 million of her P125-million confidential funds given to her office in 2022. At one point, Duterte asked that Quimbo be replaced by the chair of the committee on finance (a nonexistent panel in the House) as presiding officer. Amid audible gasps in the hall, Quimbo said: “I’m sorry, but it is not within your power to fire the presiding officer.” Last year, Quimbo actually even defended Duterte’s secret funds, before disclosing that the Vice President spent all P125 million in just 11 days. In response to Duterte at the last hearing, she stressed there was no “attack script” against the Vice President and that defending her confidential funds “was the hardest thing I ever did … since then, my life has been incredibly difficult.” —KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING
Pope Francis
Pope Francis will leave for a 12-day trip to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore on Monday, Sept. 2, raising concerns—as well as admiration—over whether the leader of the Roman Catholic Church can still take such journeys at age 87. His 45th overseas trip as Pope entails 43 hours of flying time over 32,000 kilometers, at least 16 speeches and numerous meetings and gatherings with huge crowds across four countries. There is worry about his health especially since he recently went through flu infections, bronchitis and a hernia operation that prevented him from performing his duties. Since 2022, Francis has depended on a wheelchair to get around because of knee, back and leg pains. But the Pope’s willingness to go through such physical challenges has also stirred admiration. “The Pope still believes that we need to push a little further,” a senior Vatican diplomat said, as reported by Agence France-Presse. He feels that he needs to be with his flock. For Andrea Ungar of the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics, “This trip demonstrates once again the Pope’s strength of spirit and shows how, despite age, things can still be done.”
Nicolas Torre III
Perched on top of the truck with a long-range acoustic device intended for crowd control, Police Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III beamed as around 2,000 of his men swarmed the compound of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) in Buhangin, Davao City, on Aug. 24. It was the latest attempt by the police to serve an arrest warrant on fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who is wanted for sexual, child abuse and human trafficking cases in the Davao and Pasig City courts. Unlike the previous attempts, Torre’s forces did not stay in the compound for hours but prepared for an operation lasting days. This made it the longest arrest in the country’s history, KOJC lawyer Israelito Torreon said derisively. Seven days later, Torre’s troops continued to scour the 30-hectare compound, searching for the supposed entrance to an underground bunker where they believed Quiboloy was hiding. Amid taunts and jeers from KOJC members who called him “devil,” and after the court motions filed by lawyers, the police official did not show signs of giving up, insisting on Saturday that “we are 100-percent sure that the pastor is inside.” —GERMELINA LACORTE
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic’s latest feat of bagging the gold in the Paris Olympics bolstered the argument that he may be the greatest tennis player of all time, but it was later dampened by a shock early exit at the US Open. The Serbian was shown the door in the third round by 28th seed Alexei Popyrin of Australia, a few days after becoming the first player, male or female, to rack up at least 90 wins in each of tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments, the other being the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon. Djokovic pulled it off in the second round last Wednesday when he won his match against Laslo Djere, who had to retire early in the third set because of an injury. At Flushing Meadows, New York, where the US Open takes place, Djokovic is the fourth player, regardless of gender, to produce 90 wins in the final Grand Slam of the calendar year, joining Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert and Serena Williams. But his 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 setback to Popyrin denied Djokovic of breezing his way into a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title, after this year’s French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz was upset in the second round by Botic van de Zandschulp. —Jonas Terrado
