I hope you and members of your family are all safe and secure as you read this newsletter. Tuesday and Wednesday were rather intense in terms of rain and flooding that were reminiscent, for some, of Tropical Storm Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009. By Wednesday afternoon, Carina had developed into a super typhoon. You can catch the latest updates here, including relief efforts and ways to help.
Just three months ago in April, we published a story that warned about the perils of La Niña and which found that 20% of the metropolis’ land area are “high-risk flood zones.” That same story said “more than half” of Marikina and Pasig city residents live in areas that are highly flood-prone. Fast-forward to July and we see photos of flooding in these same areas — unthinkable when it was excruciatingly hot in April. Know how susceptible or vulnerable you are to flooding here.
These weather swings are likely to continue and probably even worsen in the years to come. (READ: Devastating floods, heat, droughts to worsen in PH for next 30 years – UN report)
POGOs
A few days back on the fourth Monday of July — following the mandate of the Constitution — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA). It was his third since assuming the presidency in June 2022. The Rappler newsroom was at almost-full capacity, with reporters, editors, interns, production specialists, and guest analysts all in eager anticipation of what the President would say as he approached mid-term.
Post-pandemic, the newsroom is agog with activity mostly during monthly general assembly meetings or simultaneous cluster huddles, but they’re nothing close to the adrenaline surge caused by election coverage or, to a lesser extent, by SONA reportage. It’s not unusual to hear collective groans, boisterous laughter, spontaneous commentary or approval, and even caustic remarks triggered by the usual chest-beating claims in presidential speeches.
This year, however, after more than an hour of listening to a litany of numbers and statistics, many were lamenting the seeming demise of speechwriters who injected elegance in otherwise dry and trite presidential pronouncements. Listening to Bongbong Marcos was such a pain because he was, well…boring. If you missed it, you can catch our SONA 2024 live updates. The draft copy of his speech that went around close to the 90-minute mark indicated an abrupt and unimaginative ending about rice. That’s why when he went on and on to signal that he wasn’t through yet, everyone started to listen intently. (READ the full text of Marcos’ SONA 2024)
As it turns out, the end was the best part of the speech that woke up the newsroom and obviously legislators at the Batasang Pambansa. Marcos declared: “The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop. Kailangan nang itigil ang panggugulo nito sa ating lipunan at paglapastangan sa ating bansa. Effective today, all POGOs [Philippine offshore gaming operators] are banned. I hereby instruct PAGCOR [Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation] to wind down and cease the operations of POGOs by the end of the year.” Even opposition senator Risa Hontiveros applauded the President and joined her colleagues in giving him a standing ovation.
This was on the horizon as revenue managers weighed in and said costs actually outweighed the benefits of continuing POGO operations. But gaming regulation chief Al Tengco wanted some clarification over terms — did the President’s ban cover internet gaming licenses or IGLs since there were no more POGOs on their list? Find out more about this issue by watching the latest episode of Newsbreak Chats: POGO ban — making it happen.
Will the ban and subsequent departure of IGLs (or POGOs) adversely affect the real property market? Experts say that because the market has not been that ultra-dependent on them, the expected dent that the ban will cause won’t be that devastating. In short, the property market will survive, Lance Spencer Yu reports.
Interestingly, if POGOs are a no-no as far as the President is concerned, how come personnel of the Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) who raided the notorious POGO in Bamban, Tarlac, were relieved from their posts and reassigned elsewhere by their former chief, Major General Romeo Caramat Jr.? Not long after those mysterious reassignments — only weeks later, in fact — Caramat himself got a dose of his own medicine and got reassigned. Do you smell something fishy here? I do 🙂. Let me know if you have information to share.
Inside Track
If you’ve been a regular reader of Inside Track under our Newsbreak section, you would have noticed that we’ve started a video version of it, featuring senior reporter Lian Buan. Inside Track features inside information and gossip on the burning issues of the day. Lian’s very first topic? You guessed it right: the ever-hot POGOs and their incredible network that lead to persons of interest who figured in past controversies. Connect the dots and follow the money trail. I tell you, we have lots of material for a blockbuster movie. Be sure to watch this: Bamban POGO scandal: There’s a bigger fish than Alice Guo.
Here are other Inside Track stories you shouldn’t miss, along with our latest investigation into the drug war killings. Findings refute claims that the justice system is working in exacting accountability from policemen involved in the indiscriminate killings. This is being trumpeted as the reason why there’s no need for the International Criminal Court to be involved in the drug war probes. But out of at least 7,000 documented killings in police operations, only 52 cases were reinvestigated in 2020, with about 62% closed without the filing of any criminal complaint. Call this working justice?
Help us continue doing our job well by supporting independent and quality journalism. Till Thursday after next! – Rappler.com
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