Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
- Onse Alyansa? Imee Marcos exits admin Senate slate
- Can China grant asylum? Beijing says they didn’t get Duterte’s application
- ‘Still on recess’: Escudero rejects House request to summon Sara Duterte
- Veteran lawyer Estelito Mendoza dies
- Pope Francis was so close to death that doctors considered ending treatment
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/march-26-2025/
- Onse Alyansa? Imee Marcos exits admin Senate slate
- Can China grant asylum? Beijing says they didn’t get Duterte’s application
- ‘Still on recess’: Escudero rejects House request to summon Sara Duterte
- Veteran lawyer Estelito Mendoza dies
- Pope Francis was so close to death that doctors considered ending treatment
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/march-26-2025/
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Today on Rappler
00:14Re-electionist Senator Ayme Marcos withdraws from President Marcos' campaign slate.
00:19China distances itself from talk Rodrigo Duterte sought asylum in Beijing.
00:24Senate President Chis Escudero rejects a House request to compel Vice President Sara Duterte
00:29to respond to her impeachment complaint.
00:31Veteran lawyer Estelito Mendoza died at the age of 95.
00:35And, now it's revealed, Pope Francis came very close to death while battling pneumonia.
00:42Presidential sister and re-electionist Senator Ayme Marcos pulls out of her brother President
00:47Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Alianza para sa Bagong Pilipinas.
00:51This, days after her brother left her name out during the Alianza campaign rally in Cavite.
00:56Senator Marcos laments how her brother's alter egos and law enforcement officials appeared
01:00to be hiding essential facts and repeatedly invoking executive privilege and sub judice
01:06rule.
01:07She says, quote,
01:08Thus, I cannot stand on the same campaign platform as the rest of the Alianza.
01:12I have stated from the outset of the election period, I will continue to maintain my independence.
01:17This is not the first time the senator withdrew from the Alianza slate.
01:21Alianza campaign manager Navotas' Representative Toby Tiangco says they respect Ayme's decision
01:26and wishes her luck in the campaign.
01:28The senator has long tried to straddle being a Marcos while also being a close ally of
01:32the Duterte clan.
01:36Reacting to Philippine news reports that former President Rodrigo Duterte sought asylum in
01:40China but was rejected, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun says,
01:45We have never received the so-called application for asylum to the Chinese government from
01:50former President Rodrigo Duterte or his family.
01:53This nearly two years after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with former Philippine President
01:58Rodrigo Duterte in July 2023, a day before the International Criminal Court decided to
02:03continue investigating Duterte's alleged crimes.
02:07Duterte's close aides also denied there was an attempt to seek asylum in China, while
02:11Malacanang said it had no knowledge of any asylum request.
02:15China does not have a national asylum law or system.
02:18As of this posting, Beijing remains silent about Duterte's arrest and transfer to the
02:22ICC.
02:25Senate President Chis Escudero rejects the request of House prosecutors to issue a writ
02:29of summons to Vice President Sara Duterte, which will direct her to respond to the verified
02:34impeachment complaint against her.
02:36Escudero says Congress is on break and the Senate has not convened as an impeachment
02:40court.
02:41The Senate president reiterates no impeachment trial will occur during the break, reaffirming
02:46his proposed start date of July 30.
02:49Duterte was impeached by the House on February 5, the final session day before Congress began
02:54its three-month break for the midterm elections.
02:56The session is set to resume on June 2.
02:59Meantime, Escudero says he believes Philippine sovereignty was not compromised in the International
03:04Criminal Court's arrest of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte.
03:07He notes Duterte has no cases pending before local courts, indicating that the jurisdiction
03:12of Philippine judges were not disregarded.
03:17Veteran lawyer Estelito Titong Mendoza, who handled high-profile cases for former Philippine
03:22presidents, passed away on Wednesday, March 26.
03:25He was 95.
03:27The Philippine National Bank, where Mendoza served as director since January 1, 2009,
03:32confirms his death.
03:33Mendoza served as legal counsel for at least four Philippine presidents, Ferdinand E. Marcos,
03:38Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Joseph Estrada, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
03:43During the time of the late dictator Marcos, he held cabinet positions, including justice
03:47secretary and solicitor general.
03:50Mendoza was the legal counsel for Marcos and his wife Imelda when the government filed
03:54cases against them for ill-gotten wealth.
03:56He also served as chief counsel in the impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada,
04:00who was convicted of plunder but later pardoned.
04:04The late lawyer also handled the plunder case of Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan
04:08Ponce Enrile related to the multimillion pork barrel scam.
04:12In a Facebook post, Enrile expressed grief over the loss of his best friend.
04:16Most recently, he represented Vice President Sara Duterte in cases involving confidential
04:21funds.
04:24Pope Francis came so close to death at one point during his 38-day stay in the hospital
04:29battling pneumonia.
04:30The head of the Pope's medical team says his doctors considered ending his treatment
04:34so he could die in peace.
04:36Sergio Alfieri, a physician at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, says, quote,
04:40"...there was a real risk that he might not make it."
04:43After a breathing crisis on February 28, where the Pope almost choked on his vomit, Pope
04:48Francis returned to the Vatican and made his first public appearance on Sunday after the
04:52most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy.
04:55His doctors prescribed two months' rest to allow his body to fully heal.
04:59He was admitted to the Gemelli Hospital on February 14 due to double pneumonia.
05:05And that's today's Wrap, I'm Cara Oliver, thank you for watching.
05:09Click the link below for the full story.
05:11Follow us on Rappler's YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.