Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
- Duterte to challenge ICC jurisdiction soon, bid for release ‘when conditions are ripe’
- US State Department OKs ‘possible’ sale of F-16s to the Philippines
- UN warns window to find Myanmar quake survivors closing, death toll climbs towards 3,000
- 15 Filipinos included in Forbes’ 2025 list of world’s richest
- Actor Val Kilmer, star of ‘Batman Forever’, dies at 65 – report
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/april-2-2025/
- Duterte to challenge ICC jurisdiction soon, bid for release ‘when conditions are ripe’
- US State Department OKs ‘possible’ sale of F-16s to the Philippines
- UN warns window to find Myanmar quake survivors closing, death toll climbs towards 3,000
- 15 Filipinos included in Forbes’ 2025 list of world’s richest
- Actor Val Kilmer, star of ‘Batman Forever’, dies at 65 – report
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/april-2-2025/
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NewsTranscript
00:00Today on Rappler
00:12Lawyer Nicholas Kaufman says he will file for interim release for Rodrigo Duterte.
00:17The United States approves the possible sale of F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines.
00:22Aid groups in Myanmar warn the time to find earthquake survivors is running out.
00:27Fifteen Filipinos are included in Forbes World's Richest List.
00:30And actor Val Kilmer dies at the age of 65.
00:35Former President Rodrigo Duterte's lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman,
00:38says Duterte will apply for interim release and will separately file a challenge to the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction.
00:45An interim release requires that there is no risk of flight,
00:48no risk of obstructing the investigation, and no risk of recommitting the crimes he's accused of.
00:53The main issue with the ICC's jurisdiction is the Philippines' withdrawal as a member in 2019.
00:58ICC prosecutor Karim Khan had secured favorable rulings that ICC has jurisdiction
01:03as long as the alleged crimes committed happened when a country was still an ICC member.
01:08The Philippines was a member from 2011 to 2019,
01:11which covers the Davao death squad killings up to the drug war killings in 2019.
01:15Killings beyond 2019 fall out of the scope.
01:18Meantime, American author Nicholas Kaufman, known for books 100 Fathoms Below and Chasing the Dragon,
01:23says he was bombarded with messages from Filipinos who mistook him for Duterte's lawyer.
01:28In a post, he says,
01:29"'Our names aren't even spelled the same. He's Kaufman with one N. It's insane."
01:34In a separate post, he clarifies,
01:36"'People of the Philippines, I am not the ICC lawyer Nicholas Kaufman who is representing President Duterte.
01:41Please stop messaging me.'"
01:43He says he received apologies from Filipinos but also notes the flood has only gotten worse.
01:50The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday, April 2,
01:53it has approved the possible sale of F-16 aircraft to the Philippines.
01:57This days after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegzat's Manila visit,
02:01where he announced the continuation of a $500 million foreign military financing pledge.
02:06The U.S. Defense Department's Defense Security Cooperation Agency
02:10says the 20 aircrafts have an estimated cost of $5.58 billion.
02:14The possible purchase includes 16 F-16C Block aircrafts,
02:18four F-16D Block aircrafts, 20 installed engines and four spares,
02:22radars, missile launchers and missiles, and anti-craft guns, among others.
02:27But the Philippines' Defense Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong,
02:30says the department has, quote,
02:31"'not received any official notice of such decision.'"
02:34Philippine Ambassador to the United States,
02:37says the Philippines can fund the $5.58 billion budget
02:40through a possible combination of the military's annual budget for modernization
02:44and a loan between Manila and Washington.
02:47The Philippines aims to purchase at least 40 fighter jets as part of Horizon 3
02:51or Phase 3 of the military's long-delayed modernization program.
02:56Aid groups in Myanmar described scenes of devastation
02:59after an earthquake that killed over 2,700 people.
03:03The aid workers also emphasized the urgent need for food, water and shelter,
03:07warning the chance of finding survivors was fast closing.
03:10UN agencies report hospitals were overwhelmed
03:13and rescue efforts were slowed by damage to infrastructure and the ongoing civil war.
03:17A rebel alliance declared a ceasefire to support relief efforts Tuesday.
03:22The military is accused of carrying out airstrikes against the rebels,
03:25even after the earthquake.
03:27The UN Children's Agency UNICEF says the window for life-saving response is closing.
03:32Myanmar's military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, says in a televised address
03:35that the death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday is expected to exceed 3,000.
03:41As of Tuesday, the toll was over 2,700, with more than 4,500 injured and 441 missing.
03:48In neighboring Thailand, the death toll rose to 21, with hundreds of buildings damaged.
03:54Fifteen Filipinos are included in Forbes' list of the world's richest for 2025.
03:59Real estate tycoon and former senator Manny Villar moves ahead of Enrique Razon
04:03to top the list of Filipino billionaires,
04:05with his wealth rising to $17.2 billion from $11 billion last year.
04:10Villar ranks 117th on the overall list.
04:13Quartz magnate Razon is second and ranks 227th overall with $10.9 billion.
04:19San Miguel Corporation chairman Ramon Ang ranks third among Filipinos
04:22and is at 979th place with a net worth of $3.7 billion.
04:27The runners-up include Lucio Tan of Philippine Airlines at 4th place,
04:31the Cee siblings of SM Group of Companies at 5th to 10th place,
04:34Andrew Tan of Megaworld in 11th place,
04:36Lucio and Susan Koh of Puregold and SNR at 12th and 13th,
04:40Tony Tan-Gakkyong of Jollibee at 14th place,
04:43and the only newcomer on the Forbes list,
04:45Eusebio Tanco of digital entertainment platform DigiPlus Interactive at 15th place.
04:52The New York Times reports American actor Val Kilmer passed away on Tuesday, April 1.
04:57He was 65.
04:59The paper says the cause of death was pneumonia,
05:01citing the actor's daughter Mercedes Kilmer.
05:03Kilmer was one of Hollywood's biggest leading men in the 1990s
05:07and earned a reputation as a Hollywood bad boy.
05:10He made his film debut in the spy comedy Top Secret in 1984,
05:13followed by the movie Real Genius in 1985.
05:17Kilmer rose to fame as Tom Cruise's co-star in the big hit Top Gun in 1986.
05:22He is also known for films like The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever.
05:26The late actor faced career setbacks due to conflicts with directors and co-stars,
05:30along with unsuccessful films,
05:32and over time became known for being temperamental.
05:35He returned decades later to star with Cruise again in the 2022 sequel Top Gun Maverick.
05:42And that's today's wrap.
05:43I'm Cara Oliver.
05:46Click the link below for the full story.
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