Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
- Comelec orders Pasig candidate Ian Sia to explain remark on single mothers
- Imee: If DOJ drafted complaint vs Duterte, why was he surrendered to ICC?
- Inflation further slows to 1.8% in March amid subsiding rice, vegetable prices
- South Korea’s Constitutional Court ousts impeached President Yoon
- ‘I want my child to feel safe’: Lea Salonga on supporting trans son Nic Chien
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/april-4-2025/
- Comelec orders Pasig candidate Ian Sia to explain remark on single mothers
- Imee: If DOJ drafted complaint vs Duterte, why was he surrendered to ICC?
- Inflation further slows to 1.8% in March amid subsiding rice, vegetable prices
- South Korea’s Constitutional Court ousts impeached President Yoon
- ‘I want my child to feel safe’: Lea Salonga on supporting trans son Nic Chien
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/april-4-2025/
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NewsTranscript
00:00Today on Rappler
00:12The COMELEC issues a show-cause order against BASIC candidate Ian Sia for his remark on
00:17single mothers.
00:19Aimee Marcos questions the turnover of Duterte to the ICC despite a DOJ complaint in the
00:25pipeline.
00:26Population in the Philippines slows further to 1.8% in March as the rate of increase in
00:31rice and vegetable prices eased up.
00:34South Korea's constitutional court ousts President Yun Suk-kyo over his martial law imposition.
00:40And Lea Salonga wants her child to feel safe as she supports trans son Nick Chen.
00:47The Commission on Elections issues a show-cause order against BASIC congressional candidate
00:51Ian Sia.
00:52Sia said during a campaign event that single mothers could sleep with him once a year.
00:58COMELEC's Task Force SAFE says the remark constitutes a, quote, possible violation of
01:02COMELEC Resolution No. 11116, detailing discrimination as an election offense.
01:08The resolution highlights Section 3, which prohibits discrimination against women and
01:12gender-based harassment.
01:14Chairman George Garcia confirms that the order was motu proprio or issued on the COMELEC's
01:19own initiative, without waiting for a formal complaint.
01:23Sia has three days to explain why he should not face an election offense complaint or
01:27petition for disqualification.
01:30In a statement, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian condemns jokes aimed at solo parents.
01:36While he didn't mention Sia, he described the situation where people might laugh at
01:40inappropriate jokes, similar to what happened in the caucus.
01:44He said,
01:45Sia's parents are real-life heroes who put food on the table against all odds.
01:48Let's not marginalize them further.
01:50Meantime, the Inquirer reports Sia apologizes for his remarks but says,
01:55Don't get mad at me, get mad at the uploader of the video.
02:01A day before the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for former President Rodrigo
02:05Duterte, a Department of Justice Task Force had already started drafting a crimes against
02:10humanity complaint against Duterte.
02:12This, according to a document that Senator Aimee Marcos showed.
02:16The DOJ memo is dated March 6, telling Prosecutor General Richard Fadulion that,
02:21quote,
02:22As of this writing, our private legal team is in the process of drafting the revised
02:25complaint for violation of Republic Act 9851 against former President Rodrigo Duterte and
02:31his accomplices.
02:32The memo is signed by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Herbert Calvin Abugan.
02:37Aimee Marcos shows the document to question why her brother's government would hand Duterte
02:42over to the ICC when the DOJ was already working on building a local case against him.
02:47If there's a case build up, there's a draft of the complaint, why did we still have to
02:52cooperate with ICC?
02:54Malacanang maintains that the Philippines has no obligation to the ICC as a non-member
02:59and that the court lacks jurisdiction.
03:02President Marcos also justifies Duterte's arrest, saying the Philippines had to cooperate
03:06with Interpol to maintain good standing.
03:09Trapler reached out to Fadulion and Justice Secretary Boeng Remulia for verification.
03:14Remulia says he will check with Abugan.
03:18The Philippine Statistics Authority reports inflation continued to slow to 1.8% in March
03:23as vegetable, meat, and rice prices subsided.
03:27The country's average inflation rate is now 2.2% in 2025, which is within the government's
03:32target range of 2% to 4%.
03:36Average inflation dropped from 2.9% in January to 2.1% in February and 1.8% in March.
03:43Inflation was 3.7% in March 2024.
03:47Cereals and cereal products record a price drop of negative 5.2%, while the increase
03:52in meat prices slowed to 8.2% from 8.8% in February.
03:57Rice prices kept falling, with a deflation rate of negative 7.7% compared to negative
04:034.9% last month.
04:05The Banco Central ng Pilipinas predicts inflation would be between 1.7% and 2.5% due to higher
04:11power rates and rising fish and meat prices.
04:14National Statistician Undersecretary Dennis Mapa says the slowdown was due to food and
04:19non-alcoholic beverages, from 2.6% in February to 2.2% in March.
04:25The National Economic and Development Authority says the 1.8% inflation rate in March 2025
04:31is the lowest since May 2020 during the pandemic.
04:35South Korea's constitutional court ousts President Yoon Suk-yol Friday, April 4.
04:41It upholds the parliament's impeachment motion over Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial
04:45law in 2024.
04:47The constitution says a presidential election is to take place within 60 days.
04:52Prime Minister Han Deok-su is to continue serving as acting president until the new
04:56president is inaugurated.
04:58Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae says Yoon violated his duty as president by taking actions
05:03beyond the powers given to him under the constitution, and the effect of his actions
05:07was a serious challenge to democracy.
05:10He adds,
05:11By declaring martial law, Yoon created chaos in all areas of society, the economy, and
05:16foreign policy.
05:17The ruling was unanimous among the eight justices of the court.
05:21Thousands of people held a rally calling for Yoon's ouster, including hundreds who camped
05:26out overnight.
05:27They erupted into wild cheers upon hearing the ruling.
05:3064-year-old Yoon still faces a criminal trial on charges of masterminding an insurrection.
05:38Filipino Broadway star Lea Salonga shares her experience as a mother and an ally to
05:42her trans son, Nick Chen.
05:44In an interview with People magazine, Salonga opens up about her view on her son's transition.
05:49Nick, a signed female at birth, begins taking testosterone after coming out as a transmasculine
05:55at 14.
05:56She says,
05:57I want my child to feel safe and strong and ready to conquer the world on their own terms.
06:02On the cover of People magazine, Salonga stands proudly behind Nick.
06:06She says,
06:07I've learned how to raise a child who is their own being.
06:10The 18-year-old also talks about his ongoing journey, saying that he was still figuring
06:14it out and that the process took,
06:17a lot of crying.
06:18He adds that he had many conversations with his parents who were always very accepting,
06:22so he never felt afraid to open up.
06:25The mother-son duo will star in the Into the Woods production in the Philippines this
06:29August, with Salonga returning to her role as The Witch.
06:32And that's today's Wrap, I'm Michelle Abad, thank you for watching.
06:37Click the link below for the full story.
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