FACES OF THE NEWS
Aaron Aquino
Shortly after intercepting P4.3 billion worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) in two magnetic lifters at a Manila port on Aug. 7, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino tangled with Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña over four similar lifters found in a Cavite warehouse. Though empty when found, Aquino said at a congressional hearing that the sniffer dogs’ reaction and other circumstantial evidence showed that the lifters had been used to smuggle some P6.8 billion worth of shabu. Stung by Aquino’s insinuation that customs had been negligent, Lapeña countered that they could have intercepted it had the PDEA given them timely intelligence. President Duterte waded into the fray and said that the PDEA’s assessment was “pure speculation.” Asked by the Inquirer if he still maintained that the lifters had contained shabu, Aquino replied with a firm “Yes.”
Isidro Lapeña
Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña, an Aug. 14 hearing at the House of Representatives, disputed the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) Aug. 10 announcement that 1 ton of “shabu” (crystal meth) worth P6.8 billion had slipped past scrutiny at the port of Manila and may have entered the drug market. Lapeña, who previously headed the PDEA, said a swab test on four empty magnetic lifters found in a Cavite warehouse showed they were negative for drugs. PDEA Deputy Director General for Operations Ruel Lasala, however, insisted that sniffer dogs had confirmed that the lifters earlier contained shabu. But President Duterte echoed the Bureau of Customs’ position. Aquino, it was later learned, went on leave shortly after.
Jordan Clarkson
It took a while but Jordan Clarkson will finally suit up for the Philippines. Fans had long clamored for the Cleveland Cavaliers standout to don the national colors in an international tournament. After drawn-out negotiations with the National Basketball Association, it’s finally happening. Clarkson will be part of the national men’s basketball team that will hunt for gold in Indonesia against continental heavyweights. For Clarkson, it’s a chance to reconnect to his Filipino roots, so he didn’t think twice when tasked to carry the flag for the Philippine delegation during the opening ceremonies. The message, said Philippine team chef de mission Richard Gomez, is that “whether you are a Filipino born overseas or locally, we are just one big sports family.” “I’m excited, I’m very excited for the ceremony and everything,” Clarkson said hours before the march.
Sara Duterte
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte again hogged the headlines this week when the regional political party she founded, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (Hugpong), took the country by storm, recruiting thousands of new members, not only in the Davao Region, but also in provinces as far as Luzon. Although the mayor maintained that her political party remains regional, Hugpong managed to make its presence felt in Metro Manila where she signed an alliance with eight political parties outside Davao, before proceeding with a recruitment spree in the provinces used to be known as the Solid North. Among those that attracted allies to her party and which make the party seem formidable, is its policy of allowing recruits to keep their original party membership, while helping them forge local alliances. More politicians are expected to sign up.
Sheikh Hasina Wazed
After three terms as Bangladesh prime minister, Sheikh Hasina Wazed has had both good and bad times at the helm of a country of 162 million people. But the recent protests over road safety can easily be the most ignominious she has faced in over 40 years as a politician. The protests from July 29 to Aug. 8 were sparked by the deaths in Dhaka of two high school students hit by a bus operated by an unlicensed driver who was racing to collect passengers. The demands were quite simple and easily addressed by new legislation, but were made complicated by the subsequent arrests of people, including students, who had the courage to post their demands for safer roads on social media. Bangladeshis are now asking: If she had the righteousness to fight crimes against humanity in 1971, why can’t she deal with people’s right to demand public safety?