Duterte children apologize for father’s gaffe, say he can still lead

 Davao City Mayor and presidential aspirant Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte’s children, Sara Duterte-Carpio and Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte is sorry for their father's behavior but remained supportive. 

MANILA, Philippines – Davao City Mayor and presidential aspirant Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte’s children recently apologized for their father’s behavior but assured the public that he can still lead the country.

Duterte’s daughter, Sara “Inday Sara” Duterte-Carpio said she understands the supporters who found her father’s behavior foul. Sara made the statement on her Instagram account where she reacted to Duterte supporters who commented on the mayor’s cursing at Pope Francis.

She said her father may be a lawyer with a manner she dubbed as “street thug,” but she assured that he is intelligent enough to become a president.

“I perfectly understand where you are coming from. I apologize for his behavior. Rest assured, he is intelligent enough for the highest public position, unfortunately, he does not have the finesse of Lady Diana. In essence, he is a lawyer with the manners of a street thug,” Sara said.

WATCH: Bryan White 'can't do 75 minutes of God Gave Me You’

Bryan White faces members of the press on Staurday, November 28 to promote his one-night concert at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on December 1.

MANILA, Philippines – American country music artist Bryan White is aware many Filipinos may only know one song of his: “God Gave Me You,” the 1999 song made popular recently by GMA-7’s “Eat Bulaga” via its "kalye-serve" segment.

But the singer said he does feel pressured to “outdo” the song during his Manila concert at the Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday.

Rather, he’s excited for the opportunity to introduce his music to the Filipino audience.

“I can't do 75 minutes of 'God Gave Me You.' But I don't feel like there's any pressure to outdo that or anything because 'God Gave Me You' stands on its own,” he told members of the press on Saturday during a roundtable interview to promote his concert on December 1.

“I think it's a great opportunity because it allows me to introduce all of my other music to everybody too. So that's an exciting part of the song. I think that's going to be neat because they're going to hear hits of mine, but then they're going to hear new material, and then 'God Gave Me You',” White added.

Watch Bryan White as he talks about his Manila concert and his advice for Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza on how to have longevity in show business in the video below:

How to save up, get rich and make your money work for you

There is no one way to get rich, but these tips are certain to help you have more money in the bank.

MANILA, Philippines – They say money can't buy you happiness, but it surely helps you be happy by taking some of life's burdens off your shoulders. If you're financially secure, you can enjoy life more and worry less about the bills, big purchases and other emergency expenses.

How does one get rich though? There are a million ways to answer this question, as we've seen from various rags-to-riches stories to anecdotes on individuals born rich but were able to cleverly manage their finances and make them grow.

There is no one way to get rich, but these tips are certain to help you have more money in the bank.

1. 

While it's amusing to think about the possibility of you winning the lottery someday, it's lazy to rely on luck, as it is more likely you'll get struck by lightning than win the jackpot.

Have a long-term goal in mind, even if you feel like you're too young to think about finances. Do well in school and prioritize your education so you'll have a clear vision of how you'll position yourself in the real world. Plot your career plan, and make sure you have enough experience to take on bigger jobs that come with bigger salaries.

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2. 

Saving money requires a lot of self-discipline and control. While it's tempting to spend your cash on the latest gadgets and the hottest trends, these purchases should be done in consideration of bigger, more important items that need long-term investment.

If you're planning to buy a house someday, you won't get there by living an extravagant lifestyle that satisfies your short-term want rather than your long-term needs. Cut back on your night-outs, keep your lifestyle spending to a minimum and only give in to your impulse-buying tendencies if you have extra money outside your budget.

3. 

Some people get rich because of the people who surround them. They may be your friends from college, your officemates or someone from your other social circles. These are driven individuals who will refer you to more fulfilling jobs, provide insights on potential businesses you can invest in, and give you tips on how to manage your money wisely.

Who knows, these people can also be your business partners in the future, encouraging you to invest in ventures that will make your money work for you.

4.

Finding the right item to invest in requires a lot of homework, because it's no small matter and relying purely on your gut won't cut it. Investing is a make-or-break moment that involves a lot of risks, so it's wise if you spend time studying which things are you willing to put your money on.

 The stock market is a good place where you can make your money work for you, but you have to be sure which stocks give you more bang for your buck and are most likely to weather the fluctuations in the international and local markets. Investing in your own house is also a good investment, as the value of property appreciates over time. Find a reliable developer with a track record of having projects whose values have doubled - or even tripled - over time.

5. 

Some people might not be aware of it, but a serious illness can make you go bankrupt. Unless you have a reliable health plan, hospital and medical emergency expenses can be a real pain in the neck. Not only can they siphon your hard-earned money, they can also bury you in debt. Being sick also takes away the opportunity to enjoy the things you've invested for yourself, sending you into a downward spiral of irony and frustration. 

Eat right, stay away from vices and make sure you get regular health checks.

Bishops slam Duterte for cursing Pope Francis

Former CBCP president retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz warned the public that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is “dangerous and worse than a dictator whom we knew once led our country.” 

MANILA, Philippines – He’s a womanizer who is worse than a dictator and does not deserve to lead the country, Catholic bishops said yesterday after Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte cursed Pope Francis in public.

The newly proclaimed presidential candidate apologized yesterday and denied cursing the pontiff. 

“Is this the leadership by example that Mayor Duterte excites in us? Is this the leadership by example that makes a public official deserving of the title ‘honorable’?” Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said in a statement yesterday.

“We have so many leaders in office and many more aspiring to sit in office but are they examples of good citizenship? If the leaders we choose are to be leaders for national progress they must be visionaries and exemplary,” he added.

Former CBCP president retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz also warned the public that Duterte is “dangerous and worse than a dictator whom we knew once led our country.”

During the proclamation rally of PDP-Laban on Monday, Duterte complained in front of his supporters about the traffic jams during the papal visit in January, saying he was stuck in traffic from the hotel to the airport because of road closures.

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“Gusto kong tawagan, ‘Pope p******, umuwi ka na. Huwag nang mag bisita dito (I wanted to call him and say, ‘Pope ******, go home. Do not visit us here),” said Duterte, a Catholic.

His remarks drew some laughter from the crowd.

Villegas expressed disgust at the crowd’s laughter.

“My countrymen have gone to the dregs,” the prelate said. “When a revered and loved and admired man like Pope Francis is cursed by a political candidate and the audience laugh, I can only bow my head and grieve in great shame.”

During an event on Sunday in Taguig, Duterte also admitted that he is a womanizer, providing details about having two wives and two girlfriends.

In releasing personal details of his life, the mayor said he wanted the public to know him for who he is. He also stressed that no public funds were used to support his girlfriends.

Gabriela women’s party-list slammed Duterte for objectifying women after photos of the mayor kissing female supporters sitting on his lap were released on social media.

Gabriela Rep. Emmerenciana de Jesus said womanizing and treating women as objects are an affront to women and should not be flaunted.

“This reeks of machismo and reinforces the society’s low regard of women and consequently increases women’s vulnerability to violence and abuse. This is both distasteful and unacceptable,” she said.

“The usual face of corruption that we recognize easily is stealing from public funds. Corruption, like a monster, is a devil with many faces,” Villegas said.

“Adultery is corruption. It makes married love cheap and uses people for pleasure. Adultery corrupts the family; it destroys children and victimizes the weak,” he added.

Villegas said that vulgarity is also corruption and “when we find vulgarity funny, we have really become beastly and barbaric as a people.”

Cruz also warned Filipinos that Duterte’s earlier statement that he would kill anyone who he thinks committed wrong is a sign that Duterte has no regard for human rights.

“But to say he will kill anyone he thinks commits wrong and urge the people to put up more funeral parlors and has no regard for human rights, that is another thing,” Cruz said. “He thinks he is above God and does what he wants although the Lord said no.”

- See more at: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/12/02/1528117/bishops-slam-duterte-cursing-pope-francis#sthash.GeSGWCDH.dpuf - See more at: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/12/02/1528117/bishops-slam-duterte-cursing-pope-francis#sthash.GeSGWCDH.dpuf

Mar on Duterte run: Do I look worried?

“Do I look worried?” was the reply of Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II when asked if he felt threatened. 

MANILA, Philippines - Presidential contenders were unfazed by the possible entry of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the race.

“Do I look worried?” was the reply of Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II when asked yesterday if he felt threatened. 

Roxas regards Duterte’s decision to seek the presidency as a welcome development.

“Welcome to the campaign. It would be great if those who seek to serve or present their platform become part of this contest,” he added.

Roxas said Duterte did not talk to him about his plan to run for president.

“This decision is personal for every candidate,” the administration coalition standard bearer said.

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Vice President Jejomar Binay welcomed yesterday Mayor Duterte’s possible presidential run in 2016.

“I’m happy that Mayor Duterte will also run, the people will have more choices,” the Vice President said in an interview in Tondo, Manila yesterday.

Binay said Duterte is “very qualified” to run for the presidency.

“He’s a successful mayor. A good leader,” he said.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said Duterte’s plan to run for president “may have some effect” on the campaign of other presidential candidates.

He said Duterte’s strong anti-criminality message appears to resonate with many Filipinos and could have influenced his decision.

“He’s bound to have some effect on the playing field right now. Everybody will just have to make some adjustments,” Belmonte said.

“I don’t want to use the term ‘game changer’… maybe there will be effect on the campaign of the candidates,” he said.

He declined to comment on the legal issues of Duterte’s possible filing or substitution before the Commission on Elections.

He said he believes Duterte’s statements on killing criminals were really more to emphasize his point on the need to act decisively on crime.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said Duterte’s decision would favor Roxas as it will further divide the opposition votes.

“Definitely, he is a negative factor for opposition presidential bets,” Evardone said.

Reacting to Duterte’s announcement that he is open to running for president, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said discussions should go beyond personalities and focus on issues.

“Let’s move the discussion from one of personalities to one of issues-based and that’s where the President wants the whole campaign to be. Let’s talk about issues, let’s talk about your program of government,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda claimed that the administration is clear about what it wants to achieve in the next six years.

“Let’s talk about their platform. Let’s talk about what they are going to do with jobs. We have a clear idea; we have a clear blueprint for those things,” he said.

Duterte’s son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, hit back at Sen. Grace Poe’s running mate Sen. Francis Escudero, who had called on the mayor to stop using the Senate Electoral Tribunal ruling as an excuse to run for president.

The young Duterte reminded Escudero that the senator is a lawyer and that he himself knows the law requires that only natural-born citizens are qualified to run for president. 

“I am certain that Escudero, who is a lawyer himself, knows all too well that Grace Poe cannot be considered a natural-born Filipino citizen and does not satisfy the residency requirement, yet he persistently pushes her to the presidential race. Who’s now using who?” Vice Mayor Duterte said.

- See more at: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/11/24/1525326/mar-duterte-run-do-i-look-worried#sthash.r9uq1jZf.dpuf

hile China seems to have intimidated most APEC participants into avoiding any mention of their illegal activities in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea), American President Barack Obama seems to have finally found the nerve to speak out publicly against it and says he plans to do so at the upcoming APEC meeting. For the past year and a half, on the bad advice of his National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Obama kept silent about China's ongoing construction on shoals and reefs in the South China Sea. The U.S. Navy's operational plans to sail ships through the area were also placed on hold which gave China the mistaken notion that it had a green light to do as it pleased all over the region. But now that Obama seems to have belatedly come to his senses and seen fit to speak out about it, the Philippines must do the same. How can Filipinos afford not to? If they remain silent, the Chinese will use their silence as a sign of acceptance of China's dominion over all of the South China Sea. The Chinese can even argue that point to the arbitrators in the Hague saying for instance that "we told the Filipinos to stay away from Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) and they complied, which means they tacitly accept our dominion over it." Never mind that Panatag Shoal is just 124 nautical miles from Zambales and can be found on Philippine maps dating back hundreds of years. China's Nine-Dash line claim on the other hand is nothing but the figment of some Chinese communist apparatchik's imagination whose origin goes back only to December of 1947. The only reason the Chinese are currently asserting their ridiculous Nine-Dash claim is because they now have the military might to force countries like the Philippines to accept it. Filipinos should stop being intimidated and call out China's bullying whenever and wherever they can. Some naive individuals still believe that they can sweet-talk China into relenting and giving back what they took. As an example, Filipinos bent over backwards to welcome Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his visit last week. Everyone from the president on down were all smiles and gave Wang a royal welcome. Then everyone was taken aback when Wang later had some harsh words for the Philippines. Filipinos need to stop such naïveté and realize that "Filipino hospitality" will not be enough to alter China's claims in the South China Sea. In fact in June of this year, Wang himself stated that Chinese leaders would not be able to concede anything in the South China Sea because if they did, they “would not be able to face [their] forefathers and ancestors.”  The Chinese have thus painted themselves into a corner and won't be backing down anytime soon ... unless they are forced to. The handmade barong tagalog that will be presented to Chinese President Xi Jinping to wear at the gala dinner, the keepsake mementos, and all the smiling Filipino faces and friendly handshakes won't change a thing. Filipinos who think there's a chance the Chinese will relent are simply deluding themselves. What Filipinos must do—from the president on down—is stand firm and show resolve. The Philippines must take every opportunity to express its displeasure with the loss of its sovereignty over many of the Spratly islands that China took from it. The Philippines might be small and militarily weak, but Filipinos will need to stand tall and firm and ally themselves with countries like the United States which is trying to build a coalition big enough and powerful enough to make the Chinese back away from their ridiculous claims in the South China Sea.

Philippines must institutionalize climate change fight -- Ambassador Lazaro PARIS, France, Nov. 30 -- President Aquino was able to put in place the principles and regulations addressing climate change in the country and the next leader should strengthen those guidelines, the country's ambassador to France said. "Well naumpisahan niya. I think yung principles nailagay niya sa lugar. Institutions are now... regulations and the principles for climate change and environment are already formed," Ambassador Ma. Theresa Lazaro said in an interview with Radio TV Malacanang on Friday. Lazaro said some of the regulations are undergoing processes in the legislature and they must be institutionalized by the incoming administration. "Ito ang mahalaga sa mga ginawa ng Pangulong Aquino. Nailagay na sa lugar... and I mean maski ano pang debate ay kailangang kailangan natin itong ilagay sa tamang lugar in terms of legislation and then the executive branch should implement it," she said. The 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21), to be attended by the President on November 30, is important for the Philippines since the country is at the top of the risk index in terms of the effects of climate change. Lazaro said that because the Philippines is one of the vulnerable countries, it's economic growth could easily be wiped out by calamities or disasters, putting the country in the continuous cycle of rebuilding. "That's why very important ang presence ni President Aquino, of course ang ating delegasyon, pero that also signifies kung gaano tayo kaimportante," Lazaro said. "This is a multilateral negotiation... sana ay malaman din ng ibang bayan that their countries will be really suffering kung hindi ihihinto ang mga the usual environmental degradation na ginagawa." She said that the Philippines made a commitment that by 2030, it would reduce the green house gas emissions by 70 percent with the help of the global community. This emission cut is ambitious compared with other countries, with some committing only 30 or 40 percent reduction. "I hope we can achieve this and kung anuman ang mangyari dito sa negotiations na ito, dito sa COP21, malakas ang impact nito sa buong mundo particularly sa atin. It will really help us," according to Lazaro. The Philippine embassy in France is glad that President Aquino is coming as it shows the country's commitment to addressing the impacts of climate change, she said. The 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place in Paris from November 30 to December 11, 2015. The event will bring together world leaders to hammer out an agreement aimed at stabilizing the climate and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. (PCOO/PND)