Here are today's headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
- Amid China’s audio recording claim, DFA says: Diplomats must follow PH laws
- Ombudsman suspends Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, 7 officials for non-payment of salaries
- Philippine economy grows by 5.7% in Q1 2024, below expectations
- National Museum board approves return of pulpit panels to Boljoon church
- 3 Filipinas named finalists in 2024 Pulitzer Prizes
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/may-9-2024/
- Amid China’s audio recording claim, DFA says: Diplomats must follow PH laws
- Ombudsman suspends Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, 7 officials for non-payment of salaries
- Philippine economy grows by 5.7% in Q1 2024, below expectations
- National Museum board approves return of pulpit panels to Boljoon church
- 3 Filipinas named finalists in 2024 Pulitzer Prizes
https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/may-9-2024/
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Today on Rappler
00:13 The Philippines reminds diplomats to respect local laws after China threatened to release
00:18 a purported phone call with a Filipino naval officer.
00:22 Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama and seven city officials are placed under preventive suspension for
00:27 six months.
00:28 The Philippine economy grew at a faster pace in the first quarter of 2024, but the rate
00:33 fell below expectations.
00:36 The National Museum will be returning pulpit panels taken from the heritage Church of Bolhoon
00:40 in southern Cebu.
00:42 Three Filipinas are named finalists in the 2024 Pulitzer Prizes, the most prestigious
00:47 honor for journalists in the United States.
00:52 The Department of Foreign Affairs reminds diplomats Thursday, May 9, they should "strictly
00:58 adhere to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, particularly on respecting the
01:04 laws of their host governments."
01:06 The reminder comes days after China threatened to release a purported recording of a phone
01:11 call between a Chinese diplomat and Armed Forces Western Command Chief Vice Admiral
01:16 Alberto Carlos.
01:18 China claims it agreed with Carlos on a new model of handling tensions in the Union Shoal
01:22 in the West Philippine Sea, and that top Philippine officials, including Defense Secretary Gibo
01:27 Chodoro Jr. and National Security Advisor Eduardo Año, were aware and had approved
01:33 of it.
01:34 Chodoro and Año strongly denied these claims.
01:37 Under Philippine law, the recording of phone conversations without the consent of all parties
01:41 involved is illegal.
01:43 Amid China's claim, the DFA also advises the public against falling for false narratives.
01:50 The Ombudsman places Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama and seven city officials under preventive
01:56 suspension for six months over unpaid salaries and discrimination allegedly faced by four
02:01 city employees.
02:04 Ombudsman Samuel Martires issued the suspension on Wednesday, May 8.
02:08 Preventive suspensions are meant to prevent officials involved in investigations from
02:12 influencing the outcome.
02:14 The case stems from complaints filed before the Ombudsman's Visayas office in Cebu City
02:18 on February 23.
02:20 Accusations against Rama and the other officials include graft, corruption, and grave abuse
02:25 of authority.
02:27 In June 2023, Rama reappointed his accusers to new posts with menial tasks.
02:32 They say the mayor's move was illegal and invalid.
02:35 Rama told Rappler Wednesday evening he had yet to receive a copy of the complaints in
02:40 a the Ombudsman's resolution and declined to comment on the issue.
02:46 The Philippine economy grew at a faster pace in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the
02:50 previous quarter, but the rate fell below expectations.
02:55 The Philippine Statistics Authority on Thursday, May 9, reports the country's gross domestic
02:59 product grew by 5.7 percent from January to March this year.
03:04 This is higher than the revised 5.5 percent GDP growth reported for the fourth quarter
03:10 last year, but lower than the 6.4 percent growth in the first quarter of 2023.
03:16 It's also below the 5.9 percent growth projected by economists and analysts polled by Business
03:21 World.
03:22 Philippine Economic Secretary Arsenio Balisacan says, "Construction slowed down, no doubt
03:27 affected by prolonged periods of extreme heat.
03:30 Household spending also slowed due to elevated prices of major food items and the heat wave."
03:36 Government spending also slowed down, which Balisacan attributed to a large amount of
03:40 expenditure being moved to April.
03:45 The National Museum will be returning pulpit panels taken from the Heritage Church of Bolhoon
03:50 in southern Cebu in the late 1980s.
03:52 Members of the National Museum Board of Trustees on Wednesday, May 8, approved a proposal to
03:58 restore the artifacts to their original location and to immediately start discussing plans
04:02 with the Archdiocese of Cebu.
04:04 The four panels used to adorn the pulpit of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria
04:09 Santissima.
04:11 Officials from Bolhoon and heritage agencies said there were a total of six panels.
04:16 Besides the four currently at the National Museum, one is on display in the Bolhoon Parish
04:21 Museum and one remains missing.
04:24 Five of the panels were long believed to have been lost until the four resurfaced as a donation
04:29 to the National Museum by collectors Edwin and Aileen Bautista and put on exhibit on
04:34 February 13, 2024.
04:38 Three Filipinas are named finalists in the 2024 Pulitzer Prizes, the most prestigious
04:43 honor for journalists in the United States.
04:47 Photographer Hannah Reyes Morales is a finalist under the Feature Photography category for
04:52 her work in a New York Times story that documents a so-called "youthquake" occurring in
04:57 Africa.
04:58 Filipino-American Nicole Dunca and Davao visual artist Ren Galeno are finalists under the
05:03 Illustrated Reporting and Commentary category for their work for The Washington Post.
05:09 Their piece, "Searching for Maura," reveals the story of Filipinos exhibited at the 1904
05:15 World's Fair in St. Louis, where some of them died.
05:19 So far, only two Filipinos have won a Pulitzer, Manny Mogato in 2018 and Carlos P. Romulo
05:25 in 1942.
05:27 Photographer Ezra Acayan was a Pulitzer finalist in 2021, while fellow photographer Romeo Gajad
05:33 was a two-time finalist and three-time nominee before he died in 2021.
05:40 And that's today's Wrap.
05:41 I'm Michelle Abad, thank you for watching.
05:44 Click the link below for the full story.
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