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Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:

- House budget hearing: Sara Duterte’s DepEd accused of ‘rigged bidding’ for laptops
- Emotions flare at KOJC as cops force open another gate in hunt for Quiboloy
- China ‘deliberately rammed, collided’ with PH Coast Guard ship in Escoda Shoal
- Lapu-Lapu City mayor shuts down 6 businesses operating in Cebu POGO hub
- Ernie Gawilan dominates heat, reaches swimming final for shot at Paralympic medal
- Sandro Muhlach files cyber libel complaint vs. netizens

https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/september-2-2024/

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News
Transcript
00:00Today on Rappler
00:14Legislators look into the possibility of a rigged bidding process for laptops when Sara
00:18Duterte was Education Secretary.
00:20The hunt for fugitive Apolo Kibuloy continues as police force open another KOJC gate.
00:25China rams a Philippine Coast Guard ship in Escoda Shoal.
00:28The mayor of Lapulapu City shuts down six businesses in a pogo hub where 162 foreigners
00:34were rescued.
00:35A medal may be within reach of Filipino para-swimmer Ernie Gawilan.
00:38And actor Sandro Mudoc files a cyber-libel complaint against social media users.
00:45A member of the House of Representatives raised concerns about the possibility of a rigged
00:49bidding process for laptops when Vice President Sara Duterte was still head of the agency.
00:54House lawmakers moved to compel the Education Department to release all bidding documents
00:59in relation to the DepEd computerization program in 2022 and 2023.
01:04Batangas Rep. Jervin Loistro introduced a motion to issue a subpoena for production
01:09of evidence to DepEd, which the Appropriations Committee approved without objections.
01:14This after Acobico Rep. Jill Bongalon raised concerns about the possibility of irregularities
01:19in the procurement process.
01:21Based on information he obtained, there were 16 lots for the contract but only two lots
01:26passed and only one bidder won.
01:28Another round of bidding was supposedly conducted for the other 14 lots because the bidders
01:33were initially disqualified.
01:34Vice President Sara Duterte has yet to respond to the accusations.
01:40The hunt for fugitive doomsday preacher Apolo Quiboloy continues as police open a gate near
01:45the Kingdom of Jesus Christ's Jose Maria College on Monday, September 2.
01:49Quiboloy's followers plead with the police not to enter the gate, arguing authorities
01:53already had access through another entrance on the 30-hectare property.
01:57The campus is part of the sprawling KOJC property where police operations are ongoing to catch
02:02Quiboloy and his associates who are wanted on child abuse and trafficking charges.
02:06KOJC lawyer Israelito Torreon describes the police action as a harassment tactic.
02:11Meantime, Vice President Sara Duterte joins KOJC followers in prayer on the group's founding
02:17anniversary.
02:18Duterte condemns the police operation and blames President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. claiming
02:23Quiboloy was caught in the political crossfire.
02:25Former KOJC members turned whistleblowers spoke to Rappler in 2021 about Quiboloy's
02:30sexual abuse of his so-called spiritual wives on night duty.
02:36The Philippine Coast Guard says a Chinese Coast Guard vessel deliberately rammed and
02:40collided with BRP Teresa Magbanwa three times in Escaudashol in the West Philippine Sea
02:45on Saturday, August 31.
02:47The PCG says the Teresa Magbanwa was damaged and the ramming also left it with holes.
02:52It adds when the Teresa Magbanwa dropped anchor in Escaudashol at around 8.30am, more Chinese
02:57maritime forces surrounded the PCG vessel.
03:00National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea spokesperson Commodore Jay Tariella says
03:05one of China's vessels blew its horn upon learning that the BRP Teresa Magbanwa was
03:09dropping its anchor.
03:11This is the seventh incident of harassment caused by China in Philippine waters in August
03:16and the third near or within the waters of Escaudashol.
03:19CCG vessels also caused structural damage to BRP Bagakay and BRP Cape Inganyo last August
03:2419.
03:25Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan ordered the immediate closure of six business establishments
03:32rated for allegedly being part of an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator hub.
03:37This days after authorities rescued 162 foreign nationals from the Tourist Garden Hotel on
03:43Saturday, August 31.
03:45Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission spokesperson Winston Casio says initial reports
03:49of the Pogo Hub stemmed from a request from the Indonesian Embassy.
03:53Officials from the National Bureau of Investigation, Interagency Council Against Trafficking, and
03:58the Department of Justice worked on the Indonesians' rescue.
04:01We were just here to rescue the Indonesian nationals.
04:04When we arrived here, in flagrant delicto, quoting the act, we saw that there were scum
04:11farms here.
04:12Paok says there were 162 foreign nationals and five Filipinos found working in three
04:17different scam work areas.
04:19Based on initial interviews, the Pogo Hub has five administrators that came all the
04:23way from Pampanga after escaping raids conducted there.
04:28A Paris Paralympics medal may be within reach of Filipino para-swimmer Ernie Gawilan as
04:33he gets to the final of the men's 400-meter freestyle S7 with the third fastest time on
04:39Monday, September 2.
04:40Gawilan clocks 5 minutes and 13 milliseconds to top his heat, two days after he failed
04:45to qualify for the men's 200-meter individual medley SM7 finals.
04:50Only the United States' Evan Austin and neutral Paralympics athlete Alexei Gainiok recorded
04:55faster times than Gawilan.
04:57Gawilan has a chance to become the third Filipino to win a Paralympic medal after powerlifter
05:02Adeline Dumapong in 2000 and table tennis player Josephine Medina in 2016.
05:08Meantime, Filipino para-taekwondo gin Alain Ganapin ends his Paris Paralympic campaign
05:13after bowing to Azerbaijan's Albufaz Aburzali.
05:18Actor Sandro Mulak files a cyber-libel complaint against several social media users at the
05:23National Bureau of Investigation's Cybercrime Division on Friday, August 30.
05:27A GMA News report says Mulak filed a complaint against three anonymous accounts on X and
05:32compiled over a hundred defamatory posts tackling his alleged sexual abuse by GMA independent
05:37contractors Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz.
05:40Sandro's grandfather, Alexander Mulak, appeals for compassion from the public, saying, quote,
05:45"...the online harassment and bullying are only worsening his condition."
05:49Sandro needs her compassion and support as he works towards recovery.
05:53On August 19, Mulak filed a complaint of rape through sexual assault against Nones and Cruz.
05:58During the August 27 hearing, Mulak revealed he was allegedly forced to use illegal drugs
06:02by Nones and Cruz before being sexually assaulted.
06:06Nones denies the allegations.

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