Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
- Makabayan cries foul over red-tagging blitz ahead of its bets’ Cagayan de Oro sortie - In Davao, Marcos brings up killings, POGO to hit Duterte, Senate bet allies - X accounts of Leni Robredo, Maria Ressa hacked to promote crypto - Israel receives shipment of heavy bombs cleared by Trump - South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron found dead at home, police official says
00:15Progressive party lists call on the Comelec to release election guidelines against red-tagging.
00:20President Ferdinand Marx Jr. goes on the offensive against his predecessor in Duterte's bailiwick.
00:25The ex-account of former Vice President Leni Robredo is hacked to promote crypto.
00:30Israel receives a shipment of heavy bombs from the United States.
00:34And police find no signs of foul play in the death of South Korean actress Kim Se-ron.
00:41Party lists Bayan Muna and Kabataan call on the Commission on Elections to release election guidelines against red-tagging.
00:47This after red-tagging posters targeting Kabataan, Bayan Muna, and party lists Alliance of Health Workers
00:54popped up in Cagayan de Oro before the Feb. 11 visit of Makabayan senatorial and party list candidates.
01:00The red-tagging campaign attempts to link progressive groups to organizations that espouse radical solutions to society's problems.
01:07The Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People's Army, and the National Democratic Front.
01:12In May 2024, the Supreme Court clearly defined red-tagging as a direct assault on individuals' constitutional rights to life, liberty, and security.
01:21Despite the SC's ruling, Congress has yet to act, leaving red-tagging unpunished by law.
01:26The Kamalak has yet to release guidelines on red-tagging as of posting.
01:32President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. goes on the offensive against his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte,
01:38during the Alianza para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate rally in Davao, a Duterte bailiwick.
01:43We are proud that they did not shed the blood of the thousands of Filipinos killed in the extrajudicial killing.
01:55You will choose if we will go back to the time when our leaders wanted the Philippines to become a province of China.
02:09This, days after Duterte criticized Marcos for falling short of expectations in addressing the country's problems related to food prices, jobs, and security.
02:19Two of the three issues were among those cited by Filipinos as the most urgent matters that the government should address.
02:25If the price of food is lower now, if it is easier to find a job now in his time, then it is up to him, up to the administration.
02:47Now, there are many of them, what should we do?
02:55Let's kill the senators so that we can have a holiday.
03:00If we can kill 15 senators, then we can all go to jail.
03:09Marcos also takes a jab at Duterte's joke about killing 15 senators so Duterte's Senate bets could all make it to the upper chamber.
03:16It's hard for other people.
03:18They only think of one solution to all the problems and the Filipinos die.
03:25It's amazing why it's like that.
03:28Marcos also touched on pandemic corruption and the highly controversial Philippine offshore gaming operators that established operations in the country during Duterte's term.
03:37He mentioned the same issues against his predecessor during their maiden kickoff in his bailiwick, Ilocos Norte.
03:43It is notable that neither Duterte nor Marcos addressed Vice President Saro Duterte's upcoming impeachment trial.
03:51Within a few weeks of each other, the ex-accounts of former Vice President Leni Robredo and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa are hacked to promote a cryptocurrency blockchain platform.
04:01Leni Robredo and her daughter Ayka post that the former vice president was working to recover her account.
04:06They both disowned the recent post that promoted blockchain platform Solana, which has since been removed from X.
04:12Maria Ressa's ex-account was also hacked on February 3 and used to promote Solana in several posts.
04:19Ressa regained access to her account the next day, Tuesday, February 4.
04:23This is not the first time the Rappler CEO has been targeted by an online cryptocurrency scam.
04:29A Rappler report from March 2024 reveals that a deep fake of Ressa's interview with American talk show host Stephen Colbert was altered to promote Bitcoin.
04:38The manipulated content was spread by a deceptive online network connected to Russia.
04:45Israel receives a shipment of heavy MK-84 bombs from the United States
04:49after President Donald Trump lifted an export ban imposed by his predecessor Joe Biden.
04:54The MK-84 is an unguided 2,000-pound bomb capable of penetrating thick concrete and metal, producing a large blast radius.
05:03The Biden administration refused to clear them for export to Israel
05:06due to concerns about the potential impact on densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip.
