Illustration by RENE ELEVERA
Pablo David
All Caloocan Bishop Pablo David wanted to do was be a good shepherd and serve his flock by upholding the human rights even of drug suspects.
Since 2016, David has spoken out against the government鈥檚 harsh war on drugs that has led to extrajudicial killings, for which he has been receiving death threats of late 鈥� even from President Rodrigo Duterte himself.
He was not being adversarial, the bishop said, and was merely standing up for what was right.
David was named recipient of the Ka Pepe Diokno Human Rights Award last week, but had to miss the event over people鈥檚 concern for his safety.
At this point, all his supporters could do is pray that God continues to deliver him from evil.
Michael Cohen
Lawyer Michael Cohen, who worked for US President Donald Trump for a decade as his top 鈥渇ixer,鈥� dropped a bomb on Wednesday when he assailed his former boss for being a 鈥渞acist, conman and a cheat鈥� in his testimony before a committee of the House of Representatives.
Cohen鈥檚 testimony offered a peek into life inside Trump Organization, although Trump on Friday described his scathing testimony as contradicting a manuscript for a book he wrote last year.
The manuscript, titled 鈥淭rump Revolution: From the Tower to the White House, Understanding Donald J. Trump,鈥� was already with a publisher but was held back after probers raided Cohen鈥檚 home and offices in April 2018.
Rami Malek
The blockbuster movie 鈥淏ohemian Rhapsody鈥� may have missed the Oscars鈥� Best Picture nod, but nobody was surprised when Rami Malek, who portrayed Queen鈥檚 iconic vocalist Freddie Mercury in the movie, was declared best actor at the 91st edition of the Academy Awards last week.
He won the coveted plum over more established actors, including Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Viggo Mortensen and Willem Dafoe.
Weeks before Malek鈥檚 movie debuted at No. 1 at the box office in October last year, the actor revealed why portraying Mercury resonated with him.
鈥淗e was exceptional at what he did for a living,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the kind of talent that can never be emulated. His kind of voice can only come from the heavens.鈥�
Olivia Colman
Olivia Colman was as shocked as everyone else when she was declared best actress at the 91st Academy Awards last week.
After all, while she received glowing reviews, not to mention a Golden Globe, a Bafta and the Venice Film Festival鈥檚 Volpi Cup for best actress for her idiosyncratic turn as Queen Anne in the 鈥淭he Favourite,鈥� everybody expected sentimental favorite Glenn Close, 71, to finally clinch her first Oscar after seven nominations.
But Colman is no stranger to well-deserved acclaim, among them a Sundance fest special jury prize for 鈥淭yrannosaur鈥� in 2011 and a Golden Globe for 鈥淭he Night Manager鈥� in 2017. W
atch her next as Queen Elizabeth II in the fourth season of Netflix鈥檚 鈥淭he Crown.鈥�
Murad Ebrahim
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Murad Ebrahim took over as interim chief minister in the Bangsamoro, an expanded autonomous region that was created after the peace deal with the government.
Murad, who spent 50 years in the Moro armed struggle, likened his new responsibility as the 鈥渘ew jihad,鈥� and urged the people to support him.
鈥淲e are now entering another level of our jihad,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur jihad will be more intense and more challenging,鈥� he added, as he vowed to lead the fight against graft and corruption, nepotism and other ills in the government.
Ebrahim, 70, was in his final year of civil engineering at a Catholic university in 1968 when he joined the Moro struggle.
Andray Blatche
He wanted another shot at going to battle with his 鈥渇amily鈥� and leading the Philippines to another World Cup stint.
Andray Blatche earned his chance and made the most out of it, leading Gilas Pilipinas to stirring victories over Qatar and Kazakhstan in the final window of the Fiba Asian qualifiers, including a 41-point showing against the Kazakhs in a wintry road game.
National coach Yeng Guiao believes that Blatche has more than paid his dues.
And with an ongoing appeal for Jordan Clarkson to suit up for the country as a local still holding up the team鈥檚 plans for the World Cup, Guiao showed just how much faith he had in Blatche by saying he鈥檇 go for him should Fiba and Clarkson turn down the appeal.