Here鈥檚 a quick roundup of today鈥檚 top stories:
Typhoon Ofel (international name: Usagi) has maintained its strength as it moved west northwestward over the Philippine sea, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported on Wednesday.
Based on the state weather bureau鈥檚 11 a.m. bulletin, Ofel was last spotted some 485 kilometers (km) east northeast of Daet, Camarines Norte or 610 km east of Infanta, Quezon.
After many rumors and barbs between him and the House of Representatives lawmakers, former president Rodrigo Duterte showed up at the quad committee鈥檚 drug war hearing on Wednesday 鈥� a meeting that was聽initially canceled, but eventually pushed through.
Duterte arrived at聽 9:57 a.m., at the Batasang Pambansa complex鈥檚 People鈥檚 Center.聽 He was accompanied by his former spokesperson, lawyer Salvador Panelo.
There is an 鈥渋ncreasing demand by Beijing鈥� for Manila to give up its claims in the heavily disputed South China Sea despite the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims in the strategic waterway, Defense Secretary Gilberto 鈥淕ibo鈥� Teodoro Jr. said on Tuesday.
鈥淲hat we see is an increasing demand by Beijing for us to concede our sovereign rights in the area because of our need to explore and exploit the resources in these areas for the benefit of our own people,鈥� Teodoro said at a press briefing in Canberra after his meeting with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles.
China Coast Guard harassed and blocked a Filipino boat from entering Escoda (Sabina) Shoal twice last month, a fisherfolk revealed.
This was revealed in a three-page handwritten sworn statement of boat captain Arnel Lepalam furnished to the media on Tuesday night.